Category: Decorative Arts

Top Picks from The Winter Antiques Show

From January 20 to the 29th, The Winter Antiques Show will celebrate its 63rd year anniversary as America’s leading art, antiques and design fair, and we will be at The Park Avenue Armory to salute them. The fair will feature an array of fine art photography from Dennis Stock’s unforgettable portrait of Audrey Hepburn during the filming of Sabrina. The Tambaran Gallery will preview an impressive fang figure from Africa. There will also be a loan exhibition which will highlight a spectacular blanket chest of Johannes Spiltler from Virginia. This year, the prestigious antique show will feature over 70 distinguish experts in fine and decorative arts from around the world. All net proceeds from the fair will benefit the East Side House Settlement, a nationally recognized community-based organization in South Bronx.

To purchase tickets for the Opening Night Party on January 19, 2017, or Young Collectors Night on January 26, 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2017 loan exhibition, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum: Revolution & Evolution, honors the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum (AARFAM), one of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. The exhibition salutes the museum, which is the oldest continuously operating institution in the United States dedicated solely to the collection, exhibition and preservation of American folk art, commemorating its 60th anniversary in 2017.

At Christie’s NY: A Fresh look at World-Class Masters

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Jan Cornelisz. Vermeyen (Beverwijk, Circa 1500 -C. 1559 Brussels). Portrait of Joost Aemszoon van der Burch.

Top Picks from Christie’s Classic Week: April 8-15, 2016

Christie’s Classic Week overs an extraordinary look at some of the world’s top old masters – from Rubens masterpiece Lot and his Two Daughters which is in view for the first time in a century (the sale will take place at Christie’s London) to a fascinating exhibit named An Inquiring Mind: American Collecting of Japanese and Korean Art. The Classic Week goes from Antiquities, Sculpture, with a contrasting mix artists like Clyfford Still.

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Background: A Hendrik Frans Van Lint waiting. (Called LO STUDIO). Baccus and Ariadne on the Island of Naxos.
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Elisabeth-Louise Vigee Le Brun: Portrait of Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), bust-length, in a trompe l’oeil stone niche.
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A Kawari Kabuto (Exotic Helmet). Momoyama period (Late 16th century).
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A Roman sleeping beauty at Christie’s Classic Week.
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Foreground – Right: Elisabeth-Louise Vigee Le Brun (Paris 1755-1842). Maria Grigorievna Viazemskaia, Princess Golitsyna (1772-1865), seated three-quarter-lengh.
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Jean-Leon Gerome (Vesoul. Haute-Saone 1824-1904 Paris) Washington a cheval (‘Washington on his horse’). Bronze, dark brown patina.
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A tinted plaster bust of Napoleon Bonaparte as first consul by Joseph Chinard (Lyon 1756-1813), 1801.
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Domenikos Theotokopoulos, Called EL GRECO. (Crete 1541-1614) Toledo). The Entombment of Christ.
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A colossal Roman marble portrait head of the emperor Hadrian. Reign 117-138 A.D.
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An important large Roman inlaid bronze Bacchus. Circa 2nd Century A.D.
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Christie’s Classic Week: April 8-15, 2016
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A Roman marble Venus. Circa 1st Century B.C., 1st Century A.D.
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An important Egyptian wood figure of a lady. Middle kingdom. Early 12th dynasty. Circa 1981-1802 B.C.
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Foreground: An attic red-figured Nolan amphora, attributed to the Berlin painter, circa 470 B.C.
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Contemporary artwork by Clyfford Still mixed with Classic Week at Christie’s. 

All images by High End Weekly™. All rights reserved.

Amazing Mythologies From Around The World

Sitting on Fish
“If one of the figures carries a fish they carry the symbol of the cycle of life. From the first day of life, each evolves in a marine and aquatic world. A poetic way to symbolize 
the unique character of every person.” 
Philippe Brodzi
Beginning Thursday, October 10th, Friedman & Vallois will present the whimsical world of mythology by Belgian artist, Philippe Brodzki. The exhibition “Mythologies”, which consists of some 30 sculptural works in bronze and ceramic will run at the 2nd Floor Gallery until November 23rd, 2013. Busts and figures, with distant facial expressions, are typical of Brodzki’s work in ceramics and evoke the aesthetic of Etruscan mythology. Brodzki celebrates Greek and Roman mythology as he reveals clearly in “The Abduction of Europa” (pictured below). This celebrated, and global artist has been winning the hearts of international critics, and was awarded in 1996 by the International Contemporary Art Prize of the Foundation Prince Pierre of Monaco for his outstanding work.

Philippe’s technique of bronze casting, namely the lost wax technique and sophisticated patinations in the manner of ancient classical sculptors is fascinating and moving, at the same time. In addition his aesthetic and style is often reminiscent of the ancient Chinese art found in Xi’an some years ago.
Friedman & Vallois is located at 27 East 67th Street, New York City. The Opening is on Thursday, October 10th from 5-8PM.
Caroline in turban
Brodzki bird
The abduction of Europa
Copyright images from Philippe Brodzki

Exploring The Grounds of A Modern Master

Musée Rodin dedicated to the works of the French sculptor, Auguste Rodin

Magnificently Rebellious

Once again, our french correspondent, Sarah Boutinon Tharse takes us to a place that all of us long to be – a splendid garden in central Paris. To be more exact, it’s the Musée Rodin located at 79 Rue de Varenne 75007 Paris, France. We highly recommend this particular museum whenever you visit the city of lights. It’s not as mainstream as The Louvre or Musée d’Orsay, but if you love sculptures, and beautifully manicured gardens, this is the one for you. Auguste Rodin was one of the original rebels in Paris. Why do we say that? “[He’s] original work departed from traditional themes of mythology and allegory, modeled the human body with realism, and celebrated individual character and physicality. [He] was sensitive to the controversy surrounding his work, but refused to change his style”. The museum boasts an impressive collection of 6,600 sculptures, 8,000 drawings, 8,000 old photographs and 7,000 objets d’art. And believe me, that is a lot to love!

































All images courtesy Sarah Boutinon-Tharse
All rights reserved

Design as an Art Form

“Collecting Design” by Daniella Ohad

Collecting modern and contemporary design has become one of the most dynamic, influential territories in the international marketplace, a territory that stands at the forefront of style and taste. While at first it was fueled mainly by the fine art market, collecting design has emerged as a discipline in its own right; one that not only dominates interior design, but also attracts those who value living with beautiful things. The design market is now a global barometer of trend forecasting, signifying status and culture. Collecting design inspires scholarly analysis, art fairs, museum exhibitions, and monographs, and was cited recently by the Wall Street Journal as a lucrative avenue of investment. Although collecting design generates tremendous interest worldwide, a dedicated program was nowhere to be found. To fill the gap, I authored the first course exclusively devoted to collecting design, and it is open to everyone.

In the ten-session program, I examine the themes, periods, and styles with the strongest presence in the marketplace, including the American Arts & Crafts Movement, French Art Deco, American Modernism, Mid-Century Design in the US, Italy, and France, the Studio Movement, European Design of the 70s, and Contemporary Design. Each lecture is complimented by dialogues with dealers, collectors, curators, designers, and writers. I have the honor of sharing insights and candid advice from the world’s most knowledgeable experts. Together, we examine exhibitions, publications, auction records, relevant connoisseurship, major design fairs, and the stories behind the scenes. For information and registration: https://www.nysid.edu/academics/continuing-education-professional-studies/collecting-design.


Images courtesy Wright Chicago
Contributing Story from Daniella Ohad

This Week’s Featured Products

The Girls of Summer: Greg Lotus, Swimmer Cap, 2007,
Robin Rice Gallery: Now through September 15, 2013
Swimmer Cap by Greg Lotus emphasizes viewer eye movement through the use of hyper-realistic colors in vibrant swim head wear. A beautifully composed image that is influenced by fashion photography plays with a melodrama belied by the bright, animated color. Three young women pose in a retro gym, two of them distant and one up close captivating the viewer with intense regard that dares you to look further.

Dining Options: Dining table in jacaranda with blue under painted glass top. Designed by Joaquim Tenreiro Brazil, 1960s. Set of six “Cantu” chairs in jacaranda with tan leather seats. Designed by Sergio Rodrigues for Oca, Brazil, circa 1959.

Making a Statement: Flock Star Stripe black and white wall paper from Graham & Brown. Inspired by the ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’ Georgian poets who broke hearts with their rock ‘n’ roll Gothic poetry, read out in Regency striped salons to an audience of impressionable, swooning young women.
Graham & Brown’s newest wallpaper collection, Casa Nova, an exclusive range of opulent wall coverings by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Casa Nova is a deeply felt homage to the sensuality of hte decadent aesthetic behind some of history’s most luxurious designs.

Home Graphics: KnollTextiles, Summer of 2013 first collection of interior fabrics
designed by Alejandro Cardenas
Characterized by its lively colors and graphic, modern imagery, the collection consists of theree upholstery designs: Soon, Glider and Biscayne. The textile papperns have diverse influences; Soon was inspired by a song of hte same name by one of Cardenas’ favorite bands, Glider’s repeating lines and shapes represent the feeling of gliding over a landscape, and Biscayne is named after Key Biscayne in Florida.
Blue Magic: Simon Miller‘s limited run of indigo dyed beach blankets available at
The Surf Lodge in Montauk, NY. 
The indigo dyed, block printed beach blanket is made using hand-cut blocks that reference classic surf motifs. The plant-based indigo dyeing was done through Noon Studio using hand crafted and artisanal methods. The blanket will be available in the Surf Lodge shop, on their website (the-surf-lodge.myshopify.com) and in guest rooms through the end of September.

Note: Photographs above the bed are by Max Snow, Photo courtesy Billy Farrell Agency
Simon Furniture Design Credenza
“What Light There Was” Collection, New England 2013, is inspired by two years that Simon Lowe have spent in Providence RI. Having arrived from the Caribbean, Simon realised that light and space are precious wherever there is a long winter. He designed and made three tables, a chair and a door which celebrate light, air, movement, gesture and the space between things. Each was crafted from locally sourced, sustainable materials, with the use of an innovative combination of the most modern computer assisted fabrication and exceptional hand skills.

Nature’s Choice: Bamboo wall clock designed by J.P.Meulendijk
This big bamboo wall clock will catch your eye by changing shape when you walk around it. When you stand in front of the clock: the numbers are clear and visible. When you walk around it: numbers slowly dissolve, and seem to fall apart in little floating white balls. This optical illusion results in a striking and intriguing piece of wall-art. Inspired by “MOTION CAPTURE” technique used in movies such as “Lord of the rings” + “Avatar” click here to watch clock-movie

Insights with a Visionary in the Fields of Art & Design

Vyna St. Phard admiring a Pablo Picasso plate from Leah Gordon, New York
A few of my Favorite Things
These are the long awaited photographs from my tour of the Armory earlier this month. So much have happen since then… And again, I’d like to thank everyone who came to the tour and stuck it out for more than one hour and a half. Yes, that’s right. The tour was at 3 in the afternoon, but we finished close to 4:45pm. Everyone had so much fun, we all learned so much, and the time just flew by. I hope you’ll enjoy the images as much as I have. Have an excellent week, and a tres bientot!
William Weston, London
John Eric Riis, Georgia
John Eric Riis, Georgia
John Eric Riis, Georgia
John Eric Riis, Georgia
Douglas Dawson, Chicago
Leah Gordon
Carlton Hobbs, New York
Carlton Hobbs, New York
Carlton Hobbs, New York
The 2013 Spring Show at The Park Avenue Armory
 Brett Beldock, New York
 Vyna St. Phard visiting with  Brett Beldock
  Right: Brett Beldock, New York
Lillian Nassau LLC, New York

Photo credit High End Weekly™

Old World Splendor: The Michael Smith’s Sale at Christie’s

A Palladian Villa by Michael S. Smith
Photo via Christie’s

Classical Sensibility, Modern Context
The unbelievable art and furniture gathered together at the Palladian-style villa auction at Christie’s span the past 500 years. Going through the sale, it’s hard to imagine that such an extraordinary amount of art and design were put together for a single auction. But given that they’re from a private property that was designed by the Obamas’ White House interior designer, Michael S. Smith, it came at no surprise. There are over 450 lots of museum-quality pieces, including Asian art and antiques, Old Master paintings and historic European furniture. Walking through this “Palladian villa”, it became apparent why the designer is planning on bidding on some of the items that he himself have been putting together for this sale for the past five years.

Yes, the overall collection is old world, but the pieces offer an extraordinary level of comfort that one can easily live with in modern times. Further, what I also liked about this sale was that the estimated prices were quite varied, and they offer an excellent opportunity to bid between some of the fairly reasonable pieces to the most lavish ones. Michael is said to be so passionate about this sale, that he even wrote a book about it, “Building Beauty: The Alchemy of Design” (Rizzoli).
Vyna St. Phard, Christie’s 2013
Background: A group of five African masks from the Ivory Coast/Liberia/Democratic republic of Congo (including a Lega-style mask, a Guro mask, and two Dan masks)
Counting sheep: Francois-Xavier Lallane ‘Mouton De Pierre’ A pair of sheep, designed circa 1979, welcome visitors to the Palladian Villa Sale
Pair of sheep from Francois-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008)

Dramatic: Background Painting – Fedele Fischetti (Naples 1732 – 1792) La toilette de Psyche, oil on canvas 
Christie’s presents a two-day sale of a Palladian Villa on April 23-24, 2013
A ‘Zanzibar’ mother-of-pear and pewter inlaid hardwood chest, late 19th/Early 20th century
Top: Two Bamileke Style masks, Cameron
A Chinese black-lacquered altar table
Top center: Chinese Scroll Fragments, in and color on silk, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
The first portrait of a scholar
Left: A pair of oak folding theater chairs, modern
Each with a padded back and seat, covered in suede leather. Right: An Irish Regency mahogany open armchair, circa 1815, attributed to Gillingtons
Top drawings: Pable Picasso (1881 – 1973), Alphabet anthropomorphe, signed ‘Picasso’ (on the fourth sheet) pencil on paper
Bottom: A pair of French oak dinning chairs, mid-20th century
Top: Sam Glankoff (1894-1982), Untitled, PP 2067, signed and dated “Glankoff 73” (lower right) ink and cassein on Japanese handmade paper
A pair of George III mahogany side chairs, circa 1780
Background painting: Leon Polk Smith (1906-1996), Correspondence Green, Signed, titled and dated
Laurence Fayard
Background painting: Sean Scully (b. 1945) signed “Scully” oil on two attached canvas. Executed in 1989
Left: A Chinese Rootwood Table, 19th Century
Top: Jean-Pierre Pincemin (b. 1944), Canto IV (Paris Generation Plus, collection Grand Format). A pair of George III Elm Ladderback Side Chairs, Late 18th/19th Century
Forefront: A circular marble table with baluster support, 19th century
Left: Central European silvered and cream painted side chairs, German or Northern Italian, circa 1780. Right: Follower of William Larkin, Portrait of a lady,
full-length, in black embroidered gown with lace collar
Left: A brass boat propeller sculpture, 20th century
Photos courtesy High End Weekly™

A Closer Look at the Upcoming Spring Show in May 2013

The Art and Antiques Dealer League of America (AADLA) has announced that 15 leading galleries from the United States and abroad will make their debut at the third edition of the Spring Show NYC from May 1 – 5, 2013. Once again, the show will be held at the historic Park Avenue Armory, the five-day fine and decorative arts fair, sponsored by 1stdibs, and the Manhattan Art and Antiques Center, opens with a benefit preview party for the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
“We’re thrilled to welcome an outstanding roster of top-tier specialists to the Spring Show NYC,” says Clinton Howell, president of the Art and Antique Dealers League of America. “And we are grateful for the energizing force that each of these dealers imparts to the fair in singular and exceptional ways.”
George Nakashima, Desk with Mira Chair, c. 1958, walnut and hickory with brass labels
Lillian Nassau LLC

The Spring Show

Among the new participants from the United States are:
Phoenix Ancient Art (antiquities from the 6th century B.C. to 14th century A.D.)
Alexander Gallery (18th-20th century American and European paintings, Antiquities, Asian Art, and Works on Paper) 
Gemini Antiques Ltd. (Early American toys and Folk Art)
Lillian Nassau (Tiffany Studios lamps and glass, 20th Century design and American sculpture); Marion Harris (16th -19th century articulated artist model and lay figures, ceramics and decorative objects)
Pat Saling (Fine and estate jewelry)
Reville & Rossiter (Downton Abbey-style English silver, Cartier and rare jewels, period costume and paste jewelry) Southampton-based
Hollis Reh & Shariff (Fine and estate jewelry)
Jeffrey Tillou Antiques from Litchfield, Ct. (18th mid-19th century American furniture and fine arts
Queen Fine Arts LLC (15th-20th century painting and sculpture), from Miami. 
Hailing from Europe are:
Marco Bertoli from Modena, Italy (19th-century Italian painting)
London-based galleries: 
Gladwell & Patterson, (English and European 19th- and 20th-century paintings)
Sue Brown (jewels from ancient Roman through the 1940s)
Stern Pissarro Gallery (artworks by multiple generations of the Pissarro family, 19th and 20th century European paintings)
William Weston Gallery (Modern European and British Master prints).
Pablo Picasso Guitare Accroche
Gladdwell & Patterson

Good Design is Alive and Well!

Marc Newson
Orgome Stretch Lounge, 1993, aluminium and enamel

Collecting design is similar to collecting art. It can get quite addictive for some. With fairs and auction houses offering the best of traditional, modern and contemporary design, there is no shortage to what’s in store for design enthusiasts, and collectors alike.


“I learned to enjoy design as much as art, if not more. After all, you can’t sit in a painting, you can’t cuddle up with a bronze.”
Adam Lindemann
Carlo Mollino, Arabesco table, circa 1950
photo via Bonluxat
Pierre Paulin, Elysee table with interior light, circa 1971
photo via Damisch Danant
Wiener Werkstatte silver vase by Joseph Hoffman
photo via Titus Omega
Jacques Adnet Leather Clock
George Nakashima
Early “Conoid” bench with single free-form arm, 1961
photo from Phillips de Pury via High End Weekly™
Rare and important walnut four door cabinet from Jules Leleu, Maison Gerard
photo from Maison Gerard via High End Weekly™
Arnand Albert Rateau, Table basse aux faisans, circa 1920-1922
Photo courtesy Christie’s
Serge Mouille floor lamp, circa 1953
Photo via Tumblr
Gingko Bench, Claude Lalanne, 1999. Aluminum,
From Sotheby’s December 15, 2012 Sale
Image by High End Weekly™
   
Maarten Baas, Clay Furniture
photo via Maarten Baas
Jean Michel Frank’s sumptuous straw marquetry screen
Photo via Art Deco Masters
Zaha Hadid, Tide for Magis
Image credit Design Boom
Wendell Castle, sculpture from Barry Friedman Ltd
Image by High End Weekly™
Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann. Pair of “gonse” armchairs, 1930-1932. 
photo from Phillips de Pury via High End Weekly™


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