The Auction Addict: Good Buy, Friday: Prints

photo: William Waldron
Stacked prints in a bedroom designed by Matthew Patrick Smyth, courtesy of Elle Decor.

Auctions are great for multiples, because the savings is often, well, multiplied. In the last Good Buy, Friday, I covered buying china sets. Purchasing a series of prints, lithographs or watercolors at auction can be just as much of a steal, not to mention a terrific time saver, particularly when the items are well framed, such as this set of six images (three shown) of Pompeii frescos, below, up for bidding at Skinner, in Boston, on July 9th, estimate $500-700.

Partial view of set of six images of Pompeii frescos, beautifully framed.
At auction, July 9th, estimate $500-700.

Almost as much fun as hunting for prints is deciding how to hang your finds, the

possibilities are endless. I love prints stacked above a bed...

photo: Simon Upton
Six matching prints in a bedroom designed by Sig Bergamin, courtesy of Elle Decor.

...and hung in unexpected places, such as the kitchen.

photo: Simon Upton
Matching prints in an London kitchen designed by Alex Papachristidis, courtesy of Elle Decor.

When buying prints at auction, it is important to note that auction houses tend to ignore the value of the frame when determining the estimate. This makes sense: the frame is removable and separate from the art, thus its value is somewhat subjective. But YOU shouldn't ignore the frame! Have you gotten anything framed lately? It's shockingly expensive! Thus, if the item is finished to your liking, you might just walk away with a set of fine artwork that cost less than the current market value of the frames that enclose it. The set of six hand colored English prints, below, also at Skinner, might ultimately prove my point.

One of a set of six hand colored English botanical engravings,
circa 1829. At auction in Boston on July 9th, estimate $750-1,000.

They'd work great in a kitchen. And no one has done a botanical set better than Eliza Bolen.

Eliza Bolen's kitchen, courtesy of Bright Young Things: New York

Many of the multiples that you'll find at auction, however, are not framed. The upside is they will be much cheaper to ship and you can finish them to your liking. They will also be easier to inspect for fading, toning and foxing--issues you need to be aware of when you decide how much to bid (though these should be factored into the estimate already, and appear on the Condition Report, which you will, of course, as for). Some definitions...

Fading - When the colors in the image have degraded, usually due to sunlight.

Foxing

Foxing- Age-related stains and spots that appear on paper and other ephemera, so called (allegedly) because the stains tend to be a reddish brown. The cause of the foxing will vary: it could be mold, it could be oxidation of minerals in the paper.

Toning - Refers to a yellowing or darkening of the paper. Sometimes the mat is toned but the image itself is fine.

Note that the latter two conditions can be treated. It will add considerably to the cost, of course, but if you have a sentimental attachment to a print or the item in question has limited foxing, consider taking your find to an expert, such as those at Alvarez Fine Art Services in New York.

All the aformentioned issues afflict this set of nine watercolors by H. Fletcher, below. I don't care, I love them anyway. Perfect for a boy's room, a dressing room or a handsome bathroom, like the one from Elle Decor, pictured beneath them. The watercolors are at Brunk in North Carolina (which always has great finds) on July 19th, estimate $400-800.

Nine naval portraits, watercolor,
at auction on July 19th, estimate $400-800.

photo: Roger Davies
Prints grace a bathroom designed by Laura Sartori Rimini and Roberto
Peregalli, courtesy of Elle Decor.

Brunk also has are several series of grisaille ships by the same artist, H. Fletcher. One set is below, find the others here and here. These are stunning too. How does one ever decide?

Set of eight grisaille watercolors of ships,

at auction July 19th, estimate $300-500.

I could see ships in an elegant, slightly Spartan bedroom, such as the one below. Note how a fourth print is stashed on the bedside table.

photo: Joshua McHugh
Scattered prints in a bedroom designed by J.Randall Powers, courtesy of Elle Decor.

Clearly, I'm in a nautical mood: the wind at my back, the sea spraying my face. What, you're not, you say? You're about meadows and pastures? About animals?

How about cows? Brunk has several sets of cow prints by British artist George Garrard, circa 1800, one of which can be seen below.

Set of 12 cow prints by George Garrard, circa 1800,

at auction July 19th, estimate $400-800.

I can imagine them in a study, such as the pretty room by Alexa Hampton, below, where nine similar photographs are scattered about the room in interesting arrangements.

Alexa Hampton

...but if you'd rather talk turkey, these would work too.

Set of four 19c prints, unframed, at auction on July 19th,
estimate $300-600.

I close with some additional ways to hang your finds. Be sure to check out the full catalogs at Brunk and Skinner--they seem to have a lot of prints in their upcoming auctions. In the interim, Happy hunting everyone...and Happy 4th!