Contemporary African Art “Africa Scenes I” - Artcurial Auction, October 24, 2010

Sale 1900, Contemporary African Art “Africa Scenes I,” was held at Artcurial in Paris, France on Sunday, October 24, 2010. The sale totaled 266,444 USD. The following lots were found in the top five sales:

R. CHIWAYA (Ecole de Tingatinga) "GOLD SPOTTED LEOPARD & FRIEND THE SONGBIRD" circa 1970, 46,838 USD (see left);

Brahim EL ANATSUI, ANCESTORS GAZE, 1995, 44,876 USD;

Kay HASSAN, SISTER I, de la série "THREE SISTERS", 2004 and Seydou KEITA
SANS TITRE, 1952-56, 25,148 USD;

Malick SIDIBE, COMBAT DES AMIS AVEC PIERRES, 1976, 23,547 USD; and

Chéri SAMBA, MBONGO YA BA PATRONS, déc 2001, 11,692 USD.

All prices include buyer's premium and taxes.

Seydou KEITA, SANS TITRE, 1952-56

Cheri Samba, MBONGO YA BA PATRONS, déc 2001

Brooklyn Museum Advances Collecting of African-American Art

In the October 21st edition of the New York Times, art writer, Carol Vogel, announces that the Brooklyn Museum will advance the scope of its African-American art collection to pre-1945 works.

The museum is known for more than handful of exhibitions featuring African-American artists such as Jacob Lawrence, Martin Puryear, and Romare Bearden, among others. However, this new initiative will add to the museum's rich collection of mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century works. This is a smart move on the museum's part as public momentum grows and deepens in the area of collecting and studying African-American art.

Earlier this year, the museum hosted a panel discussion on Collecting African-American Art featuring gallery owners, Corinne Jennings (Kenkeleba Gallery) and Michael Rosenfeld (Michael Rosenfeld Gallery), and African-American art auction specialist, Nigel Freeman (Swann Galleries Auction).

Top Five Results of Swann's African-American Fine Art Auction

Of the 145 lots available for sale at the Thursday, October 7th African-American Fine Art auction at Swann Auction Galleries the following were the top five sales, including buyer's premium:

1. Lot #122: Robert Colescott's A Legend Dimly Told, 1992, sold for 132,000 USD;
2. Lot #8: Sargent Claude Johnson's Mask, 1933 and Lot # 23: Jacob Lawrence, Two Card Players, c. 1942, each sold for 67,200 USD;
3. Lot #72: Alvin Loving's 9 Septehedrons, 1969, sold for 36,000 USD;
4. Lot #18: William Edmondson's Squirrel, sold for 31, 200 USD; and
5. Lot #62: Bob Thompson's Echo and Narcissus, 1965 tied with Lot #103: Hale Woodruff's Yellow Landscape, 1970s, sold for 26,400 USD.