NEW YORK – 2 OCTOBER 2024 – Phillips is pleased to announce highlights from the forthcoming Fall Editions & Works on Paper sale, set to take place 22-24 October 2024 at its New York headquarters. The sale, comprised of more than 400 lots spanning the late-19th century to today, features the department’s highest overall estimate of the year, with a low estimate in excess of $4.8 million. Alongside the live auction in New York, Phillips will also host its inaugural online auction out of London dedicated to the work of Damien Hirst, open for bidding from 17-25 October.
Cary Leibowitz and Kelly Troester, Worldwide Co-Heads of Editions and Deputy Chairpersons, Americas, said, “We are thrilled to present such a diverse offering of works this season, across the Modern, Post-War, and Contemporary landscapes. Among the 400+ lots spread across our Day and Evening Sales are unique works by Modern masters and prints from the final bodies of work achieved by important Pop artists, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.”
Some of the earliest highlights in the sale include the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch’s 1902 lithograph, Die Sünde (Woman with Red Hair and Green Eyes, The Sin). Considered an undisputed master of printmaking, Munch possessed a keen interest in technical experimentation, and The Sin is considered one of his largest and most important graphic works of art – standing out as a strong example of the artist’s use of color to enhance the emotional potency of his subject. Here, Munch conjures the popular fin-de-siècle theme of woman-as-temptress, femme fatale, with her intense green eyes, and bare torso and breasts flanked by tousled red tresses – a seducer and betrayer of men.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s 1922 unique and first trial proof, Melancholy. - Naked Woman. - Self-Portrait with Erna, is a juicy violet monotype combined with woodcut-printed black. It illustrates the emotional connection of the artist and his longtime romantic partner, Erna Schilling, as she suffered from depression while living in Davos, Switzerland where Kirchner had moved to heal from his own bouts. The print offers insight into Kirchner’s process when he began experimenting with color, and this first proof is much more painterly than the final impressions. Kirchner gifted this rare impression to fellow Expressionist, Hermann Scherer, when the artist visited Kirchner’s Davos home.
Bolstering highlights from the Modern period is a selection of 18 lots across the Evening and Day Editions Sales from the estate of Professor Nathaniel Friedman, a mathematician, educator, and pioneer in the international art and math movement. Friedman used his discerning eye for mathematical forms to build a distinctive collection of artworks, favoring dynamic sculptures and prints that blurred the lines between figuration and abstraction, positive and negative space. Among the selection are 15 lots by Henry Moore, who knew Friedman personally and shared his nuanced understanding of spatial relationships, which are evident in the three bronze maquettes on offer and his beautifully rendered, unique drawing, Bone Forms.
The auction includes nearly 50 lots by Andy Warhol, spanning his days as a Madison Avenue illustrator, to his vibrant Moonwalk and Camouflage, published in 1987. Leading the auction is Warhol’s complete 1986 set of Cowboys and Indians, the artist’s final major portfolio, showcasing not only his fascination with pop culture and appreciation of Indigenous art, but his almost prophetic insight into the depths of the American imaginary. Warhol’s Moonwalk from 1987, rendered in vivacious neon pinks and yellows, was intended to be part of a larger series titled TV, in which the artist would interpret other historical moments captured on American television. His unexpected death left the larger series unrealized, making Moonwalk a remarkably sought-after example of Warhol’s late work. In April 2024, Phillips New York set the world record price achieved for any single Moonwalk print, and is honored to continue this momentum, offering the complete set this October.
Additionally, a selection of 24 unique Warhol drawings and hand-colored prints of extravagant desserts, whimsical cats, and flamboyant shoes will be offered alongside three of his 1950s artist books. Warhol’s 1959 Wild Raspberries is a prime example of his early book publishing practice. The cookbook is filled with satirical, outlandish dishes and hand-colored illustrations designed to parody the complex French cookbooks of the 1950s. This copy of Wild Raspberries was gifted by Warhol to Cipe Pineles, the pioneering female designer and art director who gave Warhol his commercial start.
Roy Lichtenstein’s Two Nudes from 1994 is a seminal work from his Nudes series, the artist’s last major body of work. Phillips proudly holds the world record price for this edition from its London Evening Editions Auction in September 2023. Reimagining the female nude through a Pop Art lens, Lichtenstein ingeniously integrates motifs from his earlier series, making Nudes a visual retrospective of his most significant works. Appropriating 1960s romance anthologies and his iconic Ben-Day dots, Two Nudes is an innovative and profound meditation on the nature of artistic creation and perception. Alongside Two Nudes in the evening sale are Reclining Nude, from Expressionist Woodcut Series, and Reflections on Girl, from Reflections Series, which capture the artist’s ongoing experimentation within the printmaking medium.
The October auction features 21 lots from the collection of Carole and Alex Rosenberg, which represent the couple’s outstanding collection of graphic art, a reflection of their decades-long engagement with the New York art world and living artists. In 1969, Mr. Rosenberg began publishing artists’ prints under the name Transworld Art, where Carole joined as an associate editor in 1973, publishing more than 700 editions by over 60 artists. The collection reifies their personal and professional relationships with great names in Modern and Contemporary art, including Alexander Calder, Romare Bearden, Salvador Dalí, and Willem de Kooning.
Contemporary highlights include a selection of Minimalist wall objects, led by Sol Lewitt’s Wall Piece (16 Modules High) from the Estate of Brett Sikkema, published in 1988. Wall Piece (16 Modules High), composed of regulated cubic metal constructions, holds a discernable rhythmic quality; symmetry lies at the heart of the structure through the repetitive grid like motif. Ruscha’s complete set of four holograms, The End, builds on a collection of paintings from the early 1990s, a period during which Ruscha developed a fascination not only with the textual aspects of film, but the materiality of film itself. The End is featured in the current exhibition Sculpting with Light: Contemporary Artists and Holography at the Getty Center in Los Angeles.
Rounding out the offerings are two unique preparatory works on paper: Camille Pissaro’s 1888 watercolor, La mère de l’artiste – effet de lumière (Artist's Mother, Light Effect), and Max Ernst’s 1951 pastel drawing with collage titled Etude pour une éclipse (Study for an Eclipse). Pablo Picasso’s rich, velvety etching, Minotaure caressant une dormeuse (Minotaur Caressing a Sleeping Woman) from his celebrated 1933 Vollard Suite, meanwhile, captures the artist’s engagement with classical themes, in particular, the Minotaur, which the artist adopted as a visual persona beginning in the 1930s. Other Contemporary highlights include works by Christopher Wool, Robert Indiana, Yayoi Kusama, and Kara Walker.
Damien Hirst: Online Auction | 17 – 25 October 2024
Phillips is delighted to present its inaugural Damien Hirst Online Auction, which will take place on Phillips.com from 17 to 25 October. This dedicated Hirst auction celebrates 25 years of the artist’s edition-making, spanning the iconic pill cabinets of the early 2000s to his recent work, The Archangels (2021), which is offered as a complete set at auction for the first time.
The sale features a wide array of Hirst's genre-defying creations, from collaged canvases and sculptural series to his iconic spots and kaleidoscopic butterflies in etching and screenprint. Showcasing his multidisciplinary approach, fresh-to-market highlights nod to Hirst’s sculptural practices, including X-ray lightboxes, porcelain multiples, shark jaws, and silver skulls. Works on paper range from unique pieces to unlimited editions, demonstrating both traditional and cutting-edge printmaking techniques.
This online auction offers an exciting opportunity for both new and seasoned collectors to engage with Hirst's artistic evolution—from his early days as a Young British Artist to his status as a blue-chip icon—with estimates ranging from £1,000 to £50,000. Highlights will be on view at Phillips’ London Galleries on Berkeley Square from 19 to 23 October.
Editions & Works on Paper Auction | 22 - 24 OCTOBER 2024 | NEW YORK
Auction: Evening sale: 22 October // Day Sale: 23 - 24 October
Auction viewing: 17 - 22 October
Location: 432 Park Avenue, New York
Click here for more information: https://www.preview.phillips.com/auctions/auction/NY030624
Damien Hirst: Online Auction | 17 – 25 OCTOBER 2024 | LONDON
Auction: 17 - 25 October 2024
Auction Viewing: 19 - 23 October 2024
Click here for more information: https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/UK030524
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Phillips: where the world’s curious and bold connect with the art, design, and luxury that inspires them. As a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century works, Phillips offers dedicated expertise in the areas of Modern and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewels. Auctions and exhibitions are primarily held in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong, with representative offices based throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia. Phillips offers a regular selection of live and online auctions, along with items available for immediate purchase. Phillips also offers a range of services and advice on all aspects of collecting, including private sales and assistance with appraisals, valuations, and financial planning.
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*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium; prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium.
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