New York City-based Swann Auction Galleries recently held its autumn edition of the African American Art sale on October 7 with tremendous success. This was the auction house’s first sale to hammer more than $4 million, in addition to achieving auction records for 11 artists, including Elizabeth Catlett and Howardena Pindell. Catlett’s limestone sculpture Head, created in 1943, sold for $485,000 (est. $150/250,000). And Pindell’s Untitled #57 shattered its high estimate of $40,000 when it hammered at $137,000. In total, the sale achieved more than $5 million, including buyer’s premium.
Hale Woodruff (1900-1980), Carnival, ca. 1958. Oil on canvas, 40½ x 68 in. Estimate: $250/350,000 SOLD: $665,000
“We were all thrilled with the auction’s results—it was our department’s and Swann’s highest grossing auction to date,” says Nigel Freeman, Swann’s director of African American art. “For both modern and contemporary significant artists, we saw strong sales including new record prices for [several] artists and the second highest price for Edward Bannister and Hale Woodruff.”
Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012), Head, 1943. Carved limestone, 13½ x 7¼ in. Artist World Auction Record. Estimate: $150/250,000 SOLD: $485,000The top lot of the sale was Hale Woodruff’s circa 1958 oil Carnival, which achieved $665,000 against a presale estimate of $250,000 to $350,000.
The overall success of the sale, Freeman says, is not limited to a select group, but rather comes from variety and diversity. “I am...excited to see such a broad level of interest,” he adds, “with strong results across all the various periods and categories of art that are included in our department’s auctions.”
Norman Lewis (1909-1979), Past Time, ca. 1950-51. Oil on linen canvas, 39 x 24 in. Estimate: $150/250,000 SOLD: $233,000
Howardena Pindell (b. 1943), Untitled #57, 1974-75. Acrylic, watercolor, punched graph papers, gold and computer tape, 8¼ x 12½ in. Artist record. Estimate: $30/40,000 SOLD $137,000
Other high-performing historic lots in the sale include Past Time by Norman Lewis, an oil on canvas from around 1950 to 1951 that sold for $233,000; the bronze Feral Benga, modeled in 1935 by Richmond Barthé and cast around 1960, which achieved a total of $173,000; and Edward M. Bannister’s 1893 Crossing the Bridge Before Sunset, selling for $112,500.
Swann Auction Galleries is currently accepting consignments and preparing for the spring 2022 auction season. —
Top 10 sales
Swann Auction Galleries, African American Art, October 7, 2021 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low/High ESt. SOLD
Hale Woodruff Carnival $250/350,000 $665,000
Elizabeth Catlett Head $150/250,000 $485,000
Norman Lewis Past Time $150/250,000 $233,000
Richmond Barthé Feral Benga $75/100,000 $173,000
Norman Lewis Untitled $50/75,000 $161,000
Simone Leigh Untitled (Vessel) $75/100,000 $149,000
Howardena Pindell Untitled #57 $30/40,000 $137,000
Charles Alston Moon Haze (Standing in the Moonlight) $80/100,000 $137,000
Edward M. Bannister Crossing the Bridge Before Sunset $40/60,000 $112,500
Richmond Barthé Black Majesty $35/50,000 $106,250
Hughie Lee-Smith Curtain Call $40/60,000 $100,000
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