Leading the sale was this Bil-Bol advertisement by Akseli Gallen-Kallela (Finnish, 1865-1931), published by Tilgmann, Helsinki, 1907, 34½ by 44½ inches. It achieved $62,500 ($40/60,000).
Review By Carly Timpson; Photos Courtesy Swann Auction Galleries
NEW YORK CITY — The February 29 Vintage Posters & Graphic Design auction, conducted by Swann Auction Galleries, presented “an exceptional, curated selection of images relating to skiing, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, travel and advertising,” according to Swann’s president and director of vintage posters, Nicholas D. Lowry. With both private collectors and institutions bidding on the 339 lots, the sale saw a 76 percent sell-through rate and realized $665,283 in total.
At the top of the sale, achieving $62,500, was a rare Bil-Bol advertisement by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Created in 1907, the advertisement contains some mystery as the company that commissioned the work is now unknown as the work’s title, translated from Swedish, is just “car company.” According to the auction catalog, most sources attribute the commission to Yrjö Weilin, though his dealership was not established until 1910. More likely it was Carl Cederström, the founder of Sweden’s first car company, which was trademarked as Bil-Bol, and whose cars were exhibited in Stockholm’s May 1907 car exposition. Seated in the poster’s fiery red car is a male figure and a nude allegorical female figure — a reimagining of the story of the “Snatching of Kyllikki” from the 1835 epic Kalevala.
Earning the sale’s second-highest price was a rare complete portfolio of Documents Décoratifs by Alphonse Mucha. The 72-plate compilation highlighted the artist’s excellence, especially in the Art Nouveau style, including examples of his work across fields and explanations of his creative processes. Published by Emile Levy, Paris, in 1902, the encyclopedic portfolio earned $22,500.
This complete 72-plate portfolio of Documents Décoratifs by Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860-1939), printed by Emile Levy, Paris, 1903, earned $22,500 ($15/20,000).
Another collection of prints saw great interest in this sale. This one was volumes 2-5 of Les Maîtres de l’Affiche. Celebrating European and American works, as selected by French art critic Roger Marx, Les Maîtres de l’Affiche, or Masters of the Poster, was printed by Imprimerie Chaix, Paris from 1895 to 1900. The publication’s second volume, the first included in this set, was published in 1896. Notable artists in the publication include Jules Chéret, Alphonse Mucha, Adolphe Willette, Georges de Feure, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Théophile Steinlen. Despite volume five missing one plate and not including volume one, the rebound collection brought $21,250 against a high estimate of $15,000.
A single poster for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition earned $15,000. Based on Evelyn Rumsey Cary’s allegorical “Spirit of Niagara,” the poster’s central image depicts a female figure embodying the water and mist of Niagara Falls with a rainbow and the city’s skyline behind her head. The poster included the exposition’s details above and below the image and each box was bordered by golden leaves. Published by Gies & Co., in Buffalo, N.Y., the poster passed its $12,000 high estimate to achieve $15,000.
Another event advertisement, this one for the 60 Years Jubilee for Austria’s Emperor Francis Joseph I, was among the top lots in the auction. Created by Berthold Löffler in 1908, this poster was printed by Christoph Reisser’s Söhne in Vienna. Other versions of this poster were printed in French and German, but this one, the English version where the figure is kneeling toward the right side, is considered to be the most rare. It earned $12,500.
Bringing $12,500 was this poster advertising the celebration of Emperor Francis Joseph I’s 60 Years Jubilee by Berthold Löffler (Austrian, 1874-1960), 1908, 41 by 15½ inches ($10/15,000).
Crossing the block at the same price of $15,000 were two decorative panels illustrated by Alphonse Mucha. Framed separately, the two panels of Mucha’s 1897 “Têtes Byzantines” (Byzantine Heads) were designed to be facing each other. The female heads — one blonde and the other brunette — are depicted in decorative halos against a background of geometric flourishes.
Two linocut compositions by László Moholy-Nagy for the Belgian avant-garde magazine Het Overzicht found buyers. The smaller of the two illustrations was created circa 1925 for the final issue of the magazine and included semicircle and rectangular shapes. It was won for $12,500. The other, created circa 1922 for the September 1923 issue, was comprised of rectangular shapes in varied shading styles and finished just below the other at $11,875. Both prints were signed in pencil by the artist.
Rounding out the top lots was an early advertisement by A.M. Cassandre. Created in 1925 for Cycles Brilliant, Cassandre strategically developed the image out of circles with just three ink colors and purposeful use of whitespace. Recognized as one of Cassandre’s most daring works, the poster made $11,875.
All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. On April 4, Swann will present an auction of African American art; the gallery’s next vintage poster sale will be the May 9 Tennis & Sports Posters auction. For information, 212-254-4710 or www.swanngalleries.com.
