William Nelson Copley. Happy Birthday - photo 1
William Nelson Copley. Happy Birthday - photo 2
William Nelson Copley. Happy Birthday - photo 3

William Nelson Copley. Happy Birthday

Lot 14
01.10.2024 18:00UTC +01:00
Classic
Sold
€ 69 850
AuctioneerVAN HAM Kunstauktionen GmbH
Event locationGermany, Köln
Buyer Premium29%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1302399
Lot 14 | William Nelson Copley. Happy Birthday
Estimate value
€ 30 000 – 50 000
COPLEY, WILLIAM NELSON
1919 New York - 1996 Key West

Title: Happy Birthday.
Date: 1974.
Technique: Acrylic on canvas.
Measurement: 117 x 89cm.
Notation: Signed and dated lower right: CPLY 74. As well as inscribed verso: HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEG # 19161.


We thank Mr. Anthony Atlas, William N. Copley Estate, New York, for the kind, scientific support.

Provenance:
- Sammlung Kasper König, Berlin (since 1992, directly from artist)

Exhibitions:
- Ulmer Museum, Ulm 1997
- Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau 2000 (label verso)

Literature:
- Exhib. cat. William N. Copley: True Confessions, Ulmer Museum, Ulm 1997, ill.
- Omlin, Sibylle (ed.): Das Gedächtnis der Malerei, ein Lesebuch zur Malerei im 20. Jahrhundert, Cologne 2000, p. 392, ill

A work as a symbol of friendship
William N. Copley's work "Happy Birthday" from 1974 was a birthday present from the artist to Kasper König and can be seen as a symbol of the friendship between the curator and the artist. In 1972, Copley took part in documenta 5, in which König also participated, in the department of individual mythologies alongside representatives such as A.R. Penck. In 1982, he also took part in documenta 7 in Kassel. In 1981, his works were selected for Kasper König's groundbreaking exhibition "Westkunst". Today he is represented in the collection of the Museum Ludwig. König is also involved in the catalog for Copley's 2019 exhibition "The Coffin They Carry You Off In". In Germany, Copley was popular among a small circle of collectors such as Hans Neuendorf, Reinhard Onnasch, Renate Fassbender, Fred Jahn and Rudolf Springer, with whom Kasper König maintained close contact.

X-Rated series
"Happy Birthday" from 1974 is part of the 'X-Rated' series from 1972 to 1974, which was a turning point in Colpey's career. The colourful, richly patterned works with their naive sexual symbolism are characterized by an exuberant and playful sense of humour and address sexual freedom away from social stigmatization. She was first exhibited at the New Museum in New York in 1974 and reconstructed by the Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York in 2010. Like "Reclining Nude" (Lot 12), the works from the "X-Rated" series are also included in the exhibition at the Fondazione Prada in Milan and The Menil Collection in Houston.

Happy Birthday
Even if the present work cannot be directly counted as part of the "X-Rated" series, it is nevertheless exemplary of this phase of Copley's work. In contrast to the intensely colored works of the "X-Rated" series, however, Copley limits himself here to contours in magenta on a white background. In addition to the color contrast, the painter also plays with the contrasts of the checkered background, which suggests the surroundings of a bathroom, and the round contours of the female figure. Through the reduced use of color and the exaggeration of the female attributes, Copley lends his work a comic-like, humorous undertone, which gives the painting a certain lightness and can be interpreted as a clear reference to Pop Art.
Address of auction VAN HAM Kunstauktionen GmbH
Hitzelerstr. 2
50968 Köln
Germany
Preview
27.09.2024
28.09.2024
29.09.2024
30.09.2024
Phone +49 221 92586215
Fax +49 221 92 58 62 4
Email
4FQ.4SU-3S1@Y3GR3F@
Buyer Premium 29%
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 10:00 – 17:00   
Tu 10:00 – 17:00   
We 10:00 – 17:00   
Th 10:00 – 17:00   
Fr 10:00 – 17:00   
Sa 10:00 – 13:00   
Su closed

More from Creator

William Nelson Copley. Bird Shot
William Nelson Copley. Bird Shot
€30 000
William Nelson Copley. Lady Be Good
William Nelson Copley. Lady Be Good
€70 000
William Nelson Copley. Untitled
William Nelson Copley. Untitled
€60 000
William Nelson Copley.Les Etats Unis du Monde
William Nelson Copley.Les Etats Unis du Monde
€80 000
WILLIAM NELSON COPLEY (1919-1996)
WILLIAM NELSON COPLEY (1919-1996)
€12 000
William Nelson Copley. Untitled
William Nelson Copley. Untitled
€4 000
WILLIAM NELSON COPLEY (1919-1996)
WILLIAM NELSON COPLEY (1919-1996)
$35 000
William Nelson Copley. Untitled
William Nelson Copley. Untitled
€10 000

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.
?>