Paintings — 20th / 21st Century: London Evening Sale
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René Magritte, a Belgian artist, was renowned for his significant contributions to the Surrealist movement. His art, known for merging ordinary objects with bizarre, dream-like contexts, captivated the art world. Born on November 21, 1898, in Lessines, Belgium, Magritte's early artistic pursuits were impressionistic, transitioning through Cubism and Futurism influenced by artists like Jean Metzinger. However, his encounter with Giorgio de Chirico's work in 1922 steered him towards Surrealism.
Magritte's career was marked by various phases, each showcasing his evolving style and thematic focus. His initial foray into Surrealism began in 1926 with "The Lost Jockey" and was further solidified during his time in Paris, where he mingled with other prominent Surrealists like André Breton. Despite facing initial criticism and financial challenges, Magritte's unique blend of familiar imagery in unfamiliar contexts, like in "The Empire of Light" and "Time Transfixed," earned him acclaim.
Magritte's distinct visual language, characterized by recurring motifs like bowler hats and apples, and his exploration of reality and illusion, remain influential. His works are displayed in major galleries worldwide, continuing to inspire and intrigue art collectors and enthusiasts.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, staying informed about Magritte's works and related auction events is crucial. Signing up for updates ensures you're alerted to new sales and events focusing on René Magritte's art, offering unique opportunities to acquire or learn more about his remarkable creations. This subscription will exclusively cover new product sales and auction events related to Magritte, keeping you updated on the most relevant information in the art world.
Cecily Brown is a British painter. Her style displays the influence of a variety of contemporary painters, from Willem de Kooning, Francis Bacon and Joan Mitchell, to Old Masters like Rubens, Poussin and Goya. Brown lives and works in New York.
Lucian Michael Freud was a British painter and draughtsman, specialising in figurative art, and is known as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists. He was born in Berlin, the son of Jewish architect Ernst L. Freud and the grandson of Sigmund Freud. Freud got his first name "Lucian" from his mother in memory of the ancient writer Lucian of Samosata. His family moved to England in 1933 to escape the rise of Nazism. From 1942 to 1943 he attended Goldsmiths College, London. He served at sea with the British Merchant Navy during the Second World War.
Lucian Michael Freud was a British painter and draughtsman, specialising in figurative art, and is known as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists. He was born in Berlin, the son of Jewish architect Ernst L. Freud and the grandson of Sigmund Freud. Freud got his first name "Lucian" from his mother in memory of the ancient writer Lucian of Samosata. His family moved to England in 1933 to escape the rise of Nazism. From 1942 to 1943 he attended Goldsmiths College, London. He served at sea with the British Merchant Navy during the Second World War.
Franz Gertsch is one of Switzerland's most outstanding contemporary artists. Throughout his career, he has produced a wide range of paintings and graphic works in which he tries to find a particular approach to reality. Although the author uses photographs or slide projections as his starting points, the paintings adhere to a logic of their own which seeks the correctness of all elements. Woodcuts also occupy a special place in Franz Gertsch's work.
Edward Ruscha, an American artist born in 1937, is a prominent figure associated with West Coast Pop art, celebrated for his innovative approach to blending visual and verbal language within his works. Ruscha's journey in the art world began after moving to Los Angeles in 1956, where his fascination with the urban landscape and commercial culture flourished. He attended Chouinard Art Institute, now known as CalArts, which laid the foundation for his artistic exploration.
Edward Ruscha's art is deeply influenced by the Hollywood film industry, with works like "Large Trademark with Eight Spotlights" echoing the commercial graphics and cinematic influence of his time. His "Word paintings" series, starting in the 1960s, showcases his unique approach to typography and language, setting monosyllabic words against solid backgrounds, a style that continued to evolve throughout his career.
During the 1970s, Edward Ruscha expanded his narrative, incorporating phrases into his works, further exploring the relationship between text and image. His work in the 1980s and beyond includes landscapes juxtaposed with text, creating intriguing visual narratives that challenge viewers to find connections between the words and the images.
Edward Ruscha's contributions to the art world are significant, with his works held in major collections and institutions. His career spans various mediums, including painting, printmaking, photography, and artist's books, showcasing his versatility and enduring influence on contemporary art.
For enthusiasts and collectors of modern art, Edward Ruscha's works offer a unique blend of visual artistry and linguistic play. His innovative approach to combining text and image has cemented his status as a pivotal figure in contemporary art. To stay updated on the latest exhibitions, sales, and insights related to Edward Ruscha's art, consider subscribing to updates from renowned art galleries and auction houses. This subscription will ensure you're informed about new opportunities to engage with and appreciate the distinct and influential art of Edward Ruscha.
Sarah Sze is an American artist widely recognized for challenging the boundaries of painting, installation, and architecture. Sze's sculptural practice ranges from slight gestures discovered in hidden spaces to expansive installations that scale walls and colonize architectures.Sze's work explores the role of technology and information in contemporary life utilizing everyday materials. Drawing from Modernist traditions, Sze's work often represents objects caught in suspension. Sze lives and works in New York City and is a professor of visual arts at Columbia University.
Willem de Kooning was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist painter. Born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, he moved to the United States in 1926, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1962. He was a leading figure in the Abstract Expressionism movement, known for his dramatic and often energetic style. He gained prominence between 1948 and 1953, creating some of his most iconic works, including the Woman series.
De Kooning's paintings combined abstraction with elements of Cubism, Surrealism, and Expressionism. His style evolved over time, with works that ranged from figurative to more abstract pieces. Among his most notable works are "Woman I" (1950-52) and "Excavation" (1950), which reflect his unique approach to painting, characterized by vigorous brushstrokes, bold colors, and complex textures.
Despite his success, de Kooning faced challenges, including personal struggles with alcoholism and deteriorating health due to Alzheimer's disease in his later years. His artwork has had a lasting impact on modern art, and his pieces can be found in major museums and galleries worldwide, such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
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Richard Prince is an American painter and photographer. In the mid-1970s, Prince made drawings and painterly collages that he has since disowned. His image, Untitled (Cowboy), a rephotographing of a photograph by Sam Abell and appropriated from a cigarette advertisement, was the first rephotograph to be sold for more than $1 million at auction at Christie's New York in 2005. He is regarded as "one of the most revered artists of his generation" according to The New York Times.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a distinguished French Post-Impressionist artist, renowned for his deep insights into Parisian nightlife and the world of entertainment in the 1890s. Born into an aristocratic family in Albi, France, Toulouse-Lautrec faced significant health challenges. He suffered from a rare condition, possibly pycnodysostosis, which stunted the growth of his legs following two fractures during his adolescence, leading to a notably short stature as an adult.
Despite his physical limitations, Toulouse-Lautrec immersed himself in art, becoming a key figure in the Post-Impressionist movement alongside artists like Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh. He is particularly celebrated for his vibrant and expressive depictions of the bohemian lifestyle in late 19th-century Paris, often featuring scenes from brothels and nightlife venues. His unique style combined elements of Art Nouveau and lithography, as evidenced in famous works such as "Moulin Rouge: La Goulue" and "At the Moulin Rouge: The Dance".
Toulouse-Lautrec's work offers a window into the Parisian entertainment scene of his time, marked by a vivid use of color and a candid portrayal of his subjects. His ability to capture the essence of Parisian society, from dancers to prostitutes, in an era of great artistic and cultural dynamism, makes his work particularly valuable to art collectors and experts.
For those interested in the art and life of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, staying informed about sales and auction events is essential. Sign up for updates to receive the latest news on pieces by Toulouse-Lautrec available for purchase or auction. This subscription focuses exclusively on new product sales and auction events related to Toulouse-Lautrec, ensuring that enthusiasts and collectors don't miss out on any opportunity to acquire pieces from this iconic artist.
Maria Paula Figueiroa Rego was a Portuguese-British visual artist known particularly for her paintings and prints based on storybooks. Rego's style evolved from abstract towards representational, and she favoured pastels over oils for much of her career. Her work often reflects feminism, coloured by folk-themes from her native Portugal.
Edgar Degas, a French artist, was a master of painting, sculpture, and drawing, celebrated for his profound influence on the Impressionist movement despite his preference for being called a realist. Degas was born into a well-off family in Paris, France, and demonstrated a keen interest in art from an early age, eventually shaping his path to become one of the most sophisticated draftsmen of his time. His rigorous academic training and close study of classical art initially aimed him towards a career in history painting, but Degas soon pivoted towards contemporary subject matter, thus cementing his role as a classical painter of modern life.
Degas is renowned for his dynamic portrayals of movement, particularly in his depictions of dancers, racehorses, and everyday Parisian life. His works are characterized by their psychological depth and the isolation of his figures, showcasing his unique ability to capture the essence of his subjects with both empathy and critical distance. More than half of his oeuvre focuses on dancers, reflecting not only his fascination with the ballet but also his innovative approach to composition and form. This focus on the human figure, explored in various media including oil, pastel, and sculpture, underscores Degas's commitment to studying the nuances of human movement and expression.
Degas's artistic career is marked by his experimentation with various techniques and materials, as seen in his bronze sculptures and pastel nudes. One of his most famous sculptures, the study of the young ballet student Marie van Goethem, showcases his pioneering use of real objects in sculpture, a practice that prefigured later artistic innovations. Despite the controversies that sometimes surrounded his work, particularly in his depictions of the female nude, Degas's legacy as an artist who bridged the gap between traditional academic art and the modern movements of the early 20th century remains undisputed.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Degas's work offers a fascinating study in the evolution of modern art, highlighting the artist's deep engagement with the cultural and social dynamics of his time. His pieces, whether in the form of paintings, sculptures, or prints, continue to captivate audiences with their complexity, beauty, and innovative spirit.
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Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter, is recognized as one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art. Born on March 30, 1853, in Zundert, Netherlands, he lived a life marked by passionate artistry and personal hardship. Initially working as an art dealer and doing missionary work, Van Gogh turned to painting at the age of 27. His decision to pursue art, which at first was not seen as a sign of his extraordinary talent, led to a rapid transformation into a master known for his bold and harmonious color effects and simple but memorable compositions.
Van Gogh's creative career included a significant period of life in Paris, where he met Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters who had a profound influence on his style. He became famous for creating some 2,100 works of art in just ten years, notable among them landscapes, still lifes, portraits and self-portraits. His art is characterized by vivid colors, dramatic brushwork, and expressive symbolism, which helped form the foundations of modern art. Despite his prolific output, only one of his paintings was sold during his lifetime.
Some of his famous works include Sunflowers, Bedroom at Arles, Starry Night, and Wheat Field with Crows. These works are notable for their innovative use of color and brushwork, demonstrating Van Gogh's ability to convey emotion and beauty in everyday objects.
Unfortunately, Van Gogh suffered from mental illness throughout his life, which led to his suicide at the age of 37. However, his legacy grew posthumously, with his work being widely recognized and displayed in major museums around the world, including the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Art Institute of Chicago. Van Gogh's art, correspondence, and history continue to fascinate and inspire viewers, cementing his place as a key figure in art history.
For collectors and art experts, Van Gogh's works represent not only significant artistic achievements, but also epitomize the artist's intensely personal journey and contribution to the development of modern art.
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Vilhelm Hammershøi was a Danish painter of predominantly interiors, a representative of the Symbolist movement.
Vilhelm studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, and a few years later at the 1889 World Exhibition in Paris, four of his paintings were exhibited in the Danish pavilion. Hammershøi was the last significant painter in nineteenth-century Danish art. He painted against a background of contemporary experience, but his painting never deviated from the basic rules of Danish Golden Age paintings.
At first his motifs alternated between figure and landscape painting, and later Hammershøi became truly an interior painter. Rooms became a constant source of subjects for him, and the walls and windows that form the boundary to the world almost literally became the backdrop for his paintings. People in his paintings, if present, then as silent statues, completely immersed in their thoughts. All his works, whether portraits, interiors or landscapes, are full of silence, peace and melancholy.
Le Corbusier, born Charles-Édouard Jeanneret in Switzerland, was a visionary French architect, designer, and writer who profoundly influenced modern architecture and urban planning. His innovative ideas blended functionalism with bold sculptural expressionism, embodying the essence of the International Style of architecture. Notably, Le Corbusier's designs, such as the Villa Savoye and the master plan for Chandigarh, India, are celebrated for their revolutionary approaches to living spaces and urban environments.
Le Corbusier's early life in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, where he was immersed in the art and craft of watchmaking, significantly shaped his design principles. His architectural journey began without formal training, starting with his education in decorative arts and leading to significant collaborations across Europe. Le Corbusier's philosophy was deeply rooted in the belief that architecture should improve living conditions, particularly in crowded cities. This belief drove his contributions to the Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne and his development of influential architectural principles, such as the Five Points of Architecture, which are exemplified in Villa Savoye.
Villa Savoye, located in Poissy, France, stands as a testament to Le Corbusier's innovative approach, featuring pilotis (reinforced concrete stilts), a functional roof garden, an open floor plan, horizontal windows, and a free façade design. These elements collectively embody his vision of a "machine for living," integrating the house with its environment and the modern lifestyle. Despite facing issues with structural durability and weather resistance, Villa Savoye remains a pivotal work in architectural history, symbolizing the transition to modern architectural thought.
Le Corbusier's legacy is multifaceted, extending beyond architecture to furniture design and painting, showcasing his broad artistic talents. His work continues to inspire and provoke discussion, reflecting both his groundbreaking contributions to modern architecture and the complexities of his ideologies and methodologies.
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René Magritte, a Belgian artist, was renowned for his significant contributions to the Surrealist movement. His art, known for merging ordinary objects with bizarre, dream-like contexts, captivated the art world. Born on November 21, 1898, in Lessines, Belgium, Magritte's early artistic pursuits were impressionistic, transitioning through Cubism and Futurism influenced by artists like Jean Metzinger. However, his encounter with Giorgio de Chirico's work in 1922 steered him towards Surrealism.
Magritte's career was marked by various phases, each showcasing his evolving style and thematic focus. His initial foray into Surrealism began in 1926 with "The Lost Jockey" and was further solidified during his time in Paris, where he mingled with other prominent Surrealists like André Breton. Despite facing initial criticism and financial challenges, Magritte's unique blend of familiar imagery in unfamiliar contexts, like in "The Empire of Light" and "Time Transfixed," earned him acclaim.
Magritte's distinct visual language, characterized by recurring motifs like bowler hats and apples, and his exploration of reality and illusion, remain influential. His works are displayed in major galleries worldwide, continuing to inspire and intrigue art collectors and enthusiasts.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, staying informed about Magritte's works and related auction events is crucial. Signing up for updates ensures you're alerted to new sales and events focusing on René Magritte's art, offering unique opportunities to acquire or learn more about his remarkable creations. This subscription will exclusively cover new product sales and auction events related to Magritte, keeping you updated on the most relevant information in the art world.
David Hockney, a British artist, has been a prominent figure in the art world for over six decades, renowned for his contributions to painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, and video art. His exploration of these mediums has made significant impacts on the Pop Art movement and beyond, making him one of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Hockney's work is celebrated for its vibrant color palette, emotional depth, and innovative use of technology in art.
One of Hockney's most distinctive features is his ability to blend traditional techniques with modern technology, notably in his iPad drawings and photographic collages. This fusion not only showcases his skillful adaptation to contemporary mediums but also highlights his ongoing quest to explore the nature of seeing and representation in art. Hockney's landscapes and portraits, characterized by their bright colors and meticulous detail, invite viewers to see the world through his unique perspective.
Significant works by Hockney, such as "A Bigger Splash" and "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)," are housed in major museums and galleries worldwide, attesting to his global influence and appeal. These pieces, among others, demonstrate Hockney's mastery over space, light, and narrative, securing his position as a pivotal figure in modern and contemporary art.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Hockney's oeuvre presents a fascinating study in the evolution of visual arts. His work not only offers insight into the artist's personal vision but also reflects broader cultural and technological shifts in society. As interest in Hockney's art continues to grow, keeping abreast of new sales and auction events becomes increasingly valuable.
To stay informed about the latest David Hockney sales and auction events, sign up for our updates. This subscription ensures that you receive timely notifications about new product sales and auction events related to David Hockney, offering unique opportunities for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Alighiero Fabrizio Boetti, known as Alighiero e Boetti, was an Italian conceptual artist, considered to be a member of the art movement Arte Povera.
Perhaps best known is Boetti's series of large embroidered maps of the world, called simply Mappa.
Alighiero Fabrizio Boetti, known as Alighiero e Boetti, was an Italian conceptual artist, considered to be a member of the art movement Arte Povera.
Perhaps best known is Boetti's series of large embroidered maps of the world, called simply Mappa.
Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese contemporary artist who works primarily in sculpture and installation, but is also active in painting, performance, video art, fashion, poetry, fiction, and other arts. Her work is based in conceptual art and shows some attributes of feminism, minimalism, surrealism, Art Brut, pop art, and abstract expressionism, and is infused with autobiographical, psychological, and sexual content. She has been acknowledged as one of the most important living artists to come out of Japan.
Robert Ryman was an American painter born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1930, and died in New York City in 2019. He was associated with the Minimalist movement, and is known for his monochromatic paintings that explore the materiality and texture of paint.
Ryman studied at the Tennessee Polytechnic Institute and the George Peabody College for Teachers before moving to New York City in the 1950s. He worked as a guard at the Museum of Modern Art, where he was exposed to the work of artists such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.
Ryman's early works were influenced by Abstract Expressionism, but he gradually moved towards a more minimal and reductive style. His paintings often feature white or off-white paint on square or rectangular canvases, with variations in texture and surface quality.
Ryman's work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Modern in London, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. He was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2001, and is considered one of the most important American painters of the 20th century.
Philip Guston, born Phillip Goldstein, was a Canadian American artist, muralist, printmaker and draftsman. He was one of the most important exponents of abstract expressionism. He is considered a forerunner of the New Figurative Painting.
Philip Gaston was a member of the New York School, which included many representatives of abstract expressionism, such as Jackson Pollock and Willem De Kooning.
Georg Baselitz is a German painter, sculptor and graphic artist. In the 1960s he became well known for his figurative, expressive paintings. In 1969 he began painting his subjects upside down in an effort to overcome the representational, content-driven character of his earlier work and stress the artifice of painting. Drawing from myriad influences, including art of Soviet era illustration art, the Mannerist period and African sculptures, he developed his own, distinct artistic language.
