Original Illustration Art from the Collection of Kendra and Allan Daniel Offered at Sotheby’s

NEW YORK, N.Y.- On 11 April 2011 Sotheby’s New York will hold a single owner sale of Original Illustration Art from the Collection of Kendra and Allan Daniel. The auction will present a selection of children’s illustrations and other original art from this renowned collection. It will be the first sale of this type for several years and the first ever held at Sotheby’s New York. The sale features some of America’s most beloved characters and stories, many of which were made instantly recognizable by these artists’ illustrations. Both art and book collectors will have the opportunity to acquire original artwork featuring characters such as Babar, Madeline, the Brownies, Christopher Robin and Raggedy Ann. Artists represented include Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, Peter Newell, Kate Greenaway, Beatrix Potter and Jessie Willcox Smith, Dr. Seuss, George Henry Boughton and Rose O’Neill together with many of the other most respected and sought-after artists in the field. Estimates are intended to appeal to a range of buyers and range from $400 to $200,000. Artists represented below $1,000 include Tony Sarg, Helen Jacobs, Palmer Cox, Frank Ver Beck and Louis Wain The pre-sale exhibition opens on 5 April.

The ‘Golden Age of Illustration’ came about at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Advances in printing technology and photographic reproduction meant that almost any media could be accurately reproduced. The field therefore attracted skilled and talented artists, many of whom would work on illustrations for children’s books. Only recently has children’s illustration been rightfully recognized as fine art. Kendra and Allan Daniel have been at the forefront of this new found awareness. The Daniels are known as discerning collectors in a number of fields from American folk art, to the jewelry of Yves St Laurent and this selective offering of illustration art reflects the refined and discerning taste of these knowledgeable collectors. The Daniels acquired the pieces from a variety of sources and many of the treasures in the sale have not been in public for considerable periods of time.

Among the highlights of the collection is How Doth the Little Busy Bee by Jessie Willcox Smith. The charcoal, watercolor and oil drawing is a major piece by the classic American illustrator and was first reproduced in A Child’s Book of Old Verses in 1910. The confident line, harmonious color and sweet expression exemplify Smith at her finest as a portrayer of children (est. $200,000/300,000). Jean de Brunhoff’s Le Roi Babar is the ink and watercolor drawing for the cover of the third Babar book, published in 1933 (est. $30/50,000). E. H. Shepard is widely known for bringing to life A. A. Milne’s Christopher Robin stories. The Little Black Hen was drawn for the author’s Now We Are Six in 1927 (est. $40/60,000, pictured on front page).

Ludwig Bemelmans was a skilled graphic artist in addition to being the author of the Madeline books. And here we’re back — all twelve no less — Happy New Year and Togetherness comes from Madeline’s Christmas published in 1956 (est. $40/60,000).