Featuring property from the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art
July 18 & 19, 2010 10am
220 San Bruno Avenue, San FranciscoSan Francisco

(Northbrook, IL) A signed lithograph of his son by Pierre-August Renoir (French 1841-1919) is one of two Renoirs that will cross the block when Universal Live Auctioneers hosts an online high end fine art auction on Friday July 9 at 3:00PM Central Time. The sale will include 275 lots of original paintings, signed lithographs, sculptures and statues representing some of the best known names in the art world. Also to be offered is an extensive selection of antique and vintage posters.

Martin Shape, President of Universal Live, described the auction as, “Far and away one of Universal’s most prestigious in its fifteen year history of conducting thousands of auctions. Opening bids have been kept competitive and there is the potential for outstanding value in this sale.”

Included in the inventory is a second Renoir signed lithograph, an oil on canvas by Alfred Manessier (French 1911-1993), five Peter Max renderings (one original), signed Warhols, a signed nude and others by Wessleman and works by Rashenburg, Jim Dine, Chagall, Miro and Dali as well as Rockwell sculptures and Pescara statues.

Shape said he believes that less than 50 final full-color renderings of Renoir’s “L’Enfant au Biscuit” Child with Biscuit were produced in 1899. Renoir outdid himself and produced what is unquestionably the artist’s finest print. The colors have a pastel tonality and a delightful mat finish. Many trials must have been made before Renoir was satisfied. Some proofs exist of the drawing alone in grey-black; others have a light pink for the face. Unfinished versions were also produced in varying degrees of color. We know of only three final color stone lithographs, and this is one of those few,” Shape said. The other Renoir is “Le petit garcon au porte-plume” Little Boy with Quill Pen. In it Renoir skillfully used background shading in order to centralize the focus and the impact of his son within the composition. This intriguing portrait study of Renoir’s young son, Claude, is shown here, deep in childish thought, as he writes (or draws) with his quill pen. H!
is gaze is that of a child’s. The overall portrait is a study in concentration, beautifully rendered with thoughtful lines and form.

Just as important is the Alfred Manessier original rare early oil on canvas Sea. The scene portrays rough waters at sea, with seagulls catching the wind above. The artist also later worked in stained glass, and a hint of that can be seen in the pattern of the waves catching the light. His last work for auction was sold for $54,000 in 2007. Manessier’s art today is found in some of the most prestigious private collections and museums.

Representing a “Pop Art” rendering is one of the better known artists, James Rizzi, in It’s Time to Buy a New TV. He captures the excitement of shopping for a new television in this fantastic three dimensional artwork. It consists of many individual cut out pieces that were pasted on the background at varying heights, making the vibrant scene really “pop out”. The Artist deviated from his usual small renderings and produced a 26 by 36 inch image size. According to Shape it is rare to find a large Rizzi.

The fully illustrated catalog and registration for absentee or live bidding are available through LiveAuctioneers.com at http://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/22029.

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Martin Shape at 847-412-1802 or email sales@universallive.com.

Over 750 lots of American Paintings, Folk Art, Furniture & Decorations and European Antiques & Fine Art from estates and collections in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey

Preview June 30th – July 2nd, July 6th – 8th

Auction July 9th – 11th

DuMouchelles Art Gallery

409 East Jefferson Ave Detroit, Mi 48226

313-963-6255

Decoy Auction July 29th & 30th, 2010

New Hampshire

More than 800 lots span a time-travel zone from the 1930s-1990s

One of several “easel-back” tin wind-up robots with appealing primitive decoration and simple, forward-walking action. Old Town Auctions image.

BUCKEYSTOWN, Md. – On Saturday, July 17, Old Town Auctions will boldly go where they’ve never gone before – selling robots, space toys, Star Wars, action figures and other quality sci-fi and fantasy collectibles. The event will be held at Alexander’s Inn Auction House in Buckeystown, a suburb of Frederick, Maryland, and convenient to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C.

Auctioneer Rick Opfer will preside over approximately 600 cataloged lots, to be preceded by 200 uncataloged lots. Toys from both groups will be offered without reserve, and each will be sold to the highest bidder regardless of price. All traditional methods of bidding will be accepted, as well as online absentee bidding, but there will be no live Internet bidding during the sale, said Old Town’s owner, Matt Protos.

The toys to be auctioned will take bidders back to the future, from vintage wind-up and battery-operated space toys to contemporary figural robot artworks by acclaimed Pennsylvania folk artist Kent Greenbaum.

Space toys include rockets, robots, flying saucers, space stations, space tanks and missile launchers, ray guns and a whole host of extraterrestrial aliens creatures and monsters – many in their original, colorfully pictorial factory boxes.

The interplanetary theme continues with an array of sci-fi toys from postwar-era films and TV shows, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Battlestar Galactica, Aliens, Dune, Mars Attacks, Close Encounters and many more.

“Unlike previous sales where there may be a small number of exceptional items, this auction offers a large selection of desirable merchandise for the average or avid collector. There were two major consignments – one from a space toy collector and the other from a Star Wars collector – but there are good solid items in literally every category of this sale,” Protos said.

Boxed large-size action figure of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back bounty hunter and Han Solo enemy Boba Fett, made by Kenner. Old Town Auctions image.

The extensive selection of Star Wars licensed merchandise traverses the incomparable 33-year franchise in the form of playsets, ships and vehicles; as well as a legion of action figures, including the Power of the Force and Power of the Jedi lines.

“There are action figures representing nearly every line of Star Wars collectibles, and many are in their original boxes or cards and in mint condition,” Protos noted.

The auction will also include robots and action figures from animated TV shows such as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Sectaurs, Masters of the Universe and more.

Back on terra firma, the toy selection features a wide variety of G.I. Joe action figures, playsets and accessories. Highlights include a vintage G.I. Joe Space Capsule, an expansive G.I. Joe Headquarters, a coveted 7-foot-long U.S.S. Flagg aircraft carrier, Terror Dome set and more.

Other action figures, accessories and playsets to be auctioned include popular Superheroes, with the list topped by Batman. Figures, toys, Batmobiles, vehicles and other collectibles associated with the Caped Crusader are offered in excellent condition – many of them mint in the box.

One of 10 Kent Greenbaum-designed folk art robots, each unique and constructed from spare toy parts, hardware and other offbeat fragments. Old Town Auctions image.

The unique designs of contemporary self-taught artist Kent Greenbaum have attracted considerable interest over the past few years. Greenbaum’s imaginative robot creations incorporate spare toy parts, fragments from advertising items, household objects and other pieces gleaned from unusual sources. “Each robot is completely unique. In this sale we’ll have 10 of them to offer to collectors,” said Protos.

Although it is primarily a space toy sale, Protos says there will also be an abundance of battery-operated construction toys, military toys (tanks, cannons, Jeeps) and Western items. Articles with a cowboy theme include cap guns and other highly desirable toys branded for the Lone Ranger or Hopalong Cassidy.

Dealers and collectors, alike, will have the opportunity to “buy quality in bulk,” Protos said. While the more-expensive items will be auctioned individually, there will also be a number of lots in the cataloged section containing 20 to 30 items. In the uncataloged group, some lots will contain 50 to 60 items.

Old Town Auctions’ July 17 sale will be held at Alexander’s Inn Auction House, 3607 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown, Maryland. The sale will start at 10 a.m., with a two-hour preview preceding the sale.

Any questions may be directed to Matt Protos by calling 301-416-2854 or e-mailing sales@oldtownauctions.com.

To view the fully illustrated auction catalog or to leave absentee bids online, log on to www.OldTownAuctions.com or at www.AuctionZip.com.

Preview June 29th – July 1st

Auction July 1st  10:30am

DESIGNED BY ARCHITECTS

Furniture, lamps and objects designed by important international architects
July 1st, 2010

More than 200 furniture, lamps, carpets, objects, architectural drawings, photographs and books from Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, design of the 50-70ties until the present day.

Auction June 23rd & 24th  9:30am

Preview June 22nd

Jackson Rooms sessions include American, Continental, English and Asian Antique and Semi-Antique Furniture including bookcases and dining tables.