PHILADELPHIA, PA.- Freeman’s May 16 Modern & Contemporary Art auction offers a selection of fine examples of works by some of the world's most influential artists. Prints, drawings, paintings, and sculpture by Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Lynn Chadwick, Richard Anuszkiewicz, Will Barnet, Wolf Kahn, Robert Motherwell, Salvador Dalí and others will be up for auction.
The auction opens with French artists Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) and Henri Matisse (1869-1954), followed by a complete set of 34 lithographs by Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985), entitled “Matière et Mémoire ou Les Lithographes à l’École”, ($40,000-$60,000.) The sale includes ten works by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), including “Picasso Theatre” ($150,000-$250,000). An important India ink, wash and chalk work on paper, “Picasso Theatre” is a draft of the final design that illustrated the clothbound cover of the first edition of the book of the same name, originally published in 1968. The book, prepared by Douglas Cooper and dedicated to the artist, is a collection of the images of Picasso’s lesser-known works for the theater, specifically the ballet, as well as an essay on the significant influence the theater had on the artist’s oeuvre.
Another highlight of the auction is “Maquette Jubilee II” ($400,000-$600,000) by Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003). “Maquette Jubilee II”, created in 1983, is an outstanding example of the artist’s mature work. The multi-figure composition displays many elements of Chadwick’s unique visual language. Utilizing his own pictorial code, he assigns the female figure a triangular head and the male figure a rectangular one. The artist seemingly draws in metal, creating figures whose sharp angles and powerful volumes activate and engage the space around them, as if Chadwick not only cast the bronze but also carved the space around it. This sense of dynamism, motion and energy was critically important to the artist and he captured it with excellent effect in “Maquette Jubilee II”.
Other highlights in this sale have strong ties to the City of Brotherly Love. Philadelphians and those familiar with Love Park will enjoy two prints by artist Robert Indiana (b. 1928) of his now-iconic “Love” design (each $2,000-3,000) from the Estate of David Adamany, former President of Temple University. Freeman’s will offer 41 pieces from Mr. Adamany’s collection, many of which reflect his political activism and engagement. Included among these is Roy Lichtenstein’s “Mirror” ($3,000-$5,000), which – along with other works from Adamany’s collection – was sold to benefit the Senate campaign of noted civil rights pioneer Harvey Gantt. Later in the sale are three paintings by Philadelphia artist Elizabeth Osborne (b. 1936), who attended the prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and who later taught there from 1963 to 2011.
Sure to be of interest are works by Pop artist Andy Warhol (1928-1987). “Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn)” ($30,000-50,000), a color screenprint, and “Flowers” ($15,000-20,000), a color offset lithograph are two of Warhol’s most iconic subjects and will both be offered in the May 16 auction.
Freeman’s will host a special exhibition of auction highlights in New York City at Rogue Space, opening May 2 and running through May 5. An exhibition of the entire sale will open in Philadelphia on May 11 and run through May 15.
