ATLANTA, GA.- A 1984 photographic collage by David Hockney, a monumental 19th century Georgian breakfront and a 17th century landscape attributed to Herman Saftleven are a few of the expected top lots in
Ahlers & Ogletree's two-day, two-session Spring Estates & Collections auction slated for the weekend of April 9-10. Over 1,000 lots will come up for bid.
Also featured will be fine antique rugs, a selection of estate jewelry and watches, examples of design from the mid-20th century, fine art by listed artists, sterling silver and Boston coin silver, period antiques from America, the UK and Europe, and multiple artworks by Marcel Mouly, Nicola Simbari and Dr. Seuss. Start times both days are 10 am Eastern.
There will be no in-person bidding, but bidders can register at one of the three online platforms: LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be taken. In-person previews will be held (no appointment required) on Monday, April 4th through April 8th, from 10-5 Eastern, in the Ahlers & Ogletree gallery at 700 Miami Circle in Atlanta.
Session 1, on Saturday, April 9th, will be packed with Asian arts, modern and mid-century art and design, silver and estate jewelry – a total of 507 lots in all. The day’s star lot (in fact the expected star lot of the auction overall) is a photographic collage by British artist David Hockney (b. 1937), depicting a desk with a vase on top, titled The Desk, July 1st (est. $60,000-$80,000).
The collage (or “joiner” as Hockney called it), is titled, dated, signed and numbered (‘8’) from an edition of 20. The work overall is 48 inches tall by 49 inches wide. Hockney is an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s and is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century. His artistic creations are highly sought after by art collectors.
The painting attributed to Herman Saftleven (Dutch, 1609-1685) and the Georgian breakfront are the prize lots on Day 2, which features fine art and antiques from America, the UK and Europe – 568 lots total. The gorgeous early 19th century mahogany and mahogany veneered marquetry inlaid Georgian breakfront stands 114 inches tall by 134 ½ inches wide (est. $15,000-$30,000).
The oil on wood board attributed to Herman Saftleven the Younger is titled Rhenish Landscape with Castle and measures 9 ¾ inches by 11 inches (less frame) (est. $10,000-$20,000). It comes from the estate of a prominent Atlanta businessman and has a provenance tracing it to London and Paris. Saftleven was a Baroque period painter and one of Holland’s best-known artists.
Just a few other Day 2 highlights include the following lots:
• An oil on canvas painting by Frank Virgil Dudley (American, 1868-1957), titled Winding River at Dusk (1907), signed and dated, 28 ¾ inches by 37 ¾ inches (less frame) ($8,000-$12,000). Dudley was a landscape artist best known for his scenes of the Indiana Dunes.
• A semi-antique hand knotted Persian Bakhtiari panel garden rug, wool on cotton, having repeating medallions of alternating cedar trees and roses on a red floral ground with a Herati border, 17 feet 11 inches by 9 feet 9 inches ($6,000-$8,000).
• A 1957 Coca-Cola 10-cent vending machine, a Vendo model 81d with classic 1950s-era curved lines and spaces for small bottles, 58 inches tall by 27 inches wide, with two dents on the back and a possibly repainted front ($5,000-$7,000).
Returning to Day 1, there are four artworks in the sale by Marcel Mouly (French,1918-2008). An example is the oil on canvas from 1994 titled Les Voiles, depicting an abstract boat with figures and numerous large, colorful sails against a cobalt sky (est. $5,000-$7,000). The work is artist signed lower right and on verso and overall (with frame) measures 39 ½ inches by 26 ½ inches.
Nicola Simbari (Italian, 1927-2012) is represented seven times in the auction, to include an oil on canvas from 1971 titled Ischia (est. $5,000-$7,000). The abstract beach scene is signed and dated and is 50 inches by 83 ½ inches (with the frame). Simbari is known for his Mediterranean landscapes and paintings of contemporary European life. His work is in museums worldwide.
Everyone is familiar with the American artist Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), better known as Dr. Seuss. His two whimsical creations in the auction include a hand-painted and hand-signed cast resin sculpture, circa 1994, from his Unorthodox Taxidermy collection, titled Semi-Normal Green Lidded Fawn (#58 of 850), in a 50 inch by 53 ½ inch original frame (est. $4,000-$6,000).
A Pratone lounge chair by Ricardo Rosso, Piero Derossi and Georgio Ceretti for GUFRAM (Italian, 1971), made from lacquered polyurethane foam in the form of a grass patch, stamped “Gufram Multipli 131/200 Pratone”, has an estimate of $6,000-$8,000; while a four-piece group by Eames for Herman Miller – 670 and 671 lounge chairs and ottomans, each having a rosewood veneer shell and black leather upholstery, marked to the underside, should make $4,500-$6,500.
A 180-piece sterling silver flatware service by Towle (American), mainly in the “King Richard” pattern (first introduced in 1932), having a total approximate weight of the non-weighted items of 123.40 ozt., is expected to hit $5,000-$7,000. Also, a monumental pair of Chinese male and female Sancai glaze ceramic seated Buddhist lion figures on stands, 57 inches tall, the male standing on a brocade ball and the female with her cub, should realize $4,000-$6,000.
An untitled abstract oil on canvas painting by Syd Solomon (American, 1917-2004), in celadon, peach, rust and cobalt and signed lower center, in a frame measuring 31 ¼ inches by 35 ¼ inches, has an estimate of $4,000-$6,000; as does an Ilfochrome print by Loretta Lux (German, b. 1969), titled Isabella (2001), #6 of 7, depicting a blond child, the print (less frame) 14 ¾ inches square, artist signed, titled and numbered on verso.
