Yesterday, Liu Wei's A Good Dog sold for $1,816,080 at Sotheby's Contemporary Asian Art Auction in Hong Kong.
Liu Wei's Love It! Bite It! an imagined city made entirely of dog chews is one of my all-time favorite pieces of dog art.
On another note, have you been following the art handlers protests of Sotheby's NY and MoMA?
On Wednesday June 15 2011 at Sotheby's London, seven works by Sir Stanley Spencer, described by the auctioneer as one of the 20th century's most important British painters, were on offer at the first section of a three-part sale of the Evill/Frost Collection.
The sales of these works totaled £23.0 million ($37.6 million), including a record £4.7 million ($7,705,337) for Workmen in the House, 1935, which was eclipsed minutes later by the £5.4 million($8,796,531) for Sunflower and Dog Worship, 1937, a painting depicting a husband and wife being embraced by giant flowers, said to be an exploation Sir Stanley's notion of universal harmony.
The other dog painting for sale, The Bathing Pool, Dogs, 1957, was estimated at £800,000 – 1,200,000 and it sold for £4,185,250 ($6,796,009).
The Bathing Pool, Dogs by Sir Stanley Spencer, 1957
What recession?
Keep painting dogs and flowers and universal harmony.
And have a great weekend!
I know the Orientalists are not always considered cool. But I love the theatricality of Jean-Léon Gérôme and his dogs are spectacular.
This painting, A Bashi-Basouk and His Dog is one of the highlights of Sotheby's New York April 24, 2009 auction of 19th Century European Art Including Orientalist Paintings, Drawings and Sculptures. Its estimate is $600,000 – $800,000. You can view all the works starting April 18, 2009. Visit Sotheby's for more information.
Art Knowledge News has a nice overview of the auction.
Related Links:
Fred Thompson: Nice Headshot
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Poodle with Bow on Table by Anonymous American Photographer, 1850
This sweet Poodle daguerreotype is up for auction at Sotheby’s New York on Monday March 30, 2009. The catalogue’s condition report highlights its “excellent condition” and points out that “this daguerreotype is astonishing for the clarity of its rendering of a
difficult subject. Looked at under magnification, this image shows a
wealth of detail in the dog’s face and in the texture of its fur.”
What I find astonishing is that its one of the earliest dog photographs I have ever seen. And, it is yet another indication that our deep love of our pets is nothing new. Not only does the photographer spend time, money, and materials in a complicated and time consuming process to memorialize the dog, someone also took the time to give her jaunty bow. Wonderful!
Estimate is $5,000 – $7,000. Visit Sotheby’s for more information.
Hat tip to my friend Kevin Hannigan who sent me this story via Andrew Sullivan’s blog.
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At Sotheby’s last night, Francis Bacon’s Triptych (above) broke all contemporary art records when it sold for $86.3 million. Bacon was a self-taught English painter who died in 1992. Triptych, a large-scale masterpiece depicting the legend of Prometheus, was painted in 1976, and, like his 1953 Man with Dog (below), exemplifies his dark, angst-ridden style.
Read more about Sotheby’s recession-proof contemporary art sale in Carol Vogel NYT’s story.
In October I posted about poor Francis Barraud, the original painter of His Master’s Voice, who was denied a copyright to his painting and went on to sell it and the rights for a mere £100 to an RCA manager.
Today at Sotheby’s London, Banky’s spraypainted and stenciled riff on the image, HMV Dog, sold for £65,5000 (estimate was £30,000 – 40,000). That’s $133,888.55 for those keeping score at home. I wonder if RCA has a claim?
Via my new favorite website The World’s Best Ever.
Chrissy Wilson
A few weeks ago after results came in of the record breaking Sotheby’s contemporary art sale sale, I was encouraged to hear that , as Mike at MAO reported it, the “the sky wasn’t falling” in the art world after all (the Impressionist show was dismal and Sotheby’s stock had subsequently plummeted 28% in a day the week before.) But, I found it disheartening that I spotted only 2 dog art lots in Sotheby’s offerings: Takshi Murakami’s Jellyfish Eyes, Max & Shimon, which sold for $541,000 and the vaguely naughty Chihuahua II by Sean Landers. I wondered if dogs had cycled out today’s artists’ repertoires. If the Royal Academy of Arts 2007 RCA Secret event is any indication, the answer is a resounding “No.”
Established to raise money for the college’s awards fund, RCA Secret, is the Post Secret of the art world. Each year RCA students and graduates, including many famous alumni, donate postcard sized art pieces signed only on the back. Collectors view the art at the college or online. Then, over a November weekend they can purchase up to 4 postcards for £40 each. This year contributors included Damien Hirst, Manolo Blanik, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, David Bailey, and Tracey Emin along with many other celebrated artists.
I was going to feature all of the dog art works here, but I’m pleased to report there were too many for a reasonably sized post. So, here are my top dog picks…
Micha Bandini
Jo Longhurst
Andor Kömives
Elinor Evans
Vanilla Bear
Nadine Faye James
Christos Lyssiotis (I’m pretty sure this is a dog)
View all the dog art works here along with some favorites and famous names.
Anecdotally speaking, I noticed a curious trend…there were hardly ANY women artists in the Sotheby’s sale and there were hardly any dog art works. There were numerous women in the RCA Secret show and there were numerous dog art works. Of the dog art works at RCA, It seemed to me that there were more women than men. The men seemed to favor skulls (or they were just mimicking Hirst or both.) In fact, skulls and dogs are so prevalent in the RCA Show, dare I say, they reflect the zeitgeist of our times…the intense polarity…the yin/yang…dogs=love, skulls=death.
Also, there was much less in the way of the bulbous-head, big eyed Pop Surrealism than I expected. Hardly any “bird on a wire” pieces. And, I’m happy to report, not a single image looking down at Mary-Jane shoes from a first person POV.
Finally, I must share with you my latest acquisition, Wordy Study by Mickey Smith from Jen Bekman’s 20 x 200 Series.
I received it yesterday and it’s even more brilliant in person. Thanks, Mom and Dad (it was an early Christmas present.)
Sotheby's New York opens a Grace, Princess of Monaco Exhibition on October 15 that will feature some of her favorite dresses, jewelry and personal belongings, as well as photos, films and documents that capture the essence of her life.
I don't know if the following images will be included, so I decided to create my own Grace Kelly tribute featuring her beloved dogs.
Here is a video of Grace, her family and her wedding party on the Constitution. There are some darling shots of her and Oliver at the end.
I wanted to include this ITN Souce video (click on clip #6), but it cost $20 a second to embed it. View it for free on their site. Watch closely at the end and you'll see Grace Kelly walking down the gangway to meet her prince and she's carrying her Poodle. Prince Rainier kindly picks up the leash she is dragging behind her and escorts her to the car. It's the only time I've ever seen Grace Kelly with a single thing out of place and I think it makes her so endearing — holding on to her dog for security as she faces her new life — and then she ominously disappears into the fortress-like castle.
And finally, for your listening pleasure, my new music crush, Mika, singing "Grace Kelly." Enjoy!
If you'd like to view Mika on YouTube on a larger screen and get the full effect click here. P.S. I've combed several trivia sites and couldn't find the name of Grace Kelly's Weimaraner. I did discover it was a wedding gift. If anyone knows its name and whom it was from, let me know.
10.19.07 Update: As if you needed another reason to love Grace Kelly, Andrew of GraceKellyOnline.com sent me this article by the New York Daily News' Gina Salamone. It includes this photo of Kelly with her Great Dane.
Japanese Pop Artist Yoshitomo Nara’s I Think Therefore I Am A Dog installation is coming up for auction at Sotheby’s London on October 12. The estimated price is approximately $200,000.
If you don’t have the space or the budget for this piece, know that Yoshitomo Nara makes his dog art available to everyone through an array of outlets. Pick your favorite pup and start your own contemporary art collection today.
Just Living in a 2D, 1999. Contact Blum & Poe for availability
I found My Sweet Dog Pulltoy on a daddytypes.com a cool weblog for new dads. What’ so appealing about Nara’s wooden pulltoy, beyond it’s clean pop aesthetic, is it’s handcrafted by artisans in France — not lead-based China. This toy really could be a fun AND safe investment for you or your child.
You can also adorn your wall with this Yoshitomo Nara poster, Do Not Disturb!…
And finally, if you like wearable dog art, how about a Yoshitomo Nara Pup King T-shirt from 2K Gingham?
The bubble may have burst in the housing market but the sky’s not falling in the art world. Both Christie’s and Sotheby’s had stellar sales at their auctions this week. Artnet concludes Sotheby’s edged out Christies in sales, size, and sell through percentage. Dog art was hot at both.
George Rodrigue’s 2000 Blue Dog painting The Path of the Candles, estimated to sell for $80,000, went for $115,000 at Sotheby’s. At Christie’s, Tom Friedman’s Yarn Dog sold for less than its $180,000 estimate, but still found a buyer at an impressive $169,000. Sadly, Laughing Dog by Saul Steinberg did not find a home.