Another edition of Showplace New York’s Important Fine Art and Design sale is set to return on October 20, 2024, offering everything from furniture to jewelry and luxury accessories—and as has come to be expected from the house’s presentations, a dazzling selection of fine art. Featuring everything from sculptures by 20th-century masters to prints by contemporary icons (including I Fought the Law (2004) a print by irreverent street artist Banksy), the sale is not to be missed.
Below, we delve into five auction top lots, which together reflect the creative scope of Showplace’s Important Fine Art and Design sale.
Henry Moore, Reclining Figure (1983)
Henry Moore, Reclining Figure (1983). Est. $60,000–$80,000. Courtesy of Showplace, New York.
Henry Moore (1898–1986) is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Deriving from a limited edition of 9, the present lot (5/9) hails from Crane Kalman Gallery of London and illustrates Moore’s inimitable style featuring lithe lines and a semi-abstract figure. His rendering of the human form is often compared to landscape, as the undulating linework echoes the rolling hills of the English countryside where the artist resided.
Francisco Zuniga, Desnudo de Victoria (1968)
Francisco Zuniga, Desnudo de Victoria (1968). Est. $10,000–$20,000. Courtesy of Showplace, New York.
Originally from Costa Rica, Mexican artist Francisco Zuniga (1913–1998) worked across both painting and sculpture and has been heralded as one of the most important Mexican artists of the last century. His work can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art, both in New York, as his work is highly regarded for encapsulating modern evolutions in the tradition of sculpture. As is reflected in Desnudo de Victoria (1968), one of two works by the artist in the sale, his sculptures convey a deep understanding of not only the human form, but the ability to convey emotion and psychological states through composition.
Andre Lhoté, Portrait d’Anne (1930)
Andre Lhote, Portrait d’Anne (1930). Est. $60,000–$80,000.
The artist behind Portrait d’Anne (Mme. Lhote) (1930) was André Lhote (1885–1962), a French Cubist painter best known for his preference for vibrant, saturated colors, and his distinctive figurative artworks. His training influenced his practice and distinctive use of flat planes in his work in wood carving and engagement with Fauvism early in his career. He lectured widely worldwide and was awarded the Grand Prix National de Peinture in 1955 for his achievements in painting, solidifying his position within the canon of Modernism.
George Grosz, Der Puff (n.d.). Est. $10,000–$20,000. Courtesy of Showplace, New York.
German artist George Grosz (1893–1959) captured much of the zeitgeist of 1920s Berlin in his practice, with his caricatural compositions and dynamic rendering of movement. Der Puff (n.d.), or The Brothel, is just one of a collection of five works by Grosz included in Showplace’s Important Fine Art and Design sale, highlighting his distinctive style full of emotion and, at times, irreverence.
Bernard Buffet, Roses Rouges et Lys (1996)
Bernard Buffet, Roses Rouges et Lys (1996). Est. $60,000–$80,000.
French artist Bernard Buffet’s (1928–1999) Roses Rouges et Lys (1996) is among the highlights of the auctions and speaks to the artist’s late career style and his lifelong creative vision. Associated with Expressionism, Buffet worked prodigiously across painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Though much of his oeuvre is focused on figuration, the still life Roses Rouges et Lys conveys Buffet’s signature approach to line and shape. This exciting painting will appeal to both those new to his work and first-time collectors. Contemplative but not quiet, the composition speaks to the artist’s dynamic practice in the twilight of his career.
Explore these auction top lots and more in the Important Fine Art and Design Auction that will take place on October 20, 2024, at 12 p.m.