4310 Papermill Dr. NW
Knoxville, TN 37909
United States
Case Auctions is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, where our gallery is located, with satellite offices in Nashville, Tennessee and Kingsport, TN – but our reach is worldwide. Established in 2005, we conduct cataloged auctions of investment-quality art and antiques under the stewardship of knowledgeabl...Read more
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Jul 8, 2023
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas (stretched on board) panoramic painting depicting muddy floodwaters sweeping away a house, tree limbs, and other various objects. The swollen river is surrounded by barren trees with a flat landscape and cloudy horizon beyond. Signed "Helen La France" lower right. Unframed. 24" H x 48" W. Biography: African American artist Helen LaFrance is best known for her "memory paintings," based on her 101 years of life in Graves County, Kentucky. Her parents, James Franklin Orr and Lillie May Ligon Orr, were tobacco farmers, and Helen spent most of her life no more than ten miles from her birthplace in Mayfield. Her mother taught her to draw and paint, helping her mix colors from wildflowers, berries, and laundry detergent, but she did not begin painting full time until her 40s, when she started selling her work at local art shows and fairs. Her subjects mostly focused on scenes of ordinary rural life, such as church picnics and river baptisms, although she occasionally portrayed dramatic events in the life of her community, such as tornadoes and floods, and African scenes inspired by her family's ancestral heritage. Lafrance's work (which also comprised quilts, wood carvings, and dolls) began attracting nationwide interest in the 1990s, and with a burgeoning market of collectors that included famous names such as Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King and Bryant Gumbel, she continued painting well into advanced age. In 2011 she received Kentucky's Folk Art Heritage Award. Her work recently became the subject of a retrospective at the Speed Museum in Louisville, and is also in the permanent collections of the St. Louis Art Museum and the Owensboro KY Museum of Fine Art.
Canvas has been stapled to a board backing. In very good condition with some spots of grime and a couple areas of scratching, largest 1" lower margin.
Private Middle Tennessee collection, acquired at an estate auction circa 2018.
Buyer pays shipping and is responsible for making arrangements through our recommended shippers or an outside shipper of your choice. For pre-auction estimates, provide the lot number(s) to the recommended shipper(s) of your choice:
The UPS Store of Bearden Contact - Joe 865-584-0081 (press 5), fax 865-584-0094 store2630@theupsstore.com
The UPS Store of Northshore Contact - Eve 865-951-2499 store6461@theupsstore.com
John & Max Express LLC NOTE: white glove delivery for furniture, fine art, and freight items (driving range limitations may apply, US only) Contact - Yev or Nadiya 865-230-1567 johnmaxexpress@gmail.com
Package Manager (UPS, FedEx, USPS, & DHL) NOTE: Crate and large freight services are also offered Contact - Burak 865-584-3000 Info@packagemanager.net
Available payment options
Payment must be received no later than five (5) days after the sale.
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If paying with wire transfer, please use the following information:
Bank: Pinnacle Bank
150 Third Avenue South, Suite 900
Nashville, TN 37201
Phone # (865) 766-3000
Swift Code: PNFPUS44
Routing, Transit, ABA: 064008637
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4310 Papermill Drive
Knoxville, TN 37909
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