Auction News

Swann Auction Galleries held their semi-annual Illustration Art Auction on Tuesday June 4, 2019 (to view the complete catalog, go to https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/asp/searchresults.asp?st=D&pg=1&ps=10&sale_no=2511). Over 200 lots ranging in subject matter from book & magazine illustration, advertising, and theatrical set & costume designs, guaranteed that this auction had something for everyone. Eight original illustrations by Edward Gorey were spaced throughout the sale. All the art by Mr. Gorey sold, with only one piece selling below the pre-auction estimate, and many going higher.

The eight pieces represented a microcosm of the Edward Gorey's career. Three early pieces included a Pin-Up drawing created as a teenager, a naturalistic rabbit drawing made in the early 1950's, and an unusual "pre-Earbrass"color piece showing two Russian gentlemen enjoying an Easter Tea. The characters in this piece are a transition from the figures decorating Mr. Gorey's wartime letters to friends and family to his fully realized protagonist Mr. Earbrass, from his first published book The Unstrung Harp.

Another departure from Edward Gorey's signature crosshatch style was a mid-60's watercolor illustration from The Recently Deflowered Girl, a piece that at first glance looks like a Charles Addams cartoon.

The 1980's had several nice examples, including a color piece created for TV Guide and an amusing Scottish Golfer who is checking his rule book regarding how to deal with a beastie residing in the hole on the green...does he get the putt or not?

The undisputed stars of the Gorey selections were two pieces created for The New Yorker Magazine and intended for use as cover art. Edward Gorey submitted three cover designs to the magazine in 1992, but only one Christmas-themed piece was used at the time. The other two designs languished in the files, unseen until after the artist's death in 2000. The first, Flappers and Topiary was published in the magazine as a full page tribute to Mr. Gorey just after his passing. This whimsical piece has a muted color pallet and delightful imagery.

Cat Fancy is a masterpiece of subdued color and intricate detail that reflects the time in which it was created. Layers upon layers of fabric, pillows, dust ruffles and duvets adorn an overstuffed bed whose inhabitants are a pair of reclining cats. This wonderful image finally adorned the cover of the magazine in December 2018.

Balkan Sobraine Cigarettes

Introduced in The Curse of the Blue Figurine, Professor Roderick Childermass, the irascible elderly neighbor and unlikely friend of young Johnny Dixon was one of John Bellairs' more colorful protagonists. The Professor threw fits, yelled, cursed, and was generally bad tempered, but beneath the crusty surface was a kindly man who felt his fits of temper deeply and apologized to his friends often. The Professor was also an accomplished baker, and anyone who reads Mr. Bellairs' Johnny Dixon books will soon be heading to the kitchen or the nearest bakery for some chocolate cake with thick fudgy icing.

Professor Childermass was also something of a chain smoker, especially in the earlier books in the series. As the series progresses, the Professor works hard to break the habit. What was the Professor's cigarette of choice? The tiny, black papered Balkan Sobranie Turkish Cigarette. This also appears to be the preferred cigarette of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. A fun collectible to display near your book collection is the illustrated vintage tin box that once housed the tiny cigarettes. These tins can be found in antiques shops and in on-line auctions.

Goreyosity Shop Auction

"What are you going to do with all your stuff when you die?"

When you reach a certain age, or have accumulated a certain amount of possessions, this question will come up in conversation with increasing frequency. Often, as people "downsize" their living space they will disperse the bulk of their belongings before they pass. Many people leave behind the accumulated detritus of a lifetime that family and friends must deal with.

When Edward Gorey passed in 2000, he left behind a house and barn full to the rafters with objects collected over a lifetime of shopping, tag sales, and literally picking things up and bringing them home. Mr. Gorey had an obsession with objects. The pieces he collected and lived with inspired his works and often appeared in his drawings. After his passing, some of these possessions were bequeathed to family, friends, and institutions, but there was still a house and barn full of things that had to be dealt with.

When Edward Gorey's home was turned into a permanent museum celebrating his life and works, the barn became the repository of objects that needed to be cleared and sorted as the rooms of his home were turned into exhibition spaces. Many of the pieces he collected are on display in the museum, but there was still a large stash of pieces brought home by Mr. Gorey that were languishing in storage. Time to bring in the artists!

26 artists were each given a box and escorted into the barn to pick and choose objects that they would then take back to their respective studios and transform into works of art that will be exhibited at the Cape Cod Cultural Center, and then sold to benefit The Edward Gorey House.

To learn more about the event, go HERE. To read an article about the upcoming exhibition and sale, go HERE.

The piece shown at the top of the post is titled "Dancing in the Dark" by artist Ric Haynes.

Edward Gorey's Adornments

Edward Gorey had a flamboyant personal style. From this college days, when he painted his toenails and sauntered around in open toed sandals, to his working days in New York when he draped his 6' 3" figure in full length fur coats, Mr. Gorey always stood out in a crowd.

One of the most pervasive personal adornments Edward Gorey enjoyed throughout his life was jewelry.  His earrings, necklaces, and rings were wonderfully excessive. Perhaps Mr. Gorey took inspiration from the murder mysteries he loved to read, where characters would come to breakfast adorned in every piece of jewelry they brought with them for a weekend house party when the threat of robbery was afoot. Whatever the inspiration, Mr. Gorey loved his baubles. An article published in The Daily Beast (go HERE) discusses Edward Gorey's love of all kinds of jewelry.

A few years back, The Edward Gorey House would hold a yearly auction, featuring personal items decorative objects, artwork, and jewelry collected by Mr. Gorey. From one of these auctions I was able to acquire one of Edward Gorey's rings. Mr. Gorey evidently enjoyed wearing this ring, and I have been able to spot it on his hands in a number of photos. Fortunately, Edward Gorey had large hands, as do I, so I am able to wear this piece on special occasions.

(Photo of Edward Gorey from the Edward Gorey Documentary Project for more information on the upcoming documentary, go to: https://www.edwardgoreyfilm.com )

Auction News

Original works by Edward Gorey continue to do well at auction, and some pieces do amazingly well. Heritage Auctions sold this TV Guide color piece (published February 6, 1988) for $15,000.00 (including buyer's premium).

Never Get on an Elevator Alone with a Foreign Woman is a stunning 7.75" x 5" pen & ink and watercolor painting with everything you could wish for in an Edward Gorey piece. It is nice to see that Heritage is publishing the known provenance as part of the description of their listings. Hopefully, this will become the standard practice of all auction houses and dealers.

2019 Edward Gorey House Exhibition

Next week begins a cavalcade of events at The Edward Gorey House with the opening of the 2019 exhibition entitled Hippity Wippity, Edward Gorey and the Language of Nonsense. The Cape Cod Times published an article about the show and upcoming events at the House - www.capecodtimes.com/entertainmentlife/20190404/yarmouth-port-exhibit-highlights-edward-goreys-nonsense?fbclid=IwAR1bPIcBmlt3VeVGefbED11G9zKTS4AV-VjANdwIlOc0YmeUrb4PKIRU3SU

A Winter's Project

What to do when the weather turns cold and the evenings get dark early? How about a Gorey-themed art project? A visit to the Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis last fall was the inspiration for these Edward Gorey Nesting Dolls. The museum had an exhibition of nesting dolls that included a video of the people hand painting the figures/dolls. After viewing the exhibit and purchasing a set of blank wooden dolls, I was looking for inspiration for the subject of my set. Naturally, Edward Gorey provided not only the inspiration, but also the subject matter.

I wanted to use iconic Gorey characters that were size appropriate for the five dolls. Beginning with the largest doll (4.25" tall), I chose Edward Gorey himself in one of his classic fur coats. A "Gorey Cat" lounges behind him in the grass. Appropriately, the Gorey Doll opens to reveal more characters.

The second doll shows The Doubtful Guest with his billowing scarf. The back of this doll has a small frog resting pensively. The Doubtful Guest opens to reveal a Gorey Cat with a Twisby on the reverse.

For the final two dolls, Figbash has wrapped itself around the next. Figbash opens to reveal the tiny (1" tall) Black Doll. It was interesting to cross hatch on a three dimensional surface, and most difficult to remember where I could touch the pieces so I would not smudge the paint and ink. The final set is a one of a kind homage to Mr. Gorey.