Original Art At Auction, Part 2

 

As mentioned in the previous post, there were three more pieces of original artwork offered at The Edward Gorey Cocktail Party; or, A Nocturne At The Strand fundraiser's silent auction on August 9th.

Gentleman on Ottoman represents the earliest drawing offered at the auction. A beautifully executed finished pen and ink drawing, this piece was created in the very early 1950's, around the time of Edward Gorey's first published work, The Unstrung Harp. Not intended for a specific project, this piece nonetheless shows the delicate dexterity of Mr. Gorey's line work and attention to detail. Holding a drink in his left hand, the gentleman is intently studying a piece of paper on the floor. While Edward Gorey's figures can be stiffly posed, this gentleman elegantly displays the intensity of his concentration through his expressive body language. Even the way he holds the cocktail suggests a pause of unexpected inquiry as if the paper suddenly appeared at his feet. This piece sold for $4000.00.

Jumping ahead about 25 years, Edward Gorey created Valse degueulasse (repugnant waltz) in 1976 for his book The Broken Spoke. This image makes a tongue-in-cheek reference to an earlier work by Mr. Gorey, The Epiplectic Bicycle (1969) in which both the alligator and bicycle were featured characters. This drawing is an exceptional example of Edward Gorey's mastery of delicate line work and the use of blank space within a drawing. This piece sold for $4500.00.

Four Men in Fur Coats was created in 1985 for a book project that was not completed. The gentlemen pictured are reminiscent of the similarly adorned characters from Edward Gorey's 1982 book The Water Flowers. The elaborate winter garments worn by the men are beautifully rendered in this pen & ink drawing. As mentioned in a previous post, this drawing was created at a time when Edward Gorey was ceasing to wear fur coats himself, but could still indulge in over the top (and politically incorrect) period fashion in his art. This piece sold for $7250.00.

The photo of the silent auction display case courtesy Russell Lehrer. Images of original art courtesy The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust.