Standout Art Auctions to Watch Fall 2022

Mary Martin (British), Opposition, 1956. Oil with plaster relief and gouache on panel. 24 x 48 inches ( 61 x 122.1 cm). Estimate 30,000 - 50,000 GBP.

This September’s Modern British Women sale will be headlined by a rare Mary Martin work. The painting is unique in its provenance and perhaps even more so in the artist’s choice of materials and color.

“Opposition presents a fascinating insight into Mary Martin's working practice in the mid-1950s, when she was an active member of the nearly all-male Constructivist movement,” shared Janet Hardie, Bonhams Senior Specialist in Modern British and Irish Art. The piece is additionally special for the period in which it was produced as Martin’s output was restricted by her role as a mother of two during these years.

The sale will also feature some new names including painters Dora Holzandler and Audrey Cruddas as well as ceramic artist Kate Malone.

The auction, presented by Bonhams London, will begin on September 28, 2022 at 3:00 pm BST.

Richard Koga (American), Pair of Chinese Style Oversize Armchairs or Benches, 1961. Rosewood, upholstered, loose seat cushions. 35 1/8 x 34 3/4 x 23 1/8 inches. Estimate 4,000 - 6,000 USD.

Freeman’s Art and Design sale promises to bring an array of twentieth-century furniture, decor, and works of fine art to the market.

Although the show includes work by some big-name artists including Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, the auction house promises that “esteemed women artists” will lead the sale, citing the inclusion of Judith Rothchild’s Truro Marsh No. 1 and Yvonne Canu’s pointillist Port-Grimaud. Cindy Sherman will also be featured.

Another promising highlight is Richard Koga’s oversized, Chinese-influenced armchairs. The chairs will be featured among many other offerings demonstrative of standout twentieth-century furniture.

The auction, presented by Freeman’s, will begin on September 29, 2022 at 11:00 am EST.

J.D. Schleissner Sohne (Hanau), A silver-gilt-mounted ostrich egg cup, circa 1890. Height 13 inches (33 cm). Estimate 2,000 - 3,000 EUR.

This auction is one in a series of six under the umbrella theme—Hôtel Lambert, Une Collection Princière (Hotel Lambert, a Princely Collection). Based on the Hôtel Lambert collection, which features items from the collections of more than sixty royals across history and the globe, Volume II : Kunstkammer will focus on ‘curious’ items collected in the tradition of the Cabinet of Curiosities. The full catalogue has just been released. Particular standouts will be the gilt-mounted ostrich egg cups.

The one pictured here is topped by the Biblical figure of Judith holding the head of Holofernes. The bottom half of the cup is covered with a pierced lid that is itself inset with a 1768 Nuremburg thaler. 

The auction, presented by Sotheby’s Paris, will begin on October 12, 2022 at 2:00 pm CEST.

Deruta Maiolica Bel Uomo gold-lustered charger, circa 1535. Diameter 16 5/8 inches (42.3 cm). Estimate 40,000 - 60,000 USD.

Bonhams presents the sale Il Sogno: The Collection of Howard and Yvette Mimieux Ruby, which will feature items from the personal collection of the property mogul and Hollywood star, once kept at Il Sogno, their estate. The lot includes a “strong group of maiolica,” meaning pottery glazed in the Italian Renaissance tradition characterized by a white background topped with colorful decoration.

The auction, presented by Bonhams Los Angeles, will begin on September 21, 2022 at 10:00 am PDT.

Paul Cézanne, La montagne Sainte-Victoire, 1888-90. Oil on canvas. 25 5/8 x 31 7/8 inches (65.1 x 81 cm). Estimate on request.

Although a specific date is still to come, Christie’s and the estate of Paul G. Allen have announced their intent to hold the “largest and most exceptional art auction in history” this November at Christie’s Rockefeller Center.

Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection will feature upwards of 150 items spanning 500 years of art history, all from the late co-founder of Microsoft’s legendary collection. In total, the items scheduled to go on offer have been valued in excess of $1 billion.

In order to reflect Allen’s philanthropic reputation in life, all sale proceeds will be directed towards philanthropy.