Where to Find Beauford's Art: Ink Miami Art Fair - Aaron Galleries
Thanks (in part) to Aaron Galleries near Chicago, Beauford's work is represented at this prestigious show this year. Aaron Galleries is participating in Ink Miami Art Fair, a contemporary art fair which is unique among Miami’s fairs for its focus on contemporary works on paper by internationally renowned artists.
The gallery has selected two exceptional paintings by Beauford for display:
Ciel
(1960) Color silk-screen; Edition: 29/36
19 1/4 x 17 inches
Sollis Toucan
(1963) Oil on canvas
Signed, dated and titled, on the stretcher
16 3/8 x 13 inches
They describe Sollis Toucan as "a little gem." It was previously owned by New York City artist Don Freeman*, who active was active during the 1930s and 1940s.
Aaron Galleries is showing works by the following artists at Ink:
- Eldzier Cortor
- Rashid Johnson
- Charles White
- Joseph Delaney
- Beauford Delaney
- Sam Gilliam
- Wadsworth Jarell
- Margaret Burroughs
- Elizabeth Catlett
Suites of Dorchester 1850 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139
The remaining show dates are as follows:
Saturday 10:00AM- 7:00 PM
Sunday 10:00AM- 3:00 PM
Patrick L. Albano
Aaron Galleries
2011 Tower Drive
Glenview, IL 60026
(847) 724-0660 Gallery
(312) 320-0660 Cell
info[at]aarongalleries[dot]com
www.aarongalleries.com
* Freeman's son Roy also owned a painting called Sollis Toucan. To read his story, click here.
Where to Find Beauford's Art: Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries - Part 2
I am pleased to present Part 2 of this multi-part article about Beauford's works at Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries in Atlanta, GA. Many thanks to Tina Dunkley and her assistant Cynthia Ham for providing the interview and images upon which this article is based.
************
Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries
Image from CAUAG Web site
When the shipment arrived in Atlanta, Dunkley began the inventory process anew and was disappointed to find that only twenty-six (26) of the thirty-three (33) works had been sent. Only seven of the eleven Delaney paintings arrived, and some of these were different than the ones indicated on the inventory list.
The shipment contained the following paintings by Beauford:
During our interview, Dunkley emphatically stated that Beauford's works, as well as those of his brother, Joseph, are very important. Both Delaneys exhibited their paintings at the historic Atlanta University Art Annual Exhibition, which was founded by Hale Woodruff in 1942. Joseph Delaney won a cash award of $250 during the fifth annual exhibition in 1946 for a painting called East River. He participated in five shows in all (1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, and 1960).
Excerpt from the "School and College News" column
of The Crisis Magazine
June 1946
Beauford Delaney participated once in the Atlanta University Art Annuals in 1951, submitting an oil painting entitled Blue Harlem. Unfortunately, no measurements or images are available for this work.
Dunkley said it is important that CAUAG have works by both Delaneys in their collection for this reason. She does not recall if the galleries have ever hung their works in the same exhibit, but says that she plans to do so in the future. She likes the fact that the color "yellow" became a predominant theme in Beauford's work, and notes that yellow is the primary color used in most of his paintings in CAUAG's collection.
To learn more about CAUAG's historic art collections, click here.
In Part 3 of this article, learn more about the paintings.
*Some question whether the person depicted in this portrait is indeed Baldwin.
Image from CAUAG Web site
When the shipment arrived in Atlanta, Dunkley began the inventory process anew and was disappointed to find that only twenty-six (26) of the thirty-three (33) works had been sent. Only seven of the eleven Delaney paintings arrived, and some of these were different than the ones indicated on the inventory list.
The shipment contained the following paintings by Beauford:
- Yellow Cypress, 1972, oil on canvas
- Unknown Portrait (inscription: Saint Paul), 1971, oil on canvas
- Portrait of James Baldwin*, 1971, oil on canvas
- Man in Blue, 1972, oil on canvas
- Abstraction: Yellow and Orange, 1972, watercolor
- Village (Saint Paul de Vence), 1972, oil on canvas
- Abstract: Yellow and Red, 1967, oil on canvas
During our interview, Dunkley emphatically stated that Beauford's works, as well as those of his brother, Joseph, are very important. Both Delaneys exhibited their paintings at the historic Atlanta University Art Annual Exhibition, which was founded by Hale Woodruff in 1942. Joseph Delaney won a cash award of $250 during the fifth annual exhibition in 1946 for a painting called East River. He participated in five shows in all (1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, and 1960).
of The Crisis Magazine
June 1946
Beauford Delaney participated once in the Atlanta University Art Annuals in 1951, submitting an oil painting entitled Blue Harlem. Unfortunately, no measurements or images are available for this work.
Dunkley said it is important that CAUAG have works by both Delaneys in their collection for this reason. She does not recall if the galleries have ever hung their works in the same exhibit, but says that she plans to do so in the future. She likes the fact that the color "yellow" became a predominant theme in Beauford's work, and notes that yellow is the primary color used in most of his paintings in CAUAG's collection.
To learn more about CAUAG's historic art collections, click here.
In Part 3 of this article, learn more about the paintings.
*Some question whether the person depicted in this portrait is indeed Baldwin.
Where to Find Beauford's Art: Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries - Part 1
I am pleased to present this multi-part article about Beauford's works at Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries in Atlanta, GA. Many thanks to Tina Dunkley and her assistant Cynthia Ham for providing the interview and images upon which this article is based.
************
I recently had a long chat with Tina Dunkley about the seven Beauford Delaney works held by the Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries (CAUAG).
Dunkley, who has directed the galleries since 1994 and is an artist in her own right, had quite an interesting tale to tell about the acquisition of these paintings. They were part of a bequest to the university made by one of Beauford's dearest friends, James Baldwin.
Dr. Richard A. Long informed CAUAG of the bequest at the time that Dunkley was in the midst of renovating the space in which the collections are now shown - the former reading room of the library in Trevor Arnett Hall. Long provided a list of the works to be given to the university, all of which were located at Baldwin's home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in southern France. Beauford spent a great deal of time with Baldwin and other friends at this property, and painted here as well.
Baldwin's Property at Saint Paul de Vence
Photos courtesy of Professor Francine Allen, Morehouse College
Dunkley began communicating with the attorney of the Baldwin estate about collecting the works in December 1994.
Because Baldwin's will was in probate and was being contested, Dunkley feared that the university might not be able to acquire the works that Baldwin intended it to have. She asked Avery Glize-Kane, the attorney for the estate, whether the art work was part of the contestation. Relieved to learn that the answer was no, she went to Saint-Paul-de-Vence to claim the items that were to be sent to the university. There were thirty-three (33) works on the list that Long provided. Among them were eleven paintings by Beauford. Other artists represented in the bequest included César, Arman, Paul Jenkins, and Henri Baviera.
As Dunkley went through the process of checking the inventory, she discovered that several paintings on the list were not at Baldwin's home. Glize-Kane could not account for what happened to them. Dunkley arranged for the shipment of the works that she could find and returned to the U.S.
In Part 2 of this article, learn what Dunkley found when the shipment arrived in Atlanta.
I recently had a long chat with Tina Dunkley about the seven Beauford Delaney works held by the Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries (CAUAG).
Dunkley, who has directed the galleries since 1994 and is an artist in her own right, had quite an interesting tale to tell about the acquisition of these paintings. They were part of a bequest to the university made by one of Beauford's dearest friends, James Baldwin.
Dr. Richard A. Long informed CAUAG of the bequest at the time that Dunkley was in the midst of renovating the space in which the collections are now shown - the former reading room of the library in Trevor Arnett Hall. Long provided a list of the works to be given to the university, all of which were located at Baldwin's home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in southern France. Beauford spent a great deal of time with Baldwin and other friends at this property, and painted here as well.
Photos courtesy of Professor Francine Allen, Morehouse College
Dunkley began communicating with the attorney of the Baldwin estate about collecting the works in December 1994.
Because Baldwin's will was in probate and was being contested, Dunkley feared that the university might not be able to acquire the works that Baldwin intended it to have. She asked Avery Glize-Kane, the attorney for the estate, whether the art work was part of the contestation. Relieved to learn that the answer was no, she went to Saint-Paul-de-Vence to claim the items that were to be sent to the university. There were thirty-three (33) works on the list that Long provided. Among them were eleven paintings by Beauford. Other artists represented in the bequest included César, Arman, Paul Jenkins, and Henri Baviera.
As Dunkley went through the process of checking the inventory, she discovered that several paintings on the list were not at Baldwin's home. Glize-Kane could not account for what happened to them. Dunkley arranged for the shipment of the works that she could find and returned to the U.S.
In Part 2 of this article, learn what Dunkley found when the shipment arrived in Atlanta.
Beauford at the Fall 2012 African-American Fine Art Auction
Swann Galleries held its semi-annual African-American Fine Art auction on Thursday, 18 October 2012. Among the 154 works offered for sale were two Beauford Delaney paintings. The first (Lot 67) is a vibrantly multi-colored abstract:
It measures 495 x 654 mm / 19.5 x 25.75 inches and is signed and dated in ink in the lower right corner. It comes from a private New York collection.
The estimated sale price for this painting was $10,000-15,000.
The second painting (Lot 68) is an unusual abstract dominated by the color pink:
It measures 572 x 394 mm / 22.5 x 15.5 inches and is signed, inscribed "Paris," and dated "July 1964" in blue ink in the lower right corner.
This piece originates from the collection of Al Hirschfeld, a friend and patron of Beauford who partly funded Beauford's first trip to Paris. It was acquired by Phillipe Briet in 1989, who gave it to a dear friend in 1991.
The estimated sale price for this work was $8,000-12,000.
Untitled (Pink Abstract) sold for $8,400, inclusive of Buyer's Premium.* Untitled (Rainbow Abstract) was not purchased during the auction.
I spoke briefly with Nigel Freeman, director of Swann's African-American Fine Art auction, about this. He indicated that each work put up for auction has an unpublicized reserve price, below which the work will not sell. Sometimes, when more than one work by an artist is being auctioned during a given sale, buyers focus more attention on acquiring a particular one. This may result in insufficient bidding on the other works so that their reserve price is not met.
This may have been what occurred during Thursday's sale.
*Buyer's Premium - the fee that the auction house charges in addition to the actual price of the painting. Swann Galleries charges 20% of the sale price as a premium.
Untitled (Rainbow Abstraction)
(1962) Watercolor and gouache on paper
(1962) Watercolor and gouache on paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Galleries
The estimated sale price for this painting was $10,000-15,000.
The second painting (Lot 68) is an unusual abstract dominated by the color pink:
Untitled (Pink Abstract)
(1964) Watercolor on Arches paper
(1964) Watercolor on Arches paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Galleries
It measures 572 x 394 mm / 22.5 x 15.5 inches and is signed, inscribed "Paris," and dated "July 1964" in blue ink in the lower right corner.
This piece originates from the collection of Al Hirschfeld, a friend and patron of Beauford who partly funded Beauford's first trip to Paris. It was acquired by Phillipe Briet in 1989, who gave it to a dear friend in 1991.
The estimated sale price for this work was $8,000-12,000.
Untitled (Pink Abstract) sold for $8,400, inclusive of Buyer's Premium.* Untitled (Rainbow Abstract) was not purchased during the auction.
I spoke briefly with Nigel Freeman, director of Swann's African-American Fine Art auction, about this. He indicated that each work put up for auction has an unpublicized reserve price, below which the work will not sell. Sometimes, when more than one work by an artist is being auctioned during a given sale, buyers focus more attention on acquiring a particular one. This may result in insufficient bidding on the other works so that their reserve price is not met.
This may have been what occurred during Thursday's sale.
*Buyer's Premium - the fee that the auction house charges in addition to the actual price of the painting. Swann Galleries charges 20% of the sale price as a premium.
Christie's Paris Auctions Two Delaney Paintings
On October 10, 2012, Christie's Paris held an auction entitled Rendez-vous - Intérieurs Contemporains (Rendezvous - Contemporary Interiors). Among the works for sale were two abstract Beauford Delaney paintings.
The first untitled work is an aquarelle and gouache on paper. It was Lot 70 at the sale.
It is signed and dated "Beauford Delaney 1962 Paris" in the bottom right corner.
This painting sold for 3500 euros (roughly $4500).
The second work (Lot 71) is a watercolor on paper.
It is signed and dated "Beauford Delaney 61. San Telmo Mallorca" in the bottom right corner.
It also sold for 3500 euros (roughly $4500).
Both paintings came from a private collection and were authenticated for the auction by Sylvain Briet. Prices represent the hammer price (the price at which the work sells at auction) plus the buyer's premium.
Christie's sold many of Beauford's paintings in 2010 during its auction of the Darthea Speyer Collection.
The first untitled work is an aquarelle and gouache on paper. It was Lot 70 at the sale.
Untitled
(1962) Watercolor and gouache on paper
© Christie's Images
It is signed and dated "Beauford Delaney 1962 Paris" in the bottom right corner.
This painting sold for 3500 euros (roughly $4500).
The second work (Lot 71) is a watercolor on paper.
Untitled
(1961) Watercolor on paper
© Christie's Images
It is signed and dated "Beauford Delaney 61. San Telmo Mallorca" in the bottom right corner.
It also sold for 3500 euros (roughly $4500).
Both paintings came from a private collection and were authenticated for the auction by Sylvain Briet. Prices represent the hammer price (the price at which the work sells at auction) plus the buyer's premium.
Christie's sold many of Beauford's paintings in 2010 during its auction of the Darthea Speyer Collection.
Where to Find Beauford's Art: Hampton University Museum
The Hampton University Museum holds the following painting by Beauford:
Untitled Abstract, 1968
13” x 18”
Oil on canvas
Museum Acquisition Fund
Collection of the Hampton University Museum
Hampton, VA
It is currently displayed in the Renaissance and Beyond Gallery, which is located on the second floor.
Catherine St. John, Doctor of Arts in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts at Berkeley College in Woodland Park, New Jersey, provided the following commentary on the painting and on Beauford's art as a cultural entity.
Catherine St. John, Doctor of Arts in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts at Berkeley College in Woodland Park, New Jersey, provided the following commentary on the painting and on Beauford's art as a cultural entity.
Painting was an act of faith for Beauford Delaney (1901-1979). As both actual presence and spiritual transcendence, the finite limits of his paintings open up to an abstract language grounded by both the eye and by intuition. His painted surfaces transform different sensations of light on to canvas. He creates illusions of inwardly expanding space.
It is to Delaney’s abstractions that we turn for his greatest achievements. Involved in the turbulent and lively demi-monde of post-war Paris, it was here that he began his all-over paintings with their fields of color, their fluid swirls of closely valued tonal gradations. At the service of the effects of light on form, these loosely connected patches of color exhibit variations of touch in which the entire surface functions as something greater than its parts.
His Untitled Abstract, 1968, 13x18-inch rhythmic oil on canvas in the collection of the Hampton University Museum is created out of his preferred color yellow, not color in a mediating role as something else, but as a means. Beauford Delaney had a life-long involvement with light and color. The concreteness of color rather than its imitative potential is the subject. We see the materiality of paint with little tonal difference of color. All elements seem to be interdependent and our focus is dispersed. It is an assured painting of spontaneous feeling and the love of the creative process.
In Untitled we are given passages of yellow, abstractions of the material world dissolving into pure color and light. In his book Amazing Grace: a Life of Beauford Delaney, his biographer David Leeming notes Beauford’s celebration of the color yellow as the substance of light in relation to spirit. His concern with the play of light and its rather specific qualities make his painted surfaces a place of spiritual significance. His attraction to the color of light is underscored in the titles of his paintings such as Moving Sunlight, Yellow Light Swirling, and Yellow Light.
Delaney favored more the dimensions of easel painting and while Untitled may seem to be a modest work, it gives presence to an important voice in the shaping of American art. This work reflects larger cultural and artistic issues.
Beauford Delaney’s art is an art of originality, autonomy and authenticity. It plays an intrinsic part in the formal language of modernism and exemplifies the complexity and quality of American culture. In the pivotal moment when the distinctly American aesthetic Abstract Expressionism had become canonical, Delaney was steadfast in pursuing the same visual issues as the more recognized painters like Pollock, de Kooning, and Motherwell. Whether stylistically aligned with the dominant strains of Abstract Expressionism or with contemporary French art, his color allusions are compatible with flatness, one of the defining criteria of modernism, and his dissolving shapes and colors so effectively held together give a sense of coherence to the exploration of abstract relational possibilities.
With Beauford Delaney, one experiences a triumph of styles and through his giving presence, he has played an intrinsic part in the cultural phenomenon we call art. His art is a form for the act of painting itself. Delaney believed that there is only one art and it belongs to every one. Ultimately it is to the art that we must turn.
Beauford's Art - Monotypes
In surfing the Web the other day, I came across an interesting tidbit of information about Beauford's art: he created monotypes - prints that are produced using a technique through which a painted image is transferred through pressure to a sheet of paper, producing a unique impression.
Searching further, I found images of two of Beauford's monotypes that Swann Galleries auctioned in 2008 and 2010. The gallery describes the first print as a "possible self-portrait":
Untitled (Smiling Man)
(circa 1960-65) Color oil monotype
Photo courtesy of Swann Galleries
The second work is described as follows:
Untitled (Istanbul, Turkey)
(1966) Oil monotype on thick cream wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Galleries
The "self-portrait" sold for $30,000 at auction in 2008, while the painting of Istanbul was unsold in 2010.
The Istanbul painting was illustrated in the catalog of an exposition of American monotypes called Singular Impressions: The Monotype in America that was mounted by the National Museum of American Art at The Smithsonian in 1997. Beauford's painting did not actually hang at this exposition.
Searching further, I found images of two of Beauford's monotypes that Swann Galleries auctioned in 2008 and 2010. The gallery describes the first print as a "possible self-portrait":
(circa 1960-65) Color oil monotype
Photo courtesy of Swann Galleries
The second work is described as follows:
This striking and large montoype dates from the summer of 1966 when Beauford Delaney traveled to Istanbul to visit James Baldwin after attending the Venice Biennale.
(1966) Oil monotype on thick cream wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Galleries
The "self-portrait" sold for $30,000 at auction in 2008, while the painting of Istanbul was unsold in 2010.
The Istanbul painting was illustrated in the catalog of an exposition of American monotypes called Singular Impressions: The Monotype in America that was mounted by the National Museum of American Art at The Smithsonian in 1997. Beauford's painting did not actually hang at this exposition.
Beauford's Art - The Clamart Years
Last week's posting featured Beauford's home in Clamart, a suburb located 9 km (~5.6 miles) south of Paris.
In James Baldwin's introduction to Beauford's 1964 exposition at the Gallery Lambert in Paris, Baldwin states that Beauford's paintings "underwent a most striking metamorphosis into freedom" during his years in Clamart. While I do not pretend to have vast knowledge of what Beauford produced during these years, I am taking the liberty of bringing you a few pieces from this period (1956-late 1961/early 1962) that I consider to be extraordinary. Enjoy!
Untitled (Yellow Abstraction)
(c. 1958-1959) Oil on paper, laid down on canvas
Aaron Galleries
Untitled (Abstract Composition)
(1961) Oil monotype on heavy wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
Untitled
(1957) Oil on canvas
© Collection Centre Pompidou, Dist. RMN / Philippe Migeat
Untitled
(c. 1956) Watercolor and gouache on paper
Collection of the Delaney Estate
Nativity Scene
(1961) Oil on canvas
Private collection
In James Baldwin's introduction to Beauford's 1964 exposition at the Gallery Lambert in Paris, Baldwin states that Beauford's paintings "underwent a most striking metamorphosis into freedom" during his years in Clamart. While I do not pretend to have vast knowledge of what Beauford produced during these years, I am taking the liberty of bringing you a few pieces from this period (1956-late 1961/early 1962) that I consider to be extraordinary. Enjoy!
(c. 1958-1959) Oil on paper, laid down on canvas
Aaron Galleries
(1961) Oil monotype on heavy wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
(1957) Oil on canvas
© Collection Centre Pompidou, Dist. RMN / Philippe Migeat
(c. 1956) Watercolor and gouache on paper
Collection of the Delaney Estate
(1961) Oil on canvas
Private collection
Beauford at the Studio Museum in Harlem
The Studio Museum in Harlem presented the first retrospective exposition of Beauford's work in 1978.
The exhibit was mounted with the financial support of the Exxon Corporation and the National Endowment for the Arts and was open to the public from April 9 through July 2. It was the first of the museum's Black Masters series - major retrospectives organized with the intent to recognize the work of master African-American painters whose talent and achievements risked being ignored or forgotten. Hale Woodruff and Charles White were the second and third artists, respectively, whose works were featured in this series.
Richard A. Long, who has provided written (Richard A. Long and Beauford Delaney) and video (Richard A. Long Talks about Beauford - Part 1) tributes to Beauford for this blog, conceived of the exposition and organized the show. He was responsible for gathering Beauford's paintings in Paris and having them shipped to the U.S. for the exhibition. Over 60 paintings were shown and most of these were from Beauford's Paris years. Long presents the story of how he came to be the curator of the Studio Museum exposition in Part 2 of his video tribute to Beauford.
The photo on the cover of the catalog was taken by Ahmed Bioud, one of the seven members of the tutelle (trusteeship) that was created by the French government to take care of Beauford's affairs while he was institutionalized at Sainte Anne's Hospital in Paris. One of the portraits that Beauford painted of Bioud was among the works shown in the exhibit.
The catalog features a foreword by Mary Schmidt Campbell, then executive director of the museum; an introduction by Richard A. Long; the chapbook text "The Amazing and Invariable Beauford Delaney" by Henry Miller; and tributes by James Baldwin and Beauford's brother, Joseph. Representations of the works exposed are reproduced in color and black & white. A chronology of Beauford's life and a brief bibliography of publications that mention or feature him are also included.
The Levis Fine Arts Gallery holds three of the paintings shown in the Studio Museum in Harlem exhibition. Click here to view them.
Where to Find Beauford’s Art: Levis Fine Art Gallery
Today I am excited to announce that significant progress has been made toward the settlement of the Beauford Delaney estate! This has been a long time in coming, as 2012 marks the 33rd anniversary of Beauford's passing. It means that many of his "long, lost" paintings will finally be made available to the public for viewing and for sale.
Three such paintings can be found at Levis Fine Art Gallery in Ossining, New York:
Waning Light: Abstraction
(1963) Oil on canvas
Abstraction in Red
(1963) Oil on canvas
Abstraction #12
(1963) Oil on canvas
All three were painted during Beauford's years at the rue Vercingétorix studio and all were exhibited at the Studio Museum of Harlem retrospective mounted in 1978.
Contact Jim Levis at the gallery for pricing:
Levis Fine Art
Ossining, NY 10562 (~45 minutes from Manhattan by car)
Tel: 914-762-4880
Fax: 914-432-8699
Email: jim@levisfineart.com
Web Site: www.levisfineart.com
Three such paintings can be found at Levis Fine Art Gallery in Ossining, New York:
(1963) Oil on canvas
(1963) Oil on canvas
(1963) Oil on canvas
All three were painted during Beauford's years at the rue Vercingétorix studio and all were exhibited at the Studio Museum of Harlem retrospective mounted in 1978.
Contact Jim Levis at the gallery for pricing:
Levis Fine Art
Ossining, NY 10562 (~45 minutes from Manhattan by car)
Tel: 914-762-4880
Fax: 914-432-8699
Email: jim@levisfineart.com
Web Site: www.levisfineart.com
Beauford's "Fontana"
In the posting entitled Burt and Pat Reinfrank Remember Beauford, I mentioned that Burt relayed an anecdote to me about a painting that Beauford created in the style of the slash series of artist Lucio Fontana. Here is an image of the painting:
Untitled
(ca. 1960-61) Gouache on paper
Photo courtesy of Burt and Pat Reinfrank
and here is the story:
Beauford often brought gifts when he was invited to people's homes. He gave the painting shown above to James and Gloria Jones at Christmas in 1960 or 1961. It is inscribed as a gift to "Jimmy and Gloria Jones." (James Jones was one of four independent collectors of Beauford's works in Paris — the others were Ahmed Bioud, Solange du Closel, and the Reinfranks.)
After Jones' death, Gloria Jones gave most of the Jones' collection to Darthea Speyer to sell.
Years later, the gouache shown above was put up for sale on Ebay. Burt saw the black strokes in the painting that mimic the cuts in Lucio Fontana's works and remembered that he and Beauford had discussed Fontana's "slash style" at around the time that the painting is dated. He believes that Beauford created this untitled work soon after that conversation.
The painting did not sell on Ebay and Burt was able to obtain it offline from the person who put the work up for sale.
(ca. 1960-61) Gouache on paper
Photo courtesy of Burt and Pat Reinfrank
and here is the story:
Beauford often brought gifts when he was invited to people's homes. He gave the painting shown above to James and Gloria Jones at Christmas in 1960 or 1961. It is inscribed as a gift to "Jimmy and Gloria Jones." (James Jones was one of four independent collectors of Beauford's works in Paris — the others were Ahmed Bioud, Solange du Closel, and the Reinfranks.)
After Jones' death, Gloria Jones gave most of the Jones' collection to Darthea Speyer to sell.
Years later, the gouache shown above was put up for sale on Ebay. Burt saw the black strokes in the painting that mimic the cuts in Lucio Fontana's works and remembered that he and Beauford had discussed Fontana's "slash style" at around the time that the painting is dated. He believes that Beauford created this untitled work soon after that conversation.
The painting did not sell on Ebay and Burt was able to obtain it offline from the person who put the work up for sale.
Beauford at the Armory Show 2012
The Armory Show was held from March 8-11, 2012 at Piers 92 and 94 in Manhattan. Pier 92 was dedicated to international dealers specializing in historically significant Modern and contemporary art. The Michael Rosenfeld Gallery had exhibit space at Pier 92 and showed three of Beauford's paintings among the works of forty artists:
Untitled
(1958) Gouache on paper
25 1/2" x 19 5/8", signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York , NY
Untitled
(1959) Gouache on paper
25 5/8" x 19 3/4", signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York , NY
Untitled
(1959) Gouache on paper
25" x 19 5/8", signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York , NY
All of these works were produced during Beauford's Paris years, when he lived in the suburban town of Clamart. During the summer of 1958, he began using color in his paintings to convey the tumult of his inner life - to embrace and confront it as opposed to repelling it through painting as he had done previously. By the end of the year, he was preparing for two group shows to be held in 1959.
(1958) Gouache on paper
25 1/2" x 19 5/8", signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York , NY
(1959) Gouache on paper
25 5/8" x 19 3/4", signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York , NY
(1959) Gouache on paper
25" x 19 5/8", signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York , NY
All of these works were produced during Beauford's Paris years, when he lived in the suburban town of Clamart. During the summer of 1958, he began using color in his paintings to convey the tumult of his inner life - to embrace and confront it as opposed to repelling it through painting as he had done previously. By the end of the year, he was preparing for two group shows to be held in 1959.
Beauford at the Whitney Studio Galleries - 1930
According to David A. Leeming, author of Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
:
Beauford's first major break as a painter came in January 1930 when he approached a woman named Mungo Park about his work. Park worked at the Whitney Studio Galleries, which would become the Whitney Museum of American Art the following year.
Original location of the Whitney Studio Galleries
8-12 West 8th Street, Manhattan
Photo by Beyond My Ken from Wikipedia
Park looked at Beauford's portfolio of drawings and introduced him to Juliana Force, director of purchasing and exhibition at the Whitney. Force offered Beauford the chance to exhibit his art at a four-person show that ran from February 26 to March 8, 1930, with the only stipulation being that he produce additional pieces for the event. He worked diligently, and entered the exhibit with three oil portraits and nine pastels.
Juliana Force
Photo from Flickr
Beauford won first prize at this show for a pastel drawing of Billy Pierce, who was his employer at the time. Pierce was the owner of a dance school where Beauford had begun making a name for himself with his pastel and charcoal drawings of the school's dancers and clients. These drawings were part of the portfolio that Beauford showed to Mungo Park to earn a place in the show.
The remaining drawings that Beauford entered in the Whitney show were all awarded honorable mention.
As a result of his interaction with Miss Park and Mrs. Force, the Whitney offered Beauford a job as caretaker and offered him living space and a studio in the basement of the building. This was the beginning of his stay in Greenwich Village.
:Beauford's first major break as a painter came in January 1930 when he approached a woman named Mungo Park about his work. Park worked at the Whitney Studio Galleries, which would become the Whitney Museum of American Art the following year.
8-12 West 8th Street, Manhattan
Photo by Beyond My Ken from Wikipedia
Park looked at Beauford's portfolio of drawings and introduced him to Juliana Force, director of purchasing and exhibition at the Whitney. Force offered Beauford the chance to exhibit his art at a four-person show that ran from February 26 to March 8, 1930, with the only stipulation being that he produce additional pieces for the event. He worked diligently, and entered the exhibit with three oil portraits and nine pastels.
Photo from Flickr
Beauford won first prize at this show for a pastel drawing of Billy Pierce, who was his employer at the time. Pierce was the owner of a dance school where Beauford had begun making a name for himself with his pastel and charcoal drawings of the school's dancers and clients. These drawings were part of the portfolio that Beauford showed to Mungo Park to earn a place in the show.
The remaining drawings that Beauford entered in the Whitney show were all awarded honorable mention.
As a result of his interaction with Miss Park and Mrs. Force, the Whitney offered Beauford a job as caretaker and offered him living space and a studio in the basement of the building. This was the beginning of his stay in Greenwich Village.
Beauford at the Roko Gallery for Negro History Week 1949
For Les Amis' last blog posting for Black History Month 2012, I am pleased that I have unearthed a tidbit of information to share about Beauford and the celebration of African-American history in the U.S. I found it in David Leeming's biography entitled Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
.
Beauford exhibited paintings at the now defunct Roko Gallery in February 1949 in a group show of African-American artists as a celebration of Negro History Week. One of the works shown was his Still Life with Pears (aka Still Life with Fruit), shown below:
Still Life with Pears
(1946) Oil on canvas
Image from the Artsmia.org Website
This painting was particularly admired by art critic Elaine de Koonig, who described it as being a "violent impasto."
According to Leeming, most of the paintings that Beauford entered into this show were "expressionistic." But he also exhibited a painting of a "specifically African-American subject" called Harlem Blue. It depicted a nighttime Harlem scene that Beauford rendered in the style of his Greene Street paintings.
.Beauford exhibited paintings at the now defunct Roko Gallery in February 1949 in a group show of African-American artists as a celebration of Negro History Week. One of the works shown was his Still Life with Pears (aka Still Life with Fruit), shown below:
(1946) Oil on canvas
Image from the Artsmia.org Website
This painting was particularly admired by art critic Elaine de Koonig, who described it as being a "violent impasto."
According to Leeming, most of the paintings that Beauford entered into this show were "expressionistic." But he also exhibited a painting of a "specifically African-American subject" called Harlem Blue. It depicted a nighttime Harlem scene that Beauford rendered in the style of his Greene Street paintings.
Two Beauford Delaneys Sold at 2012 African-American Fine Art Auction
As I reported a couple of weeks ago, Swann Galleries proposed three Beauford Delaney works it its February 2012 African-American Fine Art auction. Here are the results:
Lot 22 (my favorite of the three paintings) sold for $15,000*, the lower limit of the estimated sales price.
Lot 22
Untitled (Abstract Composition)
(1961) Oil monotype on heavy wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
Lot 129 is unsold.
Lot 129
Untitled
(1962) Gouache and watercolor on wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
Lot 130 sold for $14,000*. The upper limit of the estimated sale price was $15,000.
Lot 130
Untitled (Abstraction in Green)
(1964) Gouache on thick wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
Swann Galleries generally holds two African-American Fine Art auctions each year - one in February and one in October. If any of Beauford's works will be offered for sale during the next auction, I'll report on it here!
*At auction, there are two prices--the hammer price, or the price at which the item sells during the auction, and the price with the buyer's premium. All auction houses have a buyer's premium that the buyer pays to the auction house on top of the hammer price. Swann's premium is 20%. The prices indicated in this article are hammer prices.
Lot 22 (my favorite of the three paintings) sold for $15,000*, the lower limit of the estimated sales price.
Untitled (Abstract Composition)
(1961) Oil monotype on heavy wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
Lot 129 is unsold.
Untitled
(1962) Gouache and watercolor on wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
Lot 130 sold for $14,000*. The upper limit of the estimated sale price was $15,000.
Untitled (Abstraction in Green)
(1964) Gouache on thick wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
Swann Galleries generally holds two African-American Fine Art auctions each year - one in February and one in October. If any of Beauford's works will be offered for sale during the next auction, I'll report on it here!
*At auction, there are two prices--the hammer price, or the price at which the item sells during the auction, and the price with the buyer's premium. All auction houses have a buyer's premium that the buyer pays to the auction house on top of the hammer price. Swann's premium is 20%. The prices indicated in this article are hammer prices.
Where to Find Beauford’s Art: Bill Hodges Gallery
Bill Hodges is a champion of Beauford’s art. He has shown Beauford’s work in past expositions at his Manhattan gallery and presents images of ten Beauford Delaney paintings on his Web site.
One of the paintings shown on the site – Woman in White – is in Hodges’ personal collection:
Woman in White
(1964-65) Oil on canvas
Photo from Bill Hodges Gallery Web site
Several images on the Web site are found in two catalogs from the past expositions in which Hodges showcased Beauford’s work. They are entitled African American Artists - III and Abstractionist Visions: Works on Paper. A third catalog – African-American Artists - II – contains images that are not displayed on line.
I found the images from Abstractionists Visions to be absolutely stunning! Unfortunately, I am not able to reproduce them for you on this blog. To see some of them, visit www.billhodgesgallery.com/aaindex.html and click on Beauford’s name. (I have noted that the images in the catalog are much more vibrant and powerful than the ones online.)
Hodges makes several observations about Beauford’s paintings in the Abstractionists Visions catalog. He states that Beauford’s “use of strong and vibrant colors is utterly remarkable,” and expresses his conviction that the strength of the works on paper that he included in the exposition “far exceed many works on canvas.” He goes even further, stating that he had “yet to see a canvas by Delaney that exceeds the vigor of the works on pages 5, 6, and 7” (from left to right, images #3, #6, and #8 of the reproductions of abstract paintings on the Web site).
Contrary to what is indicated on the Web site, the painting below (which was not included in any of the catalogs) has not yet been sold.
Untitled*
Abstraction in Pink, Yellow, and Green
(1964) Oil on paper
Photo from Bill Hodges Gallery Web site
To see Woman in White, and to pick up your catalogs, visit the Bill Hodges Gallery:
Bill Hodges Gallery
24 West 57th St.
New York, NY 10019
Tel: 212-333-2640
Fax: 212-333-2644
Gallery Hours
Tuesday to Friday: 10am-6pm
Saturday: 12:30pm-5:30pm
*A viewing of Untitled can be requested by calling the gallery in advance of your visit.
One of the paintings shown on the site – Woman in White – is in Hodges’ personal collection:
(1964-65) Oil on canvas
Photo from Bill Hodges Gallery Web site
Several images on the Web site are found in two catalogs from the past expositions in which Hodges showcased Beauford’s work. They are entitled African American Artists - III and Abstractionist Visions: Works on Paper. A third catalog – African-American Artists - II – contains images that are not displayed on line.
I found the images from Abstractionists Visions to be absolutely stunning! Unfortunately, I am not able to reproduce them for you on this blog. To see some of them, visit www.billhodgesgallery.com/aaindex.html and click on Beauford’s name. (I have noted that the images in the catalog are much more vibrant and powerful than the ones online.)
Hodges makes several observations about Beauford’s paintings in the Abstractionists Visions catalog. He states that Beauford’s “use of strong and vibrant colors is utterly remarkable,” and expresses his conviction that the strength of the works on paper that he included in the exposition “far exceed many works on canvas.” He goes even further, stating that he had “yet to see a canvas by Delaney that exceeds the vigor of the works on pages 5, 6, and 7” (from left to right, images #3, #6, and #8 of the reproductions of abstract paintings on the Web site).
Contrary to what is indicated on the Web site, the painting below (which was not included in any of the catalogs) has not yet been sold.
Abstraction in Pink, Yellow, and Green
(1964) Oil on paper
Photo from Bill Hodges Gallery Web site
To see Woman in White, and to pick up your catalogs, visit the Bill Hodges Gallery:
Bill Hodges Gallery
24 West 57th St.
New York, NY 10019
Tel: 212-333-2640
Fax: 212-333-2644
Gallery Hours
Tuesday to Friday: 10am-6pm
Saturday: 12:30pm-5:30pm
*A viewing of Untitled can be requested by calling the gallery in advance of your visit.
Where to Find Beauford's Art: Swann Galleries 2012 African-American Fine Art Sale
As I reported in my first article about Swann Galleries last October, the auction house launched its department of African-American Fine Art in 2007. Swann Galleries is the only major auction house conducting regular sales of African-American fine art today. The works that it sells are consigned by individuals, libraries, schools, museums, and dealers the world over. Thus far, Swann Galleries has put twenty-eight (28) of Beauford’s paintings up for auction.
For the February 2012 African-American Fine Art auction, Swann Galleries is proposing three Beauford Delaney works that were painted when Beauford lived in Paris. The gallery catalog notes that his Paris paintings reflect “a sensitivity to light and a quieter voice than the noise and tumult depicted in his views of Greenwich Village.”
The first one (my favorite of the three) is an oil painting in blue, black, orange, and yellow:
Lot 22
Untitled (Abstract Composition)
(1961) Oil monotype on heavy wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
It is signed, dated and inscribed "La ...." in ink at the lower right. No further description of the work is provided. The estimated sale price is $15,000 to $25,000.
The second and third paintings are studies in green:
Lot 129
Untitled
(1962) Gouache and watercolor on wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
Lot 130
Untitled (Abstraction in Green)
(1964) Gouache on thick wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
The catalog describes Lot 129 as “lush” and “atmospheric” and indicates that the painting is signed and dated in ink at the lower right. It quotes art historian Michael D. Plante as saying the following about the work: "nothing is described nor contoured; the viewer is left to be seduced by Delaney's painterly touch." The estimated sale price is $10,000 - $15,000.
The catalog description of Lot 130 is limited to the notation that the painting is signed in red ink and dated in blue ink at the lower right. The estimated sale price is $10,000 - $15,000.
The African-American Fine Art auction will be held on February 16, 2012. To find out about the buying process, visit the following page on the gallery’s Web site: http://www.swanngalleries.com/buying2.cgi.
After the auction is over, I will report on which of the abovementioned paintings sold and at what price.
For the February 2012 African-American Fine Art auction, Swann Galleries is proposing three Beauford Delaney works that were painted when Beauford lived in Paris. The gallery catalog notes that his Paris paintings reflect “a sensitivity to light and a quieter voice than the noise and tumult depicted in his views of Greenwich Village.”
The first one (my favorite of the three) is an oil painting in blue, black, orange, and yellow:
Untitled (Abstract Composition)
(1961) Oil monotype on heavy wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
It is signed, dated and inscribed "La ...." in ink at the lower right. No further description of the work is provided. The estimated sale price is $15,000 to $25,000.
The second and third paintings are studies in green:
Untitled
(1962) Gouache and watercolor on wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
Untitled (Abstraction in Green)
(1964) Gouache on thick wove paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
The catalog describes Lot 129 as “lush” and “atmospheric” and indicates that the painting is signed and dated in ink at the lower right. It quotes art historian Michael D. Plante as saying the following about the work: "nothing is described nor contoured; the viewer is left to be seduced by Delaney's painterly touch." The estimated sale price is $10,000 - $15,000.
The catalog description of Lot 130 is limited to the notation that the painting is signed in red ink and dated in blue ink at the lower right. The estimated sale price is $10,000 - $15,000.
The African-American Fine Art auction will be held on February 16, 2012. To find out about the buying process, visit the following page on the gallery’s Web site: http://www.swanngalleries.com/buying2.cgi.
After the auction is over, I will report on which of the abovementioned paintings sold and at what price.
Where to Find Beauford's Art: High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art in Atlanta holds a single work by Beauford - a portrait of Richard A. Long.
The museum's Web site has the following to say about the painting:
Richard wrote a tribute to Beauford during the time that Les Amis de Beauford Delaney was raising money for Beauford's tombstone. Access it by clicking here.
Les Amis also recorded Richard's reminiscences on Beauford on video:
Special Video 1
Special Video 2
The High Museum of Art mounted an exposition of Beauford's works entitled Beauford Delaney: The Color Yellow, which hung at the museum from February 9 through May 5, 2002.
Catalog cover for The Color Yellow
It traveled to the Studio Museum in Harlem (July 10 - September 15, 2002), the Anacostia Museum and Center for African History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution (October 11 - December 30, 2002), and the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University (February 8 - May 4, 2003). The catalog for the exposition included a poem that Richard dedicated to Beauford called "Ascending."
Portrait of Richard A. Long
(1965) Oil on canvas
The museum's Web site has the following to say about the painting:
This quarter-length portrait of Long is painted with intense shades of yellow against a soft blue background. It is a tender portrait of a friend that illustrates both the promise of a future unfettered by racial strife and the burgeoning talent of its young subject.
Richard wrote a tribute to Beauford during the time that Les Amis de Beauford Delaney was raising money for Beauford's tombstone. Access it by clicking here.
Les Amis also recorded Richard's reminiscences on Beauford on video:
Special Video 2
The High Museum of Art mounted an exposition of Beauford's works entitled Beauford Delaney: The Color Yellow, which hung at the museum from February 9 through May 5, 2002.
It traveled to the Studio Museum in Harlem (July 10 - September 15, 2002), the Anacostia Museum and Center for African History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution (October 11 - December 30, 2002), and the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University (February 8 - May 4, 2003). The catalog for the exposition included a poem that Richard dedicated to Beauford called "Ascending."
Beauford and the Influence of Paul Cézanne
Beauford was quite interested in the modernist style of painting. He was particularly enamored of the works of Claude Monet, but also loved those of Paul Cézanne. His cityscape entitled Central Park, dated 1950, was described by art critic Mark Lane as being "like Van Gogh in brushing, but like Cézanne in fête-champêtre (garden party) spirit."
Central Park note card*
Pomegranate
According to David Leeming (Beauford's sole biographer), Beauford was encouraged by his friend Stuart Davis to study the works of Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso, and Van Gogh. Leeming indicates that there is a "Cézanne-like distortion of forms and perspective" in the first of Beauford's Greene Street paintings that portrays a "below-the-surface reality," and that Beauford had been deeply influenced by European painting since the 1930s - 20+ years before moving to France. Leeming found the names of Cézanne and other artists such as Renoir and Modigliani written in Beauford's sketchbook journal of the 1940s.
The Musée du Luxembourg is currently hosting an exposition of Cézanne's works called Cézanne et Paris. It was organized in collaboration with the Petit Palais in Paris, and benefits from the loan of several paintings by the Musée d'Orsay. This expo presents an excellent opportunity to view the works of an artist that heavily influenced Beauford's style and palette. It runs until February 26, 2012.
Musée du Luxembourg
Open every day
9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Friday through Monday
10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Tuesday through Thursday
Full price: 12 euros
Reduced price: 7.50 euros
Family ticket (2 adults et 2 children from 13 to 25 years of age): 31.50 euros
*Pomegranate sells a folio of ten (10) note cards bearing images of two of Beauford's paintings: Washington Square and Central Park. Find them at http://www.pomegranate.com/0873.html.
Pomegranate
According to David Leeming (Beauford's sole biographer), Beauford was encouraged by his friend Stuart Davis to study the works of Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso, and Van Gogh. Leeming indicates that there is a "Cézanne-like distortion of forms and perspective" in the first of Beauford's Greene Street paintings that portrays a "below-the-surface reality," and that Beauford had been deeply influenced by European painting since the 1930s - 20+ years before moving to France. Leeming found the names of Cézanne and other artists such as Renoir and Modigliani written in Beauford's sketchbook journal of the 1940s.
The Musée du Luxembourg is currently hosting an exposition of Cézanne's works called Cézanne et Paris. It was organized in collaboration with the Petit Palais in Paris, and benefits from the loan of several paintings by the Musée d'Orsay. This expo presents an excellent opportunity to view the works of an artist that heavily influenced Beauford's style and palette. It runs until February 26, 2012.
Musée du Luxembourg
Open every day
9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Friday through Monday
10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Tuesday through Thursday
Full price: 12 euros
Reduced price: 7.50 euros
Family ticket (2 adults et 2 children from 13 to 25 years of age): 31.50 euros
*Pomegranate sells a folio of ten (10) note cards bearing images of two of Beauford's paintings: Washington Square and Central Park. Find them at http://www.pomegranate.com/0873.html.
Beauford's Trustees
In January 1976, a French judge created a "trusteeship" to handle Beauford's affairs. Beauford had been admitted to Saint-Anne's, a psychiatric institution, several months before. He eventually died there.
The judge appointed seven of Beauford's closest friends as members of the panel of trustees: James Baldwin, Solange du Closel, Burt Reinfrank, Bernard Hassell, Darthea Speyer, Ahmed Bioud, and James LeGros.
Beauford created portraits of at least six of the seven trustees prior to entering Sainte-Anne's. (I have never seen or heard of a portrait of James LeGros.) I honor them on Beauford's behalf in this blog posting by presenting their portraits below.
James Baldwin
1963 Pastel on paper
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institute
Mme du Closel No. 4
1972 Pastel on paper
G. R. N'Namdi Gallery
Burton Reinfrank
1968 Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Burton Reinfrank
Bernard Hassell
ca. 1971 Oil on canvas
Private collection
Darthea
1965 Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Galerie Darthea Speyer
Ahmed Bioud
1964 Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York , NY
The judge appointed seven of Beauford's closest friends as members of the panel of trustees: James Baldwin, Solange du Closel, Burt Reinfrank, Bernard Hassell, Darthea Speyer, Ahmed Bioud, and James LeGros.
Beauford created portraits of at least six of the seven trustees prior to entering Sainte-Anne's. (I have never seen or heard of a portrait of James LeGros.) I honor them on Beauford's behalf in this blog posting by presenting their portraits below.
1963 Pastel on paper
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institute
1972 Pastel on paper
G. R. N'Namdi Gallery
1968 Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Burton Reinfrank
ca. 1971 Oil on canvas
Private collection
1965 Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Galerie Darthea Speyer
1964 Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York , NY