Rockwell Kent, illustrator | Original maquettes for Candide. New York, 1928, hand-coloured by the artist - photo 1
Rockwell Kent, illustrator | Original maquettes for Candide. New York, 1928, hand-coloured by the artist - photo 2
Rockwell Kent, illustrator | Original maquettes for Candide. New York, 1928, hand-coloured by the artist - photo 3
Rockwell Kent, illustrator | Original maquettes for Candide. New York, 1928, hand-coloured by the artist - photo 4

Rockwell Kent, illustrator | Original maquettes for Candide. New York, 1928, hand-coloured by the artist

Lot 45
28.11.2023 14:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 5 715
AuctioneerSotheby´s
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1076568
Lot 45 | Rockwell Kent, illustrator | Original maquettes for Candide. New York, 1928, hand-coloured by the artist
Estimate value
£ 5 000 – 7 000
Rockwell Kent, illustrator--François-Marie Arouet Voltaire

Candide [the original maquettes, hand coloured by the artist]. New York: Random House/Pynson Press, 1928

Folio (290 x 385mm.), 27 loose double-sided sheets, 103 HAND-COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS, composed of one small vignette on half title, three full-page scenes, one headpiece, 25 historiated initials showing a character from the tale, and 73 bas-de-page vignettes, laid in hand-coloured invitation to a publication event: “Candide - Original Drawings Made by Rockwell Kent - For the Random House edition of Candide, with specimen printed pages coloured by hand, will be displayed in the exhibition room - Pynson Printers - Times Annex - through May - nineteen twenty-eight - 229 W 43 - New York” (in original envelope), preserved in a contemporary custom-made portfolio with dark blue morocco spine, colour reproduction of title page recessed in front flap, light blue silk ties, the portfolio lined with Arches laid rag paper (identical to paper used in this edition), missing two sheets, 29-32 and 69-72), one leaf with mild browning at the edge, two others with a couple of tiny spots of foxing in the margin

This is a remarkably important item on several fronts. First, it contains dozens of pages of maquettes—the original hand-done versions—of Kent’s famed illustrations, each coloured by Kent himself. This is the only known extant copy of the four sets of maquettes created by Kent for the Random House Candide. Furthermore, the portfolio includes a small, but significant, rarity in the form of the hand-coloured invitation (also by Kent) to the release event. Finally, the art on the colophon page bears the now-famous emblem, designed and hand-coloured by Kent, used here for the first time and then as a regular device by Random House. It is known that Kent personally painted four sets of maquettes to be given to the four women who painted the illustrations for the limited edition. One of those four was Kent’s daughter Kathleen (two of the others were studio artists Ione Robinson and Wanda Gag, while the fourth is unknown). It is presumed that this copy was the one that was given to his daughter, as it was in Kent’s home at Sable Forks, NY, at the time of the 1969 fire (thought to have been triggered by lightning). The set was given to Robert Paulson, a personal friend and sometime dealer who was apparently involved in salvaging works from Kent’s home after the misfortune. The set was sold by Paulson to the last owner. The lost leaves (interior pages with artwork similar to that found throughout the work) have to be considered minor in the totality of the unique collection, and all the major elements are present and in exceptional condition, including the half-title, main title, and colophon with its original appearance of the Random House imprint. Not surprisingly, this rarity is not listed in any auction record or bibliography.
Address of auction Sotheby´s
34-35 New Bond Street
W1A 2AA London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.11.2023
Phone +44 (0) 20 7293 5000
Phone +1 212 606 7000
Email
4FQ.AE2YUKFA@AYGLGHC3Y@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.