Beauford at Art Basel Miami Beach - December 4-7, 2014
No fewer than ten (10) Beauford Delaney paintings are being presented by the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery at this year's Art Basel Miami Beach exposition!
Here are images of a couple of the works that are displayed:
Untitled
(1958) Gouache on paper
25 1/2" x 19 5/8"
signed and dated lower right: Beauford Delaney 58
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Untitled
(1959) Gouache on paper
25" x 19 5/8"
signed and dated lower center: Beauford Delaney 59
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Art Basel is recognized as the premier international art show, providing a platform for artists and gallerists from around the world. Three annual shows bring the art world together in some of the world's most exciting venues: Basel, in the heart of Europe; Miami Beach at the nexus of North and South America; and Hong Kong, the gateway to Asia.
To view all of the Delaney paintings exposed by the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, click HERE.
Visit the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery at Art Basel Miami Beach at Booth K4. Hours: Saturday, December 6, Noon - 8 PM; Sunday, December 7, Noon - 6 PM.
For information about the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, visit MichaelRosenfeldArt.com.
Here are images of a couple of the works that are displayed:
(1958) Gouache on paper
25 1/2" x 19 5/8"
signed and dated lower right: Beauford Delaney 58
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1959) Gouache on paper
25" x 19 5/8"
signed and dated lower center: Beauford Delaney 59
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Art Basel is recognized as the premier international art show, providing a platform for artists and gallerists from around the world. Three annual shows bring the art world together in some of the world's most exciting venues: Basel, in the heart of Europe; Miami Beach at the nexus of North and South America; and Hong Kong, the gateway to Asia.
To view all of the Delaney paintings exposed by the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, click HERE.
Visit the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery at Art Basel Miami Beach at Booth K4. Hours: Saturday, December 6, Noon - 8 PM; Sunday, December 7, Noon - 6 PM.
For information about the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, visit MichaelRosenfeldArt.com.
Another Delaney Abstract Sells at Auction
Heritage Auctions placed an extraordinary Beauford Delaney abstract painting up for sale during its American Art Signature Auction (New York #5198) on November 17th:
Untitled, circa 1960
Oil on paper mounted on canvas
20-1/2 x 17 inches (52.1 x 43.2 cm)
Image courtesy of www.ha.com
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It once belonged to Dr. Ferdière, who was Beauford's physician and friend. Ferdière worked at the clinic in Nogent where Beauford underwent treatment for acute paranoia after his breakdown in 1961.
Beauford signed this creation at the lower center.
Untitled, circa 1960 - Beauford's signature
Image courtesy of www.ha.com
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The auction also featured works by Georgia O'Keeffe and Man Ray, both of whom Beauford knew.
Beauford's untitled abstract sold for $7500, 25% buyer's premium included.
Oil on paper mounted on canvas
20-1/2 x 17 inches (52.1 x 43.2 cm)
Image courtesy of www.ha.com
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It once belonged to Dr. Ferdière, who was Beauford's physician and friend. Ferdière worked at the clinic in Nogent where Beauford underwent treatment for acute paranoia after his breakdown in 1961.
Beauford signed this creation at the lower center.
Image courtesy of www.ha.com
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The auction also featured works by Georgia O'Keeffe and Man Ray, both of whom Beauford knew.
Beauford's untitled abstract sold for $7500, 25% buyer's premium included.
"Some Negro Artists" - A 1964 Group Exhibition
Fifty years ago, Fairleigh Dickenson University mounted a group exhibition called Some Negro Artists at the Florham-Madison campus in Madison, NJ. It consisted of 37 works by 17 artists, including Beauford, Romare Bearden, Lorenzo Gilcrist, Norman Lewis, and Beauford's close friend, Ellis Wilson.
The catalog, which contains only three images (none of which are of Beauford's work), can be viewed HERE.
Three brief paragraphs in the catalog introduce Beauford to the reader. The first paragraph erroneously lists the year of his birth as 1910 - possibly due to the transposition of the last two digits of his true birth year, 1901. The write-up indicates that Beauford was the recipient of a Farfield [sic] Foundation Grant in 1964 (Beauford gifted part of this grant to Ellis Wilson) and that during the 50s and 60s, he exhibited his work in galleries in "Paris, Madrid, Iserlohn[sic], Germany, and Borderghira [sic], Italy."
Two of Beauford's paintings hung in this show: an oil called Yaddo and a pastel called Head of a Poet. The catalog indicates no date for either work.
The exhibition, which was sponsored by the Subcommittee for Negro Affairs of the Morris County Tercentenary Committee, ran from October 20 to November 20, 1964. The public could view the show from 12 PM to 4 PM daily. Beauford did not attend.
Swann Auction Galleries October 9 African American Fine Art Auction - Results for Beauford's Works
On October 9th at 2:30 PM, Swann Auction Galleries held an African American Fine Art that featured works from the collection of Richard A. Long (1927-2013). Richard was Atticus Haygood Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Emeritus, at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia for many years. He was a dear friend of Beauford.
Of the seven Beauford Delaney paintings that were put up for sale at the event, four were purchased.
The yellow, untitled abstract (Lot 13) fetched the most handsome price - $75,000, including buyer's premium*. Beauford painted this in 1964, which was an exceptionally productive year that culminated in his one-man show at the Galerie Lambert in Paris.
Untitled (Abstraction)
(1964) Oil on linen canvas
406x336 mm; 16x13 1/4 inches
Signed, dated and inscribed "Paris" in oil, verso
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford's portrait of Richard (Lot 14) sold for $10,000, including buyer's premium. It was exhibited at the Beauford Delaney retrospective that Richard organized at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1978.
Portrait of Richard A. Long
(1965) Color pastels on cream wove paper
660x508 mm; 26x20 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(Beauford also painted an oil portrait of Richard that is currently on display at the High Museum in Atlanta.)
Kitchen (Lot 17) sold for $5,500, including buyer's premium.
Kitchen
(1970) Watercolor and pencil on cream wove paper
548x450 mm; 21 5/8x17 3/4 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Lot 16, an untitled landscape, sold for $5,250, including buyer's premium. Richard acquired this painting directly from Beauford, who may have painted it during a prolonged trip to the south of France with Bernard Hassell.
Untitled (Landscape)
(1968) Oil monotype on cream wove paper,
laid down to illustration board
548x450 mm; 21 5/8x17 3/4 inches
Signed and dated in ball point pen and blue ink, lower right
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
To see the results for all seven paintings, click here.
For more information, contact Alaina McEachin at .
*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 25% up to and including $100,000. Swann Auction Galleries now reports the "hammer price" and the price that include the buyer's premium in its online catalog.
Of the seven Beauford Delaney paintings that were put up for sale at the event, four were purchased.
The yellow, untitled abstract (Lot 13) fetched the most handsome price - $75,000, including buyer's premium*. Beauford painted this in 1964, which was an exceptionally productive year that culminated in his one-man show at the Galerie Lambert in Paris.
(1964) Oil on linen canvas
406x336 mm; 16x13 1/4 inches
Signed, dated and inscribed "Paris" in oil, verso
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford's portrait of Richard (Lot 14) sold for $10,000, including buyer's premium. It was exhibited at the Beauford Delaney retrospective that Richard organized at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1978.
(1965) Color pastels on cream wove paper
660x508 mm; 26x20 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(Beauford also painted an oil portrait of Richard that is currently on display at the High Museum in Atlanta.)
Kitchen (Lot 17) sold for $5,500, including buyer's premium.
(1970) Watercolor and pencil on cream wove paper
548x450 mm; 21 5/8x17 3/4 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Lot 16, an untitled landscape, sold for $5,250, including buyer's premium. Richard acquired this painting directly from Beauford, who may have painted it during a prolonged trip to the south of France with Bernard Hassell.
(1968) Oil monotype on cream wove paper,
laid down to illustration board
548x450 mm; 21 5/8x17 3/4 inches
Signed and dated in ball point pen and blue ink, lower right
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
To see the results for all seven paintings, click here.
For more information, contact Alaina McEachin at .
*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 25% up to and including $100,000. Swann Auction Galleries now reports the "hammer price" and the price that include the buyer's premium in its online catalog.
Clarke Auction Gallery - Past Sales of Beauford's Art
Clarke Auction Gallery sold two Beauford Delaney works in 2007 and 2008, as illustrated below.
(1950) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Ronan (Ron) Clarke, owner of the gallery, immigrated to the United States from Ireland twenty-six years ago. He settled in Harlem and married an African-American woman. He was introduced to African-American art at that time and has amassed a considerable collection of these works. He sells a lot of African-American art at his gallery.
Clarke operated a flea market in Manhattan "twenty some odd years" ago and developed a strong network of contacts that continues to bring him interesting pieces, but he has not had the good fortune to come across much of Beauford's work. He told me that he felt fortunate to have found both paintings and said that they were "estate fresh":
Street Scene was found on the Grand Concourse. Where it originated, no one knows.
Charcoal of a Black Woman (Flapper girl) came from an African-American woman in the Bronx as well.
Information about the sales can be found on the ClarkeNY.com Web site:
Street Scene
Charcoal of a Black Woman
Street Scene, an oil painting measuring 47" x 36", fetched the highest price of which I am aware for Beauford's work: $176,250.00.
Richard A. Long collection of Delaney paintings Swann Auction Galleries
On October 9th at 2:30 PM, Swann Auction Galleries is holding an African American Fine Art that features works from the collection of Richard A. Long (1927-2013). Richard was Atticus Haygood Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Emeritus, at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia for many years. He was a dear friend of Beauford.
Seven Beauford Delaney paintings will be auctioned at the event. Two are abstract compositions and the remaining five are figurative works.
One of the figurative paintings is a pastel portrait of Richard (Lot 14). It was exhibited at the Beauford Delaney retrospective that Richard organized at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1978. It is signed, dated and inscribed "Paris" in ball point pen and ink at the lower left.
Portrait of Richard A. Long
(1965) Color pastels on cream wove paper
660x508 mm; 26x20 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated value of this work is $15000 - $25000.
(Beauford also painted an oil portrait of Richard that is currently on display at the High Museum in Atlanta.)
Kitchen (Lot 17) is a watercolor on thin wove paper. Inscribed "Paris" and dated in ball point pen and blue ink, lower left, it comes to auction directly from the Long estate. Geneviève Brouard, one of Beauford's dear friends, identifies this kitchen as the one from Beauford's studio at rue Vercingétorix.
Kitchen
(1970) Watercolor and pencil on cream wove paper
548x450 mm; 21 5/8x17 3/4 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated value of this work is $6000 - $9000.
Lot 97 is a magnificent, untitled abstract composition, signed in ink and ball point pen at the lower left. It was shown in the exposition entitled An Artistic Friendship: Beauford Delaney and Lawrence Calcagno in 2001 / 2002 and it was originally owned by Calcagno. This painting is from the same period as the diptych shown at the Beauford Delaney: Internal Light exposition at Levis Fine Art in 2013.
Untitled
(1956) Gouache and watercolor on Schollershammer paper
457x305 mm; 18x12 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated value of this work is $8000 - $12000.
To see the other paintings in the online catalog, click here.
For more information, contact Alaina McEachin at .
Seven Beauford Delaney paintings will be auctioned at the event. Two are abstract compositions and the remaining five are figurative works.
One of the figurative paintings is a pastel portrait of Richard (Lot 14). It was exhibited at the Beauford Delaney retrospective that Richard organized at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1978. It is signed, dated and inscribed "Paris" in ball point pen and ink at the lower left.
(1965) Color pastels on cream wove paper
660x508 mm; 26x20 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated value of this work is $15000 - $25000.
(Beauford also painted an oil portrait of Richard that is currently on display at the High Museum in Atlanta.)
Kitchen (Lot 17) is a watercolor on thin wove paper. Inscribed "Paris" and dated in ball point pen and blue ink, lower left, it comes to auction directly from the Long estate. Geneviève Brouard, one of Beauford's dear friends, identifies this kitchen as the one from Beauford's studio at rue Vercingétorix.
(1970) Watercolor and pencil on cream wove paper
548x450 mm; 21 5/8x17 3/4 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated value of this work is $6000 - $9000.
Lot 97 is a magnificent, untitled abstract composition, signed in ink and ball point pen at the lower left. It was shown in the exposition entitled An Artistic Friendship: Beauford Delaney and Lawrence Calcagno in 2001 / 2002 and it was originally owned by Calcagno. This painting is from the same period as the diptych shown at the Beauford Delaney: Internal Light exposition at Levis Fine Art in 2013.
(1956) Gouache and watercolor on Schollershammer paper
457x305 mm; 18x12 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated value of this work is $8000 - $12000.
To see the other paintings in the online catalog, click here.
For more information, contact Alaina McEachin at .
Beauford and Pablo Picasso
Beauford was influenced by the work of Pablo Picasso during his New York and Paris years.
Portrait of Pablo Picasso
Oil on canvas, 46 cm x 38 cm
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Christian Parramon
In New York, his friends and mentors, Alfred Steiglitz and Stuart Davis, were strong proponents of studying the works of European modernist painters such as Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh, and Cézanne. According to David A. Leeming
, Beauford's only biographer, Beauford developed a "theoretical interest in cubism as represented by Braque and Picasso."
In Paris, Beauford took a course in modern art featuring Braque, Picasso, and Vlaminck at the Musée d'Art Moderne. He would even meet Picasso in a gallery.
Beauford painted the portrait of Picasso shown above during his Paris years. The exact date is unknown.
Oil on canvas, 46 cm x 38 cm
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Christian Parramon
In New York, his friends and mentors, Alfred Steiglitz and Stuart Davis, were strong proponents of studying the works of European modernist painters such as Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh, and Cézanne. According to David A. Leeming
, Beauford's only biographer, Beauford developed a "theoretical interest in cubism as represented by Braque and Picasso."In Paris, Beauford took a course in modern art featuring Braque, Picasso, and Vlaminck at the Musée d'Art Moderne. He would even meet Picasso in a gallery.
Beauford painted the portrait of Picasso shown above during his Paris years. The exact date is unknown.
Sold!!! Two Delaneys at Swann Auction Galleries June 2014 African American Fine Art Auction
Both of the Beauford Delaney paintings made available for purchase during Swann Auction Galleries' "The Shape of Things to Come" African American Fine Art Auction sold on Tuesday, June 10, 2014.
The untitled abstract (Lot 16), shown below, is an oil painting on wove paper. Affixed to card stock, it is signed and dated in ink on the mount at the lower left.
Untitled (Abstract composition)
(1958) Oil on wove paper
750x560 mm; 29 1/2x22 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This painting sold for $10,000, buyer's premium included*.
The second painting, Gaggame (Lot 62), is a watercolor on thin wove paper. It is signed, titled, dated and inscribed "France" in blue ink and ball point pen at the lower right.
Gaggame
(1969) Watercolor on wove paper
240x320 mm; 9 3/8x12 1/2 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It sold for $5000, buyer's premium included*.
*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%. Swann Auction Galleries now reports the "hammer price" and the price that include the buyer's premium in its online catalog.
The untitled abstract (Lot 16), shown below, is an oil painting on wove paper. Affixed to card stock, it is signed and dated in ink on the mount at the lower left.
(1958) Oil on wove paper
750x560 mm; 29 1/2x22 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This painting sold for $10,000, buyer's premium included*.
The second painting, Gaggame (Lot 62), is a watercolor on thin wove paper. It is signed, titled, dated and inscribed "France" in blue ink and ball point pen at the lower right.
(1969) Watercolor on wove paper
240x320 mm; 9 3/8x12 1/2 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It sold for $5000, buyer's premium included*.
*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%. Swann Auction Galleries now reports the "hammer price" and the price that include the buyer's premium in its online catalog.
Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: June 2014 Sale
Swann Auction Galleries is having a summer sale of African American Fine Art this year. Called "The Shape of Things to Come," it will take place at 2:30 PM on Tuesday, June 10, 2014.
Two Beauford Delaney paintings will be auctioned at the event. One is abstract and the other is figurative.
The abstract painting (Lot 16) is untitled. Affixed to card stock, it is signed and dated in ink on the mount at the lower left. It comes to the auction block from a private collection in New York.
Untitled (Abstract composition)
(1958) Oil on wove paper
750x560 mm; 29 1/2x22 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated value of this work is $10000 - $15000.
Gaggame (Lot 62) is a watercolor on thin wove paper. Signed, titled, dated and inscribed "France" in blue ink and ball point pen at the lower right, it also comes to auction from a private collection in New York.
Gaggame
(1969) Watercolor on wove paper
240x320 mm; 9 3/8x12 1/2 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated value of this work is $5000 - $7000.
For more information, contact Alaina McEachin at .
Two Beauford Delaney paintings will be auctioned at the event. One is abstract and the other is figurative.
The abstract painting (Lot 16) is untitled. Affixed to card stock, it is signed and dated in ink on the mount at the lower left. It comes to the auction block from a private collection in New York.
(1958) Oil on wove paper
750x560 mm; 29 1/2x22 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated value of this work is $10000 - $15000.
Gaggame (Lot 62) is a watercolor on thin wove paper. Signed, titled, dated and inscribed "France" in blue ink and ball point pen at the lower right, it also comes to auction from a private collection in New York.
(1969) Watercolor on wove paper
240x320 mm; 9 3/8x12 1/2 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated value of this work is $5000 - $7000.
For more information, contact Alaina McEachin at .
Astonishing Sale of a Beauford Delaney Abstract
The Beauford Delaney abstract shown in the image below was auctioned by Drouot on April 5, 2014 in Lyon, France.
Image by Discover Paris!
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
While it was no surprise that the painting sold, what astonished Drouot was the price for which it sold. The estimated sale price was 700 euros (approximately $950), but when all was said and done, the work fetched a handsome 20,400 euros* (approximately $27,760)!
The untitled abstract measures 22x33 cm (8x13 inches) and is signed and inscribed "Bon Nassaine Hovard" on the back of the canvas. It came from the Darthea Speyer Gallery in Paris.
The article in La Gazette Drouot describes an intense bidding war over the painting that took place between those in the room and potential buyers on several phone lines. The magazine says that the purchase price "pulverized" the estimates for the sale.
Image by Discover Paris!
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Presumably, the successful buyer lives in the U. S. - the article says that the painting will cross the Atlantic as a result of the sale.
*Buyer's premium included
Beauford's Abstraction Sells at Skinner Auction in Boston
A few weeks ago, Kathy Wong - Specialist, American & European Works of Art Skinner, Inc. - contacted Les Amis to inform me of the impending sale of a beautiful Beauford Delaney abstract at auction on May 16, 2014. I immediately asked about publishing a blog post about the painting and any back story associated with it. The consignor of the painting (who wishes to remain anonymous) shared the following:
Abstraction
Signed and dated "Beauford Delaney 1969" l.r.
Identified on a label from Galerie Darthea Speyer, Paris,
affixed to the backing.
Gouache on paper, sight size 25 3/4 x 19 1/2 in. (65.4 x 49.5 cm), framed
Image courtesy of Skinner
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Signature for Abstraction
Image courtesy of Skinner
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Abstraction was made available for sale as Lot 627 during Skinner Auction American & European Works of Art - 2728B in Boston on May 16th. It sold for $11,685, buyer's premium* included. The estimated sale price was $5,000-7,000.
*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. Skinner's premium is 23% for sales up to and including $100,000.
Signed and dated "Beauford Delaney 1969" l.r.
Identified on a label from Galerie Darthea Speyer, Paris,
affixed to the backing.
Gouache on paper, sight size 25 3/4 x 19 1/2 in. (65.4 x 49.5 cm), framed
Image courtesy of Skinner
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
My ex-husband was a stringer for Time Magazine in London in 1973. He was assigned an article about African-American expats in Europe, and I was lucky enough to go along for the ride to Paris, the French Riviera, and Switzerland. He interviewed Beauford Delaney, Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, and many others on that assignment.
Mr. Delaney was in a difficult phase in his life, and was to be institutionalized fairly shortly after we met him. We took him to dinner and enjoyed a long wonderful evening of stories and anecdotes about the contrast of life in the US and France for African Americans. We walked him back to his attic in Montparnasse and climbed the 5 or 6 stories with him to be sure he was safely home.
As we turned to leave he reached into a stack of rolled up drawings and handed one to me. That's when we both determined to acquire more of his work and support him as much as we could.
Of course, we were very young and unable to afford even the low cost of his paintings then, but it remained a dream and we did, along the way, buy several pieces, including the lovely gouache I'm selling, and a portrait of James Baldwin along with a few others that belong to my ex. I still have the charcoal drawing.
Image courtesy of Skinner
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
At the time we were told of the painting I'm selling, in the mid 1990's, we would have bought anything by Delaney.
As I mentioned earlier, the French government had been holding his work in probate for many years, and there was nothing on the market. The Studio Museum of Harlem had a wonderful retrospective of his work in 1978, the year before he died, and we began discussions with the museum to buy one of the large landscapes from that exhibit. Then Mr. Delaney died and France stepped in and our negotiations ground to a slow and agonizing halt.
It was at least a decade before there was any chance of getting a piece by him. We eventually got the small gouache in the mid 90's and I was happy for the chance of having a Delaney after all that time.
I adore the painting. It is always a patch of sunlight wherever it is hung, and brightens everything in the room.
Abstraction was made available for sale as Lot 627 during Skinner Auction American & European Works of Art - 2728B in Boston on May 16th. It sold for $11,685, buyer's premium* included. The estimated sale price was $5,000-7,000.
*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. Skinner's premium is 23% for sales up to and including $100,000.
Beauford at Swann Auction Galleries: October 2013 and February 2014
Beauford's work continues to be listed and sold at Swann Auction Galleries' semi-annual African American Fine Art sale.
Three of his paintings were placed "on the block" during the "Point of Departure: Postwar African-American Fine Art" sale in October 2013. One of them, Embrun, was exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York. It was purchased for $10,000.*
Embrun
(1963) Watercolor on wove paper
641x501 mm; 25 1/4x19 3/4 inches
Signed and dated "July 19, 1963" in ink, lower right
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
In February 2014, a single painting was listed during the "Shadows Uplifted: The Rise of African-American Fine Art sale.
+Sale+on+Feb+13+2014.jpg)
Untitled (Portrait of a Woman with Hair Ribbon)
(ca 1940) Watercolor on wove paper
641x483 mm; 25 1/4x19 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
A work of color pastels on pale gray wove paper, it came from a private collection. The seller acquired it directly from Beauford's brother Joseph.
It sold for $4,500.*
The next African American Fine Art Sale will be held in June 2014. For more information, contact Alaina McEachin at .
*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.
Three of his paintings were placed "on the block" during the "Point of Departure: Postwar African-American Fine Art" sale in October 2013. One of them, Embrun, was exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York. It was purchased for $10,000.*
(1963) Watercolor on wove paper
641x501 mm; 25 1/4x19 3/4 inches
Signed and dated "July 19, 1963" in ink, lower right
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
In February 2014, a single painting was listed during the "Shadows Uplifted: The Rise of African-American Fine Art sale.
+Sale+on+Feb+13+2014.jpg)
(ca 1940) Watercolor on wove paper
641x483 mm; 25 1/4x19 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
A work of color pastels on pale gray wove paper, it came from a private collection. The seller acquired it directly from Beauford's brother Joseph.
It sold for $4,500.*
The next African American Fine Art Sale will be held in June 2014. For more information, contact Alaina McEachin at .
*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.
Higher Ground: Artist Spotlight on Beauford at the Knoxville Museum of Art
The Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) is placing an "Artist Spotlight" on Beauford by displaying a small collection of his work through June 2014. Called Higher Ground, the spotlight features six works from several collections. Two of these paintings and the descriptions that accompany them in the exposition are shown below.
Distant Horizons
(1952) Oil on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
By the early 1950s, Beauford Delaney became determined to pursue his dream of moving from New York to Paris. In order to prepare for the move, he made arrangements in June of 1953 to store the paintings in his studio at 713 Broadway with various friends. Delaney’s friends also organized a fund-raiser to help finance the trip. The door prize was Delaney's recent painting, Distant Horizons.
Untitled
(1963) Watercolor on paper
32 ½ x 26 ½ inches
Tennessee State Museum, Nashville
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
By the time he left for Paris in 1953, Delaney was already well along a path of experimentation with abstraction, which would become the dominant mode of his work for the remainder of his career. Although he continued to produce portraits and landscapes, the central subject of his work became luminous color applied with explosive brushwork in a manner that consumed all references to the visible world.
************
The Knoxville Museum of Art has worked diligently to call attention to the artistic accomplishments of both brothers by hosting or organizing such exhibitions as Beauford Delaney: An Introduction (1997), Joseph Delaney: Works on Paper (2002), Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris (2005). Since February 2013, the KMA has also served as the repository for the contents of the estate of Beauford Delaney. In exchange, the estate has made available to the KMA key works for display and possible acquisition. The KMA wishes to acknowledge the estate and its key role in this special display.
At present, the KMA collection does not include any works by Beauford Delaney. Acquiring a significant group of his paintings is one of the KMA’s primary acquisitions goals.
For more information, contact:
Stephen C. Wicks
Barbara W. and Bernard E. Bernstein Curator
1050 World's Fair Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37916
865-934-2040
www.knoxart.org
(1952) Oil on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
By the early 1950s, Beauford Delaney became determined to pursue his dream of moving from New York to Paris. In order to prepare for the move, he made arrangements in June of 1953 to store the paintings in his studio at 713 Broadway with various friends. Delaney’s friends also organized a fund-raiser to help finance the trip. The door prize was Delaney's recent painting, Distant Horizons.
(1963) Watercolor on paper
32 ½ x 26 ½ inches
Tennessee State Museum, Nashville
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
By the time he left for Paris in 1953, Delaney was already well along a path of experimentation with abstraction, which would become the dominant mode of his work for the remainder of his career. Although he continued to produce portraits and landscapes, the central subject of his work became luminous color applied with explosive brushwork in a manner that consumed all references to the visible world.
The Knoxville Museum of Art has worked diligently to call attention to the artistic accomplishments of both brothers by hosting or organizing such exhibitions as Beauford Delaney: An Introduction (1997), Joseph Delaney: Works on Paper (2002), Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris (2005). Since February 2013, the KMA has also served as the repository for the contents of the estate of Beauford Delaney. In exchange, the estate has made available to the KMA key works for display and possible acquisition. The KMA wishes to acknowledge the estate and its key role in this special display.
At present, the KMA collection does not include any works by Beauford Delaney. Acquiring a significant group of his paintings is one of the KMA’s primary acquisitions goals.
For more information, contact:
Stephen C. Wicks
Barbara W. and Bernard E. Bernstein Curator
1050 World's Fair Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37916
865-934-2040
www.knoxart.org
Three Exquisite Delaneys Hang at the MRG Exposition Beyond the Spectrum
The current exposition at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in Manhattan - Beyond the Spectrum - features numerous paintings and sculptures by African-American artists who produce(d) abstract œuvre. Because Rosenfeld is an avid and longstanding promoter of Beauford's work, it is not surprising that Beauford's paintings figure among those presented at this show.
The following three Delaney paintings hang in the exposition alongside works by Hale Woodruff, Alma Thomas, Charles Alston, and other artists:
Untitled [MR153], c.1954
oil on canvas
59 x 23 1/4 inches, signed
Private Collection; Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Untitled [MR50], c.1961
oil on canvas
76 3/4 x 51 inches
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The following three Delaney paintings hang in the exposition alongside works by Hale Woodruff, Alma Thomas, Charles Alston, and other artists:
oil on canvas
59 x 23 1/4 inches, signed
Private Collection; Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
oil on canvas
76 3/4 x 51 inches
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
oil on canvas
25 1/2 x 21 1/4 inches, signed and dated
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
In the context of Beyond the Spectrum, Rosenfeld granted an exclusive video interview to galleryIntell on the subject of African-American abstract art and the artists who chose this genre of expression for their work.
Screenshot printed with the permission of galleryIntell
In Part 1 of the interview, he differentiates the path of artists like Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden, who painted to explore and celebrate the "black experience," with those who chose to paint abstractly.
In Part 2, he talks specifically about Beauford, mentioning the influence of Monet's Water Lily paintings on the profound importance of light in Beauford's art.
Part 3 of the interview will be released in the near future. For more information, visit http://www.galleryintell.com/category/galleries/new-york/.
Beyond the Spectrum: Abstraction in African American Art, 1950-1975 runs through March 8, 2014.
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
100 Eleventh Avenue @ 19th
New York, NY 10011
Telephone: 212.247.0082
Fax: 212.247.0402
E-mail: INFO[at]MICHAELROSENFELDART[dot]COM
Internet: WWW.MICHAELROSENFELDART.COM
Delaney Painting on Display at Point of View Exposition in Detroit
Point of View is the title for the exposition of masterworks by modern African-American artists that is currently on display at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan. A sister exposition of contemporary works is on display at the Flint Institute of Arts in Flint, Michigan. Both shows feature pieces from the splendid African-American and African-Diaspora art collection of Elliot and Kimberly Perry.
As reported by Les Amis last October, an untitled painting by Beauford is part of this special exposition:
Untitled
(1964) Oil on canvas
25 x 21 inches
Collection of Elliot & Kimberly Perry
Image by Ashley Phifer
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
At the request of Ashley Phifer, Assistant Curator at the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA), Elliot Perry posed for a photo (destined exclusively for the Les Amis blog) in which he stands next to the painting.
Elliot Perry and Untitled by Beauford Delaney
Image courtesy of Ashley Phifer
Thank you, Mr. Perry!
Ms. Phifer told Les Amis that the Charles H. Wright hasn't had a formal opening for the exposition yet. She says "it is in the works." In contrast, the FIA had its opening on January 25th with over 400 people in attendance. Phifer says that both museums have been drawing great numbers for attendance, "especially since the show works well with African-American History Month."
From the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Web site:
The exposition at the Wright Museum will be on display through April 20. The exhibition is free with museum admission. Upon providing proof of purchase of an entry ticket, those who attend either the Detroit or Flint exposition are entitled to admission at the partner institution during the exhibition period. For more information call (313) 494-5800.
As reported by Les Amis last October, an untitled painting by Beauford is part of this special exposition:
(1964) Oil on canvas
25 x 21 inches
Collection of Elliot & Kimberly Perry
Image by Ashley Phifer
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
At the request of Ashley Phifer, Assistant Curator at the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA), Elliot Perry posed for a photo (destined exclusively for the Les Amis blog) in which he stands next to the painting.
Image courtesy of Ashley Phifer
Thank you, Mr. Perry!
Ms. Phifer told Les Amis that the Charles H. Wright hasn't had a formal opening for the exposition yet. She says "it is in the works." In contrast, the FIA had its opening on January 25th with over 400 people in attendance. Phifer says that both museums have been drawing great numbers for attendance, "especially since the show works well with African-American History Month."
From the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Web site:
Elliot Perry, a former professional basketball player and Memphis native, started to collect mid-to late 20th century African American art with his wife Kimberly in 1996. Perry has said that his passion for art now rivals his love for basketball. He credits Walter Evans and Darrell Walker with inspiring him to become a collector. For each of these men, collecting works of art is more than just accumulating random pieces; their objective is focused on preserving slices of African American history and culture through the arts.
The exposition at the Wright Museum will be on display through April 20. The exhibition is free with museum admission. Upon providing proof of purchase of an entry ticket, those who attend either the Detroit or Flint exposition are entitled to admission at the partner institution during the exhibition period. For more information call (313) 494-5800.
BEAUFORD DELANEY: One Voice (1954-1974)
Beauford Delaney used his brush to add his voice to the fight for civil rights.
Even when he resided in France during the later years of his life, he remained connected to his home - America, and the plight of his family and friends fighting for equality.
His relationship with James Baldwin, friendship with Marian Anderson, and a steady stream of newspaper clippings and letters from abroad closed the distance of an ocean and inspired him to paint his Rosa Parks series. Two Woman Sitting on a Park Bench is one of only three paintings in this important series.
Two Woman Sitting on a Park Bench, nd
Oil on canvas
21 x 25.5 inches
Estate stamped
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Levis Fine Art is proud to present this important painting and other fine works from the estate of Beauford Delaney.
Exhibition Dates: February 1 – March 1, 2014
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm or by appointment.
Contact: James Levis
Levis Fine Art
514 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011
(646) 620-5000
Email:
Even when he resided in France during the later years of his life, he remained connected to his home - America, and the plight of his family and friends fighting for equality.
His relationship with James Baldwin, friendship with Marian Anderson, and a steady stream of newspaper clippings and letters from abroad closed the distance of an ocean and inspired him to paint his Rosa Parks series. Two Woman Sitting on a Park Bench is one of only three paintings in this important series.
Oil on canvas
21 x 25.5 inches
Estate stamped
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Levis Fine Art is proud to present this important painting and other fine works from the estate of Beauford Delaney.
Exhibition Dates: February 1 – March 1, 2014
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm or by appointment.
Contact: James Levis
Levis Fine Art
514 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011
(646) 620-5000
Email:
Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection - Part 3
Here are two additional gems in the Tricoire brothers' collection of Beauford Delaney paintings!
This one is owned by Robert:
Untitled
(1962) Aquarelle on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo courtesy of Robert Tricoire
And this one is owned by Jacques:
Untitled
(1970) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo courtesy of Robert Tricoire
If any additional information about the collection becomes available, I will bring it to you here on the blog.
See Part 1 and Part 2 of Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection by clicking on the links below:
Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection - Part 1
Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection - Part 2
This one is owned by Robert:
(1962) Aquarelle on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo courtesy of Robert Tricoire
And this one is owned by Jacques:
(1970) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo courtesy of Robert Tricoire
If any additional information about the collection becomes available, I will bring it to you here on the blog.
See Part 1 and Part 2 of Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection by clicking on the links below:
Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection - Part 1
Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection - Part 2
Bob Tomlinson on Beauford's Painting at the Centre Pompidou
Bob Tomlinson is an artist, a retired French professor, and a long-time Paris resident who made the City of Light his home “by accident”! He lived in Paris during the 1968 uprising, moved away for several years, and then came back and established permanent residency in the city.
Bob Tomlinson and Anna Comnena
Image courtesy of Bob Tomlinson
Bob shares a few personal remarks on the untitled painting by Beauford in the exhibition Modernités Plurielles at the Centre Pompidou.
************
Untitled
(1957) Oil on canvas
© Discover Paris!
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
For me, Beauford’s most productive period evokes with a certain nostalgia a period of my life in Paris — the 60s, when I was a young painter and he had attained his artistic maturity. So I was very interested to see this unique and rarely exhibited work from the Centre Pompidou’s permanent collection.
The exhibit aspires to be a survey of global modernism and as such it is somewhat overwhelming. (Admittedly, I have a limited tolerance for museums; after an hour my retinas overload and I can no longer see.) For anyone interested in African-American artists in the City of Light, the undoubted highlights of the show are the three appearances of Josephine Baker (a photo, a film of her dancing, a wire sculpture by Alexander Calder) and, of course, the painting by Beauford.
Unfortunately, whether intentional or not, the exhibition continues the neglect and marginalization from which Beauford suffered during his lifetime. As far as I could tell, he does not figure in the catalog and one finds his painting almost by accident in a small transverse corridor two-thirds of the way through the vast exhibit.
Done a few years after his arrival in Paris, this 1957 painting is a striking example of Beauford’s personal appropriation of an abstract expressionist aesthetic. Usually Beauford’s works in this vein are wholly non-representational. However, this one is different. The thick paint surface is agitated by an abstract textual and coloristic whirlwind, but out of this tangle of yellows and reds a form resembling that of a fierce lion emerges, suggested by paint strokes of an intense blue, although other purely abstract splashes of the same blue scattered on the background render the interpretation ambiguous.
The tension between the abstract and the figurative in Beauford’s paintings (I’m thinking of paintings like his 1965 portrait of James Baldwin, which perhaps unconsciously inspired my own 2013 version) is not restricted to African-American artists, but they (we) feel it with a particular acuteness — the interest in the formal qualities of the work pitched against the need to express the heavy burden of history in a more figurative narrative form.
Portrait of James Baldwin
(1965) Oil on canvas
Private collection
Image courtesy of Levis Fine Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
James Baldwin
(2013) Bob Tomlinson
Image courtesy of the artist
Beauford bridges this gap in the ambiguously abstract Pompidou painting by his imagery and personal use of color, as he does in his portraits, which despite their figurative content utilize the same techniques. For him, his favorite color yellow had complex spiritual and emotional meanings, from the unsettling lime-yellow background of Baldwin’s portrait to the vibrant yellows that dominate the other primaries, red and blue, in the Pompidou painting. All this intense personal energy contrasts with the gentle, contemplative soul whom I knew in the cafés of Saint Germain and Montparnasse.
The disjunction between the surface personality of artists and their work is not uncommon. I consider myself somewhat laid back, and I think I’m often perceived as such, yet I’ve been described as “a serene New Yorker who paints troubled pictures.” Whether he is in an abstract or figurative mode, one of the things I admire most about Beauford is his fidelity to a private, deeply felt emotion that may not be apparent on the outside, a quality lacking in some other works of the exhibition that seem dictated by an impersonal artistic doctrine rather than any inner truth.
Having said that, there are many interesting things to see: for example a section of contemporary African artists and Larry Rivers' reworking of Manet’s Olympia in terms of American race relations. The show is on until January 2015, so don’t miss it!
Image courtesy of Bob Tomlinson
Bob shares a few personal remarks on the untitled painting by Beauford in the exhibition Modernités Plurielles at the Centre Pompidou.
(1957) Oil on canvas
© Discover Paris!
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
For me, Beauford’s most productive period evokes with a certain nostalgia a period of my life in Paris — the 60s, when I was a young painter and he had attained his artistic maturity. So I was very interested to see this unique and rarely exhibited work from the Centre Pompidou’s permanent collection.
The exhibit aspires to be a survey of global modernism and as such it is somewhat overwhelming. (Admittedly, I have a limited tolerance for museums; after an hour my retinas overload and I can no longer see.) For anyone interested in African-American artists in the City of Light, the undoubted highlights of the show are the three appearances of Josephine Baker (a photo, a film of her dancing, a wire sculpture by Alexander Calder) and, of course, the painting by Beauford.
Unfortunately, whether intentional or not, the exhibition continues the neglect and marginalization from which Beauford suffered during his lifetime. As far as I could tell, he does not figure in the catalog and one finds his painting almost by accident in a small transverse corridor two-thirds of the way through the vast exhibit.
Done a few years after his arrival in Paris, this 1957 painting is a striking example of Beauford’s personal appropriation of an abstract expressionist aesthetic. Usually Beauford’s works in this vein are wholly non-representational. However, this one is different. The thick paint surface is agitated by an abstract textual and coloristic whirlwind, but out of this tangle of yellows and reds a form resembling that of a fierce lion emerges, suggested by paint strokes of an intense blue, although other purely abstract splashes of the same blue scattered on the background render the interpretation ambiguous.
The tension between the abstract and the figurative in Beauford’s paintings (I’m thinking of paintings like his 1965 portrait of James Baldwin, which perhaps unconsciously inspired my own 2013 version) is not restricted to African-American artists, but they (we) feel it with a particular acuteness — the interest in the formal qualities of the work pitched against the need to express the heavy burden of history in a more figurative narrative form.
(1965) Oil on canvas
Private collection
Image courtesy of Levis Fine Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(2013) Bob Tomlinson
Image courtesy of the artist
Beauford bridges this gap in the ambiguously abstract Pompidou painting by his imagery and personal use of color, as he does in his portraits, which despite their figurative content utilize the same techniques. For him, his favorite color yellow had complex spiritual and emotional meanings, from the unsettling lime-yellow background of Baldwin’s portrait to the vibrant yellows that dominate the other primaries, red and blue, in the Pompidou painting. All this intense personal energy contrasts with the gentle, contemplative soul whom I knew in the cafés of Saint Germain and Montparnasse.
The disjunction between the surface personality of artists and their work is not uncommon. I consider myself somewhat laid back, and I think I’m often perceived as such, yet I’ve been described as “a serene New Yorker who paints troubled pictures.” Whether he is in an abstract or figurative mode, one of the things I admire most about Beauford is his fidelity to a private, deeply felt emotion that may not be apparent on the outside, a quality lacking in some other works of the exhibition that seem dictated by an impersonal artistic doctrine rather than any inner truth.
Having said that, there are many interesting things to see: for example a section of contemporary African artists and Larry Rivers' reworking of Manet’s Olympia in terms of American race relations. The show is on until January 2015, so don’t miss it!
Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection - Part 2
Robert Tricoire's brother, Jacques Tricoire, is also enamored of Beauford's work and owns original Delaney paintings.
The painting shown below is one of them. It is utterly fascinating to me because it is the only one I have ever seen by Beauford that is predominantly white!
The story behind the painting tells all:
Jean-Claude Killy
(1962) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
In 1962, alpine skier Jean-Claude Killy* was slated to compete in the World Cup Championship in Chamonix, France. Only a couple of weeks prior to this competition, Killy broke his leg in an attempt to qualify for a downhill competition in Italy and was unable to compete for the World Cup. This is what inspired Beauford to paint Jean-Claude Killy.
Jean-Claude Killy (detail)
(1962) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Jean-Claude Killy (signature)
(1962) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
We can presume that the white in this painting represents snow and the blue-brown arcs that cross the painting represent ski tracks. Splotches and specks of blue add the "chill factor" of winter.
*Killy would go on to win several gold medals at the World Championship competition in Portillo, Chile in 1968 and at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France.
The painting shown below is one of them. It is utterly fascinating to me because it is the only one I have ever seen by Beauford that is predominantly white!
The story behind the painting tells all:
(1962) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
In 1962, alpine skier Jean-Claude Killy* was slated to compete in the World Cup Championship in Chamonix, France. Only a couple of weeks prior to this competition, Killy broke his leg in an attempt to qualify for a downhill competition in Italy and was unable to compete for the World Cup. This is what inspired Beauford to paint Jean-Claude Killy.
(1962) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1962) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
We can presume that the white in this painting represents snow and the blue-brown arcs that cross the painting represent ski tracks. Splotches and specks of blue add the "chill factor" of winter.
*Killy would go on to win several gold medals at the World Championship competition in Portillo, Chile in 1968 and at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France.
Beauford's Art: The Tricoire Collection - Part 1
Robert Tricoire has been gracious enough to share information and anecdotes about Beauford's Paris years and he has also allowed me to view his wonderful collection of Delaney paintings.
He commissioned one of them,
Portrait of Robert Tricoire
(1969) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image © Discover Paris!
purchased others,
Untitled
(1963) Aquarelle on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image © Discover Paris!
and received others as gifts from Beauford.
Les Embruns
(1963) Aquarelle on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image © Discover Paris!
Robert's brother owns paintings by Beauford as well.
Next week, I'll share an image of one of these works that completely astonished me!
He commissioned one of them,
(1969) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image © Discover Paris!
purchased others,
(1963) Aquarelle on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image © Discover Paris!
and received others as gifts from Beauford.
(1963) Aquarelle on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image © Discover Paris!
Robert's brother owns paintings by Beauford as well.
Next week, I'll share an image of one of these works that completely astonished me!