On April 2, Swann Auction Galleries presents its spring African American Art sale featuring 200-plus works from a prominent group of modern, post-war and contemporary artists.
One highlight is Charles White’s Woman in Blue, 1965-1966, a rare example of an oil painting by the artist who is best known for his drawings and murals depicting the Black experience. Measuring 50 by 34 inches, the painting depicts a serene woman shrouded in blue against an earth-toned background. The piece is estimated to achieve between $100,000 and $150,000.
Beauford Delaney (1901-1979), Untitled (Abstract Composition), 1963. Watercolor, 17½ x 12 in. Estimate: $20/30,000
Another painting of note is an untitled work by Hughie Lee-Smith from 1953 with a low estimate of $60,000. “[This] evocative Hughie Lee-Smith painting of urban decay epitomizes the artist’s career-defining body of work from Detroit,” explains Nigel Freeman, Swann Galleries vice president and head of fine art. The piece was created the same year Lee-Smith was awarded the Founders Prize by the Detroit Institute of Arts, marking his rise to national prominence.
Charles White (1918-1979), Woman in Blue, 1965-66. Oil on canvas, 50 x 34 in. Estimate: $100/150,000
Works on paper feature prominently in the sale with offerings that include Romare Bearden’s Jazz Men (est. $60/90,000), a vibrant 1970 collage that was the inspiration for his popular print Alto Saxophone; and a 1963 abstract watercolor by Beauford Delaney from his Paris period that comes from the family of its original French owner (est. $20/30,000). Freeman adds, “Willie Birch’s large gouache Future Home, Cross Road Baptist Church, 1986 in its artist-made frame is from his trailblazing 1986-88 autobiographical series A Personal History of Urban America is another exciting offering.”
Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012), Sharecropper, ca. 1952. Linoleum cut, 17½ x 16½ in. Estimate $15/25,000
The sale also features prints by White and Elizabeth Catlett, both printed at Taller de Gráfica Popular in Mexico City, as well as an early proof of Catlett’s iconic linocut Sharecropper, 1952.
“We are excited about the many diverse offerings in our spring sale—our largest fine art auction of the season in terms of value,” says Freeman. “This spring sale marks the 19th year of departmental auctions in this ground-breaking category. We have developed an extensive clientele including significant institutional and private collectors across a broad spectrum of American art. The sale includes editions and works on paper that appeal to first-time collectors to important, scarce artworks that often become museum acquisitions.”
Hughie Lee-Smith (1915-1999), Untitled, 1953. Oil on board, 16¾ x 24 in. Estimate $60/90,000
Bidding for the April 2 sale is available through online platforms, absentee, phone and live in-person. The complete catalog and bidding information is available on Swann Galleries’ website. —
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