NEW YORK, NY.- Doyle’s auction of Important Paintings on Wednesday, May 20 at 11am will showcase fine European, American, Asian and Latin American paintings, drawings and sculpture from the late 19th through the early 21st centuries. The offerings span Academic and Barbizon art through Impressionism and Post-Impressionism to Modernism and on to Contemporary and Street Art.



Among the highlights of the sale are several notable groups of artwork, including property from the Estate of Richard and Carole Rifkind, a collection of Washington Color School art from the Collection of Gilbert and Sandra Oken, and a stellar group of works by women artists.

Works by Women Artists
The art world is embracing a long-overdue sea change: the work of incredibly gifted women artists are finally beginning to receive the credit and adulation they have always deserved. With major museums and institutions reevaluating their programming, as well as galleries overhauling their rosters, women artists who have long lived in the shadows of their male peers are being brought to the forefront of the art market.
Doyle is proud to present a selection by prominent women artists spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. A magnificent bronze by sculptor Harriet Frishmuth and a fantastic abstract sculpture by British Dame Barbara Hepworth are among these standout works. The group is also buoyed by an early Carolee Schneemann painting, a still life by Tamara de Lempicka, an abstract work by Elaine de Kooning, and several others.


The Estate of Richard and Carole Rifkind
New York collectors Richard and Carole Rifkind immersed themselves in their shared passion for art and architecture. Doyle is honored to present works from their private collection, including two early Richard Stankiewicz assemblage sculptures, as well as an exceptional work on paper by Richard Serra. Continuing the sale theme of women artists, the Rifkind collection also features an important still life by Abstract Expressionist painter Grace Hartigan and a sublime work on paper by Louise Bourgeois.


Washington Color School Art from the Collection of Gilbert and Sandra Oken
Beginning in the mid-1960s, the Washington, DC area group of artists known as the Washington Color School pioneered new experiments in painting, including shaping canvases and applying color. Working directly with several of the Color School artists, Gilbert and Sandra Oken built a stellar collection of their work. Highlighting the Collection of Gilbert and Sandra Oken are bold, bright works by Howard Mehring, Paul Reed and Thomas Downing.


American Art
Spanning 19th through mid-20th centuries, American art in the sale features two watercolors by early Modernist John Marin, as well as two delightful works on canvas by the Florida painter Orville Bulman. Classic American art is further highlighted with an important Childe Hassam canvas, a Gloucester scene by Hayley Lever, and a charming pastel by John Henry Twachtman.


European & Modern Art
Vibrant landscapes by Eugene Boudin and Maurice de Vlaminck highlight the European and Modern Art selections in the Important Paintings sale. Modern Art standouts also include delicate drawings by Gustav Klimt, Juan Gris and Diego Rivera.


Post-War & Contemporary Art
Doyle has long presented rare estate works by both blue-chip and emerging artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. The May 20 auction continues this focus with an excellent 1966 collage by Robert Motherwell, a 1951 shaped canvas by Italian artist Bruno Munari, as well as a painting by Cuban Concretist Sandu Darie.

Contemporary Art is well represented in the sale, with a “Shadowman” canvas by New York Street Artist Richard Hambleton, as well as two early works by beloved Lower East Side artist Martin Wong. Barkley L. Hendricks is represented with three mixed-media works on paper, a rare departure from his large scale portraiture.


Sale Format

The sale will be presented as a live auction event with safety in mind. From a closed setting, the auctioneer will conduct the sale live. Place your bids from the safety and comfort of your own home by entering Absentee Bids online or by using Doyle’s BidLive! bidding platform to place bids in real time during the auction with a computer mouse or mobile device.