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From Picasso to Warhol, Here Are 6 Must-See Lots at Waddington’s Toronto November Sale
The Editions sale will be held November 18–23, 2023.
The Editions sale will be held November 18–23, 2023.
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This month, Waddington’s Toronto will hold the Editions sale, featuring over 100 lots drawn from the S.P. Family Collection, with highlights including works by Picasso, Chagall, Hirst, and more. Taking place November 18–23, 2023, the collection of work explores the myriad ways modern masters and contemporary artists have approached the genre of prints and multiples, from a polychrome lithograph by Abstract Expressionist Sam Francis—a timely inclusion as this year marks the artists centennial—to an iconic Campbell’s soup can by Pop artist Andy Warhol. Below, we explore 6 incredible lots included in the forthcoming sale.
One of the most influential artists of all time, Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) was also notable for his prodigious practice—creating an oeuvre of more than 20,000 works. Working adeptly across a range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, and even theater design, printmaking held a specific importance in his practice. Offering the sense of immediacy of drawing and the compositional possibilities of painting, works like linocut print Jacqueline au chapeau noir illustrate Picasso’s ability to create works in his signature, bold Cubist style but in a reproducible manner.
A key figure with the Young British Artists, Damien Hirst (b. 1965) first rose to fame in the 1990s, winning the Turner Prize in 1995. His work frequently engages with themes of death and beauty. While perhaps best known for his works involving taxidermized animals and dead bugs, his works employing repeated dots in a rainbow of colors have also become synonymous with his personal style. The present lot features an interesting take on his dot compositions, instead of being an austere or precise arrangement, the giclée print instead depicts a wild cacophony of impasto pigment.
The leading pioneer of Pop art, Andy Warhol (1928–1987) brought mass-media imagery and recognizable consumer branding to fine art. Of the brands he appropriated, including Brillo and Chanel, his most widely recognizable series centered on Campbell’s, specifically their soup cans. First made in 1962, and followed by subsequent editions, the works speak to Warhol’s background as a commercial illustrator, and his preoccupation with elements of everyday life.
American artist Sam Francis (1923–1994) was known for his ability to synthesize a wide range of styles; though recognized as part of the Abstract Expressionist movement, he also incorporated elements of Color Field painting, Impressionism, and Easter philosophy into is abstract work. The present work, Double Cross (1973) is an example of Francis’s experimentation with color and its arrangement through lithography, and was published by The Litho Shop in Santa Monica, California.
Belarusian-born French artist Marc Chagall (1887–1985) was a pioneer of early 20th century Modernism, developing a style that drew inspiration from the past but with a decidedly forward-looking aesthetic. A romantic at heart, Chagall’s wife makes frequent appearances throughout his oeuvre, often shown floating with the artist over landscapes and cityscapes. Colorful yet maintaining a sense of softness, Chagall’s work evokes themes of dreams, memories, and other imaginations.
In this print of a female nude by Picasso, the artists mastery over volume and line are evident. Comprised of undulating grids of lines, overlapping to create hatch shading, Picasso is able to achieve a fully three-dimensional space and figure through minimalistic means. Recalling the artist’s early style at the turn of the century, the execution of the line drawing print shows a reconsideration of his evolving style.
The Waddington’s Toronto Editions sale will be held November 18–23, 2023.