African American Fine Art Auctions (NYC)

On February 3rd and 6th two auctions of African American Fine Art were scheduled to take place. Welancora Auction House started the process featuring Post-War and Contemporary Art from the collection of the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Art. Swann Galleries followed with a robust supply of African-American art works from the 19th century to present day.

I attended the Swann Galleries auction. The auction took place on two floors. Telephone bids were as aggressive as bids from the audience. This auction featured twelve black female and fifty-seven male artists. The majority of the artists were deceased. The works included paintings, prints, and sculptures.

The most noteworthy sales were that of works by Walter Williams, Lois Mailou Jones, Alvin Hollingsworth, Kara Walker, and Beauford Delaney. Two nineteenth-century works (Edward Bannister and Charles Porter) were sold. Works by Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence dominated in volume and sale price. One could also recognize bids from institutions using same qualifiers. Screenprints of 30 years or more did particularly well.

I hope you were able to attend either auction as they both represent the growing presence and importance of African American Fine Art in the marketplace. I encourage you to view the web sites of these auction houses for sale results and further information.