Four centuries of music-making tradition cross the auction block at Skinner, with works of Hendrik Jacobs, Giovanni Battista Gabrielli, Charles François Gand, and Eugenio Praga. With approximately 360 lots on offer, including a broad selection of violins, violas, violoncellos, and their bows, the June 2nd auction will also feature a collection of contemporary classical and flamenco guitars, in addition to vintage fretted instruments by Gibson and C.F. Martin. Lot 104, an Italian Violin and Bow by Eugenio Praga, Genoa, 1892; Estimate $30,000-$50,000 The son of a wealthy engineer and educated as an engineer himself, Eugenio Praga’s apparently charmed life afforded him the luxury of pursuing a career in lutherie out of intellectual curiosity rather than financial necessity. All of which circumstances allowing the 19th-century Italian violin ma...Read More

On June 9, Rago Auctions will offer for sale a rose-cut diamond button ring, the central diamond of which once belonged to the last Emperor of Mexico, Maximilian I. Lot 1037, Georgian Rose-Cut Diamond Button Ring; Estimate $45,000-$65,000 This rose-cut diamond was among a set of diamond buttons (the exact number of which is unknown) owned by Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, who was installed as the ruler of Mexico by Napoleon III in 1864 only to be overthrown and executed three years later in 1867. Pictured: Édouard Manet's oil on canvas "The Execution of Emperor Maximilian" Twelve of these buttons were later acquired by Col. Edward H. R. Green, son of the brilliant and miserly financier Hetty Green, the richest woman of the Gilded Age. When this voracious collector of coins, stamps and jewelry died in 1936, his collections were sold private...Read More

There is something particularly gratifying about sitting on a northbound train, dropping the hatch of that little grey seat tray and watching the New York skyline grow smaller and smaller. Every city slicker should take advantage of the ease and liberation that comes with leaving behind Manhattan's minutia to seek out the fresh country air that's waiting right around the bend. A three-day weekend is upon us! It's time to get outta town and head for the peaceful pastures along the Hudson River. If you haven't decided what to do this Memorial Day, we suggest you either call a friend with a set of wheels or purchase an Amtrak or Metro-North Railroad ticket to attend the regions leading high-end craft fair and take a tour of historical architecture and distinguished interior designs.  FIELD + SUPPLY - KINGSTON, NY              You've never been...Read More

Watching scattered webs of light crisscrossing through themselves in the aqua blue waters of a backyard swimming pool can be both a mindless meditation and an endlessly delightful exercise - one well suited for the lazy days of summer. However, abstracting the shape of ones hands with a simple submersion or chasing shimmering shadows is not as simplistic as it appears; it is a wonderfully complex subject matter that has the mutable ability to be immeasurably observed and infinitely illustrated. This week, we're drawing inspiration from the almost swimming season month of May and beginning our picks with an artist very will acquainted with the deep end of things.  Lot 409, David Hockney, Paper Pools, series "Pool Made with Paper and Blue Ink," Lithograph, ed. 66/1000; 1980; Estimate $8,000-$12,000 Coming up in Palm Beach Modern Auctions, Mod...Read More

One thing is for sure, when Bidsquare bidders have their eye on the prize, they don't give up so easily. On the weekend of May 4th, Rago hosted their much anticipated fine art auctions, 'Post War + Contemporary Art' and 'American + European Art' sales. Both catalogs collectively represented pivotal artists whom, in their respective movements, ranged in styles and periods like German Expressionism and American Pop Art. Monumental works such as Milton Avery's "Girl by Harbour" brought in the highest price ever for a piece of flat art sold at Rago Auctions, selling for $564,500 and contributing towards the $3,631,406 combined total that was achieved that weekend. Online, Bidsquare bidders clicked into action securing splendid artworks in enthusiastic bidding wars, some lasting 35 turns, generating one of the strongest fine art weekends ever se...Read More

The natural world, and mankind’s place as an instinctive maker in that world, was, for a time, on the verge of being forgotten. During the late Victorian period in England, anxieties surrounding industrialized life triggered a bold reassessment of handcraftsmanship. The threat of cheap factory labor compelled designers and artists, who saw decorative expertise fading in the background of mechanization, to advocate reform and promote the advancement of the designer as craftsman. This shift, known as the Arts and Crafts movement, sought to create environments that incubated talent and upheld the cultural importance of fine workmanship. Similarly, the American Arts and Crafts movement followed British ideals and resulted in the birth of several utopian communities who cultivated fields such as woodwork, pottery, textiles, and metalwork. Then, ...Read More

In 1913, the Association of American Painters and Sculptors hosted the International Exhibition of Modern Art, commonly referred to as The Armory Show. This three-city exhibition, which ran in New York City, Chicago and Boston, was the pioneer exhibition of modern art in the U.S. and introduced American audiences to the concepts of Expressionism, Futurism, Cubism and other emergent styles championed by the European avant-garde. Lot 1, Hananiah Harari, Aeroscape, Oil on canvas, 1937; Estimate $4,000-$6,000 Although Americans had been astounded by what they saw in 1913, the two decades that followed The Armory Show were difficult for American modernists seeking to exhibit their work. The art establishment seemed to prefer the sure-bet of American Impressionism, with the more rebellious dealers exhibiting European Expressionists and Surrealist...Read More

He claimed that La Sirene, The Goddess of the Sea, was his life-partner and for a third generation Vodou priest with an aptitude for painting, they would have undoubtedly made a wondrous pair. "He" is Hector Hyppolite, the mythical painter considered to be the spiritual father of the Haitian Art Movement. Hector Hyppolite was born in 1894 in Saint-Marc and began his early life continuing his family tradition as a Houngan (Vodou priest) who also, on occasion, made shoes and painted houses. However, it wasn't until Philippe Thoby-Marcelin, a Haitian poet and novelist, noticed Hector Hyppolite's painterly talents that Hyppolite's rather isolated life began to unfold into a noticeable career in the arts.  Lot 74, Hector Hyppolite, "Poisson A Tete De Femme", Oil painting on board; Estimate $20,000-$40,000 In 1946, Philippe Thoby-Marcelin brought...Read More

Bidsquare is proud to be the exclusive online host for Rago Auctions’ collaborative sale, the Smithsonian Visionary Artists Benefit Auction, which celebrates the distinct and honorable Visionary Award. Established in 2014, the Visionary Award is presented annually at the Smithsonian Craft Show to artists who have risen to the pinnacle of the world of sculptural arts and design. This year’s recipient, Joyce J. Scott, joins the small but prestigious list of past recipients: Faith Ringgold, Dale Chihuly, Toots Zynsky, Wendell Castle and Albert Paley. The auction catalog features works created by past and present Smithsonian Visionary Artists, many of whom are familiar to the Bidsquare auction block, and will be sold to benefit the Smithsonian Institution. It's important to note that all 13 lots in the Visionary Benefit Auction are of the prima...Read More

A/D (“Artist Designer”) was a strong and unique voice in the 80s and 90s, for it was the only publisher of editions with the unique distinction to commission projects only from visual artists, and only for functional objects that were meant to be lived with and used. Lot 775, Sol LeWitt, Three End Tables; Estimate $20,000-$30,000 The idea was that visual artists would bring different solutions to design problems, and would challenge material limits in ways that designers and architects normally would not. The success of the gallery and all that they published was a result of this challenge, and of the standards that they were willing to commit to projects. The roster of artists published by A/D is impressive, from Sol LeWitt and Chuck Close, to Jennifer Bartlett and Arlene Shechet; and the fabricators used were always the best possible, wil...Read More