Beauford's Portrait of John Koenig Sold by Swann Auction Galleries
Almost two years ago today, I published an article about Beauford and John-Franklin Koenig.
In it, I reported that Beauford's portrait of Koenig was auctioned by Sotheby's during its March 9, 2011 Contemporary Art sale and purchased for $7,500.
(1968) Oil on linen canvas
Signed and dated, lower right recto
Signed and dated in graphite, verso
Signed and titled in ink, the crossbar
25½x21¼ in.
647x552 mm.
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This painting was offered for sale by Swann Auction Galleries during its African American Art sale (Sale 2698) on April 3, 2025.
Assigned Lot Number 45, its estimated sale price was $40,000 to $60,000.
Swann sold the painting for $40,000, including buyer's premium.
For more information about this auction, click HERE.
Beauford Is Front and Center at Paris Noir
The groundbreaking Paris Noir exhibition opened at the Centre Pompidou museum on March 19, 2025.
And Beauford's Street Scene, 1968 is the first thing people see when they walk into the show!
Artwork © Estate of Beauford Delaney
By permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo © Entrée to Black Paris
The full title of the exhibition is Paris Noir: Circulations artistiques et luttes anticoloniales 1950-2000.
The museum describes it as follows:
From the creation of the Présence Africaine review to that of Revue noire, “Black Paris” retraces the presence and influence of Black artists in France from the 1950s to 2000. The exhibition celebrates 150 artists coming from Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean, whose works have often never been displayed in France before.
While Beauford's work has been shown in group shows in Paris many times before, those occasions pale in comparison to this one.
Fourteen (14) of his best paintings are on display in multiple sections of Paris Noir, including the dazzling 1965 self-portrait held by the Whitney Museum of American Art.
This painting, which is my favorite work in the entire show, is hung next to one of two portraits of James Baldwin in Room 2.
Artwork © Estate of Beauford Delaney
By permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo © Entrée to Black Paris
One of Beauford's portraits of an older James Baldwin hangs on the wall behind Street Scene, 1968 in Room 2 and seemingly gazes at the two portraits across the room.
(1967) Oil on canvas
Artwork © Estate of Beauford Delaney
By permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo © Entrée to Black Paris
The Centre Pompidou is displaying its large Beauford Delaney abstract in the "Le saut dans l'abstraction" section, next to two of Beauford's yellow abstractions.
(1967) Oil on canvas
Artworks © Estate of Beauford Delaney
By permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo © Entrée to Black Paris
© Entrée to Black Paris
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The last time the museum showed this work was in 2013, when it hung in the Multiple Modernities 1905-1970 exhibition.
(1957) Oil on canvas
© Discover Paris!
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has loaned its Portrait of Marian Anderson to the show.
(1965) Oil and egg tempera emulsion on canvas
Artwork © Estate of Beauford Delaney
By permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo © Entrée to Black Paris
The remainder of the paintings were loaned by private collectors and the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. They include Beauford's portrait of Ahmed Bioud, Bernard Hassell, and an unidentified young man.
Beauford shows up in Paris Noir in other ways. The Ina film clip of him being interviewed in his Clamart studio plays on the same wall where paintings by his friends Ed Clark, Herb Gentry, and Larry Potter hang.
R to L: Ed Clark, Herb Gentry, and Larry Potter
© Entrée to Black Paris
Reproductions of the invitation card for his monographic show at the Galerie Lambert in Paris are on display on the wall in the Paris Dakar Lagos section of the show.
© Entrée to Black Paris
© Entrée to Black Paris
And you can catch a couple of glimpses of him in a video clip from "Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris 1970," during which James Baldwin "holds court" in Beauford's rue Vercingétorix studio.
from the BBC's "Meeting the Man"
© Entrée to Black Paris
© Entrée to Black Paris
Outside the exhibition itself, UTK Professor Mary Campbell spoke about the Beauford-Baldwin friendship during the first day of the exhibition colloquium. She spoke passionately about her view of how Baldwin inspired Beauford's art, focusing on the portrait of Baldwin that Beauford named Dark Rapture.
© Entrée to Black Paris
On Day 2 of the colloquium, I spoke about the two Beauford Delaney walking tours that I created for Entrée to Black Paris during a presentation called "Paris Places and Spaces." I cited the 2016 Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition in Paris as the catalyst for the first tour and the 2024 UTLibraries visit to Paris in preparation for the exhibition they are preparing for the inauguration of the Beauford Delaney Papers as the catalyst for the second one.
© Entrée to Black Paris
For many reasons, Paris Noir is an exhibition that should not be missed.
In my book, getting "up close and personal" with several brilliant Beauford Delaney paintings is one of the top three!
Beauford's Art on View - Current Exhibitions
Beauford's work is currently on display in exhibitions across the U.S. through June 1, 2025.
Art Institute of Chicago - Chicago, IL
Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica (December 15, 2024 - March 30, 2025)
Co-organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and MACBA Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona in collaboration with KANAL-Centre Pompidou Bruxelles, Project a Black Planet is the first major exhibition to survey Pan-Africanism’s cultural manifestations.
Beauford's Self-Portrait in a Paris Bath House 1971, in which he depicts himself in African dress, is on display in the Interiors room of the exhibition.
Listen to Professor Adom Getachew of the University of Chicago describe this work in the YouTube video below (description begins at 6:47).
Read about the exhibition HERE.
National Portrait Gallery - Washington, D.C.
This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance (July 12, 2024 – April 20, 2025)
This exhibition is a celebration of the "queer voices" of James Baldwin and a circle of friends who maintained various degrees of silence about their sexuality at the same time that they were outspoken about racial injustice during the Civil Rights Movement. It features the Art Institute of Chicago's 1944 self-portrait of Beauford and the National Portrait Gallery's 1963 portrait of James Baldwin by Beauford.
(1963) Pastel on Paper
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institute
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Read about the exhibition HERE.
Oglethorpe University Museum of Art - Brookhaven, GA
Fragile Genius: Catherine Wiley and Beauford Delaney (January 30 - May 4, 2025)
According to Curator John Daniel Tilford, this exhibition presents a number of major Beauford Delaney works, including a rather rare early still life that has not been publicly exhibited in several decades and two late masterpieces loaned by Clark Atlanta University.
Untitled: Self Portrait by Beauford Delaney(1964) Oil on canvas
Tennessee State Museum Collection 2001.46
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Read about the show HERE.
Spelman College Museum - Atlanta, GA
We Say What Black This Is (February 7 - May 24, 2025)
We Say What Black This Is features mixed media and watercolor paintings by MacArthur award-winning artist Amanda Williams. The exhibition showcases Williams’ abstract paintings alongside works by prominent artists from Atlanta collections,including Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and private collectors.
The Spelman College Museum Website indicates that the show "includes works by Betty Blayton, Sheila Pree Bright, Beverly Buchanan, Beauford Delaney, Sam Gilliam, Maren Hassinger, Jacob Lawrence, Deborah Roberts, Thomas Sills, Alma Thomas, and Ming Washington to offer multifaceted perspectives on Black identity. Delaney’s expressive abstract paintings explore spirituality..."
Read more about We Say What Black This Is HERE.
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art - Las Vegas, NV
American Duet: Jazz and Abstract Art (November 15, 2024 - June 1, 2025)
As reported in our blog post dated December 7, 2024, two of Beauford's abstracts are on display at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art in Las Vegas.
The 1956 blue and rose gouache on illustration board that was selected for this show is one of my favorites!
(1956) Gouache on illustration board
Signed and dated in ink, lower right
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford in the Patricia Scipio-Brim Collection
Patricia Scipio-Brim was an avid collector of postwar and contemporary Black art focusing on abstraction. On February 6, 2025, Swann Auction Galleries hosted a sale of works from her collection.
Among them were two works on paper by Beauford.
Untitled (Abstraction in Yellow, Blue and Red)
(1961) Watercolor on wove paper
655x503 mm; 25⅞x19⅞ inches
Signed and dated in ink, lower right
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Untitled (Clamart, Seine)
(1958) Watercolor and gouache on wove paper
654x508 mm; 25¾x20 inches
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The yellow, blue, and red abstraction is dated 1961, the year Beauford attempted suicide. Biographer David Leeming wrote that friends took Beauford to San Telmo, Spain after his return from his traumatic trip to Greece and that with the help of Bernice O'Reilly and Gita Boggs, he "managed to maintain a certain calm, and even began to do some watercolors."
Perhaps this work reflects a lightening of his spirit during that time.
The estimated sale price of this work was $30,000 - $40,000.
It sold for ???
The green and blue abstract is dated 1958.
The words "Clamart, Seine" beneath Beauford's signature could easily signify two important events that took place during the summer of that year - the arrival of James and Gloria Jones in Paris (they lived on the Ile Saint-Louis in the middle of the Seine River) and the return of James Baldwin to Clamart.
Beauford spent a great deal of time with all three of them, and the Joneses commissioned several paintings from him.
This abstract was part of the collection of Gloria Jones. Its estimated sale price was $20,000 - $30,000.
It sold for ???
Case Auction Results for Beauford Delaney Watercolor and Catalogs
On January 25, 2025, Case Auctions of Knoxville, TN auctioned a single abstract watercolor and four Beauford Delaney catalogs from the estate of John Z.C. Thomas during Day 1 of its 2025 Winter Fine Art & Antiques sale.
Untitled
(1958) Watercolor on paper
Signed "Beauford Delaney," inscribed "Clamart"
Dated 1958 in black pen, lower right
25"x 18 3/4"
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
As indicated in the blog post announcing the sale two weeks ago, I believe Beauford painted this work during one of his happy periods in 1958. David Leeming describes several of these in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney—the release of two cases of his paintings stored in New York, a trip to the south to visit René Laubiès, participation in a group show in Germany, a peaceful summer in Clamart with James Baldwin ....
A quote from a letter Beauford wrote to Larry Wallrich in June 1958 may well describe what Beauford wanted to accomplish with this work: "Am today still trying to bring together color compositions from the strange and many-faceted thing that is my life."
The cost estimate for the watercolor and catalogs was $14,000 - $16,000.
The lot sold for $11,590, including buyer's premium.
Case Antiques to Auction Beauford Delaney Watercolor and Catalogs
On January 25, 2025, Case Auctions of Knoxville, TN will place a single abstract watercolor and four Beauford Delaney catalogs up for auction during Day 1 of its 2025 Winter Fine Art & Antiques sale.
The items come from the estate of John Z.C. Thomas, one of the people I affectionately call "The Knoxville Eleven," who traveled to Paris for the Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition in 2016.
They are being offered as a single lot.
Untitled
(1958) Watercolor on paper
Signed "Beauford Delaney," inscribed "Clamart"
Dated 1958 in black pen, lower right
25"x 18 3/4"
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The watercolor is a lyrical work with broad, fluid strokes of yellow, orange, and purple - some overlapping and some lying in parallel.
They give me the impression that people are dancing, and I'm guessing that Beauford created this work during one of his happier times in 1958.
The catalogs that complete the lot are the following:
-
BEAUFORD DELANEY: THE COLOR YELLOW (Richard J. Powell, Atlanta: High Museum of Art, 2002)
BEAUFORD DELANEY: RESONANCE OF FORM AND VIBRATION OF COLOR (Les Amis de Beauford Delaney & Wells International Foundation, Paris: Columbia Global Centers - Reid Hall, 2016)
BEAUFORD DELANEY AND JAMES BALDWIN: THROUGH THE UNUSUAL DOOR (Stephen C. Wicks, ed., Knoxville, TN: Knoxville Museum of Art, 2020), with trifold exhibition brochure and single-sheet timeline detailing Baldwin and Delaney's relationship
BE YOUR WONDERFUL SELF: THE PORTAITS OF BEAUFORD DELANEY (New York: Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, 2022).
The cost estimate for the watercolor and catalogs is $14,000 - $16,000.
For information about the sale, click HERE.
Where to Find Beauford's Work This Weekend
Selected Beauford Delaney works are on display at three shows across the U.S. this weekend.
Art Basel Miami Beach - Miami Beach, FL
Beauford's Untitled (Traffic Signals) is featured in an article published by Art Basel's editiorial team that presents their picks for "seven unmissable projects at Art Basel Miami Beach."
(1945) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery is displaying this painting and three additional Beauford Delaney works at this iconic event (Booth C2) from December 6-8, 2024.
Gagosian - New York, NY
Peter Doig selected Beauford's Untitled (Greenwich Village Street, New York) to hang in his specially curated show called The Street. This exhibition is described as being "a portrait of urban life seen through the eyes of painters."
(circa 1945-46) Oil on linen canvas
Signed and dated (indistinctly) in oil, lower right recto.
Signed (three times) and inscribed "181 Greene St" (twice)"
and "NY" in oil on the stretcher bars, verso.
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The Street opened on November 1 at 980 Madison Avenue, New York. It will run through December 18, 2024.
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art - Las Vegas, NV
In partnership with the Petrucci Family Foundation, the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art has mounted an exhibition entitled American Duet: Jazz and Abstract Art.
This show, which consists of over 61 works by 34 modern and contemporary artists from the Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art, explores the relationship between jazz and abstract art. Both of the Collection's Beauford Delaney works are displayed there.
(c. 1962-1964) Watercolor on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1956) Gouache on illustration board
724x540 mm; 28 1/2x21 1/4 inches
Signed and dated in ink, lower right
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
American Duet can be seen daily at Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art from November 15, 2024 through June 1, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For tickets and more information, click HERE.
Drouot Sells Two Beauford Delaney Abstracts
On November 15, La Gazette Drouot auctioned two untitled Beauford Delaney works from the collection of Beauford' friend and supporter, art critic Jean Grenier.
Lot 81
(1964) Gouache on paper
Signed, located "Paris," and dated on the lower right.
66 x 50 cm.; 25.9 x 19.7 in
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Lot 82
(1965) Oil on canvas
Signed, located "Paris," dated, and dedicated
"Pour mon ami mr Jean Grenier..." on the back
41 x 27 cm.; 16.1 x 10.6 in
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Grenier was a philosopher and art critic whose claim to fame was that he taught Albert Camus when Camus was a high school student. The two men became friends thereafter.
In Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney, biographer David A. Leeming tells us that Beauford showed ten abstract gouaches in the Copenhagen exhibition called "10 American Negro Artists." It is tempting to speculate that the gouache sold on November 15 could have been one of them.
Sale prices for the works were as follows:
Lot 81: Estimated: 4,500€ - 5,000€; Sale - 4,500€ (hammer price - no fees included)
Lot 82: Estimated: 10,000€ - 15,000€; Sale - 10,000€ (hammer price - no fees included)
Beauford at Black Art Auction's Fall Auction - Results
Black Art Auction sold two Beauford Delaney works during its Fall Auction on September 14, 2024 in St. Louis, MO.
The estimated sale price for Composition, a painting from the original du Closel collection, was $15,000 - $25,000.
(1961) Oil on canvas
10-5/8 x 5-1/4 inches
Signed on stretcher verso
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It sold for $13,000.
Untitled, a gouache on paper dated March 1962, had an estimated sale price of $10,000 - $20,000.
(1961) Gouache on paper (J-Annonay watermark)
29-1/4 x 20-3/4 inches
Signed and dated, March 1962
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
It sold for $18,000.
Sale prices include a 25% buyer's premium.
For more information about the results of the Fall Auction, click HERE.
Beauford at Black Art Auction's Fall Auction
Two Beauford Delaney works are being put up for auction during Black Art Auction's Fall Auction on September 14, 2024 in St. Louis, MO.
Composition (1961) is a painting from the original du Closel collection of Beauford's work.
(1961) Oil on canvas
10-5/8 x 5-1/4 inches
Signed on stretcher verso
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
There is no indication as to when in 1961 Beauford might have painted Composition. That year was both productive and traumatic for him.
In Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney, biographer David Leeming talks of group shows in London and Paris and letters that Beauford wrote to friends indicating his troubled state of mind during the first part of the year. He then writes extensively about Beauford's July trip to Greece and his two suicide attempts in that country, followed by the love and care friends extended to him once he returned to Paris in late August.
At the end of this section of the book, readers learn that "Beauford's sixtieth birthday on December 30, 1961 was spent a long way from home in a quiet room with no friends and, under doctor's orders, no possibility of communicating with them."
Untitled is a gouache on paper dated March 1962.
(1961) Gouache on paper (J-Annonay watermark)
29-1/4 x 20-3/4 inches
Signed and dated, March 1962
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
By this time, Beauford had moved to the rue Vercingétorix studio that was organized for him by Mme du Closel.
Leeming writes that "Being back in Montparnasse suited Beauford," and describes Beauford's pleasure at being able to meet friends on the street while walking around the neighborhood. He says that Beauford's health improved, which contributed to his gradual return to consuming alcohol. This, in turn, negated the effects of his medication.
Despite the warning he received from his psychiatrist, Beauford continued to drink during the spring of 1962 and relapsed into a psychotic state in early May.
The estimated sale price of Composition is $15,000 - $25,000.
The estimated sale price of Untitled is $10,000 - $20,000.
For information about the Fall Auction, click HERE.Beauford's Street Scenes
People who are familiar with work from Beauford's New York years undoubtedly know about his Greene Street paintings.
Beauford created many additional works that are called "Street Scene" or something similar. I thought it would be fun to display them together in this blog posts.
All but one of the works represented below were created well before Beauford left NYC for Paris in 1953.
Watercolor on paper
15 1/2 x 22 1/2 inches
Purchased with funds provided by the KMA’s Collectors Circle2, 2014
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1945) Oil on canvas
Image by Manu Sasoonian, from Amazing Grace
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1946) Oil and mixed media on masonite
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1948) Oil on canvas
Signed and dated in oil, lower left.
Image from Swann Auction Galleries Web site
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford Delaney
(1953) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The oil painting below was created 15 years after Beauford arrived in Paris. I believe it represents the elevated train (metro) that serves the south and southwest parts of the city.
(1968) Oil on canvas
Signed and dated "BEAUFORD DELANEY 1968" lower right
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The James Baldwin Centennial
August 2, 2024 was the 100th anniversary of James Baldwin's birth.
Les Amis joins individuals and organizations on both sides of the Atlantic in commemorating this date by acknowledging the profound impact that Beauford's love and influence had on the shaping of the one of the 20th century's most formidable literary giants.
Baldwin's name appears dozens of times in this blog, and multiple images of portraits Beauford created of him are also displayed here.
Following are images of (perhaps) lesser known portraits of his dear friend.
(1945) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Image - Screenshot from YouTube video
Judd Tully - Beauford and Joseph Delaney, Their Life and Art
James Baldwin
(1966) oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1966) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1967) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1971) Oil on canvas
Bequest of James Baldwin
Image courtesy of Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
For information about the James Baldwin Centennial Festival, which will be held in Paris from September 9-13, 2024, click HERE.
Case Antiques Auction Results
Last week, Case Antiques of Knoxville, TN placed four (4) works on paper from the Beauford Delaney Estate up for sale during its Two Day Summer Fine Arts and Antiques sale.
(c. 1930s) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $8,000 - $10,000
(1963) Charcoal on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $4,000 - $4,400
(Undated) Pastel on Paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $8,000 - $9,000
(1966) Ink on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $3,400 - $3,800
All of them sold.
The pastel portraits fetched the best prices of the group: Portrait of a Man Smoking a Pipe sold for $9,760 and Portrait of a Man with Glasses and Necktie sold for $7,320.
The ink on paper landscape of Istanbul sold for $4,148, and the charcoal on paper portrait sold for $3,416.
All sale prices listed above include a 22% buyer's premium.
For additional information about the sales (the July 6 and July 7 auctions are listed separately), click HERE.
Case Auctions Offers Four Beauford Delaney Works on Paper for Sale
Today and tomorrow, Case Auctions of Knoxville, TN is offering four (4) works on paper from the Beauford Delaney Estate for purchase during its Two Day Summer Fine Arts and Antiques sale.
Lots 168 and 169 will be auctioned on July 6, 2024:
(c. 1930s) Pastel on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $8,000 - $10,000
(1963) Charcoal on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $4,000 - $4,400
(1963) Charcoal on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
While I have seen 1930s portraits done by Beauford that are consistent with the style of Portrait of a Man Smoking a Pipe, I have not seen any 1963 portraits that compare to Portrait of a Black Man.
Lots 1087 and 1088 will be auctioned on July 7, 2024:
(Undated) Pastel on Paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $8,000 - $9,000
(1966) Ink on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Estimated sale price: $3,400 - $3,800
(1966) Ink on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The ink on paper landscape entitled Istanbul, Turkey is signed and dated 1966.
I have published images of two additional Istanbul landscapes with the same date in past blog posts: an oil on paper in "Beauford in Istanbul" and a watercolor in "Another June Sale."
All the works being auctioned by Case this weekend bear the stamp of Beauford's estate.
For information about the sale, click HERE.
Bob Mair on Beauford
Bob Mair is the founder/owner/CEO of Black Toast Music, an Indie music publishing company. He is also a musician and composer.
Mair wrote to me a few days ago in search of information about Grèce, one of two paintings shown during the 2016 Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition in Paris that are currently in his collection.
(1967) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Our lively email exchange about this work inspired me to extend a request an interview, which he accepted.
Read it below.
Les Amis: When did you first learn about Beauford Delaney?
BM: I believe it was 2013 when Jim Levis first showed me works by Beauford. I was enamored by the work but I hadn’t developed quite the eye to understand what I was looking at. I knew the work was good, I could feel it, but I didn’t understand why. His work was so different than what I was collecting at the time. I wish I could go back in time, as those works are now long gone.
Les Amis: What attracts you to his work?
BM: There is something that Beauford understood and was able to capture in his work. It was beyond just the physical and tactile, he was able to paint the essence of things. The people he painted (the portraits) as well as the pure abstract works he painted all had a thread that connected them. I don’t know if he was a Buddhist, but he was able to capture the “no separation”, the entirety of things. The whole of what is. Physical, spiritual, light and dark. And over time, as I have studied the work, I believe that some of the paintings that are perceived as pure abstract are actually portraits. No separation.
Les Amis: When did you begin collecting his work?
BM: I began collecting his work in 2017. I was at a viewing with Jim Levis in Long Island City. Jim had quite a bit of art on the walls - things he knew I was drawn to as well as some things that he wanted to test the waters with to see if I might be drawn to them. I wasn’t so sure about anything he had shown me on that particular day.
My daughter and Jim’s partner, Jamie Black, left the room and went into the hallway. Outside, Jim had a cart of other paintings that were pulled for another client to view after we left. My daughter Rachel said, "Dad, I really like this painting." It was Untitled 1970 by Beauford.
(1970) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I was so excited. I felt that my earlier sense of Delaney’s work from years ago had been validated. My daughter has a fantastic eye and I felt it was meant to be. So – that was the first Delaney that was added to my collection.
Les Amis: Of the four works that you own, which is your favorite and why?
BM: I really don’t have a favorite. I love them all. Each work stands on its own for different reasons. That being said, in my opinion, these are all stellar works by an amazing man and artist, and I’m very lucky to be the current caretaker of these works. They cover a wide swath of what he experienced, who and what he loved, as well as the fact that they are some of the best examples of the “no separation” understanding that Beauford was able to convey in his work.
Les Amis: What type of research are you performing on Beauford's work and why?
BM: I’m a bit OCD as well as a bit ADD so I love getting hyper focused and going down the “rabbit hole.” I look for hard to find out of print exhibition catalogs, essays, books, museum catalogs, etc. for every artist I collect as well as artists that I’d like to collect. My Art Book collection is quite extensive at this point. It’s a passion.
I love to learn, to expand, to understand all I can in regard to the art, the artists, the struggle, and the history of why there even “was a struggle for them.” These artists experienced things in their lifetime that I will never experience, yet it is so valuable to embrace history and learn from it.
(1969) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Les Amis: Did Beauford's work ever influence your work as a musician?
BM: Beauford’s work actually complimented my work as a musician. His work is an extension of my love of jazz. It expresses a deeper expression of what is similar to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, etc.
By having Beauford’s work in my home, I feel a constant reminder of the best of what is and what could be. Having his work hang in my home is like having my walls filled with Zen Koans. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such talent and artistry. The ability to overcome the boundaries that Beauford was faced with is a constant reminder to me as an artist to keep going no matter what.
Les Amis: Do you have any additional thoughts that you'd like to contribute?
BM: I would like to see Beauford Delaney’s work get more interest from museums. His story is so amazing and his work should really be shared with the public on a much larger scale.
I’m a huge fan of loaning artwork so that it’s able to be seen and experienced by others who can learn and open their eyes to what is possible. I love having his work on my walls, but I think it’s selfish to not be willing to share the experience.
(1968) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford’s story and work is a fantastic example of what is possible. I’d love to see a beautiful film created that shows the life and times of Beauford - his childhood, his struggles, his associations with people like James Baldwin, which all culminated in such amazing art.
Recent auction sales
Last week, Christie's New York and Black Art Auction in St. Louis, MO auctioned Beauford Delaney works.
Christie's sold an untitled Beauford Delaney abstract at its Post War and Contemporary Art Day Sale on May 17, 2024.
(1967) Oil on canvas
Signed, inscribed and dated ‘Beauford Delaney Paris 1967’
(on the reverse)
31 ¾ x 23 ¾ in. (80.6 x 60.2 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford painted this work sometime in 1967. Though this was a tumultuous year for him due to his concern over the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. and multiple illnesses, he also experienced the joy of spending time with James Baldwin in Cannes during the summer and with Henry Miller in Paris during the fall.
Christie's estimated that Untitled would sell for between $100,000 and $150,000.
The painting sold for $378,000, including a 26% buyer's premium.
On May 18, 2024, Black Art Auction sold a mixed media on paper self-portrait of Beauford during its May Signature Auction.
(1964) Mixed media drawing on paper
10 x 8 inches
signed
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford produced this work in 1964, the year he received a Fairfield Foundation grant of $3,500 and had a solo art exhibition at the Lambert Gallery on the Ile Saint-Louis. Its estimated sale price was $3,000 - $5,000.
It sold for $8,000, including a 25% buyer's premium.
Beauford Potpourri 3
The Art Story - Beauford Delaney
The Art Story has published a thoughtful and easily digestible summary of Beauford's life and artistic influence.
Beginning with his birth date, death date, and a timeline,
it is presented in six sections:
- Summary
- Accomplishments
- Important Art
- Biography
- Influences and Connections
- Useful Resources
It even mentions Les Amis de Beauford Delaney at the end of the biography section!
University of Tennessee Humanities Center Director Amy J. Elias wrote a scintillating evaluation of an untitled 1969 tempura work on paper that was shown in the Transcending Race & Time exhibition at the UT Downtown Gallery in 2020-2021.
Beauford used the front page of the May 24-25, 1969 edition of the International Herald Tribune as the support medium for this work, deliberately choosing to paint over the article published about the 1969 Greensboro Uprising.
Letters Reveal Beauford Delaney and Palmer Hayden’s Lifelong Friendship
This brief article presents images of correspondence by Palmer and Miriam Hayden that mentions Beauford as well as a letter that Beauford wrote to his brother, Joseph Delaney. It includes an image of paintings by Beauford and Hayden that were shown in proximity during the Dirty South exhibition that was hosted by the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AK in 2022.
(1941) Oil on paperboard
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The third link at the end of this article leads to a recording of an excellent conversation between Kristi McMillan, Director of Learning and Engagement at the Asheville Art Museum in North Carolina, and Dr. Mary Campbell, Professor of Art History at the University of Tennessee Knoxville regarding the Through the Unusual Door exhibition that was mounted by the Knoxville Museum of Art in 2020 and the Beauford Delaney's Metamorphosis into Freedom exhibition mounted by the Asheville Art Museum in 2021.
To read previously published Beauford Potpourri articles, click on the links below.
A Chance Meeting Features Beauford's Art on Cover
Rachel Cohen is a Beauford Delaney aficionada and a superb writer.
She send me the following message a few days ago:
I am delighted that New York Review of Books Classics is reissuing my first book A Chance Meeting at its 20th anniversary. The book traces more than a century of encounters among American writers and artists. The new edition has a wonderful Beauford Delaney cover, a forward by Vijay Seshadri and a new afterword by me, and it goes on sale tomorrow, March 19th. The book is NYRB's March book of the month; information and a way to purchase are here.
The artwork that graces the cover of the latest edition of Cohen's book is Untitled (Village Street Scene), (1948) Oil on canvas.
Since 2014, Les Amis has published five articles that feature Cohen's insightful commentary on Beauford's life and art. Her work is a joy to read!
Find links to the articles below.
Rachel Cohen's Tribute to Beauford
Rachel's Musings: Three Articles about Beauford
Stephen Wicks and Rachel Cohen Discuss Baldwin Portrait: Part 1
Stephen Wicks and Rachel Cohen Discuss Baldwin Portrait: Part 2
Christie's to Auction Beauford Delaney Work on Paper
On March 13, 2024, Christie's Paris will host its Post-War to Present auction.
Beauford's Red, Yellow, Orange will be among the works available for purchase.
Red, Yellow, Orange
(1963) Gouache on paper
signed, inscribed and dated 'Beauford Delaney Paris 1963' (lower right)
signed again and stamped with the Estate of Beauford Delaney stamp 'Beauford Delaney' (on the reverse)
25 ½ x 19 ½ in. (64.8 x 49.5 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
This work was shown at the Beauford Delaney: Internal Light exhibition mounted by Levis Fine Art in May-June 2013.
In 1963, Beauford was under the care of the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Gaston Ferdière.
Biographer David Leeming writes that "With Dr. Ferdière's help Beauford was exploring himself more profoundly than he had been willing to do in the past."
He also writes that Spring 1963 "brought a new burst of painting and a concentrated attempt to translate the 'long interims of probity into our thoughts' into paintings 'which are never what our inner vision expected.'"
I wonder whether the fiery nature of Red, Yellow, Orange is a representation of this effort.
The estimated sale price of Red, Yellow, Orange is $40,000 – $60,000.
For information about the auction, click HERE.
KMA Loans Beauford Delaney Works to National and International Venues
From the desk of Stephen Wicks, Barbara A. and Bernard E. Bernstein Curator at the Knoxville Museum of Art:
The Knoxville Museum of Art is pleased to be able to support loan requests from several museums wishing to borrow works from the KMA’s extensive holdings by Knoxville-born modernist master Beauford Delaney.
Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN, March 2024-March 2025
Exhibition summary: Two works on paper by Beauford Delaney for display in the museum’s collection galleries. The Hunter owns no works by the artist and its curatorial team is hopeful this year-long loan will help them generate additional support for a Delaney acquisition.
Art work:
Watercolor and gouache on paper, 25 ½ x 19 ½ inches
Knoxville Museum of Art, 2015 purchase with funds provided by
the Rachael Patterson Young Art Acquisition Reserve
© The Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Untitled (Yellow, Red, and Black Circles for James Baldwin, Istanbul), 1966
Watercolor and gouache on paper, 25 5/8 x 19 inches
Knoxville Museum of Art, 2018 Beauford Delaney Acquisition
© The Estate of Beauford Delaney
by Permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Americans in Paris exhibition/tour, March 2024-June 2025:
- Grey Art Museum/NYU, March 2-mid-July 2024
- Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA, September 2024-January 2025
- NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery, February-June 2025
Blue-Light Abstraction, circa 1962
Oil on canvas, 25 3/4 x 21 1/2 inches
Knoxville Museum of Art, 2018 Beauford Delaney Acquisition
© The Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Paris Noir exhibition, March 19-June 30, 2025
Untitled (African Figure), circa 1968
Oil and watercolor monoprint on paper, 25 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches
Knoxville Museum of Art, 2018 Beauford Delaney Acquisition
© The Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Scattered Light, 1964
Oil on canvas, 39 x 24 inches
Knoxville Museum of Art,
2015 purchase with funds provided by
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
While promoting the KMA’s Delaney collection, these loans are an important means of supporting important museum exhibitions organized by distinguished colleagues, and bringing Beauford Delaney’s extraordinary life and work to the attention of museum audiences around the world.