New York – Bonhams New York and Los Angeles salerooms will present a series of sales this August, California Art on August 2, Prints and Multiples: Summer Splash on August 16, Photographs: Summer Cut on August 23, and American Art on August 24

California Art 
August 2, Los Angeles 
Catalogue 

[L-R] California by Joseph Kleitsch, estimated at $50,000 - 70,000, and Spirit of the Rodeo by Armin Hansen, estimated at $175,000 - 225,000.
[L-R] California by Joseph Kleitsch, estimated at $50,000 – 70,000, and Spirit of the Rodeo by Armin Hansen, estimated at $175,000 – 225,000.

On August 2 in Los Angeles, Bonhams’ California Art sale will offer a selection of works that capture the grandeur of the state and its artists. An exemplary example, Off Point Lobos by Guy Rose (1867-1925) is a plein air impressionist painting depicting the coast of Carmel-by-the-Sea, a popular destination for artists at the time, and is estimated at $400,000 – 600,000. Painted in 1918 during his first year visiting the area, Rose showcases his ability to capture the light and atmosphere of a distinctly rugged coastline in this painting, a technique that he would continue for the rest of his career. 

Additional highlights include: 

  • Estimated at $175,000 – 225,000Spirit of the Rodeo by Armin Hansen (1886-1957) masterfully captures the atmosphere and energy of the Salinas Rodeo. Although known best as a maritime painter, the rodeo was also an important subject for the artist. 
  • Depicting a slice of village life, California by Joseph Kleitsch (1882-1931), estimated at $50,000 – 70,000, was painted at the peak of his craft and utilizes an extraordinary range of colors. Kleitsch, a Hungarian American painter, established himself as an important figure in the early California School of Impressionism.  

Prints and Multiples: Summer Splash 
August 16, New York 
Catalogue 

[L-R] Swimmer by Alex Katz, estimated at $7,000 – 10,000, Tell Me Beautiful Untrue Things by The Connor Brothers, estimated at $5,000 – 7,000, and Guild Hall East Hampton by Roy Lichtenstein, estimated at $5,000 – 7,000.
[L-R] Swimmer by Alex Katz, estimated at $7,000 – 10,000, Tell Me Beautiful Untrue Things by The Connor Brothers, estimated at $5,000 – 7,000, and Guild Hall East Hampton by Roy Lichtenstein, estimated at $5,000 – 7,000.

Bonhams New York will present the fourth iteration of its successful seasonal sale, Prints and Multiples: Summer Splash, on August 16. The sale features a range of works which capture the spirit of the season such as Swimmer by Alex Katz (b. 1927), a contemporary artist inspired by the Pop Art movement, estimated at $7,000 – 10,000. A simple yet vibrant portrait of a woman in a bathing suit, the work is characteristic of Katz’s elegant and simplistic style which minimizes details in favor of bold contours and blocks of color. Also utilizing a bold summer color palette is Guild Hall East Hampton by Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), estimated at $5,000 – 7,000. Guild Hall is a cultural institution in the heart of Long Island’s East End, where Lichtenstein, one of the earliest exhibitors in the institution’s gallery, spent a significant part of his later years.  

Additional sale highlights include: 

  • Tell Me Beautiful Untrue Things by The Connor Brothers (b. 1968), a renowned British artistic duo whose paintings and prints depict vintage pin-ups accompanied by snippets of pithy text, is estimated at $5,000 – 7,000
  • Known for their large-scale public installations, husband-and-wife duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s (1935-2020, 1935-2009) Ponte Sant’Angelo, Wrapped, Project for Rome sketches one of their popular practices where they wrap physical subjects in monochrome silken-fabrics. It is estimated at $8,000 – 12,000.

Photographs: Summer Cut 
August 23, New York 
Catalogue 

[L-R] Santa Monica by Richard Avedon, estimated at $8,000 – 12,000, Barbara by Alex Prager, estimated at $10,000 – 15,000, and Spidey and His Best Friend Joe, Shadmoor Cliffs by Michael Dweck, estimated at $10,000 – 15,000.
[L-R] Santa Monica by Richard Avedon, estimated at $8,000 – 12,000, Barbara by Alex Prager, estimated at $10,000 – 15,000, and Spidey and His Best Friend Joe, Shadmoor Cliffs by Michael Dweck, estimated at $10,000 – 15,000.

Photographs: Summer Cut, the second version of the department’s summer sale, will come to Bonhams on August 23 in New York. Highlights from the sale include two works from Michael Dweck (b.1957), an American photographer who took inspiration from beaches and surf culture. This inspiration is evident in Spidey and His Best Friend Joe, Shadmoor Cliffs, estimated at $10,000 – 15,000, which captures two friends carrying their surfboards to the waves, and Mermaid 6B Miami, Florida, estimated at $15,000 – 25,000, where we see the back of a nude woman as she effortlessly glides through the water. Also using beachgoers as its subject, Santa Monica by Richard Avedon (1923-2004), considered one of the foremost portrait photographers of the late twentieth-century, captures a mother and son embracing at the site of an oncoming wave. It is estimated at $8,000 – 12,000

Additional highlights include: 

  • Barbara by Alex Prager (b.1979), estimated at $10,000 – 15,000, a striking Chromogenic print of a highly stylized woman. Prager is known for her Technicolor photography which features a hyper-real, vintage Hollywood aesthetic. 
  • Estimated at $20,000 – 30,000Monolith, Face of Half Dome by Ansel Adams (1902-1984). A landscape photographer known for black-and-white images of the American West, Adams captures the striking face of one of Yosemite National Park’s most iconic natural features in this work.

American Art 
August 24, New York 
Catalogue  

Study for Pause Café by Ernie Barnes (1938 -2009), estimated at $15,000 – 25,000, and Karla Drawing by March Avery (b. 1932), estimated at $6,000 – 8,000.
Study for Pause Café by Ernie Barnes (1938 -2009), estimated at $15,000 – 25,000, and Karla Drawing by March Avery (b. 1932), estimated at $6,000 – 8,000.

Bonhams will bring its August series of sales to a close with American Art on August 24 in New York. A highlight of the sale is a vivid and colorful summertime landscape, Summer Trees Against a Deep Blue Sky, by Wolf Kahn (1927-2020), estimated at $25,000 – 35,000. A student of Hans Hofmann, Kahn was known for his landscapes that push boundaries in terms of the color palette and which took inspiration from the bucolic aspects of his Vermont home. Also featured in the sale is a contemporary painting depicting beach stones, The Rune, by Alan Magee (b. 1947), known for his ultra-realistic work of practical objects such as tools, paper, and stones. It is estimated at $20,000 – 30,000

Additional highlights include: 

  • Study for Pause Café by Ernie Barnes (1938 -2009), estimated at $15,000 – 25,000. An artist who has experienced a surge in popularity and success in the last several months, Barnes crafted this work as a preliminary sketch for one of his most recognizable paintings, Pause Café. 
  • Karla Drawing by March Avery (b. 1932), an American painter and daughter of renowned artists Milton Avery and Sally Michel Avery, is estimated at $6,000 – 8,000. Avery began painting as a child under the guidance of her father and has continued to utilize in her work stylistic characteristics developed by her parents. 
  • Nantucket, Massachusetts by Anne Ramsdell Congdon (1873-1958), estimated at $5,000 – $7,000. Congdon painted views of Nantucket which offer beautiful interpretations and unique recordings of the island’s landscape during the early-to-mid-twentieth century and are highly prized by the island’s locals and visitors alike. 
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Martin Cid Magazine (MCM) is a cultural magazine about entertainment, arts and shows.

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