Lot 603. An Important Gray Schist Figure of a Standing Buddha, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century, 32. in. (81.3 cm.) high. Estimate USD 300,000 - USD 500,000. Price realised USD 792,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017 

Provenance: with Walter Randel, New York, 1961.
Acquired by Alice M. Kaplan from the above by 1962.

A Private East Coast Collection

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob and Alice M. Kaplan, late 1950s or early 1960s.

Alice M. Kaplan (1903-1995) is remembered for her generosity and devotion to the world of art and design in New York City. A student of fine art with an interest and passion for history, Kaplan pursued academia well into her adult life, which intimately informed the trajectory of her collecting habits. Her collection was of modest size, spanning various regions, periods and styles. Whether it was at auction or from galleries, she had a stellar eye for important examples of art.

Kaplan’s rich life story began in Budapest, Hungary in 1903. Her parents moved to New York early in her life, a city in which she thrived. She attended Teachers College at Columbia University and later studied under and alongside many American artists at the Art Students League in the 1920s. She took time to establish her family before returning to her artistic and academic endeavors in 1958, when she became involved with the American Federation of Arts where she held positions as trustee, vice president, and president. She returned to Columbia University to pursue her master’s degrees in art history, which she received in 1963. In her “last chapter,” as she referred to it, she began collecting more diligently to compliment her curiosity and growing knowledge of the arts, which strongly defined her public persona.  

Kaplan is also well known for her lasting impact on institutions such as The New School, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, American Folk Art Museum, Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Newark Museum, and the Yale University Art Gallery, among others. She received an honorary degree from Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania, was published in Art Bulletin, and sat on numerous boards across different institutions. She aided in establishing funds and fellowships, proving herself to be a great advocate of students and artists, particularly in New York City. She also had a hand in reorienting the way art, and subsequently art history, was implemented in secondary education; her involvement with The Art of Seeing afforded a half million dollar grant from the Ford Foundation to produce a video series to be used in public schools to encourage a visual education of art.  

Although Kaplan was known for her adoration of American Folk Art, as evidenced by her collection, she also acquired works from a variety of cultures, including pre-Columbian and Asian arts. As she learned more about different genres and cultures of art, so grew her desire to collect beautiful objects. She never ceased learning, even until reaching the age of 92.  

Christie's sale of The Ideal Image: Eight Masterpieces of Indian and Southeast Asian Art in 2008 offered two exquisite sculptures from the collection, a south Indian granite figure of Venugopala and a Khmer figure of Uma. Christie’s is honored again to present this Gandharan gray schist figure of Buddha from the Alice M. Kaplan Collection.

Literature: L. Bantel, The Alice M. Kaplan Collection, Columbia University, New York, 1981, pp.20-21, fig.4.

Illustration (fg.4) and title page, L. Bantel, The Alice M. Kaplan Collection, Columbia University, New York, 1981

Exhibited: Gods of Asia, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1 May - 1 July 1962.

Gods of Asia Exhibition poster, Courtesy of Asia Society and The Rockefeller Archive Center, A Division of The Rockefeller University, Sleepy Hollow, New York

Note: This masterfully carved figure of Buddha embodies an idealized transcendent male form. Based on Greco-Roman prototypes, his thin sanghati delicately models his muscular shoulders, torso, soft belly and rounded thighs. His elegant neck is slightly elongated and his left knee bends in preparation to step forward. This subtle gesture along with the undulating folds of his robe allows one to imagine the fabric fluttering as he moves. The dynamism of the drapery contrasts with and emphasizes his serene expression. Heavy eyelids frame his almond-shaped eyes, his forehead remains perfectly uncreased, and there is no tension in his rosebud mouth. While activated with energy, movement and life, the Buddha is simultaneously in a state of otherworldly tranquility. 

The skillful modeling of the body beneath the thin drapery elevates this figure above similar Gandharan works. Compare with a work from the Peshawar Museum (see H. Ingholt, Gandharan Art in Pakistan, 1957, p.111, fig.207) in which the body is modeled with thicker contours as seen in the deep folds of the robe and stocky form beneath. In the present work, the drapery is softer, allowing the body’s slender shape and elegant posture to emerge, and enhancing the meditative mood. The sculptor has also skillfully referenced Buddha’s earlier history as Prince Siddhartha by carving openings in the elongated earlobes where, as a prince, he would have worn heavy jewelry. This detail reminds the viewer that, while the Prince’s past was centered on excess, the absence of material goods – jewelry and fine clothing – emphasizes the Buddha’s renunciation of worldly attachments.  

Compare the face of the Kaplan Buddha with that of another, also in the Peshawar Museum (see H. Ingholt, Gandharan Art in Pakistan,1957, p.113, fig.223). In both examples, the artist has skillfully carved and polished the stone to transform it into human skin and finely woven cloth. While the face of the published image has been carved in a rather formulaic manner, the present work has been carved by a master of naturalism. The softly rounded cheeks give way to hollows on either side of the skin, the upper and lower lids are nearly spherical to emphasize the eyes, and the pupils are carved. The quiet contours and gentle shadows model the flawless structure of the face, encapsulating the eternal youthfulness of the Buddha. Almost androgynous in appearance, the Buddha transcends gender, embodying the perfect balance of masculinity and femininity.  

No sooner had the work been acquired by Alice M. Kaplan than she was asked to loan it for the Gods of Asia exhibition at the Asia House Gallery in New York (see illustration, below). This 1962 exhibition was envisioned by George Montgomery, then director of the Asia House Gallery, as a celebration of Asian art, highlighting masterpieces handpicked from important collections nationwide. The Kaplan Buddha was in good company alongside works from distinguished collectors such as Samuel Eilenberg and Nasli Heeramaneck. Notable participating museums included the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Nelson-Atkins Museum, the Fogg Museum of Art and the Seattle Art Museum. To accompany the exhibition, Dr. Jane Gaston Mahler gave a lecture on 13 June 1962 entitled Gods of Asia; Origins and Aspects, associate professor of Fine Arts of Barnard College at Columbia University.  

Lot 21. Blue titanium, coloured sapphire and diamond 'butterfly' brooch, Nisan. Estimate HK$80,000 - 150,000 (US$10,300 - 19,200). © Tiancheng International

Modelled as a butterfly, the brooch set with circular-cut coloured sapphires together weighing approximately 25.70 carats, decorated with rose- and single-cut diamonds together weighing approximately 2.55 carats, the thorax highlighted by an oval pink sapphire weighing approximately 1.65 carats, mounted in blue titanium, 18 karat yellow and blackened gold, signed.

NISAN

Mr. Nisan Ongwuthitham is the founder and the sole designer of the highly acclaimed Nisan in Bangkok, Thailand. He is an art fanatic and also a collector of various art pieces of painting, sculpture and jewellery. His passion and love of art eventually brought him into the world of jewellery design. His creative works portray passion, emotion and harmony, each with its own unique style. Every of the fine pieces was ingeniously crafted by Nisan and his team of talented craftsmen. 

Nisan jewellery is a piece of fine art made of precious metal, coloured by gemstones and highlighted with diamonds. One standout aspect of each of his creations is the use of jewellery making techniques that are unique to his studio. Nisan designs all his pieces, making extensive drawings after intensive discussions with his creative team. Each piece is handmade, every diamond and gemstone used in the piece is meticulously selected to achieve the desired contrast and effect. 

Lot 93. Tanzanite, gem-set and diamond 'hummingbird' brooch, Nisan. Estimate HK$58,000 - 88,000 (US$7,400 - 11,300). © Tiancheng International

Modelled as a humming bird holding, the humming bird set with circular-cut pink, yellow sapphires, tsavorite garnets, black diamonds and diamonds, suspending to the beak with an oscillating pear-shaped tanzanite weighing approximately 4.05 carats, spaced by a pear-shaped diamond, the coloured sapphires and tsavorite garnets together weighing approximately 7.00 and 2.50 carats respectively, the black diamonds and diamonds together weighing approximately 2.95 carats, mounted in titanium, 18 karat yellow and blackened gold, signed.

Tiancheng International. Jewellery and Jadeite, 2 Oct · 1 pm 

Lot 89. Amethyst, tsavorite garnet and diamond 'Prince Frog' pendant. Estimate HK$78,000 - 120,000 (US$10,000 - 15,400). © Tiancheng International

Modelled as a prince frog holding a treasure, the treasure set with an octagonal amethyst weighing approximately 23.05 carats, the frog set with circular-cut tsavorite garnets together weighing approximately 14.05 carats, highlighted by cabochon red hardstone-set eyes together weighing approximately 1.20 carats, to the crown decorated with brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in 18 karat yellow and blackened gold.

Tiancheng International. Jewellery and Jadeite, 2 Oct · 1 pm 

Lot 39. Jadeite, ruby and diamond ring, Jason Koo. Estimate HK$3,600,000 - 5,600,000 (US$460,000 - 720,000). © Tiancheng International

Centring on an oval jadeite cabochon of very fine translucency and rich emerald green colour, to a stylised mount decorated with circular-cut rubies and brilliant-cut diamonds, the diamonds together weighing approximately 2.15 carats, mounted in 18 karat white and blackened gold, signed. Ring size: 7.

Cabochon measuring approximately 21.73 x 18.10 x 9.48mm.

Accompanied by Hong Kong Jade & Stone Laboratory report numbered KJ96116, dated 28 July 2017, stating that the jadeite is natural, known in the trade as 'A Jade'.

Tiancheng International. Jewellery and Jadeite, 2 Oct · 1 pm 

Lot 8. Icy jadeite, jadeite and diamond 'The Love Key' pendant, Oli. Estimate HK$60,000 - 90,000 (US$7,700 - 11,500). © Tiancheng International

Modelled as a key, suspending a highly translucent icy jadeite plaque, decorated with a pear-shaped jadeite cabochon of translucent bright emerald green colour, brilliant- and radiant-cut diamonds, accented by circular-cut rubies and a cabochon ruby, the diamonds together weighing approximately 1.15 carats, mounted in 18 karat white, yellow and blackened gold, signed. 

Icy jadeite measuring approximately 32.11 x 9.34 x 3.73mm; cabochon approximately 6.90 x 6.92 x 3.52mm.

Accompanied by Hong Kong Jade & Stone Laboratory report numbered KJ96111(1-2), dated 28 July 2017, stating that the jadeites are natural, known in the trade as 'A Jade' .

IMPECCABLE CRAFTSMANSHIP; DESIGN FOR PEOPLE
Over the years, the founder of OLI exhibits mastery of metal craftsmanship, upholding the spirit of designing jewellery that is easily wearable.
Every design accentuates the body curves and face contours, demonstrating a marriage of modern artistic designs with unparalleled techniques in their workmanship. OLI believes that jewellery is not just for collection, but also it makes a lifestyle statement for its possessor.

Tiancheng International. Jewellery and Jadeite, 2 Oct · 1 pm 

Lot 19. Blue topaz pendant, Wallace Chan, circa 1980s. Estimate HK$20,000 - 40,000 (US$2,600 - 5,100). © Tiancheng International

Simply set with a blue topaz weighing approximately 34.75 carats, to the obverse carved with a portrait of two goddesses, mounted in platinum, signed, accompanied by a platinum necklace, length approximately 428mm.

WALLACE CHAN
Wallace Chan is an internationally renowned Chinese jewellery artist. His jewellery creations are highly acclaimed by jewellery experts, collectors, and international media as they integrate unique and innovative design with revolutionary technologies. In 1973, he became a gemstone carving apprentice. Since then, his destiny has been intertwined with gemstones for over 40 years. He is the first Chinese jewellery artist to be invited to showcase his creations at several international exhibitions: Masterpiece London, TEFAF Maastricht and New York, and the Biennale des Antiquaires, Paris. This season Tiancheng International will offer a blue topaz intaglio (Lot 19) and a citrine intaglio (Lot 20). These exceptional carvings created in the 1980s by Wallace Chan demonstrate unparalleled craftsmanship and transcending the traditional carving techniques.

Lot 20. Citrine and diamond pendant, Wallace Chan, circa 1980s. Estimate HK$20,000 - 40,000 (US$2,600 - 5,100). © Tiancheng International

Suspending a pear-shaped citrine weighing 22.02 carats, to the obverse carved with a portrait of a goddess, surmounted by brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in platinum, signed, accompanied by a triple stranded white and pink karat gold chain, length approximately 645mm. 

Accompanied by Central Gem Laboratory report numbered FQ96241, dated 22 October 2014, stating that the 22.02 carat quartz is natural.

Tiancheng International. Jewellery and Jadeite, 2 Oct · 1 pm 

Lot 63. Important emerald and diamond demi-parure, De Grisogono. Estimate HK$9,000,000 - 15,000,000 (US$1,150,000 - 1,920,000).© Tiancheng International

Comprising: a necklace, a pair of matching earrings and a ring, the necklace composed of numerous octagonal emeralds together weighing 103.93 carats, embellished with baguette diamonds, length approximately 440mm; and a pair of matching earrings, each of three octagonal emeralds altogether weighing 27.49 carats; the matching ring centring on an octagonal emerald weighing 7.99 carats, the diamonds on necklace, earrings and ring altogether weighing approximately 64.00 carats, mounted in 18 karat white and yellow gold, signed. Ring size: 6¼ (3)

Accompanied by forty-eight C. Dunaigre reports, stating that the 127.64 carat emeralds ranging from 8.03 to 1.17 carats are natural, Vivid Green colour, of Colombian origin, forty-six with indications of minor clarity enhancement and two with indications of moderate clarity enhancement, five with Excellent Quality Grade;

DE GRISOGONO

Founded in 1993, the Swiss jewellery brand de GRISOGONO has been creating outstanding and extravagant pieces of jewellery and watches for over twenty years. The founder Fawaz Grousi, who worked for Harry Winston and Bulgari before incepting the first boutique in Geneva, revolutionized fine jewellery with his vision.

Known as a creative aesthete, de GRISOGONO has always been questing for beauty and excellence. The brand has become a signature style for its innovative designs and established itself as one of the greatest names and the most creative forces in the contemporary luxury world.

The creations from de GRISOGONO are not only daring in inventiveness but remain loyal and true to the traditions of high Jewellery craftsmanship. To be presented in Tiancheng International’s October Sale includes such a stunning treasure - an important emerald and diamond demi-parure by de GRISOGONO (Lot 63). The total weight of 139.41-carat emeralds with the embellishment of approximately 64.00-carat baguette diamonds makes this set a perfect combination of magnificence and creativity in a contemporary spirit.

Tiancheng International. Jewellery and Jadeite, 2 Oct · 1 pm 

Lot 130. Jadeite 'Laughing Buddha' and diamond pendant. Estimate HK$1,400,000 - 2,200,000 (US$180,000 - 282,000). © Tiancheng International

The jadeite of very fine translucency and imperial green colour, carved as a 'laughing Buddha', decorated with pear-, marquise-shaped and brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in 18 karat white gold.

Laughing Buddha measuring approximately 34.28 x 41.32 x 5.50mm.

Accompanied by Hong Kong Jade & Stone Laboratory report numbered KJ96093, dated 26 July 2017, stating that the jadeite is natural, known in the trade as 'A Jade'.

THE LAUGHING BUDDHA
Maitreya is regarded as a “Future Buddha” of this world in Buddhist eschatology. He is the successor of Dipankara, Buddha of the Past, and Gautama, Buddha of the Present. It is prophesized that Maitreya will be born in this world to lead the Buddhist realm and deliver all mortals from sufferings.

Maitreya Buddha has been portrayed in three ways in Buddhist tradition of Mahayana practised in China – the image of a sitting, cross-legged Bodhisattva in the era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and that of a Buddha in meditation posture or seated leaning pose in the Northern Wei Dynasty. Looking dignified, the Buddha’s slender, tall figure is featured in both the depictions. However, it is the third image of Maitreya that has proven the most popular – a fat monk with a large belly and smiling face.

Legend has it that this image was modeled after Monk Qici, also known as Budai Monk, of the Five Dynasties period. Always carrying a cloth sack with him, he travelled everywhere to enlighten anyone he crossed path with. Before he passed away, he uttered a Buddhist hymn:“Maitreya, the true Maitreya has billions of incarnations. Often he is shown to people but they do not recognize him.” Due to this, he is said to have reincarnated from Maitreya. 

Since then, the laughing, potbellied Maitreya Buddha has become one of the favourite motifs in traditional Chinese jade carvings. His prominent belly is a metaphor for extraordinariness within plainness; an expression of goodness amid ugliness; his hearty smile reflects dignity amid humour and compassion shown amid ridicule. 

PHILADELPHIA, PA.- On September 9, Freeman’s launched its Fall 2017 season and helped kick off Asia Week with its biannual Asian Arts auction. With an active room and full bank of phone bidders, the exciting auction attracted a considerable number of new bidders and saw many lots sell wellabove their presale estimates. The 578-lot sale totaled just over $1.5 million. The auction offered fine examples of decorative arts, furniture, textiles, paintings and works on paper, highlighted by fresh-to-the-market property from various private collections and estates. 

The runaway success of the auction was featured on the catalogue’s cover, an impressive Chinese blue and white porcelain hexagonal vase (Lot 287), Qianlong six-character mark and of the period. Vases comparable in scale and decoration are rare, and this Freeman’s example joins the small group of similar pieces to have been sold at auction. After a long bidding war, the vase went to a phone bidder for $143,750, greatly exceeding its presale estimate of $30,000-$40,000. 

Lot 287. A rare and impressive Chinese blue and white porcelain hexagonal vase, Qianlong six-character mark and of the period (1736-1795). Estimate $30,000 - $40,000. Sold for $143,750. © Freeman’s

Paintings and works on paper were standout sellers, with Chinese paintings performing exceptionally well. The highlight of this group was Lot 544, Tribute Bearers—an attractive and compelling ink and color on silk from the Chinese School that sold to a phone bidder for $112,500, almost 20 times its estimate. Shortly after, “Qui Shi Fu Shang Lin Tu,” (Lot 552) a Chinese painting depicting a landscape with palaces and pavilions and ladies rowing phoenix boats, followed suit and sold for five times its median estimate.  

Lot 544. Chinese School, Tribute Bearers. Ink and color on silk, with ten seals, framed and glazed; sight H: 8 3/4 in., 22.2cm; 43 1/2 in., 110.5cm. Estimate $4,000-6,000. Sold for $112,500. © Freeman’s.

Lot 569, Fan Zeng’s (Chinese, b. 1938) “Yi Yuanji Playing with a Monkey” (Yi Yuanji Xi Hou Tu), was another of the sale’s highlights. This large and remarkable work portrays the Northern Song dynasty painter Yi Yuangi going into the wild and interacting directly with the monkeys he observed and painted. The ink and color on paper sold to a phone bidder for $93,750. 

Lot 569. Fan Zeng (b. 1938), 20th century, Yi Yuanji playing with a monkey (Yi Yuanji xi hou tu). Ink and color on paper, inscribed, signed, and with five seals, framed and glazed. Sight H: 54 in., 137.1cm; W: 26 1/2 in., 92.7cm. Estimate $50,000-80,000. Sold for $93,750. © Freeman’s.

In addition to paintings and works on paper, Chinese decorative arts, furniture and textiles also performed well—a testimony to the continued strength of this market. Lot 530, a carved gilt wood figure of a Bodhisattva from the Ming Dynasty, soared past its high estimate selling for $53,125. Immediately following, a Chinese patinated bronze tripod censer and foliate stand (Lot 531) sold for an impressive $62,500. 

Lot 530. A Chinese carved, gesso-decorated and gilt wood figure of a Bodhisattva, Ming dynasty. Overall H: 24 in., 61cm. Estimate $20,000-30,000. Sold for $53,125. © Freeman’s.

Seated in padmasana on a painted lotus, clad in elaborate draperies with raised gesso flower and scroll-patterns, wearing bodhisattva jewelry, and a five-leaf crown with trailing streamers; one hand raised, a jewel held between the fingers, the other hand extended, bearing a "medicine" vessel. A partial ink inscription to back of base. 

Lot 531. A Chinese patinated bronze tripod censer and foliate stand, Xuande mark, but later. Overall with stand H: 5 in., 12.7cm; D: 7 in., 17.9cm. Estimate $12,000-15,000. Sold for $62,500. © Freeman’s. 

Of compressed bombe form with shallow loop handles. the base of mallow or hibiscus blossom form, on three stylized ruyi feet; underside of censer with four-character Xuande mark, mottled reddish-brown patina. 

Provenance Property from a Private Collection, Pennsylvania 
Acquired in Beijing, March 2, 1993.

Furniture and textiles were also of interest to bidders as evidenced by Lot 378, a Chinese hardwood altar table with “Giant’s Arms” supports that sold for $31,250. Lot 410, a Chinese woman’s embroidered red silk formal robe with phoenix and flower design, sold for $16,250. 

Lot 378. Chinese hardwood, possibly huanghuali, altar table with Giants Arm supports, possibly 17th-18th century with later additions; H: 32 in., 81.4cm; L: 74 in., 188cm; D: 14 in., 35.5cm. Estimate $15,000-20,000. Sold for $31,250. © Freeman’s.

The dense hardwood with fine feathery grain, the rectangular top with raised ends, on square legs terminating in modified hoof feet, curved braces joining the legs and top.  

Lot 410. A Chinese woman's embroidered red silk formal robe with phoenix and flower design, late Qing dynasty. Estimate $4,000-6,000. Sold for $16,250. © Freeman’s.

Finely embroidered with floral sprays, phoenix, butterflies, bats, and peaches; approximate H: 55 in., 139.7cm; L: 81 in., 205.7

Provenance: Formerly in a Private Collection, Southern California.

Freeman’s specialists in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean art have established an international reputation for record sales of Asian art. Department head Ben Farina says the department is always looking for consignments of interesting and unique pieces from China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, and looks forward to the next Asian Arts auction in Spring 2018.

Lot 212. A Chinese Dingyao-type peony-carved floriform bowl with later silver rim, Song-Jin dynasty or later. D: 8 1/8 in., 20.7cm. Estimate $1,000-1,500. Sold for $11,250. © Freeman’s

ASIAN ARTS, 9 SEPTEMBER 2017

Lot 168. A Chinese Longquan celadon bowl with foliate rim, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty. H: 2 7/8 in., 7.4cm; D: 8 1/8 in., 20.6cm. Estimate $1,500-2,500. Sold for $6,250. © Freeman’s

Provenance: Property from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord and Pamela Watkins. 
Acquired from KenSoon Asiatic Art Pte Ltd., Singapore, May 6, 2010.

Lot 276. A Chinese apple green-glazed small meiping, 18th century. H: 5 1/4 in., 13.3cm . Estimate $2,000-3,000. Sold for $3,900. © Freeman’s

With an overall golden-brown crackle, the exterior a soft apple green, the interior of the neck and foot a pale celadon green, brown footring; in a fitted cylindrical brocade case. 

Lot 274. A Chinese "rust-brown" monochrome small meiping vase, 18th century. H: 6 in., 15.3cm. Estimate $1,000-1,500. Sold for $3,500. © Freeman’s

With carved hardwood stand. 

Lot 334. A Chinese ruby glass bowl, carved with birds among flowering branches, Four-character Qianlong mark and probably of the period. D: 6 1/8 in., 15.5cm. Estimate $1,200-1,500. Sold for $3,500. © Freeman’s

ASIAN ARTS, 9 SEPTEMBER 2017

Lot 108. A Korean porcelain twin-handled cup, with carved wood cover, amber finial. The cup 18th-19th century. Across handles L: 6 1/2 in., 16.5cm. Estimate $500-700. Sold for $3,770. © Freeman’s

The interior of the cup painted with the chacater for "longevity" in underglaze blue, associated carved wood stand. 

Provenance: Acquired by the grandfather of the present owner, circa 1920s-30s, thence by descent. 

Lot 213. A Chinese coral-encrusted Junyao"bubble" bowl, Song-Jin dynasty. D: 7 1/4 in., 18.5cm. Estimate $2,500-3,500. Sold for $2,860. © Freeman’s

With a sky-blue glaze. 

Provenance: Property from a Private Collection, Pennsylvania 
Acquired in Beijing, circa 1990s. 

Lot 174. A Vietnamese olive-yellow glaze bowl, 14th-15th century, from a group of five assorted Chinese and Vietnamese bowls and dishes, Tang dynasty and later. Estimate $3,000-5,000. Sold for $2,860 © Freeman’s

Comprising a Changsha bowl, Tang Dynasty, decorated with stylized scrollwork; a small Chinese white ware floriform small bowl, probably Song Dynasty; a cream and grey-blue decorated circular dish, probably south Chinese; a Vietnamese green-glazed floriform bowl, 14th century; a Vietnamese olive-yellow glaze bowl 14th/15th century. Changsha bowl H: 2 in., 5cm; D: 6 in., 15.2cm 

Provenance: Property from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord and Pamela Watkins. 

ASIAN ARTS, 9 SEPTEMBER 2017

Details: Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, 1746–1828). The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (reproduced in black and white), from The Caprices (Los Caprichos), 1797–98. Brooklyn Museum; A. Augustus Healy Fund, Frank L. Babbott Fund, and Carll H. de Silver Fund, 37.33.8. (Photo: Jonathan Dorado, Brooklyn Museum); Sergei Eisenstein (Russian, 1898–1948). Still from Alexander Nevsky, 1938. Gosfilmofond (National Film Foundation of Russian Federation); Robert Longo (American, born 1953). Untitled (Raft at Sea), 2017. © Robert Longo, Private European Collection. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Metro Pictures, New York).

BROOKLYN, NY.- Throughout history artists have used their artwork to reveal social, cultural, and political complexities, responding with urgency and conviction to the repercussions of revolution, war, and civil unrest. From September 8, 2017, through January 7, 2018, the Brooklyn Museum presents Proof: Francisco Goya, Sergei Eisenstein, Robert Longo, an exhibition spanning three continents and four centuries that brings together the striking work of three unflinching chroniclers of their times. Depicting in black and white the societal impact of politics and power, the selections for this exhibition are presented in an inventive way that encourages a fresh evaluation of Goya and Eisenstein, while showcasing new works by Longo, who cites both of his predecessors as major influences. 

Proof features a rare combination of works: 39 prints from Goya’s four major print series, including 14 from the Brooklyn Museum’s set of the Los Caprichos series, a masterpiece of satirical etchings; seven films by Eisenstein; and more than 20 large-scale charcoal drawings by Longo from the last decade, including three that have never been on public view.  

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, 1746—1828). They Carried Her Off! (Que se la llevaron!), plate 8 from The Caprices (Los Caprichos), 1797–98. Etching and aquatint on laid paper, 81/2 x 6 in. (21.7 x 15.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum; A. Augustus Healy Fund, Frank L. Babbott Fund, and Carll H. de Silver Fund, 37.33.8. (Photo: Jonathan Dorado, Brooklyn Museum)

Viewed together, the artists’ monochromatic works uncover similarities in both form and content, while testifying to the expressive power of artists bearing witness. These works call to mind images history has made famous—such as mutiny on a Russian battleship, or American riot police standing guard at a political protest—that are usually associated with journalistic reporting, yet they express the artists’ personal, often emotional, perspectives. 

While maintaining favor with the traditional monarchy, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, 1746–1828) produced defiantly critical etchings in parallel with his official career. He chronicled the uneasy modernization of Spain that was marked by state violence, political corruption, religious persecution, and social unrest. The etchings in Proof are from his four most acclaimed series, Los Caprichos (The Caprices), Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War), La Tauromaquía (The Art of Bullfighting), and Los Proverbios (The Proverbs), also known as Los Disparates, all of which employ allegory and satire to reflect the artist’s increasingly bleak outlook on humanity.  

Robert Longo, Untitled (After Goya, A Procession of the Flagellants, 1812-1819), 2012. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, London, Paris, Salzburg.

Francisco Goya, A Procession of the Flagellants, 1812-1814. Collection of Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Seven films spanning the three major periods of Sergei Eisenstein’s (Russian, 1898–1948) career are projected simultaneously in a site-specific installation. The films are projected in slow motion—about one frame every six seconds—so that the viewer may better understand Eisenstein’s process of composition and montage. Works include his three earliest films, Strike (1925), Battleship Potemkin (1925), and October (Ten Days that Shook the World) (1927–28), which celebrate key moments in the events leading to the 1917 Russian Revolution, which successfully toppled the tsarist regime. 

Sergei Eisenstein (Russian, 1898–1948). Still from Battleship Potemkin, 1925. 35mm film, black and white, 72 min. Gosfilmofond (National Film Foundation of Russian Federation)

Robert Longo (American, born 1953) has made a career of thinking critically about the circulation, consumption, and power of pictures. His monumentally scaled charcoal drawings expose politicized moments in current events, include re-creations of historical artworks, and incorporate potent symbolic imagery. He draws on, but does not copy, images seen in print or online, and then translates them into meticulously detailed charcoal drawings. Works in the exhibition include Untitled (St. Louis Rams/Hands Up) (2015), a powerful tribute to a football player with his arms up in protest of police violence against black Americans, and Untitled (Raft at Sea) (2017), depicting refugees adrift in the Mediterranean.  

Robert Longo (American, born 1953). Untitled (Mike Test/Head of Goya), 2003. Charcoal on mounted paper, 72 x 96 inches (182.9 x 243.8 cm). © Robert Longo, Collection of the artist. Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Metro Pictures, New York.

Follower of Francisco Goya (formerly attributed to Goya), The Colossus, circa 1818-1825. Collection of Museo del Prado. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Of his experience in developing this show, Longo says: “I hope Proof shows how images can get us to look again at the world we have created for ourselves, in different guises, over centuries.” Fowle states, “Proof invites viewers to find new meaning in artworks not normally encountered together. As the exhibition title suggests, Goya, Eisenstein, and Longo together provide powerful proof not only of significant events or actions, but more crucially of their ongoing resonances through art.” 

The exhibition is curated by Robert Longo in collaboration with Kate Fowle, Chief Curator, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow. The Brooklyn presentation is organized by Sara Softness, Assistant Curator, Special Projects, Brooklyn Museum.

Robert Longo, Untitled (The Haunting), 2005. Courtesy of the artist. Collection of Siegfried Weishaupt.