The Spring Art Auctions Looking Interesting Already!

Ok..Now I know.. I'm going to sound like a total nut job Art Auction Junkie, but there are some big events coming up! So get your paddles ready... It's Hammer Time in NYC!!

1. Sothebys is to auction off photography from the Metropolitan Museum including works from the Gilman Paper Collection on Feb 14th and 15th. This 113 Lot high quality sale surprisingly is even ok for the poor newbie photo collectors... since there are several items up with estimates under $5000. Take a look at the special mini-site from Sotheby's just for the event!  There's a good chance this sale might even set some new records for the highest prices ever paid for single photographs...  For Exampl.. Lot 6, Edward Steichen's "The Pond -- Moonlight" has an PreSale Est of $700,000 to 1,000,000. Preview party February 8th.

2. Christies to is Auction off the Bankrupt REFCO corporate Art Collection. Download REFCO_Auction.txt   It's a pretty big professionally curated (by Adam Brooks) collection.  REFCO published a full catalog of the collection, Subjective Realities in 2003.  The collection is mostly modern photography, spanning almost every major contemporary photographer from the 80's and 90's.. but also includes a few older Diane Arbus, and Walker Evans works.

Since it's a judge order bankruptcy auction.. it will be interesting to see if the entire collection will be liquidated without reserve levels.May be a great buying opportunity!

3. A Bust of Marie Antoinette, or 7 foot tall headless 18th Century Male Statue anyone?  So this maybe a museum de-acquisition event The MAN - Tyler Green might approve of..

  Sothebys will hold a sale of The Metropolitan Museum's Historic Plaster replicas stored in their Bronx warehouse on Feb 28th in 177 lots.  These are all old plaster reproductions, and that now The Met has such an amazing stolen looted collection of the real statues, they don't need these reproductions anymore.

They'll be running a free shuttle from the Sothebys office to the Bronx to view the works.. I also think everything is being sold without reserve.. so you never know, that 6 ft by 4 ft, Large Plaster Romanesque Pediment Carved with Angels you've always needed could be yours for a song!

Lastly...

4. Christies just posted their Spring NYC Photography Sale for Feb 14th on their website. 278 Lots, Highlights to include Peter Beard Portraits, and a Large 15"x19" semi-vintage (1975)  Ansel Adams Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico 1941, photographs both Est.. $30-50k.