The artistic life of Max Pechstein was going well as 1933 took shape. The son of a craftsman who worked in a textile mill, he’d studied art at the Royal Art Academy in Dresden, where he met Erich Heckel and joined the art group Die Brücke. Later in Berlin, he’d helped found the Neue Sezession and gained recognition for his decorative and colorful paintings. By 1933, he’d been a professor at the Berlin Academy going on ten years. Things were going well for artist Max Pechstein till the Stormtroopers arrived That all changed when the Nazis came to power. Pechstein was soon dismissed from the Berlin Academy and all up, a total of 326 of his paintings were removed from German museums. Wisely, the artist made himself scarce at this time, going into virtual seclusion in rural Pomerania. Pechstein would survive the war, be reinstated at the Berlin...Read More

Sporting art has long captured the thrill of the hunt, the elegance of equestrian activities, and the allure of the wilderness. Spanning from the 16th century to present day, this expansive niche depicts a variety of sports from the lush English countryside to the exotic plains of Africa. First to mind are scenes of active horseracing in the late 19th century prior to the widespread use of photography. However, the genre spreads to include duck decoys, antique hunting and fishing equipment, trophies, and even motorcars. The appeal lies in its ability to be both academic and decorative. Preening Black Duck sold at Copley Fine Art Auctions in July 2015 for $210,000   William Joseph Shayers Lord Lyon Winning the Derby at Epsom, 1866 sold at The Sporting Art Auction in November 2015 for $51,750 The second session of The Cobbs Auctioneers’ April...Read More

Simeon H. Merrill was a 20-year resident of Bridgeton, Maine when the Civil War broke out. Answering a 90-day call for service, he enlisted as a Corporal in Co. C of the 1st Maine Infantry on May 3, 1861. Merrill would rise through the ranks, and with the loss of two superior officers took command of Co. I, of the 11th Maine Infantry in November 1864. 150 years later, the Civil War record of Captain Merrill will once again be highlighted when an extremely rare Confederate Cofer revolver goes under the hammer on Day 1 of Cowan’s Auctions’ Historic Firearms and Early Militaria sale. How rare, you ask? Well, this prized handgun, selling here as Lot 81, is one of only fifteen known Cofer revolvers still in existence. A fresh-faced Captain Merrill pictured in uniform (left), and a group of captured Confederate soldiers The 11th Maine served in t...Read More

Descendants of the Gilded Age horseman and industrialist C. K. G. Billings will auction one of his luxurious racing trophies that had long sat boxed in a closet. It will be offered on May 1 at Stair Galleries in Hudson, N.Y. (with an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000). An enameled silver vessel the size of a punch bowl, made around 1909 by Fabergé, it is shaped like a traditional Russian drinking container known as a kovsh. Its handle is modeled after the head and neck of a goose with a speckled beak and a glaring expression, and its rim flares like a bird’s tail. The designer, Feodor Rückert, covered it in his signature swirls of Russian folk floral patterns, checkerboards and spirals. An enameled silver vessel made around 1909 by Fabergé, to be offered on May 1 at Stair Galleries Mr. Billings received it as a present from the czar’s court d...Read More

Keeping time surrounds us on walls, furniture, our wrists and phones. A long-standing keeper of the time, the clock, is working hard every day. Isn’t it time you got to know your clock a little better? Here are five fun facts for your next clock conversation… 1. When is a clock not a clock? When it’s a timepiece! The word “clock” comes from the Dutch word “glock,” which means bell. The word “clock” was used to ring a bell. When a clock doesn’t strike or chime, it’s a timepiece. Similar looks, however on the left is a Mayer Year-duration Vienna Regulator Timepiece and on the right a Carved Thirty-day Vienna Regulator Wall Clock, both in Skinners upcoming Clocks, Watches & Scientific Instruments auction April 29.   2. What does “Tempus Fugit” mean on a clock dial? Instead of a brand name, it is actually a Latin phrase that translates into Eng...Read More

Bidsquare and the Association of Professional Art Advisors are pleased to present the second session in One Art Nations four-part webinar series: The Four Stages of Collecting - Part II: Legal and Tax Issues. On Monday, April 25th, Diana Wierbicki will discuss the legal and tax issues that are essential knowledge for art collectors. Register here for the complimentary webinar. Speaker Info Diana Wierbicki’s practice is focused on art law dealing with purchases, sales, loans, consignments and charitable giving of works of art. Diana has counseled art collectors and art dealers on all aspects of their art transactions. Diana is also a member of the Wealth Planning practice group and advises high net worth individuals and their families on tax, trust and estate planning matters, as well as on commercial Diana has been quoted in various news ou...Read More

The act of smoking isn’t what it used to be. Scientific studies and good ole common sense tells us that, whichever way you look at it, smoking is probably something youre better off avoiding. Yet back in less enlightened times, smoking was seen as the height of cool and sophistication, and nothing more embodied that than the production of finely crafted cigarette cases. On Thursday, April 21, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers offer bidders a sample of some of that bygone handiwork when they catalog over 250 tobacco related cases, all from Russia, on the Day 2 of their Fine Furniture and Decorative Arts sale. And while the collection consists primarily of cigarette cases, snuff bottles, pill and change boxes also go under the hammer in what promises to be the finest sales of its kind this year. Lot 599 is sure to catch the eye of collectors - a Rus...Read More

As one of the world’s most notable classical pianists, and the youngest pianist who won the International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition, Yundi Li never hid his preference for Steinway pianos. He once said, “I only perform with Steinway pianos.” It is no surprise that many famous pianists choose Steinway because of its fine quality. Pianist Yundi Li and Steinway & Sons piano at his concert Steinway & Sons, more commonly known as Steinway, is an American and German piano company. German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg founded the company in 1853 in Manhattan. By the time Steinweg created the company he had already built 482 pianos. The first piano produced by the company, number 483, was sold to a New York family for $500. Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg  The 100,000th Steinway Piano was built for President Theodore Roosevelt intended f...Read More

Bidding online is a quick, easy way to participate in Rago’s auctions when you’d rather not make the trip to their saleroom. This short video by Rago shows you everything you need to know to bid online.   Before you bid in any auctions, please read the terms of sale, which includes information on the buyer’s premium, methods of payment, warranty and more.

Designer Bunny Williams discusses her design philosophy, collecting tips and why auctions are tools for learning about the decorative arts. "A house that really has a richness to it is one that evolves over a period of time,” says interior designer Bunny Williams, who is one of the twelve designers creating a room for Sotheby’s Designer Showhouse.