Exciting Opportunity for Collectors - December 5

Historic Maps, Rare Books, Natural History Watercolors & Color Plate Books, New York-centric Art and American and European Oil Paintings all to be featured in Guernsey's December 5th Auction.

On December 5th, Guernsey's is honored to be conducting the sale of hundreds of treasures acquired over the last four decades by noted gallerist Graham Arader. Recognized internationally for his extraordinary collections, Mr. Arader is generously supporting several fine universities by turning auction proceeds into meaningful donations. Prospective buyers should note that the majority of auction lots will be sold either without minimum reserve or with reserves well below the amounts Mr. Arader purchased the items for over the years. Following a nearly week long preview (Nov. 30 - Dec. 4), the auction will be held live at Arader's beautiful Beaux Arts flagship gallery on New York City's Madison Avenue at 78th Street. Naturally, Guernsey's will be accommodating those unable to attend by making absentee bidding available via the Internet (liveauctioneers.com) and telephone. A massive, handsome auction catalogue (available from Guernsey's or Arader) thoroughly depicts and documents the extraordinary offerings.

Featured categories include eighty two of John James Audubon's stunning copper engravings of Birds and Quadrupeds. Many of the most sought after drawings, virtually all in uncut, pristine condition will be sold. Arguably the finest selection of historic maps and rare globes ever to come to auction will include the extremely rare hand-colored woodcut map of the Atlantic Ocean by Martin Waldseemüller, centerpiece of his groundbreaking 1513 atlas. The Natural History Section of the auction will contain sixty six lots of beautiful watercolors and color plate books including a magnificent collection of the books of John Gould, without question the most prolific ornithological artist of the 19th century. Fifty nine lots will be devoted to handsome watercolors and maps depicting early scenes of New York City. Auction lots include a 19th century landscape of Manhattan as seen from Hoboken, a wonderful Great Gatsby-era birds-eye view of Long Island's then-developing Gold Coast, and an extremely rare secret plan of the City created by a British officer on the eve of the Revolution. Additionally, there will be a fine offering of American and European paintings by such noted artists as Thomas Hill and George Henry Durrie.

Naturally, the items above represent only the smallest sampling from this extraordinary event. Interested collectors and those who appreciate amongst the rarest and most beautiful works ever created on paper are urged to contact Guernsey's for complete information.

You can download a complete catalog of all featured lots and estimates for this auction here: 

Download Arader Galleries/Guernsey Catalog (PDF, 6.62MB)

Guernsey's Auction, September 8, 2012

The recent Roger Tory Peterson and John James Audubon auction, as featured in the NY Times, conducted by Guernsey’s at Arader Galleries on Madison Ave., in New York this last Saturday, was an unmitigated success, and surely heralds a welcome return to a lively auction scene not often seen since the end of 2008.

Old friends and new packed the second floor at the Arader Galleries flagship store, which saw furious bidding for more than 400 lots of original gouache, watercolour and pencil drawings of birds that illustrate Peterson’s iconic Field Guides. With more than 90% sold by lot, Peterson’s place as the best known and best loved illustrator of birds in modern times is secured. “It is impossible to overestimate the role that Roger Tory Peterson played in 20th-century wildlife art and photography. Like the legendary John James Audubon before him, Peterson’s pioneering approach to the art of nature changed how everyday Americans interacted with the world around them, in particular with birds. The detailed paintings Peterson produced depicted birds in a realistic and easily recognisable way and in their natural habitat. That art, translated into his Field Guides to Birds, made modern bird-watching easily do-able by a regular person...” (Guernsey’s sale catalogue).

Audubon’s magnificent hand-coloured aquatints from the double elephant folio edition of  “The Birds of America” (1827-1838), the single most important work on North American ornithology, were more than 80% sold by lot. Many, many lots by both artists achieved well over their high estimates; but by far and away the star of the auction was plate 431, Audubon’s life-size, vibrantly coloured American Flamingo at more than $125,000 inclusive. Other notable prices were achieved for Audubon’s Common American Swann at $97,600, and his Trumpeter Swann at $76,250.

Arader Galleries retains a comprehensive gallery of works of art by both Audubon and Roger Tory Peterson, and we welcome all visitors at our galleries in New York, Philadelphia, Houston and San Francisco, or to our website www.aradersf.com.