Living with Art History
It's closer than you think
I have a whole bunch of keyword searches for specific women artists saved on my Live Auctioneers account, so when a work by one of them comes up at auction, I get a notification. I won’t give you a list of who I’ve got on there (I don’t want the competition!), but after writing a piece on Suzanne Valadon for Hyperallergic a few months ago, I added her name to the list, just for the heck of it.Â
Fast forward a few weeks, and I get a ping saying there is something by Valadon for sale. It’s a large, beautiful pastel, recognizably her style. Estimate: $8000.
Valadon was painted by Renoir and Toulouse Lautrec, but more importantly, was a fabulous painter. She’s in just about every textbook on women artists, and a good number of them on general art history. She even had a retrospective at the Barnes in Philadelphia just a few years ago, so I was stunned to see the work available for sale. Not because her work is rare, but it didn’t cross my mind that someone who wasn’t a capital A, capital C Art Collector (e.g. me) could own a work by a painter I loved from art history. What a magical thing to be so close to an artist who inspires you.
While I did not bid on the Valadon, just the idea of being able to, to see the possibility of having her work as my own was enough. I hope the work went to a good home, one that was just as thrilled as I was at the prospect of living with a sliver of art history.Â
So I suppose this is a PSA encouraging you not to count out owning something by some of your favorites from art history. Just because a name is known doesn’t mean their work— especially works on paper— are out of the realm of possibility. (This is only more true for women artists, unfortunately).
Saw an artist at a museum whose work you love? Set an alert on Live Auctioneers! You never know—Â
So you tell me, do you live with a piece of art history?
(As always, paid subscribers can comment on all posts!)
8,000 for the estimate? What did it go for? I would bid 4,000 and see what happens. Not my favorite of her work but — I agree!! Having works by big known artists is super fun. Here’s the big secret— works on paper. You can snag a Louise Bourgeois or Alice Neel for a few thousand. Even if it’s a charcoal sketch? From a hand of someone you admire, it’s great. Recently on a trip to Palm Springs I went on a tour of houses and the docent discovered I was an artist and asked me if I knew Corita Kent. Sister Corita Kent? I enthusiastically responded— yes! She did the Boston Gas tank that I loved my whole childhood and I had just watched a documentary about her progressive order of nuns in the 60s who fought the church patriarchy. Turns out the docent’s aunt was a nun with Corita and she had inherited over 200 works over the years. She was donating them to her college’s art collection in the fall. I joked that if she had extras, I’d take them. I asked her at the end of the tour would she take a tip and she said no — just spend money in Palm Springs for the economy. No problem there. I spent. Then she said, let me have your address and I’ll send you something of Corita’s. Get out. She knew I would appreciate it. Most people don’t recognize her name. That’s crazy. Three weeks later a very small but great print arrived. Signed in pencil by Corita. A slight water stain didn’t put me off but I knew it meant most collections would shun it. It’s at the framers. So excited to have it in my collection.
Susan you are so blessed to live with a Corita Kent print 💗💗💗💗