NEW YORK, NY -- The Doyle+Design® auction on November 21, 2017 showcased furniture, design and art by some of the most prominent designers, makers and artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. The sale presented design that has transformed the way we use living spaces while questioning where we draw the line between fine art and furniture and decorative objects.
Furniture & Design
Swiss sculptor and designer Diego Giacometti (1902-1985) is renowned for his works in bronze that blend art and utility. Highlighting the sale was a circa 1975 Trois Oiseaux floor lamp that soared past its estimate of $50,000-70,000 to achieve $181,250. The lamp was adorned with three sparrows, reflecting his love of incorporating animals into his designs. In 2013 Doyle sold a console by Diego Giacometti that fetched a record $1,762,500.
Line Vautrin (1913-1997) is best known for her exquisite mirrors. Working in post-War Paris, Vautrin used modern materials to create beautiful works of art that referenced the past while being at the same time fresh and new. The sale offered a talosel resin framed mirror that achieved $28,125, far surpassing its estimate of $6,000-8,000. The frame encrusted with larks looks back to a Byzantine style of mosaic. From her boutique on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré Vautrin welcomed discerning trend setters like Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner and Brigitte Bardot who all collected her mirrors and jewelry.
Furniture by George Nakashima (1905-1990) is renowned for its organic forms that incorporate the natural unfinished edge of the wood plank. Often chosen in consultation with his clients, the wood retains the expressiveness found in the graining and imperfections of each plank. The sale offered several examples of such free-edge pieces by Nakashima, including a walnut Conoid desk that sold for $20,000 against an estimate of $15,000-25,000.
Art
Art in the sale was highlighted by Abstraction, a work by John Levee (American, 1924-2017) that fetched $31,250, far exceeding its estimate of $4,000-60,000. Born in California, Levee went to Europe during the War and subsequently settled in France, studying at Academie Julian in Paris. Although he worked outside of the close knit New York School of abstraction, the influences of artists such as Franz Kline are apparent in his paintings. The luscious heavy impasto of Abstraction painted in 1959 is typical of the artist’s early work and ads to the individuality of his style. Levee passed away earlier this year.
A depiction of an Interior with Two Figures executed 1963-64 by Sigmund Joseph Menkes (1896-1986) sold for $16,250, doubling its estimate of $7,000-9,000. Menkes was born and raised in Poland. After World War I, he lived in Paris and Berlin, then moved to the United States in 1935. His expressive manner of painting while using the language of traditional themes, such as women in interiors, florals, and artist with model, places him uniquely in between the post-War abstract expressionist painters of the New York School and the traditional romantic painters of the School of Paris. In 1955 The New York Times stated in a review of his work at the Associated American Artists Gallery, ''Menkes' style is certain, his brush moves fluently, tracing the dynamic aspects of his subject."
We Invite You to Auction!
Consignments are currently being accepted for the Spring 2018 Doyle+Design auction. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection. For information, please contact:
Furniture & Design: Todd Sell, 212-427-4141, ext 269 or Design@Doyle.com
Art: Harold Porcher, 212-427-4141, ext 249 or Paintings@Doyle.com
