Past Auction

Mid-Century Abstraction Featuring Works from the Estate of Violet Werner

Wed, Mar 17, 2021 at 11am EDT |

New York

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Abstraction by Elaine de Kooning Achieves $428,400 -- the Second-Highest Auction Price for the Artist!

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Successful Auction of Mid-Century Abstraction Featuring Works from the Estate of Violet Werner on March 17, 2021
Late 1950s Abstraction by Elaine de Kooning Achieves $428,400 -- the Second-Highest Auction Price for the Artist
Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for the May 12 Auction of Impressionist & Modern Art

NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle held a successful auction of Mid-Century Abstraction Featuring Works from the Estate of Violet Werner on March 17, 2021. Strong prices and a number of World Auction Records were achieved for abstract art spanning the 1940s through the 1980s, including paintings, drawings, sculpture and prints. The range of offerings in the auction chronicled the global evolution of abstraction within and beyond the fabled New York School; including Color Field artists, hard-edge abstraction, the Washington Color School, Minimalism and much more.

With international competition, the sale totaled an outstanding $1,493,352, far surpassing the pre-sale estimate of $600,000-979,300, with an exceptional 98% sold by lot and 99% sold by value -- only 2 lots in the sale remained unsold.

A special section of the sale was devoted to works from the remarkable collection of Violet Werner of Palm Beach and Minneapolis. Comprising lots 1001-1035, the Paintings and Prints reflected her passion for 20th century abstraction, her keen eye for strong images, bold aesthetics, and her unwavering support for artists and their craft. (Read Bio) (View Lots)

Elaine de Kooning: Sold for $428,400 -- the Second-Highest Auction Price for the Artist!

Highlighting the sale was a late 1950s abstraction by Elaine de Kooning (1918-1989) that attracted strong competition from a large number of determined bidders, sending the work soaring past its estimate of $40,000-60,000 to achieve a stunning $428,400 -- the second-highest auction price for the artist. Elaine de Kooning was overshadowed by husband Willem through much of her life, and this oil on Masonite was a magnificent example of her approach to action painting, deftly holding its own with the work of her male peers.

Kenneth Noland: Sold for $252,000

Also attracting competition at the sale was a 1983 work by Kenneth Noland (1924-2010), which realized $252,000, surpassing its estimate of $100,000-200,000. Sand Glass is a large-scale example of the chevron, one of his best-known forms, employed with high-key colors to stunning effect. A leading member of the Washington Color School, Noland combined Color Field painting and geometric abstraction to achieve bold works focusing on form and color.

Auction Records

World Auction Records for a number of artists were established at the auction, including

Carl Robert Holty: $21,420 -- A World Auction Record for a Work on Paper by the Artist View Lot
Eleanor de Laittre: $12,600 -- A World Auction Record for the Artist View Lot
John Von Wicht: $10,040 -- A World Auction Record for a Work on Paper and the Second Highest Auction Price for the Artist View Lot
Anna Elkan Meltzer: $8,820 -- A World Auction Record for the Artist View Lot
Anne Madden: $8,190 -- A U.S. Auction Record for the Artist View Lot
Cleve Gray: $25,200 -- the Second-Highest Auction Price for the Artist View Lot

All prices include the Buyer's Premium.

Next Auctions:

Post-War & Contemporary Art / Auction April 20
Latin American Art / Auction April 20
Prints & Multiples / Auction April 20

Consignments are currently being accepted for upcoming auctions. 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
Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture: Angelo Madrigale, 212-427-4141, ext 237, [email protected]
Prints & Multiples: Cynthia Klein, 212-427-4141, ext 246, [email protected]