Recent Sales of African-American Art: Part One

A few auction sales of note for those tracking the African-American art market.

At the March 9th auction of Contemporary Art at Sotheby's, Norman Lewis's Untitled (Doors Red) sold at hammer price of 25,000 USD. The oil on canvas work dated 10/20/1946 was estimated at 15,000-20,000 USD.

Two of Romare Bearden's work sold at the same auction:
* Dreaming About Mrs. Anne & Lulu Belle, a dye color and paper collage on board, sold for 34, 375 USD, twice its high estimate (10,000-15,000 USD); and

*Untitled (Woman Resting), sold for 31, 250 USD at hammer price. The acrylic, pencil and paper collage on board was estimated at 12,000-18,000 USD.

At the Sotheby's American Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture auction held on March 3, 2010 yieleded sales results totaling 2,311,816 USD. Among the lots sold was Charles Ethan Porter's PEONIES AND ROSES IN A GREEN VASE. The painting sold for 7,500 USD, just below its high estimate (7,000 - 10,000 USD).

The Sotheby's Contemporary Art Day Sale in London, February 11, 2010, included Jean-Michel Basquiat's Untitled, c. 1986. The work (lot 230) sold for 244,948.32 USD. The same lot sold at Christie's NY's Post-War & Contemporary Art Sale on May 10, 2006 (Lot 514) to a private collection in Germany.