Large Selection of Old Master, American and European Prints at Swann Galleries

NEW YORK, NY.- On Tuesday, April 27, Swann Galleries will offer a large selection of Old Master Through Modern Prints at auction, beginning with nearly 150 desirable Old Master Prints, followed by sections devoted to 19th-century prints, American prints, and European prints.

Of special note among the Old Masters are works by Albrecht Dürer, including “The Prodigal Son”, engraving, circa 1496 (estimate $15,000 to $20,000); “The Four Horsemen”, woodcut from “The Apocalypse”, 1498, in unusually good condition ($20,000 to $30,000); and “Virgin and Child Seated by the Wall”, engraving, 1514 ($15,000 to $20,000).

Rembrandt's "The Flight into Egypt: Altered from Seghers", circa 1653. Etching, engraving and drypoint. Estimate: $40,000 to $60,000

Highlights among more than 60 etchings by Rembrandt are the very scarce “The Flight into Egypt: Altered from Seghers”, circa 1653 ($40,000 to $60,000); a strong impression of the postage-stamp sized” Self Portrait with Curly Hair and White Collar”: Bust, circa 1630 ($30,000 to $50,000); an early impression of “Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple”, 1635 ($30,000 to $50,000); and Lieven Willemsz van Coppenol, “Writing Master”: larger plate, circa 1658 ($10,000 to $15,000).

Other Old Master prints of note are an early, tonal impression of Adriaen Van Ostade’s “The Quacksalve”r, etching and drypoint, 1648 ($5,000 to $8,000); Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s “L’Armoire”, etching, 1778 ($4,000 to $6,000); and a run of etchings by Giovanni B. Piranesi from his Vedute di Roma, among them “Veduta dell’Arco di Settimio Severo”, 1772 ($3,000 to $5,000).

A large selection of fine 19th-century prints includes Edouard Manet’s very scarce lithograph “Guerre Civile”, 1871-73 ($12,000 to $18,000); one of approximately 10 lifetime impressions of the sixth and final state of Camille Pissarro’s masterful “Effet de pluie”, etching and aquatint, 1879 ($40,000 to $60,000); Emile Bernard’s scarce lithograph “Les Moissonneurs”, with hand coloring in watercolor and gouache, 1889 ($5,000 to $8,000); Mary Cassatt’s tender drypoint of “A Mother Nursing”, circa 1890 ($7,000 to $10,000); Pierre Bonnard’s “L’Enfant à la Lampe”, color lithograph, circa 1897 ($12,000 to $18,000); the large version of Pierre-August Renoir’s well known composition, “Le Chapeau Epinglé” (1re planche), lithograph from an edition of 50 printed in sanguine, 1897 ($30,000 to $50,000); and scarce lithographs by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, including a portrait of Cecy Loftus printed in dark olive green, 1894 ($10,000 to $15,000), and Au Hanneton, 1898 ($8,000 to $12,000).

Rounding out the 19th-century section is a run of more than 20 prints by James A.M. Whistler, which include “Bibi Lalouette”, etching and drypoint, 1859 ($6,000 to $9,000); Florence Leyland, scarce drypoint, circa 1873 ($10,000 to $15,000); and The Traghetto, No. 2, etching printed in dark brown on Japan paper, 1880 ($10,000 to $15,000).

Featured American prints include Gustave Baumann’s “Woodland Meadows” (Hillside Woods), color woodcut, 1917 ($8,000 to $12,000); Gerald L. Brockhurst’s “Adolescence”, etching, 1932 ($10,000 to $15,000); and Martin Lewis’s desirable city views such as “Fifth Avenue Bridge”, drypoint, 1928 ($10,000 to $15,000); “The Glow of the City”, etching, 1929 ($15,000 to $20,000); “Spring Night, Greenwich Village”, drypoint and sandpaper ground, 1930 ($15,000 to $20,000); “Manhattan Lights”, drypoint, 1931 ($10,000 to $15,000); and “Chance Meeting”, drypoint, 1940-41 ($8,000 to $12,000).

The auction concludes with a section devoted to an equally attractive selection of modern European prints. German Expressionist examples include Käthe Kollwitz’s Kopf einer Arbeiterfrau in Dreiviertelprofil nach rechts, scarce lithograph printed in dark brown ink, 1902-03 ($8,000 to $12,000); Emil Nolde’s “Prinzess und Bettler”, woodcut, 1906 ($5,000 to $8,000); Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Kniende Mädchenakt, etching and aquatint, circa 1908 ($10,000 to $15,000); and Max Beckmann’s Der Ausrufer (Selbstbildnis), drypoint, 1921 ($10,000 to $15,000).

A run of color lithographs by Marc Chagall includes the early “Le Carrousel du Louvre”, 1954 ($8,000 to $12,000); a vibrant impression of “Le Cirque”, 1967 ($30,000 to $50,000); Les Jeu des Arlequins, 1968 ($12,000 to $18,000); and a print after his “Les Cocquelicots”, 1949 ($18,000 to $22,000).

Featured Picassos range from an early drypoint, “Salome”, 1905 ($12,000 to $18,000); and “Garçon et Dormeuse à la Chandelle”, etching and aquatint, 1934 ($25,000 to $35,000); to “L’Espagnole”, color linoleum cut, 1962 ($40,000 to $60,000); and many desirable after prints, such as “Pierrot et Arlequin”, color pochoir, circa 1920 ($12,000 to $18,000); and “Hommage a la René Char” (Tète d’Homme), color lithograph, 1964 ($6,000 to $9,000).

Other modern European prints of note include Jacques Villon’s “Autre Temps”: 1830, scarce color aquatint and drypoint with hand coloring, 1904 ($10,000 to $15,000); Paul Klee’s “Die Hexe mit dem Kamm”, lithograph, 1922 ($12,000 to $18,000); Henri Matisse’s “Cage de perruches et les poissons rouges”, scarce etching, 1929 ($15,000 to $20,000); Maurits Escher’s “Up and Down”, lithograph, 1947 ($20,000 to $30,000); and Joan Miró’s “Figure and Bird”, color lithograph, 1948 ($10,000 to $15,000).

The first session of the auction, which offers Old Master and 19th Century Prints, will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 27. The afternoon session, comprising American and Modern European Prints, will begin at 2:30 p.m.

The works of art will be on public exhibition at Swann Galleries on Thursday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Monday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.