Ahlers & Ogletree – The Collection of Jerome & Bridget Dobson
May 16th, 2024 at 10am ET
www.AandOauctions.com
1788 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30318

ATLANTA, GA. — Some of the brightest stars in the fine art galaxy — names such as Marc Chagall, Raoul Dufy, David Hockney, Pablo Picasso, Ludwig Bemelmans, Carlos Nadal and Georges Braque — will be represented, sometimes multiple times, at the auction of the Bridget and Jerome Dobson collection slated for Thursday, May 16, 10 ET by Ahlers & Ogletree, online and live at the Atlanta gallery.

“Since the 1970s, the dynamic duo of Bridget and Jerome Dobson has written award-winning episodes of several iconic daytime TV soap operas, including General Hospital, Guiding Light, As the World Turns and Santa Barbara,” said Robert Ahlers of Ahlers & Ogletree. “Between writing sessions, the couple collected incredible art on their travels around the world. Now, it will all be sold at auction.”

The auction’s undisputed headliner is the French/Russian artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985), whose signed 1980 tempera on Masonite titled “Peintre, Ange et Amoreaux” (Painter, Angel and Lover) is expected to realize $200/300,000. The Dobsons purchased the work at a Sotheby’s auction in 1998. It comes with a COA from Jean-Louis Prat, an agent of the Comité Marc Chagall (ref. 92005).

There are several artworks in the sale by Carlos Nadal (1917-1998), the French-born Spanish painter of the Fauvist school. They include a 1992 oil on canvas work titled “Salon Rojo,” signed lower left and titled, signed and dated to verso. The painting has a label on verso for the Bruton St Gallery and measures 35 by 45¾ inches (canvas, less the frame) ($25/35,000).

An oil on canvas laid to board by Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962), the Austrian-born American artist best known as the illustrator of the iconic Madeline children’s book series, is titled “Oh, Genevieve, Where Can You Be?” The painting is tall and thin, at 66¾ by 22½ inches, and is unframed and apparently unsigned. The Dobsons purchased it at a Sotheby’s auction in 1999 ($20/30,000).

There are three paintings in the sale by Bemelmans. In 1953, Aristotle Onassis commissioned Bemelmans to paint 15 mural panels for the playroom on his yacht The Christina, named for his daughter. The murals were painted after illustrations that appeared in several of the author’s Madeline books, adaptations from originals in Madeline’s Rescue and Madeline and the Bad Hat.

Another artist whose name will be chanted more than once is Raoul Dufy (French, 1877-1953). His gouache and watercolor on paper titled “La Plage d’Etretat” (Etretat Beach) is titled lower center and signed lower right. It’s included in the supplement to the Catalog Raisonne of Watercolors, Gouaches, and Pastels by Raoul Dufy, reference As-0270. ($20/30,000).

A black and white lithograph on Arches paper by David Hockney (British, b 1937), titled “Big Celia #2” (1981), is #82 from an edition of 100 ($18/26,000). The sheet is 52½ by 57¼ inches (the frame is 62¾ by 67½ inches).

Stepping briefly away from fine art for a moment, a circa Second Century Roman marble trapezophorus (or table support), modeled as a lion with stylized mane, open fanged mouth, rounded chest and rising on a monopedia paw foot with plinth base, apparently unmarked, has an estimate of $8/16,000.

A large, circa Fourth Century BCE attic red figure terracotta bell krater with Dionysus god of fertility, wine and pleasure, having a rolled rim above an inverted bell shape body, flanked by lug handles, the whole rising on a pedestal foot, decorated on one side with a scene of a seated nude Dionysus holding a long staff, 16 inches tall, should hit $8/12,000.

A pair of Nineteenth Century Italian walnut and mixed wood veneer commodes in the Neoclassical taste, having marquetry and parquetry inlay with bird and floral roundels to the top, three drawers with urn roundels, and rising on tapering feet, apparently unmarked, is expected to bring $6/8,000.

Several artworks by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) will cross the auction block. A “Chope visage” (A.R. 434) painted earthenware ceramic jug (or pitcher), #94 from an edition of 300 that was conceived in 1959, decorated with a blue face, stamped “Edition Picasso” and “Madoura Plein Feu,” with painted marks “Edition Picasso” and “94/300,” 8¾ inches tall, has an estimate of $5/7,000.

Also carrying an estimate of $5/7,000 is a 1966 etching with drypoint on paper, a Picasso artist’s proof of 15 titled “Venus Foraine,” pencil-signed lower right and ink stamped on verso “Succ. Pablo Picasso Coll. Marina Picasso.” The etching was acquired from the Fay Gold Gallery in Atlanta. It measures 12½ by 16¼ inches.

Previews are Monday, May 13, 10 am to 5 pm; Tuesday, May 14, 10 am to 5 pm (with extended evening hours from 5 to 7 pm); and Wednesday, May 15, 10 am to 5 pm.

Ahlers & Ogletree’s gallery is at 1788 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard NW.

Online bidding will be provided by the Ahlers & Ogletree website (aandoauctions.com), as well as bidsquare.com, liveauctioneers.com and invaluable.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted. For more information, www.aandoauctions.com.

This exclusive auction features stunning pieces from the renowned private collection of award-winning soap opera television writers Bridget and Jerome Dobson.
Auction begins at 10:00AM ET | Visit AandOauctions.com to register and bid online.
Carlos Nadal “Salon Rojo”- 1992
Marc Chagall “Peintre, Ange, etAmoureux”-1980, Tempera
Raoul Dufy “Chevaux De Courses” Couache – 1929
Georges Braque “Mes Bons Voeux” Watercolor
Raoul Dufy, “La Plage D’etretat” Couache
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1788 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30318 I GAL#C2954