SANTA ANA, CA.- In the Bowers’ tradition of bringing fine jewels and rare gems to the Southern California community, the Museum hosts Jewels of the Connoisseur, which exhibits some gemstones so rare that only true connoisseurs even know they exist. This incredible collection of some of the rarest gemstones in the world showcases classic jewelry settings including pins, necklaces, pendants and more. Jewels of the Connoisseur is being exhibited in the Pimco Foundation Gallery from July 27, 2013 through October 6, 2013. 

Every gemstone is created in a unique geological environment that shapes its quality, color and appearance. While some places are associated with common gems, emeralds from Colombia, rubies from Burma (Myanmar), or diamonds from South Africa for example, the world's rarest gems come from little known locations and are found in very small quantities. Often named after the person who discovered them or the location where they were discovered, gems like benitoite or kunzite are found in very small quantities and only a fraction of those found have the ability to be cut or faceted for use in jewelry. In fact, such jewels are so rare that few outside of the most avid gem collectors know that they exist.

A part of the fifty works of art and brilliant jewelry settings on display in Jewels of the Connoisseur, is the largest, gem quality cut morganite in the world to the best of the collectors' knowledge. The morganite is a peachy pink gemstone from the beryl family. A morganite from the same pocket as this one was obtained from the lenders in 2011 and is on display at the Smithsonian Institution. It weighs 448.64 carats while this stone weighs 1,377 carats. George Kunz, a gemologist for Tiffany's, named Morganite in 1911 in honor of J.P. Morgan, the well-known banker and gem collector. 

Jewels of the Connoisseur is a presentation of some of the world's most uncommon gemstones. This collection has been assembled over decades by Buzz Gray and Bernadine Johnston who have played many roles in the world of gems and jewelry, including miner, gem dealer, gem cutter and jewelry designer. Their passion for collecting has always been driven by the opportunity to source the rarest of gems and their collection has grown over the years allowing for the creation of jewelry and art pieces. 

Green Sphene Butterfly

photos Bowers Museum. 

An ivory netsuke of a recumbent kirin by Okatomo, Kyoto, Edo period (late 18th-early 19th century). The mythical animal shown reclining, looking back over its right haunch with its mouth open in a snarl, its tail laying over its hips and its feet tucked in beneath its body forming a compact design, the details finely carved and stained dark, eyes inlaid in dark horn, signed in a rectangular reserve Okatomo, 1 7/8in (4.8cm) long. Est US$ 25,000 - 35,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

NEW YORK— Bonhams is pleased to offer the James A Rose collection of Netsuke and Sagemono on September 17 at the Madison Avenue salesroom. As one of America's most dedicated and knowledgeable netsuke enthusiasts, James A Rose, MD (1931–2011) was a Member of the Board of Directors of the prominent International Netsuke Society and served for 23 years as the President of the Washington DC chapter. His esteemed collection, containing fine examples from a diversity of schools, will be offered in its entirety.

Rose was a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Medical School. He went on to become a Commissioned Officer in the Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), were he was an acclaimed diagnostician and pioneering virologist. He was given his first netsuke – a Japanese sculptural toggle connecting a man's obi (sash) on his pocket-less kosode (robe) with his hanging sagemono (purse), first made popular in the 17th century - by his mother. As an outdoorsman with an endless curiosity for the natural world, Rose was initially attracted to netsukes in the form of animals, although he became increasingly enthralled with older pieces that strongly referenced Japanese culture and folklore.

The collection contains a plethora of notable highlights. The auction's top lot is an ivory netsuke of a recumbent Kirin by Okatomo, from Edo period Kyoto (est. $25,000-35,000), while Rose's interest in large and early Kyoto school ivories is exemplified by a tall ivory netsuke of a Chinese court noble from the Edo Period (est. $12,000-18,000). Standing over five inches tall, the youthful and elegant Chinese figure has an exotic and almost feminine quality.

A tall ivory netsuke of a Chinese court noble, Kyoto or Osaka, Edo period (18th century). The tall figure showing gently smiling as he holds a flower blossom to his cheek, the flower vase in his right hand held next to his hip, his long tunic set off with an under robe decorated with wisteria bands and a mantle decorated with stylized dragons, his hair dressed in curls piled on the top of his head, The tall figure showing gently smiling as he holds a flower blossom to his cheek, the flower vase in his right hand held next to his hip, his long tunic set off with an under robe decorated with wisteria bands and a mantle decorated with stylized dragons, his hair dressed in curls piled on the top of his head, 5 3/8in (13.7cm) high. E

Many fine wooden netsukes are also included, such as a voluminous and beautifully proportioned Edo period standing horse – a character more commonly seen carved in ivory (est. $10,000-15,000). At nearly five inches, a large wood netsuke of a standing sumo wrestler is notable for both its height and its unusual subject matter (est. $12,000-18,000). Generally, sumos were depicted in action, and it is possible this netsuke is in fact a likeness of a particular wrestler.

A wood netsuke of a standing horse. Edo period (18th century). Shown standing with its feet together and head lowered and looking back to the left, the long, flowing tail sweeping around the back and forming the himotoshi in a compact composition, 2 7/8in (7.3cm) high. Est US$ 10,000 - 15,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

A large wood netsuke of a sumo wrestler, Edo period (late 18th century). The wrestler shown standing adjusting his kessho mawashiwith an expression of fierce determination as if he is about to step into the ring to face an opponent, his mawashi finely carved with crashing waves, 4 1/2in (11.4cm) high. Est US$ 12,000-18,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.

"Dr Rose is remembered as a generous expert who was always willing to share his wisdom and experience, especially with emerging collectors," said Jeff Olson, the Director of the Japanese Department at Bonhams New York. "We are very pleased to bring this distinguished collection to auction. It is without a doubt one of the finest private collections of netsuke I have handled during my career."

Bonhams will offer the James A Rose Collection of Netsuke and Sagemono on September 17 in New York. The auction will preview at Bonhams September 13-17.

A complete catalogue is available online at www.bonhams.com/auctions/21485

TORONTO.- One of the world’s most provocative contemporary artists, Ai Weiwei, will join Art Gallery of Ontario visitors for a live video chat with the AGO’s director and CEO, Matthew Teitelbaum, during the Gallery’s popular First Thursdays art party on Sept. 5, 2013. The event’s programming will delve into the imagination and experience of Ai, who is under constant surveillance at his home in Beijing and has been unable to leave China since the government confiscated his passport in 2011. 

“This live chat is an incredible and rare opportunity to hear Ai Weiwei directly share his insights into his art, activism and passion for China and its changing landscape,” said Matthew Teitelbaum. “As we open this major exhibition, Weiwei’s physical absence is deeply felt, but technology allows him to defy borders so we can welcome him personally to Toronto.” 

Tickets for AGO First Thursdays are available at ago.net/firstthursdays and a special ticket is required to experience the live video chat. Quantities are limited and are expected to sell out quickly. 

The live chat with Ai is one of many initiatives planned for the upcoming AGO exhibition, Ai Weiwei: According to What? Chronicling Ai’s work from the mid-1990s to the present, the exhibition blends art history, activism and traditional Chinese materials and symbols to create a compelling vision of the artist’s everyday reality and his ongoing fight for freedom of expression in the face of Chinese government censorship. Featuring more than 40 large scale works of art including sculptures, photographs and video and audio installations, Ai Weiwei: According to What? is on display from Aug. 17 to Oct. 27, 2013 and the AGO is the only Canadian stop on a North American tour. 

i Weiwei: According to What? includes many large-scale and detailed artworks, including: 

•Straight (2008-12), which contains 38 tons of reinforced steel rebar recovered from post- earthquake fissures and arranged specifically for the exhibition;

•Château Lafite (1988), a sculpture comprised of a wine bottle and peasant shoes that pays homage to the artwork of Marcel Duchamp and Jasper Johns;

•Grapes (2010), showcasing a number of wooden stools from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) that artisans have rejoined into a cluster;

•New York Photographs (1983-93), a selection of 32 black-and-white documentary photos that Ai took during his time studying art in New York City;

•Surveillance Camera (2010), a piece of technology carefully replicated in marble, recreating the device that the Chinese government uses to keep an eye on the artist in his home; and

•He Xie (2010), an installation of more than 3,000 porcelain river crabs. The term “he xie” refers to the word “harmonious,” which is part of the Chinese Communist Party’s slogan and is now internet slang for official online censorship. 

"Straight," 2008-12. Collection of the artist. Installation view at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., 2012. Photo: Cathy Carver/The Hirshhorn Museum

Ai Weiwei, First panel of the triptych Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, 1995/2009. Courtesy the artist 

Ai Weiwei, second panel of the tryptych Dropping a Han Dynasty Um, 1995/2009. Image courtesy of the artist.

Ai Weiwei, third panel of the tryptych Dropping a Han Dynasty Um, 1995/2009. Image courtesy of the artist.

© Melanie Renzulli

Ai Weiwei, Colored Vases (detail), 2007-2010. Collection of the artist. Installation view of Ai Weiwei: According to What? at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C., 2012. Photo: Cathy Carver.

Ai Weiwei; Grapes, 2010, 40 antique stools from the Qing Dynasty, 223 x 186 x 190 cm, Image courtesy of the artist, Collection of Larry Warsh.

Ai Weiwei, He Xie, 2010-. Collection of the artist. Installation view at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C., 2012. Photo : Cathy Carver.

Made of more than 3,000 porcelain crabs, Ai Weiwei's installation He Xie is one of the works by the artist that will be on view at the Art Gallery of Ontario starting on August 17 / photo Cathy Carver for the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington

Ai Weiwei, New York Photographs, 1983-1993. 98 black-and-white photographs. Dimensions variable. Collection of the artist. Image courtesy of the artist.

"Forever," 2003. Courtesy of the Tiroche De Leon Collection & Art Vantage Ltd. Installation view of "Ai Weiwei: According to What?" at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., 2012. Photo: Cathy Carver/The Hirshhorn Museum

 From the left to right: Beijing's 2008 Olympic Stadium, 2005-08; Divina Proportione, 2006; F-size, 2011. Installation view of Ai Weiwei: According to What?, at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C., 2012. Photo : Cathy Carver.

Ai Weiwei, Map of China, 2008. Collection of the Faurschou Foundation. Image courtesy of the artist 

Ai Weiwei, Snake Ceiling, 2009, backpacks, Collection of Larry Warsh. Installation view of Snake Ceiling at the AGO. Photo by Craig Boyko/AGO.

On May 12, 2008, a massive earthquake in China’s Sichuan province killed approximately 90,000 people. Ai Weiwei created this serpentine sculpture, made of backpacks, to commemorate the more than 5,000 school children who were killed when their shoddily constructed schools collapsed. Government officials refused to release the number of deaths, or acknowledge any accountability, so in 2009, Ai Weiwei launched a “citizen investigation” to ensure that neither the children nor the devastation would be forgotten. He wrote: “Can these facts be altered? The hearts stopped beating, their limbs decayed, and their shouts disappeared with their breath, can these be returned? Wave upon wave of mighty propaganda from the national state apparatus cannot erase the persistent memories of the survivors….People’s hearts will call out each of your names, the name that belonged to you will be remembered. When it is called out again, you will rise from the dead and be contented spirits.”

This work has been installed in advance of the exhibitionAi Weiwei: According to What?, opening August 17, 2013.

Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads in Nathan Phillips Square (100 Queen St. W.) from June 18 to September 22, 2013. Photo courtesy Art Gallery of Ontario

Ai Weiwei has reinterpreted the 12 bronze animal heads representing the Chinese zodiac that once stood in the gardens of the Yuanming Yuan (Garden of Perfect Brightness, Old Summer Palace), an imperial retreat in Beijing. In accordance with the conventions of the traditional Chinese zodiac, the works are installed in an oval in the following order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Each of the works is one solid piece of bronze and stands roughly 10 feet high on a marble base. Their weight ranges from 1,500 to 2,100 pounds.

Designed in the 1700s by two European Jesuits, serving in the court of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), the 12 zodiac animal heads originally functioned as a water clock-fountain in the magnificent European-style gardens. In 1860 the palace was ransacked by French and British troops and the zodiac heads looted. Some were taken to the collections of the French and English courts and other appeared in auction houses in London and Beijing. Only seven of the 12 figures are still known to exist. Five were repatriated to China, but ownership of the remaining two remains contested.

"Straight," 2008-12. Collection of the artist. Installation view at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., 2012. Photo: Cathy Carver/The Hirshhorn Museum

Installation view of "Ai Weiwei: According to What?" at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., 2012. From left to right, "Coca-Cola Vase," 2007; "New York Photographs," 1983-93; "Moon Chest," 2008. Photo: Cathy Carver/The Hirshhorn Museum

"Table With Two Legs on the Wall," 2008. Collection of Larry Warsh. Photo: Ai Weiwei

"Kippe," 2006. Collection of Honus Tandijono. Photo: Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei, Neolithic Vase with Coca-Cola Logo, 2010, Paint on Neolithic vase (5000-3000 BC), 24.8 x 24.8 x 24.8 cm, Mary Boone, New York, Courtesy: Mary Boone Gallery, New York.

Coca-Cola vase, 1997. 

"Fairytale - 1001 Chairs" (Nr. D - 147), 2007

Bang, 2013

Fabergé Luda necklace with round and pear cut diamonds and an emerald set in white gold, from Les Danses Fantasques collection.

Fabergé Luda earrings with round and pear cut diamonds, egg-shaped emeralds and an elegant bow motif, set in white gold from Les Danses Fantasques collection.

Fabergé Aurora emerald and white diamond bracelet from Les Danses Fantasques collection.

Fabergé Aurora emerald and white diamond drop earrings, set in platinum, from Les Danses Fantasques collection.

Pendentif : L'Enfant-Jésus, Espagne, Seconde moitié du 16e siècle, cristal de roche, émail sur ronde-bosse d'or, perle, verre. Hauteur : 0.055 m. Legs Adolphe de Rothschild, 1901. OA5606. Paris, musée du Louvre (C) RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre) / Jean-Gilles Berizzi

Tableau-reliquaire de la Trinité, Londres, avant 1412, ciselé, émail sur ronde-bosse d'or, or, perle, rubis, saphir. Hauteur : 0.445 m. Longueur : 0.150 m. Don de Jeanne de Navarre, reine d'Angleterre à son fils Jean, duc de Bretagne (vers 1412), don de Henri III à l'Ordre du Saint Esprit en 1578. MR552;MV147. Paris, musée du Louvre (C) RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre) / Jean-Gilles Berizzi

Provenance : Trésor de l'ordre du Saint-Esprit. Collection des ducs de Bretagne puis des rois de France

A rare pair of doucai'Cranes' dishes, Qianlong marks and period. Photo Sotheby's

each decorated in the center with an iron-red floret encircled by a wreath of stylized lotus leaves with pale yellow buds, enclosed by a double-line border repeated around the rim, the underside with a frieze of four cranes in underglaze blue divided by floating cloud scrolls in green, pale yellow, pale aubergine and iron-red, seal mark in underglaze blue (2). Diameter 5 3/4 in., 14.5 cm. Estimation 10,000 — 15,000. Lot vendu: 50,000 USD

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM AND JENNIFER SHAW

PROVENANCE: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 24th November 1981, lot 171.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th November 1982, lot 215.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. New York | 11 sept. 2012 - www.sothebys.com

A doucai'medallion' jar, Qianlong Seal Mark And Period. Photo Sotheby's

of ovoid form, painted and enameled with two registers of eight roundels, each containing iron-red chrysanthemums, interspersed with yellow lotus sprays, all between underglaze blue bands of ruyilappets, seal mark in underglaze blue. Height 4 1/8 in., 10.4 cm. Estimation 40,000 — 60,000 USD. Lot vendu: 30,000 USD

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM AND JENNIFER SHAW

PROVENANCE: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16th May 1989, lot 298.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. New York | 11 sept. 2012 - www.sothebys.com

A Ming-style doucai 'Chicken' cup, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period. Photo Sotheby's

with deeply rounded sides rising to a slightly everted rim, the exterior painted with chicken and chicks separated by blue rocks amidst flowers, all between blue borders, apocryphal six-character Chenghua mark in underglaze blue within a double square. Diameter 3 1/4 in., 8.2 cm. Estimation 10,000 — 15,000. Lot vendu: 74,500 USD

PROVENANCE: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 29th October 1991, lot 203.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. New York | 11 sept. 2012 - www.sothebys.com

A small doucai'Scholar and geese' cup , Qing dynasty, Kangxi period. Photo Sotheby's

delicately potted with a slightly everted rim, the exterior painted with a continuous scene depicting Wang Xizhi, wearing red and yellow robes sitting under a willow tree overhanging a river, gazing at red, yellow and aubergine geese in the water, apocryphal six-character Chenghua mark in underglaze blue within a double square. Diameter 2 1/2 in., 6.3 cm. Estimation 15,000 — 20,000. Lot vendu: 68,500 USD

PROVENANCE:  Sotheby's Hong Kong, 14th November 1989, lot 221

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. New York | 11 sept. 2012 - www.sothebys.com

Orchid brooch, rubies, emeralds and conch pearl.

Diamonds with natural Conch Pearl in brooch by Moussaieff.

A Conch Pearl and Diamond Ring. Photo Christies Image Ltd 2009

Designed as a flower head, centering upon a conch pearl pistil within a sculpted rose gold petal surround enhanced by pavé-set pink and colourless diamond detail, to the textured gold band of a scrolling branch and a diamond cluster butterfly terminal, mounted in 18k rose gold, ring size 5. Price Realized HK$250,000

Christie's. JEWELS: THE HONG KONG SALE. 1 December 2009. Hong Kong. www.christies.com

A rare conch pearl, coloured diamond and diamond brooch, by Etcetera. Photo Christies Image Ltd 2011

Designed as a blossoming flower centering upon a conch pearl pistil, within a conch pearl shell surround accented by vari-cut pink and colourless diamonds and a petal pavé-set with similarly-cut and coloured diamonds, joined to the brilliant-cut colourless, yellow and brown diamond sepal extending to the stem, mounted in 18k white gold, 10.9 cm long. Price Realized HK$3,980,000

Literature: David Federman and Hubert Bari, The Pink Pearl: A National Treasure of the Carribbean, Milan (2007), page 173 

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS. 29 November 2011. Hong Kong. www.christies.com

A large copper-repoussé figure of Yama, late 18th-early 19th ct. Photo Nagel Auktionen

Property from an important South German private collection

Nagel Auktionen. October 30^th 2013 - China - http://www.auction.de

Sam Francis, Untitled, 1980. Acrylic on canvas, 54 x 142 in. The Doris and Donald Fisher Collection. Artwork© Sam Francis Foundation, California/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA), is proud to present Sam Francis: Five Decades of Abstract Expressionism from California Collections, the first major museum exhibition of Francis’s work in over a decade. Known as one of the twentieth century's most influential painters of light and color, Sam Francis maintained studios in New York, France, Switzerland, and Japan, but continually returned to his native California, finishing his last series of paintings in Santa Monica just before his death in November 1994. The exhibition brings together Francis’s paintings and unique works on paper from extraordinary public and private California collections, including many paintings on view to the public for the first time. 
 
Born in June 1923 in San Mateo, near San Francisco, Francis started his career in California. He moved to France in 1950, and by 1956 he was described by Time magazine as "the hottest American painter in Paris these days," signaling his arrival as one of the first post-World War II American painters to develop a truly international reputation. Having stated that “painting is about the beauty of space and the power of containment,” Francis spent his career investigating that belief through his use of color, understanding of light, and lyrical rhythmic compositions. His works not only contributed to the range of styles and influences in the world of painting, he also referenced and responded to the California Bay Area Modernists with his early paintings from the 1940s to early 1950s; French Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and Chinese and Japanese scroll paintings with his works from the 1950s; and Color Field Painting with paintings in the 1960s. Although his oeuvre can be loosely associated within these broad artistic styles, his life and art were complex and varied, defying any specific characterization or interpretation. 

Spanning fifty years, the works included in the exhibition explore Francis’s use of saturated tones (blues, reds, or yellows) and pigments ranging in hue from light to dark representing a kind of duality in the universe both understood and imagined. The exhibition includes some of his smallest works, which measure three by two inches, as well as monumental murals that are over ten feet long, each with a distinctive power and presence regardless of size or material. This exhibition includes some of the artist’s loosely defined series including the “Cellular” paintings from the 1950s, the “Blue Balls” and “Edge” paintings of the 1960s, and the “Fresh Air” and “Grids” from the 1970s. Other works include mandalas, late self-portraits, and Francis’s alchemically inspired works of the 1980s and early 1990s.  

An illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition featuring a recent dialogue on Francis and his work between the exhibition’s co-curators: art historian Peter Selz, Ph.D., former curator at the Museum of Modern Art, New York and author of the first monograph on the artist, and Debra Burchett-Lere, the executive director and interim president of the Sam Francis Foundation. Burchett-Lere is also the author of the recently published Sam Francis Catalogue Raisonné of Canvas and Panel Paintings: 1946–1994, published by the University of California Press. 

Sam Francis: Five Decades of Abstract Expressionism from California Collections is organized by the Sam Francis Foundation in collaboration with the Pasadena Museum of California Art and the Crocker Art Museum. The exhibition will travel to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA, where it will be on view from January 26 – April 20, 2014.

Sam Francis, Untitled, ca. 1965-68. Acrylic and oil on Masonite panel, 31 7/8 x 23 5/8 inches. Laguna Art Museum. Gift of Kay Richards. Artwork© Sam Francis Foundation, California / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Sam Francis, "Untitled" [Edge Painting], 1966 Oil on canvas, 42 x 30 1/4 inches Private Collection, Los Angeles© Sam Francis Foundation, California / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Sam Francis, Untitled (SFF.630), 1973. Acrylic and oil on canvas, 42 x 30 inches. Collection: Sam Francis Foundation, California. Artwork© Sam Francis Foundation, California/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Sam Francis, "Mantis," ca. 1960-61 Oil on canvas, 52 x 78 inches The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles Gift of the artist and Sam Francis Art Museum, Inc© Sam Francis Foundation, California / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Sam Francis, "Untitled," 1970 Acrylic on canvas, 108 x 80 inches Collection of Cindy and Tony Canzoneri, Malibu© Sam Francis Foundation, California / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Sam Francis, Untitled,1970. Acrylic on canvas, 108 x 80 inches. Collection of Cindy and Tony Canzoneri, Malibu. Artwork© Sam Francis Foundation, California / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Sam Francis, "Sketch for Chase Manhattan Bank Mural" [Untitled Sketch], 1956-57/59 Gouache on paper, 21 x 99 1/4 inches The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles Gift of the artist and Sam Francis Art Museum, Inc© Sam Francis Foundation, California / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Sam Francis, Untitled (SF4-015), 1984. Acrylic on rice paper, 84 x 47 inches. Private Collection. Artwork © Sam Francis Foundation, California / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Sam Francis, Blue and Yellow (SFF.166), 1954-55. Oil on canvas, 76.75 x 51 inches. The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Collection, Los Angeles. Artwork © Sam Francis Foundation, California / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

John Vanderbank the Younger ( London 9 September 1694 – 23 December 1739), Portrait of John Bourchier (1710–1759), circa 1732. National Trust, Beningbrough Hall, North Yorkshire, England. photo credit: National Trust

John Vanderbank the Younger ( London 9 September 1694 – 23 December 1739), A Youth of the Lee Family, Probably William Lee of Totteridge Park, 1738. Oil on canvas, 167.9 x 106.8 cm. Purchased 1982. T03539. Tate. photo credit: Tate

John Vanderbank the Younger ( London 9 September 1694 – 23 December 1739), Algernon Seymour (1684–1750), Earl of Hertford, Later 7th Duke of Somerset, 1690s. Oil on canvas, 122 x 99 cm. On loan from the Egremont Private Collection (P). 485111. National Trust, Petworth House. photo credit: National Trust