An Andy Warhol original acrylic and screenprint on canvas titled Flowers (1965), plus vibrant original artworks by Alden Mason, Morris Graves, Dale Chihuly, Z. Z. Wei, Kenjiro Nomura and other art world notables will come up for bid in an online-only Modernism: Art and Object auction scheduled for Thursday, September 29th, by MBA Seattle Auction House.
“This is one of the finest groupings of Modern artworks, objects and Northwest Modernism we’ve had to date,” said Michael Mroczek, an auctioneer with MBA Seattle Auction House.
Warhol’s Flowers is the undisputed headliner of the auction, with a robust but appropriate pre-sale estimate of $200,000-$400,000. The work, in excellent original condition, has a canvas of 14 inches by 14 inches and is signed and dated on verso overlap. It’s also notated “Andy Warhol / 65 Billy” on verso (with “Billy” believed to be Warhol’s boyfriend at the time, Billy Name).
“It’s a dream to find an original Andy Warhol on canvas locally, especially one that’s been in a private collection since its original purchase,” Mr. Mroczek said. “His market is as strong as it has ever been with the recent sale of Shot Blue Sage Blue Marilyn (1964), which set an all-time record when it gaveled for $195 million at auction.”
Flowers was originally purchased from Gordon Locksley of the Locksley/Shea Gallery in Minneapolis for $250. The buyer was Dr. Herbert W. Johnson of St. Paul, Minn. Dr. Walker also purchased ten of Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Can screenprints for $675 that he later donated to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in 1993. Flowers, however, has remained in the family.
The painting was kept at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Johnson until their death in 2008. It was then transferred to a daughter, who held it until 2017, when it went to another family member who is serving as the family’s consignor for the auction. A 1970s color photograph of a family member sitting at a piano with one of the soup can prints behind them is being included for provenance.
To learn more about MBA Seattle Auction House and the online-only Modernism: Art and Object auction scheduled for Thursday, September 29th, please visit www.MBAauction.com
