Auction News - Swann Wrap-Up

The 2016 Illustration Art Auction at Swann Auction Galleries in New York City was held on Thursday January 28th. This now annual event has become a source for original artwork by Edward Gorey, and this year's selection was diverse and enchanting. While there were no color pieces included in this year's auction, the quality of the artwork being sold was exceptional.

The auction included an amazing eleven pieces of original art by Edward Gorey, the most artwork by this renowned artist to be offered at one time since the seminal 2001 Bromer Booksellers Catalog which featured eighteen pieces of original art from the personal collection of Anne Bromer.

As predicted, the star of the proceedings was Haunted New Orleans,  an exceptionally large, beautifully executed graveyard scene from 1961. The 11.5" x 15" piece sold well above the presale estimate of $5,000 - $7,000.00 with a final price of $10,625.00 (including the 25% buyers premium).

Each decade of Mr. Gorey's professional career was represented in the auction. Two previously unseen book cover designs from the 1950's included a finished sketch for an Anchor book on author Henry James which sold for $3500.00, and a truly fabulous dust jacket design for Dead By Now. This highly detailed piece more than doubled it estimate with a final price of $9375.00.

The three pieces representing the 1960's all met or exceeded their presale estimates. In addition to the previously mentioned Haunted New Orleans, Sunflower Planting (also from Holiday Magazine in 1961) sold for $7500.00, more than doubling its estimate. From 1968, The Ghostly Rental, a highly detailed piece showing three illustrations on one page, overshot its estimate with a final price of $5750.00.

Three pieces from the late 1970's all sold respectably within their estimates, while  I Love Cats from the 1980's almost doubled its estimate, selling for $4500.00.

Two rare National Post Card Week images finished off the Edward Gorey portion of the sale. A very unusual elephant from 1986 sold for $4250.00. The final piece was a densely rendered image of a family from 1991 which sold for $3750.00.

It will be a long 12 month wait to see what might appear in the January 2017 Swann Illustration Art Auction. Start saving now!

Decoratiing With Edward Gorey

All Edward Gorey collectors share the challenge and enjoyment of organizing and displaying their collections in their homes. Some keep their passions confined to specific areas, while others live in an explosion of delights. Occasionally, a collector will take their interests to a more permanent level and begin decorating the walls of their homes with images by Edward Gorey.

One such home was featured in the December 29, 2015 issue of Philadelphia Magazine. The new owners of a three story Victorian era rowhouse in the Fairmount neighborhood enjoy every formal meal with the family from Edward Gorey's The Doubtful Guest. You can view other photos of the renovated home HERE.

My own dining room also has Gorey images on the walls as part of a larger collection of images from classic children's stories that Bill and I enjoy. After painting our walls a rather uncompromising shade of mustard yellow, Bill go to work adding images around the room. Benevolently residing over the arch on one side of the room is a classic Gorey cat.

On the opposite end of the room, Little Zooks is perpetually being used as a projectile over a window.

Another somewhat over the top Gorey room is the parlor in a friend's 1800's era home. The ceiling and upper portion of the walls are entirely covered in Gorey inspired images.

Completely hand drawn over several months, the upper portion of the room is a Gorey inspired melange of arches, urns, winged skulls and a ceiling made to look as though the floorboards on the upper level have been broken away, revealing a night sky with circling bats. The lower three quarters of the walls are covered in paneling and book cases.

Another way to decorate with Edward Gorey would be to find a room that used the Dracula Damask wall paper which was produced by Kirk-Brummell in the late 70's/early 80's. While pieces of the wall paper are in collections (like the one shown from my collection), I have yet to discover a room that was papered in this distinctive covering.

Edward Gorey Originals At Auction

If it is January, it is time for the now annual Illustration Art auction at Swann Auction Galleries in New York City. This year, there are eleven original pieces of art by Edward Gorey being offered at the January 28th sale.

Selections being offered range from an early Anchor paperback cover to pieces from the 1980's and '90's.  The star of the proceedings is undoubtedly Haunted New Orleans, a spooky full page illustration published in the June 1961 edition of Holiday Magazine.

To view the pieces being offered, go HERE.

National Post Card Week

It is always exciting to receive something by Edward Gorey as a Christmas gift.  This year I was presented with one of the National Post Card Week cards that I have been missing. Published and distributed annually by Gotham Book Mart, this is a delightful series of 13 cards, each with a different image created by Mr. Gorey.

This card, the fourth in the series, depicts a couple reaching the summit of a mountain on which is balanced an elusive post card. The man is creeping closer to the card while woman has already begun her elevenses. A blimp can be seen in the background trailing an informational banner.

To see more of the cards from this series, view my blog entry from May 4, 2012.