What began for Marylyn Dintenfass as a methodical, process-oriented exercise, exploring the expressive and technical possibilities of circles, grew into a meditative celebration of the architectural Oculus. The circle motif has been one of the constants in the visual lexicon that Dintenfass has employed throughout her work. Evoking a wide range of mathematical, historical and philosophical references—from cellular microcosms to celestial macrocosms—Dintenfass has sustained a perceptive investigation of this iconic, essential shape. Whereas some of her oculi are made with strong gestural marks, revealing the presence of Dintenfass hand, others make use of a highly controlled, hard-edge matrix derived from ring-like templates of her own design. The tension between these two modes, organic and mathematical, becomes a critical element of the se...Read More

A 19th Century doctor might be a little bemused if he hopped in a time machine and saw people in the 21st Century bidding so enthusiastically on the former tools of his trade. Yet such is the sheer beauty of many of these products, crafted in a time when things were obviously made to last, that their eventual collecting was surely bound to happen. Sometimes, quality is a little hard to resist! On Saturday, June 18 Leland Little Auctions offers bidders a look into this bygone era when they hold their sale of Dr. & Mrs. John Gimeshs Medical Collection. 475 expertly curated lots are set to go under the hammer from a single-owner collection that includes a broad range of vintage medical related items, plus antique medical and surgical books.  The contrast between medicine bottles of the past and present couldnt be more extreme, a point made obv...Read More

When it comes to travel, it’s easy sometimes to regret not living in a different, quainter time. Sure, ours is an age where we zip from one end of the planet to the other at truly mind-boggling speeds, but one gets the feeling, as technology evolves, that people have come to take the whole thing for granted. The miracle is now the mundane – the sense of wonder is gone. Yet not so long ago, back before the Wright Brothers took to the skies, people marveled at the ability to travel. Everything beyond one’s backyard was unknown and exotic, and journeys were always exciting, usually difficult, and often treacherous. People rarely left their state of province, never mind the country. The historic broadside advertised a journey aboard a steamer named for industrialist Moses Taylor On Friday June 10, Cowan’s Auctions gives bidders a taste of this ...Read More

Fernando Cueto Amorsolo is one of the most important artists in the history of painting in the Philippines. He is well known as a portraitist and painter of rural Philippine landscapes and for his craftsmanship and mastery in the use of light. Fernando Cueto Amorsolo, Image source: The Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation House on the Lake recently came to auction at Kodner Galleries. The work depicts a grass hut on the edge of a waterway bordered by bamboo in rosy glowing light. The work demonstrates the artist’s superb craftsmanship and mastery of the use of light previously mentioned. It has been suggested by an expert on a group of Filipino artists, some of whom are followers of Amorsolo, the work is likely a plein air work rendered in a single sitting characteristic of the prolific Amorsolo. Fernando Cueto Amorsolo, House on a Lake, 1926...Read More

When it comes to high design no one has made a greater contribution than the Italians. From fashion to automobiles to furniture and beyond, the little European country with the oversized boot has always shown a rare gift for the successful combination of innovation and style. Their work has produced many imitators down through the years, but alas, very few peers. On June 2, Italy celebrates Festa della Repubblica, it’s National and Republic Day, commemorating the institutional referendum held in 1946 following World War II and the fall of Mussolini. In an effort to shine our own light on the wonders of Italy, we explored the catalog of Rago’s Modern Design sale, set down for Sunday, June 5, and found a host outstanding examples of cutting edge Italian design. What better place to start than Lot 719 - a piece by legendary architect, designer...Read More

On inspiration, Ed Moses said, "Im never inspired. Im obsessed. And I look forward every day to paint." Considered one of the most innovative and central figures of postwar West Coast art, Moses is still painting at age 90. Moses created more than 50 new works for a survey exhibition at William Turner Gallery last month. Ed Moses, Photo Credit: Christina House/For The Times Santa Monica Auctions has eight works of Moses’ in its upcoming Live Public Auction June 5th. Let’s take a look at a few… Ed Moses, Cargo-1, 1988, Estimate $50,000-60,000   Left: Ed Moses, Gacos, 1988, Estimate $30,000-50,000; Right: Ed Moses, Nambe #8, 1987-97, Estimate $30,000-50,000   Ed Moses, Waft, 1972, Estimate $3,000-4,000   Left: Ed Moses, B-Z-Z-Z, 2004, Estimate $20,000-30,000; Right: Ed Moses, Zook #4, 2004, Estimate $25,000-45,000 View all upcoming auctions a...Read More

Bidsquare and the Association of Professional Art Advisors are pleased to present the third session in One Art Nations four-part webinar series: The Four Stages of Collecting - Part III: Managing Your Collection. On Tuesday, May 31, Andrea Wood will be discussing how utilizing a registrar can be an asset to your collection, weighing in on topics such as finding a qualified contract registrar and what a registrar does. Art collectors of all levels are invited to register for the complimentary webinar. Register here. Talk Details Participants will also learn about the importance of collections data management, inventories and databases, proper installation, storage, packing and shipping, fine arts insurance, condition reports and conservation, and managing loans to exhibitions. In other words, if you collect art or are interested in starting ...Read More

American artist Ralston Crawford made possibly the most important decision of his life one day on the lot at the Walt Disney Studios in California. Deciding it was time to re-embrace his art, he turned his back on his position at Disney to return east and study at the Pennsylvania Academy of Art and at the Barnes Foundation. Influenced by the work of Matisse and Picasso, he had his first one-man show in 1934. Crawford is best known for his abstract representations of urban life and industry. Yet on Wednesday, May 25 it will be a depiction of rural life that puts the artist center stage in Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ American & European Art sale. Selling as Lot 110, the oil on canvas titled “Smith Silo, Exton” was painted by Crawford in 1936 and is expected by many to be the sale topper. The American & European Art sale offers a strong catal...Read More

What did Herbert Hoover and Napoleon Bonaparte have in common? Besides being heads of state, both had a taste for fine gambling chips, apparently. At least that much is to be gathered from the offerings included in the annual sale of gambling memorabilia to be held by Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago. The May 21 Two of a Kind auction includes antique playing cards, rare books, cheating devices, gambling equipment, poker chips, artwork, and vintage advertising. The aforementioned chips come from the collection of Dale Seymour, the author of a well-known reference work on the subject, Antique Gambling Chips, in which these and many other of the chips in the sale first appeared. Pair of Napoleonic Chips, Lots 393-94, Estimate $3,000-5,000 each Seymour ranks the pair of Napoleonic chips (Lots 393 – 94), which bear an imperial bee symbol at t...Read More

If you met Pook & Pook, Inc.’s Vice President Jamie Shearer at a gun show or exposition recently, he has probably shown you a long rifle coming up for auction and offered to tell you the story of its maker, famed Lancaster, Pennsylvania gunsmith, Melchoir Fordney. It might have seemed like an overblown tall tale, but it wasn’t. In fact, the odd circumstances surrounding Fordney’s death are just as wild as they are true.   Pennsylvania (or Kentucky) long rifles are a truly American art form. Used by frontiersmen, their long barrels and interior rifling made them much more accurate than their European contemporaries. Fordney’s work in the early 19th century fell under the Golden Age of Pennsylvania long rifles and his weapons were as intricately beautiful as they were useful. However, the gunsmith’s career, and his life, were cut short when h...Read More