| Press Contact: | Catherine Riedell | Sandy Goroff |
| Director of Marketing | SGMA | |
| Skinner, Inc | >||
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978-779-6341, x231 |
617-375-9013 | |
September 20th auction to feature what is believed to be the world’s largest antique cat painting, plus more paintings and prints, furniture, sculpture, glass, decorative arts, and textiles
Skinner to host special pre-auction events with Tufts Animal Expo and SPNEA
BOSTON, Mass. – August 20, 2002 - www.skinnerinc.com - -- Skinner, Inc., one of the nation’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, will hold the purrrrr-fect auction for feline fanatics and tabby enthusiasts around the world: the first-ever “All Cat” auction held in the U.S. Skinner’s Cat Auction is perhaps the greatest tribute to the cat as a muse for artists, artisans and art lovers that the auction market has ever seen. The highly anticipated auction will be held on Friday, September 20th, beginning at 6 p.m. in Skinner’s newly expanded Boston Gallery.
The undisputed highlight of the sale is what is believed to be the world’s largest antique cat painting, measuring 6 feet by 8 ½ feet, unframed. Painted at the turn of the century by Carl Kahler, a renowned Austrian artist, the painting is entitled, My Wife’s Lovers, and it features 42 cats of all different breeds. The work was commissioned in 1891 by Kate Birdsall Johnson, a wealthy arts patron and avid cat lover from San Francisco. At the time of her death in 1893, Johnson was a widow who lived alone, except for 50 prized Angora and Persian cats. The painting is estimated at $500,000-$700,000.
My Wife’s Lovers is just one of dozens of cat paintings up for auction. The sale will also feature 35 cat portraits from just one collector, and other works of art inspired by the cat, including fine furniture, sculpture, glass, ceramics, textiles, and accessories. Auction estimates range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
To fully celebrate the sale, Skinner will host a series of events prior to the auction, including a private preview and VIP Reception for Tufts Animal Expo on Thursday September 12th and a lecture on Thursday September 19th on the history of Pet Collectibles presented by Nancy Carlisle, noted curator for the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA). Skinner also hopes to raise donations to benefit the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA).
“I stumbled into a cat show a few years ago and was fascinated to see that “Best of Show” doesn’t have to sit, jump, run or even pretend to obey! The “Best Cat” merely has to be beautiful –it’s much the same with art,” notes Colleene Fesko, Skinner’s Director of American & European Paintings & Prints. “The material presented in this auction will appeal to cat enthusiasts and art lovers alike, and we’re delighted to support Tufts Animal Expo and raise awareness for the MSPCA.”
A fully illustrated catalog for the auction is available for $32.00 by mail by calling 978-779-6241 x240. For more information on Skinner’s All-Cat Auction, contact Colleene Fesko, Skinner’s Director of American & European Paintings & Prints, or visit Skinner’s web site at www.skinnerinc.com.
Note to Editors: Photos available upon request. Contact Catherine Riedel at 978-779-6241 x 231.
About Skinner:
With galleries in Boston and Bolton, Mass., Skinner is a one of the nation’s leading auction houses. As a full-service auction house, Skinner provides auction and appraisal services for all manner of antiques and fine art, and its appraisal experts are regularly seen on the PBS series, The Antiques Roadshow. Skinner conducts auctions year-round and has received world-record prices for many pieces sold at auction. Departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, Paintings & Prints, English & Continental Furniture & Decorations, Fine Ceramics, Jewelry, Couture, 20th Century Furniture & Decorative Arts, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Art, Fine Judaica, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, Science & Technology, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, American Indian & Ethnographic Art, and Discovery. For more information on upcoming auctions, visit Skinner’s web site www.skinnerinc.com.