Joel and Sharon Schwartz began collecting together just prior to their marriage. Having purchased a Georgian brick home in Newton, MA, they felt the need to fill it with wonderful objects that were both fun and consistent with the character of the house. A wicker cart with “more panache than utility” as Joel puts it, was their very first purchase. This cart can be found as Lot 1800, the first lot of their collection offered for in our current Discovery – Interiors online auction.… Read More
Prior to its annexation as the 28th state by the United States, The Republic of Texas was its own sovereign nation. Having fought for and gaining their independence from Mexico by 1836, the young republic found itself with significant financial/economic and political issues, leading to their eventual annexation in 1845. These nine tumultuous years in-between originated some of Texas’s rarest and most sought after currency.
The Panic of 1837 halted commerce to a standstill, sending Texas’s land prices and the value of its paper currency on a downward spiral.… Read More
What are the Asian countries represented in the current auction?
Primarily China and Japan. We do have a very unusual piece from India: a dark wooden valuables chest with decorative straps around it—in the right space, it would be very dramatic (Lot 1520).… Read More
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25 | RECEPTION 5:30PM | LECTURE 6PM
Anna Winestein, a historian of Russian visual culture, will speak about the international reception of art and artists from the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union in the last 150 years. The lecture will be illustrated with select artworks from Skinner’s January 27 Fine Paintings and Sculpture auction, supplemented with images of artworks in American and European collections.… Read More
Funky, quirky, out of sight, wild! Such words are heard repeatedly as people come upon the eclectic Elaine Rush collection in Skinner’s Marlborough gallery as it awaits the online auction that will run from November 30 to December 16.
It’s tempting to call the furniture, accessories, architectural elements, found art and decorative pieces a “cool-ection,”, because cool is the word most often uttered by passers-by.
The auction is presented by the 20th Century Design Department, but like the collector herself, the collection defies boundaries.… Read More
The objects of everyday life, folk art, are the carved and decorated objects (weathervanes, whirligigs, and paintings) often made outside of urban areas by itinerant or self-taught artists and craftspeople. These naive and sometimes primitive objects are often colorful, highly individual and whimsical interpretations of utilitarian or decorative forms. A simple box can be transformed by colorful paint or wind-driven whirligigs can be fashioned in endless variation.… Read More
I get asked this question more than any other. The short answer: Everyone.
A single word isn’t much of a blog post, so let me give you the longer version. Skinner auctions are public auctions. Absolutely anybody who loves art or antiques is welcome to attend. The previews are a time for potential bidders to come into the gallery and view lots first-hand; to examine the condition of a Wayne Thiebaud woodcut, or the construction of a card table or to feel the heft of a piece of Wedgwood.… Read More
Join us for an exciting evening of art and hors d’oeuvres welcoming young and beginning collectors, hosted by Skinner’s American & European Works of Art department. Learn about the basics of collecting and buying at auction, featuring a panel discussion moderated by Robin S.R. Starr with fine photographs specialist, Michelle Lamunière; curator and art consultant, Elizabeth Devlin; and gallerist, Joseph Carroll, while previewing Modern & Contemporary works, including paintings, sculpture, prints and photographs, featured in our September 23 Fine Art auctions.… Read More
Dealers are the heart of the antiques business, the cheerleaders, and the energy that keeps the whole system flowing. They cultivate collectors. They hunt at all hours of the day and night, in the four corners of the globe, at auctions, flea markets, antique shows, shops, and online for treasures at the right price.
You may be wondering, “What is meant by the term Americana?” Americana incorporates a broad range of American furniture and decorative arts.