Auction News - A Gorey Start to 2024

With the New Year's Eve fireworks still ringing in everyone's ears, 2024 started with a bang at Nadeau's Auction Gallery in Windsor, Connecticut. Their Annual New Year's Day auction included one piece of original art by Edward Gorey. Tennis was #25 of the 46 pieces of original art Mr. Gorey created for his 1974 Graham Gallery exhibition and sale in New York City. Tennis sold for $11,520.00 (hammer price plus buyer's premium), signaling a promising start for pieces by Edward Gorey that may come to auction in the coming year.

Last year the Gorey auction scene also began strong in January 2023 with a $7500.00 price for the cover art Edward Gorey created for the novel Fonthill in 1973. In an enexpected move, this piece of art reappeared at a different auction house in June and failed to sell. 

A complete set of the limited edition etchings Edward Gorey created with Diogenes in 1978 (each print numbered 59/120) sold for $3144.00 at Rago Arts and Auction Center on June 1st, 2023. 

The next auction of Gorey original artworks was the highly anticipated The Edward Gorey Cocktail Party; or, A Nocturne At The Strand fundraiser hosted by the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust on August 9th. Seven pieces of original art were auctioned at the charity event including Cat on a mantle. which sold for $3600.00. (see the blog postings from August 2023 to view all the art that was sold).

The fall auction schedule had a strong showing with four original works by Edward Gorey selling at Heritage Auctions of Dallas, Texas on October 6. The three lots shown above are a two page spread Three Ladies beside the Sea which sold for $7500.00, Fibroid Studge from The Unrest-Cure which sold for $6000.00 and two drawings from Merry, Rose and Christmas Tree June which were sold together for $3500.00.

A fourth drawing Scottish Fling is a lively dance image created for use as a note card for the New York City Ballet. This piece sold for $4250.00.

Freeman's Auction House dominated the Gorey auction scene with their sale on November 16th that included five original works by Edward Gorey. The star of the event, which included numerous works by Mr. Gorey from the collection of Valerie and Matthew Young was A stunning full color painting titled Contestants in the annual Trans-Novaya Zemlya Bicycle Race that sold for $15,120.00. This piece was created for The Broken Spoke in 1976.

In addition to original art by Edward Gorey, numerous books, prints, posters, stuffed creatures and ephemera have appeared throughout the year at various auction venues, book fairs, and through rare book dealers giving collectors a wide selection of material to covet and acquire. Here's hoping that 2024 will generate even more collecting enthusiasm and excitement.

(photos courtesy of Nadeau's Auction House, Swann Auction Galleries, Rago Arts and Auction Center, Freeman's Auction House, and The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust)