The lithographs and maquettes will be auctioned on Sunday, November 15th by Poster Auctions International, Inc. (PAI), online and in their New York City gallery.
New York City, NY, USA, October 22, 2020 -- Poster Auctions International’s Rare Posters Auction #82 on Sunday, November 15th will feature masterpieces and rarities from over two centuries of poster design. Top artists include Cappiello, Chéret, Haring, Mucha, Steinlen and Toulouse-Lautrec.
Jack Rennert, president of Poster Auctions International, Inc., said, “In a year with so much upheaval, I am pleased to return to some sense of normalcy with our upcoming auction—and the catalogue is back. As always, collectors can expect to find a range of masterful works, including highly sought-after items and beloved images.”
The auction will begin with two sections of travel posters for the United Kingdom and Italy – a perfect balm for current travel restrictions. Major works include William H. Barribal’s 1925 Bridlington (est. $8,000-$10,000), G. Stanislaus Brien’s Moonlight Bathing on the East Coast (est. $7,000-$9,000), Aurelio Craffonara’s 1931 Genua (est. $1,200-$1,500), and Marcello Dudovich’s circa 1930 Padova (est. $1,400-$1,700).
The War & Propaganda collection includes poignant and powerful designs from World Wars I and World War II, as well as hand-painted posters from the Vietnam War. Highlights include James Montgomery Flagg’s 1917 designs I Want You for U.S. Army (est. $7,000-$9,000) and Wake Up, America! (est. $5,000-$6,000), as well as Fred Spear’s ca. 1917 Enlist (est. $3,000-$3,500).
As always, posters for bicycles, aviation, and automobiles are featured. Notable works include Edward Penfield’s circa 1895 Orient Cycles (est. $7,000-$9,000), William H. Bradley’s 1896 Victor Bicycles / Overman Wheel Co. in the larger format (est. $20,000-$25,000), the anonymously designed 1906 Automobiles de Dion Bouton (est. $3,500-$4,000), Georges Rochegrosse’s 1907 Exposition Décennale de l’Automobile (est. $5,000-$6,000), Ernest Montaut’s 1909 Première Exposition Locomotion Aérienne / Grand Palais (est. $7,000-$9,000), and Aldo Mazza’s 1910 Milano Circuito Aereo Internazionale (est. $10,000-$12,000).
Nearly 40 iconic and rare works will be available from the inimitable Leonetto Cappiello. Classics include the circa 1906 Automobiles Charron Ltd. / Puteaux (est. $5,000-$6,000), the circa 1910 Cinzano Vermouth (est. $6,000-$8,000), the 1929 Parapluie-Revel (est. $3,000-$4,000), and the 1929 La Menthe-Pastille (est. $10,000-$12,000). His rarest works include Fumez le Globe (est. $5,000-$6,000) and Eau Minérale des Abatilles from 1926 (est. $4,000-$5,000).
From Alphonse Mucha, 21 decadent Belle Époque works will be up for bidding. His best and most beloved works include the 1896 Salon des Cent / XXme Exposition (est. $12,000-$15,000), the 1896 Job (est. $17,000-$20,000), the 1894 Gismonda / Théâtre de la Renaissance (est. $20,000-$25,000), and an uncommon variant of the 1897 Têtes Byzantines (est. $20,000-$25,000). Rarities will be on offer too, including Figures Décoratives, a signed pencil and gouache drawing from 1904 (est. $14,000-$17,000), and the 1903 Northeast Bohemia Fair (est. $14,000-$17,000).
On offer will be several important works from Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen: a rare variant of his most famous design, Chat Noir / Réouverture from 1896 (est. $20,000-$25,000); the charming 1894 Lait pur Stérilisé (est. $12,000-$15,000); and the only known copy of Nestlé’s Swiss Milk, from 1895, with text promoting the printer G. Gerin Fils (est. $17,000-$20,000).
An Art Nouveau collection wouldn’t be complete without Toulouse-Lautrec, whose works define the grit and glamour of Fin-de-Siècle France. His first lithograph—and his most revered work—will be up for grabs: the two-sheet Moulin Rouge / La Goulue from 1891 (est. $250,000-$300,000). Two designs for Aristide Bruant show the performer’s magnitude: the 1892 Ambassadeurs (est. $50,000-$60,000) and the 1894 Eldorado (est. $70,000-$90,000). Further hallmarks of Lautrec’s career include the 1892 Reine de Joie (est. $60,000-$70,000); the rare, before-text version of Elles from 1896 (est. $25,000-$30,000); the 1895 May Belfort, signed and numbered with the cat remarque (est. $50,000-$60,000); and the 1894 P. Sescau / Photographe, also with remarque (est. $80,000-$100,000).
Fans of Art Deco will take delight in Lucian Bernhard’s 1914 Manoli Dandy (est. $4,000-$5,000), Emil Cardinaux’s 1921 Sommer in der Schweiz (est. $2,500-$3,000), A. M. Cassandre’s 1931 Triplex (est. $20,000-$25,000), Olsky’s 1928 Chapeaux Mossant (est. $3,500-$4,000), and René Vincent’s 1918 La Vie Parisienne : Maquette (est. $3,000-$4,000).
For those who prefer Modern and Contemporary designs, options abound. Fifteen whimsical works from Keith Haring will be available, including his 1984 Swatch / World Breakdance Championship (est. $1,200-$1,500), the circa 1986 Pop Shop (est. $1,400-$1,700), and his iconic 1989 Act Up / Ignorance = Fear (est. $1,200-$1,500). Career defining works from Milton Glaser include his indelible 1966 Dylan (est. $1,000-$1,200) and his 1967 Mahalia Jackson (est. $2,500-$3,000). And four works from the ultra-imaginative Tadanori Yokoo will mesmerize collectors, including his 1996 Lucky God (est. $1,200-$1,500) and 1978 Kyotomo / Some no Kimono (est. $800-$1,000).
Public viewings will be held daily from October 30-November 14. For more information and to order the catalogue, visit www.posterauctions.com. You may call the gallery at (212) 787-4000.
About Poster Auctions International:
Jack Rennert, president of Rennert’s Gallery / PAI, is the world’s foremost authority on rare original poster art, and is the author of over a dozen books on the subject, including the catalogue raisonée for the “father” of modern French poster art, Leonetto Cappiello. To learn more, please visit www.posterauctions.com.
Media Contact:
Jessica Adams, Editorial Director
Poster Auctions International, Inc.
26 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10011
212-787-4000
jadams@rennertsgallery.com