PHILADELPHIA, PA.- On December 1st, 2020,
Freemans will present its latest Art + Design auction. The sale combines exceptional modern furniture with fine art representing the major movements of the 20th century.
Works by Paul Jenkins and Claude Venard highlight the sale and are emblematic of their bold styles. Collectors will also have the opportunity to acquire several pieces by the masters Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Joan Miró.
Furniture by both George Nakashima and Vladimir Kagan combine functionality with dynamic design. Meanwhile, as part of the Artists Studio series, Seena Donneson and Dolores Poacelli will make their auction debuts.
FROM KAGAN TO NAKASHIMA: THE BEST OF 20TH-CENTURY CRAFTSMANSHIP
A Fine Double Chest of Drawers (Lot 55: $10,000 - 15,000) executed by George Nakashima in the early 1970s highlights the artist's command of proportions. A top overhangs the cabinet's front and sides, a rare and desirable treatment.
Nakashima collectors will also want to mark a 1970 Trestle Dining Table (Lot 145: $12,000 - $18,000), crafted from American black walnut and rosewood. In total, a dozen Nakashima pieces will cross the auction block with Freeman's on December 1st.
Three sofas by Vladimir Kagan, who designed in his lifetime for Marilyn Monroe, the Walt Disney Company, and many others, are on offer. A "Unicorn" Sofa (Lot 82: $8,000 - $12,000) particularly demonstrates Kagan's passion for both comfort and modern design.
THE PHENOMENA OF PAUL JENKINS
Often categorized as an abstract expressionist, painter Paul Jenkins sometimes preferred "abstract phenomenist." This idea of the phenomenon influenced Jenkins' works and their titles, including Phenomena Triangle Going Gold (Lot 70: $2,000 - $3,000).
Produced in the 1970s, this piece represents Jenkins at the height of his control over his paint pouring technique. Joining it at auction are two more of Jenkins' phenomena, Phenomena Aristotle X and Phenomena Sign of Leo (Lot 72 & 73: $1,000 - $2,000).
ICONS OF CUBISM AND POST-CUBISM
Claude Venard's Nature Morte (Lot 45: $6,000 - $10,000) exemplifies the artist's post-cubist style. Collectors will appreciate the work's rich impasto and angular composition.
The foundational figures of cubism are also represented, including two lithographs after Pablo Picasso and late woodcuts and etchings by Georges Braque.
ARTISTS STUDIO RETURNS WITH SEENA DONNESON & DOLORES POACELLI
Freemans is pleased to present the next installment of its Artists Studio series featuring the artwork of Seena Donneson (Lots 150-155) and Dolores Poacelli (Lots 157-160) as a special highlight of the Art + Design sale. With The Artists Studio series, Freemans goal is to create awareness of hitherto unrecognized but talented, skillful and professional fine artists burnish their reputations, introduce their art to new collectors and help further develop the market for their work.