Best known for her Washington Never More Collection, Lily Spandorf (1919-2000) produced beautiful gouache watercolors documenting the urban landscape of Washington D.C. and its’ historical buildings. On October 26, 2009, one of Spandorf’s historic DC paintings will be sold at Gateway Gallery Auction.
Spandorf, born 1919 in Austria, was an honors graduate of the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. From 1938-1959, she studied at St. Martins School of Art, London and traveled extensively through Italy. In 1960, after a brief stay in New York, she settled in Washington D.C.
Spandorf’s work was frequently exhibited in Washington, New York and Europe. Commissioned by President Lyndon Johnson to paint scenes of Washington, she began documenting White House Christmases and continued to record the holiday through six administrations. In 1963, the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp featuring her painting of the National Christmas Tree. Professionally, Spandorf was a frequent contributor for the Washington Post, the Washington Evening Star, the Washingtonian and National Geographic.
Today, her work is held in numerous private and public collections. Spandorf’s Washington Never More Collection of 55 interpretive paintings is housed by the Historical Society of Washington D.C.
“Given the extensive real estate development that our nation’s capital has undergone in the last 30 years, Spandorf’s paintings hold a special significance – a vignette into DC’s architectural past” says John F. Kohler, Jr., owner of Gateway Gallery Auction.
The Spandorf watercolor will be available for inspection Sunday, October 25 from 1-4 PM and will be sold at 6:30 PM on Monday, October 26, 2009.
Gateway Gallery Auction is located at 643, Kriner Road in Chambersburg. Auction information is available by calling 717-263-6512 or visiting the website GatewayAuction.com.
