Wisconsin - Art

"Crossing the Road (C-48)" is an original black serpentine stone sculpture by Colleen Madamombe. The artist signed the piece. This artwork features two women in large, textured dresses walking side by side. 6" x 5 1/2" x 3" art Colleen Madamombe was born in 1964 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Considered to be among the finest new talents from Zimbabwe, she has won the award of Best Female Artist of Zimbabwe for the past three consecutive years, and is quickly becoming an established figure of the Second Generation of Zimbabwean stone...

Lisa Fellerson’s paintings provoke an interplay and tension between line, shape, and color. With no preconceived idea in mind, she begins by dripping, scrapping, and gouging acrylic ...

"Artiste Dans l'Atelier" is an original lithograph by Claude Weisbuch. The artist signed the piece lower right and wrote the edition number (126/320) in the lower left. This piece de...

This statue was carved by an unknown Pende artist from Zaire. It depicts a walking man with a disc-shape on his head and large eyes. 25 3/4" x 7" sculpture The Pende people are an...

"Green Apple" is an original oil painting on wood by Wisconsin artist Robert Richter. It is signed on the verso and framed by the artist. Richter's hand-carved frame becomes an integ...

Sea glass teaches us that beauty can emerge from brokenness. It reminds us that flaws can be transformed into something exquisite, finding tranquility amidst chaos. Using the reminis...

"Sunrise" is an original oil painting by Wisconsin artist Robert Richter, signed on the verso. The frame was created and hand-carved by the artist, making it an integral part of the ...

41x25x10" Ceramic Steven Kemenyffy (born 1943) is an American ceramic artist living and working in Pennsylvania. He is most recognized for his contributions to the development of the American ceramic raku tradition. He has served as a Professor of Ceramic Art at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (formerly Edinboro State College) since 1969. He Has retired from teaching, but continues to produce artwork at his home studio in McKean, Pennsylvania. Kemenyffy is often characterized in regard to his contributions to American experimental ceramics of the late 1960s and early 1970s. More specifically, Kemenyffy’s contributions to American raku techniques are often cited. Kemenyffy has stated that his interest in raku came out of practical considerations: “We [Steven and Susan] were doing a variety of workshops in a variety of different media. Raku was always an official way of making pieces in a short period of time…In raku it seems to compress all the firings into one.” Kemenyffy, himself, describes his early work as “Biomorphic forms alluding to old ceramic traditions such as tiles, vases, and containers.” These works were often in excess of six feet tall and many times included mixed media elements. In 1974, Kemenyffy wrote about the work he was producing; “For several years now, my work has dealt with certain formal considerations. Chief among these is using clay in such a way as to crystallize the moment and permanentize the impermanent. These have been among the primary concerns of all potters since the earliest times.” Today, Kemenyffy continues his pursuit of biomorphic imagery and themes. He writes, “Personally I am most challenged by the business of transforming porous organics into porcelain.” For much of Kemenyffy’s career, he has worked in tandem with his wife, Susan Hale Kemenyffy. In 1987 Susan stated about their collaborative works: “Steven is the [sculptor], I am the drawer. These works would not exist if it weren’t for the sculpture; if it weren’t for the clay. The clay entity comes first and my drawings come second.” James Paul Thompson further clarifies this relationship (as observed in 1987): “Steven Kemenyffy uses patterns as a point of departure for his work, while Susan Kemenyffy...

"Ongoing" is an original acrylic painting on canvas by Alayna Rose, signed by the artist in the lower left. Influenced by Abstract Expressionists like Helen Frankenthaler, Rose's wor...

"Eagle & Bear" is an original yellow speckled Brazilian soapstone sculpture by Leroy Henry. The artist signed and dated the piece on the bottom. This sculpture depicts the head of an...

Harold Altman was born in New York City in 1924. He attended the Art Students League, the Black Mountain College, the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris, and was a graduate of ...

"Marche a la Volaille, a Gisors" is an original etching by Camille Pissarro. It depicts a dense crowd in black and white. This is edition 34/43 from Loys Delteil 98, 2nd State. 14" ...

No. 189. Prestel. Ed. Ralf Michler and Lutz W. Lopsinger. Catalog Raisonne of Dali's Etchings and Mixed-Media Prints, 1924 - 1980. From the Secret Poems by Apollinaire Series (Poemes...

"Yosemite Falls Close Up" is an original black and white archival pigment print. Using the original photograph taken in 1958. This is signed by the artist Thomas Ferderbar in the lower right and titled on the lower left using silver sharpie. A view from down stream of Yosemite Fall, so that the viewer feels as if they are there comparing human size to the large waterfall. Boulders and trees frame the view making it all the more impressive. Paper Size: 50" x 40" Frame Size: 54" x 44" Artist Statement: "I wanted to become a photographer at the age of 12, when my sister Grace gave me a Kodak Box...

Alternative sizes and media available: 16 x 16 16 x 20 16 x 24 20 x 20 20 x 30 28 x 28 28 x 35 30 x 45 40 x 40 40 x 50 40 x 60 Matte photo paper or canvas available on...

Alternative sizes and media available: 16 x 16 16 x 20 16 x 24 20 x 20 20 x 30 28 x 28 28 x 35 30 x 45 40 x 40 40 x 50 40 x 60 Matte photo paper or canvas available on...

31" in height roughly 12-15" wide Ceramic Steven Kemenyffy (born 1943) is an American ceramic artist living and working in Pennsylvania. He is most recognized for his contributions to the development of the American ceramic raku tradition. He has served as a Professor of Ceramic Art at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (formerly Edinboro State College) since 1969. He Has retired from teaching, but continues to produce artwork at his home studio in McKean, Pennsylvania. Kemenyffy is often characterized in regard to his contributions to American experimental ceramics of the late 1960s and early 1970s. More specifically, Kemenyffy’s contributions to American raku techniques are often cited. Kemenyffy has stated that his interest in raku came out of practical considerations: “We [Steven and Susan] were doing a variety of workshops in a variety of different media. Raku was always an official way of making pieces in a short period of time…In raku it seems to compress all the firings into one.” Kemenyffy, himself, describes his early work as “Biomorphic forms alluding to old ceramic traditions such as tiles, vases, and containers.” These works were often in excess of six feet tall and many times included mixed media elements. In 1974, Kemenyffy wrote about the work he was producing; “For several years now, my work has dealt with certain formal considerations. Chief among these is using clay in such a way as to crystallize the moment and permanentize the impermanent. These have been among the primary concerns of all potters since the earliest times.” Today, Kemenyffy continues his pursuit of biomorphic imagery and themes. He writes, “Personally I am most challenged by the business of transforming porous organics into porcelain.” For much of Kemenyffy’s career, he has worked in tandem with his wife, Susan Hale Kemenyffy. In 1987 Susan stated about their collaborative works: “Steven is the [sculptor], I am the drawer. These works would not exist if it weren’t for the sculpture; if it weren’t for the clay. The clay entity comes first and my drawings come second.” James Paul Thompson further clarifies this relationship (as observed in 1987): “Steven Kemenyffy uses patterns as a point of departure for his work, while Susan Kemenyffy...

"Calligraphie Heroique" is an original color lithograph by Claude Weisbuch. The artist signed the piece in the lower right and wrote the edition number (116/275) in the lower left. T...

In this artwork, Milwaukee-based artist Joan Dvorsky presents the viewer with a grand bird's eye view of a river. This is quite different from other pieces by Dvorsky of this size, a...

"Vendiendo Frutas," ("Selling Fruit") is an original oil painting on canvas signed by the Peruvian artist Ernesto Gutierrez. Visible is a vibrant rainbow o...

Window 2 is from a series of 7 painted aluminum wall sculptures. These wall sculptures are abstractions on the windows we use in our daily lives. We look into windows as well as out ...

"First Steps" is an original lithograph created by Jean Charlot. This is a wonderful piece with hispanic styling, showing a mother teaching her child how to walk. The mother is shown standing behind the child holding it in a fabric sling. The child is shown in the foreground leaning into the fabric sling as it starts to take its first steps. The artist signed this work in the lower right. Image Size: 13 7/8" x 9 3/4" Paper Size: 17 1/2" x 12 5/8" Frame Size: 23" x 19" Artist Bio: Louis Henri Jean Charlot was a French-born American painter and illustrator, active mainly in Mexico and the United States. Charlot’s mother’s family originated from Mexico City, and the artist was fascinated with Mexican manuscripts and pre-Columbian artifacts...

'Le Chef D'Oeuvre Inconnu,' or in English 'The Unknown Masterpiece,' is an original signed lithograph by the contemporary artist Claude Weisbuch – and it is an excellent example of t...

"Matinee a l'Odeon" is an original etching by Maurice Asselin. The artist signed and titled the print below the image. This piece is edition 13/30 and depicts three figures watching ...

"Casas Grandes Pottery" is a signed hand-built ceramic vessel with slip glaze created by Benito Morass. It features an abstract geometric design ...

"Portrait of a Soldier from Tehran" is an original oil painting by Cyrus Afsary. The artist signed the painting in the lower right. This piece depicts an Iranian man with a white head scarf, a Keffiyeh. Artwork Size: 27 1/2" x 19 3/4" Frame Size: 34 1/4" x 26 1/4" Artist Bio: Cyrus Afsary studied art under the strict discipline of the Russian Realist style of painting, graduating with two degrees. He has won numerous awards, including the Best of Show at the C M Russell show of Original Western Art and the Exceptional Merit Award from the National Arts Club at the 1986 Pastel society of America show. He has also received gold and silver medals from the National Academy of Western Art and was the first recipient of the coveted Lougheed Memorial Award. Cyrus won the Painting Award for “ mystical Transformation” at the Buffalo Bill Art Show in 2006 and also shared in the choice award. In 2007 he was awarded the Best of Show at the Eiteljorg Museum and in 2009 at the Charles Russell Museum he received the staff choice award, for “Entrance to Shrine” and in 2010 the Williams Award for Collectors’ reserve at the Gilcrease Museum. Oklahoma. Cyrus is an artist /member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame. He participates annually in the Prix de West invitational, and the Masters of the American West Exhibition at the Autry Museum in CA. The Eitejorg Museum in Indianapolis, IN and also the Buffalo Bill show in Cody Wyoming. Cyrus was featured in the 2002 Gilcrease Museum Rendezvous in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is also a member of the Northwest Rendezvous Group. Cyrus and his work appear in numerous publications, including American Artist, Art of The West, South West Art...

'Per l'avventura I' is an exquisite and colorful abstract painting signed by the American artist Alayna Rose. The painting is a quintessential example of her work, borrowing the lang...

"L'Apparition (The Vision)" is an original etching by Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellee). This print depicts a religious vision near the edge of a river. The publisher is Mannocci #5 and...

"Beside the Dying" is an original signed lithograph by Ben Shahn. This print is from the series "For the Sake of a Single Verse" and depicts the head of a man in dark gray seemingly asleep or dead on a white background. It is signed lower right and is edition 27/200. 22" x 17" art 32 3/8" x 27 3/8" frame Ben Shahn (American, September 12, 1898 - March 14, 1969) was a painter, lithographer, and photographer best known for his left-wing political leanings, works of social realism, and The Shape of Content, a publication of his lectures. Shahn was born in Kovno, Lithuania, when the country was still occupied by the Russian Empire. In 1902, Shahn's father, Joshua Hessel, was exiled to Siberia. Shahn then moved to Vilkomir, Lithuania, with his mother, Gittel, and his two siblings. Their family moved to the United States in 1906 to join their father who had fled from exile. After settling in Brooklyn, NY, Shahn began to train in lithography and graphic design, and his favorite medium was egg tempera. In 1919, Shahn enrolled in New York University to study Biology before entering the City College in 1921 to study Art. He also studied Art at the National Academy of Design. In the 1920s, Shahn and his wife traveled around Africa and Europe to study the works of renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881- 1973) and Raoul Dufy (French, 1877-1953). In 1933, Shahn worked as an assistant of Diego Rivera (Mexican, 1886 - 1957); at this time, Rivera was working on the mural at the Rockefeller Center in New York. Two years later, Shahn was recommended by Walker Evans (American, 1903 - 1975) to join the Farm Security Administration photographic group. One of the artist’s most famous works is the fresco mural he did for the Jersey Homesteads' community center. Shahn also worked on murals for the state on the Federal Security Building and the Bronx Central Annex Post Office. During the Second World War, Shahn made a series of paintings laced...

Acrylic on canvas

This flat shadow puppet was created by an unknown Indonesian artist. This shadow puppet, 26" high with movable arms, was used in Indonesian Wayang Klitik...

"Bright Eyes" is an original oil paint on canvas mounted on board by Pauline Palmer. It depicts a young child in blue with wide eyes smiling in front of a ...

"Worm-Wood Hare" is an original color lithograph by John James Audubon. It depicts three brown rabbits in a landscape. No. 18, Plate LXXXVIII, On Stone by W.E. Hitchcock. 6" x 8" ar...

Signed and dated in pen lower right corner

Cat. no. 1 in the catalogue raisonne by Alain Ramie, Picasso: Catalogue of the Edited Ceramic Works 1947 - 1971. Galerie Madoura. 1988. Artist's stamp on verso. Edition 151/200.

Shona sculpture from Zimbabwe

"La Visite des Amateurs" is an original color lithograph by Claude Weisbuch. It is signed in the lower right and editioned "EA" in the lower left. This piece depicts four figures: one artist in black robes, two onlookers, and one female nude model. They appear to be in an endless flat landscape. 22" x 29 7/8" art Claude Weisbuch was born on February 8th, 1927 in Thionville, France. His art includes drawing, painting and lithographs. Inventive and unique with his style he uses color range that is warm and rich in tone, certainly equal to that of Rembrandt. The fluidity of line and creation of motion is even more vigorous that in the work of Daumier or Toulouse Lautrec. His creativeness in composition is awesome and seems to have infinite possibilities of variation and vision. Weisbuch died in 2014. Exhibitions Herve Odermatt Gallery Paris, France Escole de Paris Paris, France David Barnett...

"Kota Reliquary Figure Nigeria" is a wood and copper sculpture created in Nigeria circa 1970. A head is made with wide red eyes. Their hair is in...

"El Capitan (Yosemite National Park, CA)" is an original black and white archival pigment print. Using the original photograph taken in 1958. This is signed by the artist Thomas Ferderbar in the lower right and titled on the lower left using silver sharpie. It is a vast expanse landscape photograph. Artwork Size: 50" x 40" Frame Size: 54" x 44" I wanted to become a photographer at the age of 12, when my sister Grace gave me a Kodak Box...

"King with Two Tribesmen" is a bronze relief sculpture from the Nigeria-Benin area tribe. It depicts three figures: two tribesmen on the left a...

'Ready for Marriage' is an original opal serpentine sculpture signed by the Zimbabwean artist Washington Msonza. The sculpture features a single elegant figure in a flowing gown, standing tall and averting her gaze as she clutches the veil that envelops her. Msonza emphasizes the materiality of the work, as is so desired of artists trained in the Shona tradition, by differentiating between the dark, smooth polish of her skin and the lighter textured surface of her clothes. Even more, passages of the surface are left in the serpentine's rough natural state, allowing the green-colored stone to contrast with the red-orange oxidization of its environment. opal stone (serpentine) 33 x 12 x 12 inches signed "Msonza W" on reverse along base Overall good condition; some minor scratches, likely as the sculpture left artist's studio. Base in photographs is not attached and is included at request of buyer. Washington Msonza was born in 1966 in Domboshava where he attended primary school. He then moved to Chitungwiza to attend secondary schooling. While in school, he spent most of his time watching his sculptor brother-in-law Albert Mamvura, whose workshop was close to his house. In 1988 Msonza began assisting Albert full time, while simultaneously gaining experience by watching other well known artists in the area including Gedion Nyanhongo...

This mask, created by an unknown Indonesian artist, features a bright salmon-colored face with heavily slanted eyes. It also has a mustache made of animal fur. It is approximately 7"...

"Lake Michigan Shore" is an original oil painting on board by Francesco Spicuzza. The artist shows the impact of Impressionism in his landscapes from around 1930. "Lake Michigan Shor...

The Gugler Lithograph Co. Chromolithograph 37 x 120 cm. (image with accompanying text)

"Art Deco Sailboat in Abstract Landscape #740" is an original colorful crayon drawing on paper by Sylvia Spicuzza, signed in pencil in the lower right corner. The sailboat of the title is in the center, set against a deep blue sky upon a dark green sea. It is framed by a abstract shapes of bright color that flow into one another in curving lines. The horizon line is maintained throughout the composition, and the effect is something like looking through a kaleidoscope. Art size: 8 1/2" x 7 1/4" Frame size: 16 1/4" x 14 1/2" Born in 1908, Sylvia Spicuzza was the daughter of noted painter Francesco Spicuzza. Sylvia devoted herself to teaching art to the students of Lake Bluff Elementary School in Shorewood, WI. During this time Sylvia produced a magnificent body of work that was undiscovered until her death. Sylvia's work is rich, diverse and fascinating collection of drawings...

"The location of 'Corot's View' is the island of San Bartolommeo on the Tiber River north of Rome. The encaustic painting is an approximate impression of Corot's prominent painting p...

Framed dimensions: 15.25 x 12.25 in Initialed in pencil lower right corner, signed and titled on verso.

"De La Bataille Vol. I, Homage a Leonard de Vinci" is a graphite drawing by Claude Weisbuch. The artist signed the piece lower right. This piece depicts a jumping horse inspired by L...

Alternative sizes and media available: 16 x 16 16 x 20 16 x 24 20 x 20 20 x 30 28 x 28 28 x 35 30 x 45 40 x 40 40 x 50 40 x 60 Matte photo paper or canvas available on...

This is a drypoint and aquatint artwork by Jacques Villon. The artist signed in pencil on the lower right. As well as signed in plate at the top right of the image. This is a wonderful artwork of different intaglio processes being brought together in a beautiful almost seamless harmony. The thin pencil like markings and hair detailing are made using the Drypoint printmaking method. Whilst the color details around the girls are made using the Aquatint etching method. Jacques Villon shows his skills as a printmaker with the way these pieces line up perfectly and with how clean the rest of the plate is around the girls. An unnumbered impression, apart from the numbered edition of 50. Catalogue Raisonne E101, pg. 66-67 (Ginestet & Pouillon. It depicts two young girls. 15" x 11 1/2" art 25 1/8" x 20" frame French painter, printmaker and illustrator. The oldest of three brothers who became major 20th-century artists, including Raymond Duchamp-Villon and Marcel Duchamp, he learnt engraving at the age of 16 from his maternal grandfather, Emile-Frédéric Nicolle (1830-94), a ship-broker who was also a much appreciated amateur artist. In January 1894, having completed his studies at the Lycée Corneille in Rouen, he was sent to study at the Faculty of Law of the University of Paris, but within a year he was devoting most of his time to art, already contributing lithographs to Parisian illustrated newspapers such as Assiette au beurre. At this time he chose his pseudonym: Jack (subsequently Jacques) in homage to Alphonse Daudet’s novel Jack (1876) and Villon in appreciation of the 15th-century French poet François Villon...

"Solid Yellow Bottle" is hand blow glass signed Ioan Nemtoi. This glass sculpture is pumpkin shaped. The neck of the sculpture is thin and very long and a greenish yellow. Whereas th...

"Veduta Presso di San Stefano Rotondo" is an original engraving by Israel Silvestre, titled along the bottom of the image. This small etching shows an unusual view of the church San ...

The present hand-colored lithograph is an excellent example of patriotic mid-nineteenth century American imagery. The print shows the battle and several of the major figures involved in the Battle of Lake Erie: At the center is a view of several frigates on the lake, embroiled in conflict. Above the battle is the quotation: "We have met the enemy and they are ours." Surrounding are laurel-lined roundels with portraits of Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819), Stephen Dicateur (1779-1820), Johnston Blakeley (1871-1814), William Bainbridge (1774-1833), David Porter (1780-1843), and James Lawrence (1781-1813) - all of these framed by American flags, banners and cannons. This print shows that the Battle of Lake Erie, part of the War of 1812, still held resonance for American audiences several decades later and was part of the larger narrative of the founding of the country. 9.5 x 13.5 inches, artwork 20 x 23.38 inches, frame Entitled in the image Signed in the stone, lower left "Lith. and Pub. by N. Currier" Inscribed lower right "2 Spruce N.Y." and "No. 1" Copyrighted lower center "Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1846 by N. Currier in the Clerk's office of the Southern District of N.Y." Framed to conservation standards using 100 percent rag matting and housed in a gold gilded moulding. Nathaniel Currier was a tall introspective man with a melancholy nature. He could captivate people with his piercing stare or charm them with his sparkling blue eyes. Nathaniel was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts on March 27th, 1813, the second of four children. His parents, Nathaniel and Hannah Currier, were distant cousins who lived a humble yet spartan life. When Nathaniel was eight years old, tragedy struck. Nathaniel’s father unexpectedly passed away leaving Nathaniel and his eleven-year-old brother Lorenzo to provide for the family. In addition to their mother, Nathaniel and Lorenzo had to care for six-year-old sister Elizabeth and two-year-old brother Charles. Nathaniel worked a series of odd jobs to support the family, and at fifteen, he started what would become a life-long career when he apprenticed in the Boston lithography shop of William and John Pendleton. A Bavarian gentleman named Alois Senefelder invented lithography just 30 years prior to young Nat Currier’s apprenticeship. While under the employ of the brothers Pendleton, Nat was taught the art of lithography by the firm’s chief printer, a French national named Dubois, who brought the lithography trade to America. Lithography involves grinding a piece of limestone flat and smooth then drawing in mirror image on the stone with a special grease pencil. After the image is completed, the stone is etched with a solution of aqua fortis leaving the greased areas in slight relief. Water is then used to wet the stone and greased-ink is rolled onto the raised areas. Since grease and water do not mix, the greased-ink is repelled by the moisture on the stone and clings to the original grease pencil lines. The stone is then placed in a press and used as a printing block to impart black on white images to paper. In 1833, now twenty-years old and an accomplished lithographer, Nat Currier left Boston and moved to Philadelphia to do contract work for M.E.D. Brown, a noted engraver and printer. With the promise of good money, Currier hired on to help Brown prepare lithographic stones of scientific images for the American Journal of Sciences and Arts. When Nat completed the contract work in 1834, he traveled to New York City to work once again for his mentor John Pendleton, who was now operating his own shop located at 137 Broadway. Soon after the reunion, Pendleton expressed an interest in returning to Boston and offered to sell his print shop to Currier. Young Nat did not have the financial resources to buy the shop, but being the resourceful type he found another local printer by the name of Stodart. Together they bought Pendleton’s business. The firm ‘Currier & Stodart’ specialized in "job" printing. They produced many different types of printed items, most notably music manuscripts for local publishers. By 1835, Stodart was frustrated that the business was not making enough money and he ended the partnership, taking his investment with him. With little more than some lithographic stones, and a talent for his trade, twenty-two year old Nat Currier set up shop in a temporary office at 1 Wall Street in New York City. He named his new enterprise ‘N. Currier, Lithographer’ Nathaniel continued as a job printer and duplicated everything from music sheets to architectural plans. He experimented with portraits, disaster scenes and memorial prints, and any thing that he could sell to the public from tables in front of his shop. During 1835 he produced a disaster print Ruins of the Planter's Hotel, New Orleans, which fell at two O’clock on the Morning of the 15th of May 1835, burying 50 persons, 40 of whom Escaped with their Lives. The public had a thirst for newsworthy events, and newspapers of the day did not include pictures. By producing this print, Nat gave the public a new way to “see” the news. The print sold reasonably well, an important fact that was not lost on Currier. Nat met and married Eliza Farnsworth in 1840. He also produced a print that same year titled Awful Conflagration of the Steamboat Lexington in Long Island Sound on Monday Evening, January 18, 1840, by which melancholy occurrence over One Hundred Persons Perished. This print sold out very quickly, and Currier was approached by an enterprising publication who contracted him to print a single sheet addition of their paper, the New York Sun. This single page paper is presumed to be the first illustrated newspaper ever published. The success of the Lexington print launched his career nationally and put him in a position to finally lift his family up. In 1841, Nat and Eliza had their first child, a son they named Edward West Currier. That same year Nat hired his twenty-one year old brother Charles and taught him the lithography trade, he also hired his artistically inclined brother Lorenzo to travel out west and make sketches of the new frontier as material for future prints. Charles worked for the firm on and off over the years, and invented a new type of lithographic crayon which he patented and named the Crayola. Lorenzo continued selling sketches to Nat for the next few years. In 1843, Nat and Eliza had a daughter, Eliza West Currier, but tragedy struck in early 1847 when their young daughter died from a prolonged illness. Nat and Eliza were grief stricken, and Eliza, driven by despair, gave up on life and passed away just four months after her daughter’s death. The subject of Nat Currier’s artwork changed following the death of his wife and daughter, and he produced many memorial prints and sentimental prints during the late 1840s. The memorial prints generally depicted grief stricken families posed by gravestones (the stones were left blank so the purchasers could fill in the names of the dearly departed). The sentimental prints usually depicted idealized portraits of women and children, titled with popular Christian names of the day. Late in 1847, Nat Currier married Lura Ormsbee, a friend of the family. Lura was a self-sufficient woman, and she immediately set out to help Nat raise six-year-old Edward and get their house in order. In 1849, Lura delivered a son, Walter Black Currier, but fate dealt them a blow when young Walter died one year later. While Nat and Lura were grieving the loss of their new son, word came from San Francisco that Nat’s brother Lorenzo had also passed away from a brief illness. Nat sank deeper into his natural quiet melancholy. Friends stopped by to console the couple, and Lura began to set an extra place at their table for these unexpected guests. She continued this tradition throughout their lives. In 1852, Charles introduced a friend, James Merritt Ives, to Nat and suggested he hire him as a bookkeeper. Jim Ives was a native New Yorker born in 1824 and raised on the grounds of Bellevue Hospital where his father was employed as superintendent. Jim was a self-trained artist and professional bookkeeper. He was also a plump and jovial man, presenting the exact opposite image of his new boss. Jim Ives met Charles Currier through Caroline Clark, the object of Jim’s affection. Caroline’s sister Elizabeth was married to Charles, and Caroline was a close friend of the Currier family. Jim eventually proposed marriage to Caroline and solicited an introduction to Nat Currier, through Charles, in hopes of securing a more stable income to support his future wife. Ives quickly set out to improve and modernize his new employer’s bookkeeping methods. He reorganized the firm’s sizable inventory, and used his artistic skills to streamline the firm’s production methods. By 1857, Nathaniel had become so dependent on Jims’ skills and initiative that he offered him a full partnership in the firm and appointed him general manager. The two men chose the name ‘Currier & Ives’ for the new partnership, and became close friends. Currier & Ives produced their prints in a building at 33 Spruce Street where they occupied the third, fourth and fifth floors. The third floor was devoted to the hand operated printing presses that were built by Nat's cousin, Cyrus Currier, at his shop Cyrus Currier & Sons in Newark, NJ. The fourth floor found the artists, lithographers and the stone grinders at work. The fifth floor housed the coloring department, and was one of the earliest production lines in the country. The colorists were generally immigrant girls, mostly German, who came to America with some formal artistic training. Each colorist was responsible for adding a single color to a print. As a colorist finished applying their color, the print was passed down the line to the next colorist to add their color. The colorists worked from a master print displayed above their table, which showed where the proper colors were to be placed. At the end of the table was a touch up artist who checked the prints for quality, touching-in areas that may have been missed as it passed down the line. During the Civil War, demand for prints became so great that coloring stencils were developed to speed up production. Although most Currier & Ives prints were colored in house, some were sent out to contract artists. The rate Currier & Ives paid these artists for coloring work was one dollar per one hundred small folios (a penny a print) and one dollar per one dozen large folios. Currier & Ives also offered uncolored prints to dealers, with instructions (included on the price list) on how to 'prepare the prints for coloring.' In addition, schools could order uncolored prints from the firm’s catalogue to use in their painting classes. Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives attracted a wide circle of friends during their years in business. Some of their more famous acquaintances included Horace Greeley, Phineas T. Barnum, and the outspoken abolitionists Rev. Henry Ward, and John Greenleaf Whittier (the latter being a cousin of Mr. Currier). Nat Currier and Jim Ives described their business as "Publishers of Cheap and Popular Pictures" and produced many categories of prints. These included Disaster Scenes, Sentimental Images, Sports, Humor, Hunting Scenes, Politics, Religion, City and Rural Scenes, Trains, Ships, Fire Fighters, Famous Race Horses, Historical Portraits, and just about any other topic that satisfied the general public's taste. In all, the firm produced in excess of 7500 different titles, totaling over one million prints produced from 1835 to 1907. Nat Currier retired in 1880, and signed over his share of the firm to his son Edward. Nat died eight years later at his summer home 'Lion’s Gate' in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Jim Ives remained active in the firm until his death in 1895, when his share of the firm passed to his eldest son, Chauncey. In 1902, faced will failing health from the ravages of Tuberculosis, Edward Currier sold his share of the firm to Chauncey Ives...

'Eye Witness' is an original opal serpentine sculpture signed by the Zimbabwean artist Josphat Makenzi. Makenzi was trained in the contemporary Shona stone carving tradition, and thus his works take on themes from African as well as from European art history. His sculptures of the human face have the abstracted qualities of traditional African sculptures and masks...

"Indian Pow-Wow" is an original painting in tempera, signed in the lower right. It features gestural blue outlines, decorated in shades of yellow, blue, and green. Art size: 24" x 1...

"Venise en Fleurs" is an original color lithograph by Andre Masson. This piece is from the "Je Reve" (I Dream) portfolio of 1975. The edition number, written lower left, is H.C. XXV/...

"Silent Sails" is an original watercolor painting on Holbein watercolor paper by Craig Lueck.These petite watercolors that make up Lueck's portfolio serve as windows into the artist'...

'The Dealer' is an original lithograph from John Doyle's 'Gambler' series. The suite included ten different prints, each image capturing the exhilaration and danger of the games of chance played by casino goers. In one of the prints, a woman pulls the lever of a slot machine; in another, men queue before a lottery ticket window. In 'The Dealer,' a man faces the viewer directly. His stern gaze is hidden behind dark glasses as he springs cards between his hands in a flurry of aces and spades. His clothes reflect both the fashion of the 1970s while also hearkening to the villains of Western films. All the while, he is framed from behind by the arch of a blackjack table, which is itself lined by glistening lights of the casino. 29.5 x 20.5 inches, artwork 37.75 x 28.75 inches, frame Signed "doyle" in pencil, lower right Entitled "Dealer" in pencil, lower left Series title "Gamblers" in pencil, lower left Edition "XXXIII/XL" (33/40) in pencil, lower left Publisher blindstamp, lower left Framed to conservation standards using archival materials including 100 percent rag matting, UV Clear glass to inhibit fading, and housed in a maroon-tinted mock tortoise shell finish wood moulding with a gold finish bevel. Artwork in excellent condition; housed in a new custom frame. John Lawrence Doyle...

A folksy rendered hand-painted mother cow stands with her calf in a springtime field in this small wooden sculpture by self taught artist, Menno. This unique artwork makes a great gi...

Antonio Diaz Cortes, a Mexican artist influenced by Pablo Picasso and Rufino Tamayo, employs the Cubist idiom to create a portrait with elements of pattern in Brazilian Girl of 1969....