artnet Launches Abstract Paintings Sale featuring works by Renowned New York School Artists from 1940-1970
April 20-30, 2009
www.artnetonlineauctions.com/AbstractPaintings
From April 20-30 artnet Online Auctions will feature a special sale of 60 abstract paintings by 50 New York School artists including Mary Abbott, Elaine de Kooning, Franz Kline, Michael Goldberg and Robert Motherwell.
The New York School artists painted and frequently socialized together at the Artists’ Club in lower Manhattan during the 1940s and 1950s; exhibiting for the first time at the ground-breaking “Ninth Street” Exhibition in 1951. From this School emerged the pivotal art historical movement, American Abstract Expressionism. The works offered in this sale are prime examples by renowned New York School artists.
Artists of the “Ninth Street” Exhibition
Leading the sale is a group of works by ten artists who participated in the “Ninth Street” Exhibition including Peter Busa, Friedel Dzubas, Jimmy Ernst, Michael Goldberg, Robert Motherwell and Melville Price. Michael Goldberg, one of the youngest participants, exhibited in the “Ninth Street” show at the age of 27. Untitled, 1960, executed just nine years later, is a vibrant painting with color harmonies that foreshadow the artist’s mature works (estimate: 40,000 USD – 50,000 USD). Also offered in this section is Untitled, circa 1985 by Friedel
Dzubas (estimate: 7,000 USD – 12,000 USD). Early on in his career Dzubas executed a series of “black” works. This work, executed in scarlet against a background of lapis exemplifies the brilliant palette characteristic of the artist’s later work. This section also includes two paintings by Melville Price, Portrait, 1959 (estimate: 5,500 USD -7,500 USD) and Study for Black Warrior, 1961 (estimate: 6,000 USD – 7,500 USD).
Women Artists of the New York School
Other sale highlights include a collection of ten paintings by women artists including Mary Abbott, Perle Fine, Elaine de Kooning and Michael Corinne West. The Bombash, 1950 is one of three works by Mary Abbott offered in the sale (estimate: 15,000 USD – 20,000 USD).
Abbott associated with Jackson Pollock at the Artists’ Club a decade earlier and this work reflects Pollock’s influence. The subject matter, however, owes to the artist’s travels to Haiti. Winter Landscape Collage Painting, 1966, by Elaine de Kooning, is a mixed media work in oil and found newspaper on panel in which the artist evokes a winter scene with evergreen brushstrokes over a field of white (estimate: 15,000 USD -20,000 USD). Also offered in this section are two rare works by Michael Corinne West, Quick Poem Summer, 1965 (estimate: 14,000 USD -18,000 USD) and White Writing, 1966 (estimate: 12,000 USD -15,000 USD ).
Other highlights
Among the other sale highlights are two exceptional action paintings by Norman Bluhm, Untitled, 1961 (estimate: 18,000 USD – 22,000 USD) and Untitled, 1962 (estimate: 20,000 USD – 25,000 USD); Untitled, 1960 a luminous work by Hans Burkhardt which has rarely appeared at auction (estimate: 22,000 USD -28,000 USD); and Untitled, 1957, a rare work in brilliant, contrasting colors by John von Wicht (estimate: 7,500 USD -12,500 USD).
Browse the Sale at http://www.artnetonlineauctions.com/abstractpaintings
Sale Contact:
Lori Yarotsky
Senior Specialist, Modern & Contemporary Art
+1-212-497-9700 Ext. 175
lyarotsky@artnet.com
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