artnet launches Modern & Contemporary Prints Sale featuring works by Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Robert Indiana and Andy Warhol.
100 works by 45 modern and contemporary artists – Price estimates range between US $1,000 and US $55,000 – June 2-20, 2008
New York / Berlin – From June 2-20, artnet Online Auctions will offer 100 modern and contemporary prints by 45 artists including Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Robert Indiana and Andy Warhol.
Leading the sale is an outstanding group of 20 works by Andy Warhol ranging from the artist’s 1950s Shoe prints to his 1980s Myths suite. Among the highlights are Green Pea (from Campbell’s Soup 1), 1968 (estimate: $25,000-35,000) and four portraits of John F. Kennedy from Warhol’s Flash series including the ghostly Flash (Black), 1968 (estimate: $10,000-12,000). Other works include Sitting Bull, 1986, a rare additional image that was never included in the Cowboys and Indians portfolio (estimate: $15,000-20,000) and the politically charged Uncle Sam, 1981 (estimate: $32,000-35,000).
Other Pop artists featured in the sale are Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana and Robert Rauschenberg. Girl, 1963, is the second Pop print ever produced by Roy Lichtenstein (estimate: $2,700-3,200) and his first depiction of the now-iconic blonde. Robert Indiana’s Book of Love Portfolio, 1996, features the complete set of 12 color screenprints (estimate $45,000-55,000). Deposit, 1976, by the late Robert Rauschenberg reveals the artist’s mastery of collage, with lush green images underscoring his commitment to the environment (estimate: $1,800-2,200).
Modern artists are represented by Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso, among others. Leading this section is a group of 15 works by Pablo Picasso, including prints, posters and ceramics with estimates from $10,000 to $15,000. In Rembrandt à la palette, a complex etching from the 1934 Suite Vollard, Picasso pays homage to the Dutch master through his use of chiaroscuro ($12,000-15,000). Five works by Joan Miró range from 1963-1975. La pierre philosophale, 1975 is one of the largest prints ever made by the artist (63.2 x 47.4 in; 160.5 x 120.5 cm) and has rarely appeared at auction (estimate: $40,000-50,000). Other modern works include a state proof of Le répos du modèle, 1922, by Henri Matisse (estimate: $6,000-8,000) and Le couple, 1981, by Marc Chagall, in which the artist returns to a favored theme of the lovers (estimate: $9,500-12,000).
A diverse selection of contemporary prints includes works by Banksy, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Elizabeth Peyton, Richard Serra and other renowned artists. Highlights include Flowers, 2001 a vibrant still life by Jeff Koons (estimate: $3,500-4,500); 727, 2003, by Takashi Murakami, selected as the catalogue cover image for the recent retrospective held at the Brooklyn Museum (estimate: $4,000-6,000); and Flower Ben (95 color ukiyo-e woodcut), 2003, by Elizabeth Peyton, (illustrated above) a tour de force of printmaking requiring 95 runs through the printing press (estimate: $8,000-10,000).
“In a market in which prices for many modern and contemporary works have reached stratospheric levels, prints offer collectors the opportunity to acquire works by renowned artists at relatively affordable estimates” said Hans Neuendorf, CEO of artnet. “We are pleased to offer collectors such an exceptional range of works.”
Sale Contact:
Deb Ripley
Senior Prints Specialist
[email protected]
+1 212 497 9700 ext. 174
Images available upon request.
About artnet Online Auctions:
Artworks on artnet Online Auctions are evaluated by artnet’s specialists. There is no buyer’s premium. Every seller on artnet Online Auctions is authorized and registered, and each auction lot features comprehensive art market research on both the artist’s career and the artwork. Please visit us at www.artnetonlineauctions.com
Press contact:
Sarah Bradley
artnet Worldwide Inc.
61 Broadway, 23rd floor
New York, NY 10006-2701, U.S.A.
Tel: +1-212-497-9700 ext: 197
sbradley @ artnet.com
