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
http://www.posterauctions.com
