CLEVELAND, OH.- Following the success of their Modern, Contemporary & Conceptual art auction in September with a 90% sell rate, of which 20% sold over estimate,
Gray’s Auctioneers announces its October 26 live and online auction. The most notable lot in the auction is Lot 8A a rare and exciting discovery of an oil on canvas by William James Glackens (1870-1938), one of the founders of the Ashcan School of American Art. This painting, depicting an evening street scene, embodies the quest to capture urban realism and the vitality of everyday life in New York City. A smoking street vendor offers passers-by a chance to “Have a look at Venus 10ȼ”, while a man looks through the vendor’s telescope, street lights and shop windows glow in the background.
The nude has been an iconic image throughout art history. In 1504 Michelangelo defined the beauty of the male figure with his most famous work the Statue of David. A century later Peter Paul Rubens, the Flemish painter, defined female beauty with his numerous paintings of nude biblical and mythological women. Capturing the naked human figure continues to challenge artists in the 21st century. “The Emperor Has No Balls,” a sculpture by artist Joshua “Ginger” Monroe is a satirical depiction of a naked Donald Trump at Lot 1. Serious bidders will be able to preview the sculpture in person by appointment at a secure location before the auction. Gray’s is displaying a life sized photograph of the sculpture in their showroom throughout the preview period. Proceeds from the sale will benefit public art funding in the city of Cleveland Heights. Making this sculpture truly unique, it is the only sculpture of the original five in the series claimed by the artist, Joshua “Ginger” Monroe.
The Trump nude in this auction is in good company. Lot 4, Fleurs de Mousse by Bulgarian/American artist Ivaylo Gueorgiev is a sensual 21st century parody of a 19th century French poster for bubble bath. Lot 5, Snoflakes DNA Clouds by the British/American artist Breyer P-Orridge has a cascade of nudes against bright blue sky. Thomas E. Gordon’s muscle-men nudes are Lot 7. Lot 8 is Portrait of a Nude, an oil by Boardman Robinson used as one of the illustrations for the 1921 publication of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.
The auction includes both decorations and jewelry. A stunning collection of more than 5,000 cufflinks is offered in 195 lots from a single collector. With too many to mention in detail, highlights include Lot 227 three pairs of Georg Jensen Sterling Silver Cufflinks, two of which have matching tie clips; Lot 236 a miscellaneous collection of five pairs of designer cufflinks by Tiffany & Co., Christine Dior and three pairs by Pierre Cardin. Most of the lots are similar to Lot 242, a miscellaneous collection of 36 pairs of cufflinks by various makers. Some include precious metals, semi-precious stones and gems while others include enameled, colored glass or plastic accents. All are by various makers and all make up an extraordinary and elegant collection.
Other notable lots from the auction include Lot 13, photographer Linda Butler’s oversized silver gelatin print of the Yangtze Overlook, Xiling Gorge, from 2000, before the infamous Chinese Three Bridges Dam project was finished. The view captured in this image no longer exists, buried beneath the 360 mile long reservoir that displaced 1.3 million people. Lot 97 is a 149 piece Meissen porcelain dinner service in the Scattered Flower pattern and in fine condition. Lot 95 is a rare Meissen porcelain crinoline group after Johann Joachim Kaendler’s ‘The Hand Kiss’. Lot 163 is a Chinese Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, dark olive green, tea dust glazed porcelain vase, with the Kangxi six-character underglazed blue mark. A final lot of note is Lot 188 a beautifully designed gold, platinum and diamond ring with a 2.7 carat brilliant cut diamond in the center. The total ring weight is 6.8 dwt and the ring size is 6 ½.
The auction starts at 11am EST on October 26 with live bidding provided by GraysAuctioneers.com. The fully illustrated catalog is now online.
