©  2013, Reed V. Horth, for Robin Rile Fine Art

High-end auctions like Christie’s and Sotheby’s are some of the most exciting, dynamic and visible ways of purchasing art. The auction-house atmosphere has, in many respects, replaced the old paradigm of wandering into your local gallery and purchasing a fine work which you see on your wall.  The excitement of the sales room will often pique the interests of the high-end buyer who never wishes to be told “No”. This competitive environment often breeds pricing which is out of the realm of what could have been previously imagined (For example: the total sales of $293M for Sotheby’s and the blockbuster $495M for Christie’s). The recent New York auctions in New York highlighted many fine works from artists which we specialize in placing here at RRFA, Warhol, Modigliani, Picasso, Pissarro, Rodin, Leger, Rauschenberg, Kline, Soutine and others. However, auctions also present only one facet of art collecting…The public highs and the lows. Many fine works are purchased, but a large number are also passed (not sold) due to many factors notwithstanding the piece itself, which can hurt the work in certain buyer’s eyes. Perhaps there are a disproportionate number of individual works from the artist in the auction and competing auctions at any given time. Perhaps there are other marquis lots that take focus away from a particular work. Perhaps it is raining and people decided not to show up! While perhaps extreme, this is just an illustration of how subtle changes can affect the overall temperature of a market.

MARKET KNOWLEDGE: Private dealers present an different paradigm, that of a pragmatic buyer developing a rapport with an individual who seeks out marquis works on their behalf and perhaps can save time and money in the process. There are no impulse buyers here. Only buyers who wish to make their purchases privately and perhaps save money in the process. It has been said that “Successful people Spend money to save time, and aspirational people will spend time to save money”. We hire an interior designer to take the time to research items, fabrics, finishes and fixtures for our home because their familiarity with changing market conditions, vendors, pricing and inventory shifts are too numerous for us to spend the time to keep up with. Similarly, we hire a private art dealer to locate individual works knowing that their market knowledge and resources will divine the best work for the lowest relative costs.

Did you know that the five of the highest purchase prices for Art were completed through private sale?

These include Cezanne’s “Card Players” (Sold for $259M in April 2011), Pollock’s “No. 5, 1948” (Sold for 140M in November 2006), de Kooning’s “Woman III” (Sold for $137M in November 2006) Picasso’s “La Reve” (Sold for $155M in March 2013) and Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer” (Sold for 135M in June 2006).

Sotheby’s New York 7 May, 2013.Lot 45, "Le Penseur, Taille de la Porte dit moyen modéle," by Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), 28 1/8 inches high, conceived in 1880 and cast in 1906 had a modest estimate of $8,000,000 to $12,000,000. It sold for $15,285,000.

PRICE: We know of the above private sale numbers because both buyer and seller have allowed their names and prices to be published publicly. This is not always the case as most buyers which to keep their private purchases just that… Private. Private buyers often can achieve the highest (and lowest) numbers simply because of the exclusivity of the offering not necessarily being public knowledge, as auctions are. Of course, not everyone wants to be setting record prices when buying (although every seller does!) and prefer to keep their acquisition costs as low as possible. This is possible with private dealers as many of the sellers have different criteria for selling, as in not being able to wait the months it takes for many auctions to come to pass. This allows buyers to sometimes benefit from seller’s need. This allows some buyers to purchase at prices lower than auction figures (even if the auction figures are unusually low). One of my collectors once told me, “If you can show me that I can save money with you, I will buy from you”. I did just that, and he has been working with me ever since.

Sotheby’s New York 7 May, 2013. Lot 12, "L'Amazone," by Amedeo Modigliani, oil on canvas, 36 1/4 by 25 3/4 inches, 1909 had an estimate of $20,000,000 to $30,000,000. It sold for $25,925,000.

PRIVACY: Exclusivity, secrecy and speed are key in placing well-priced private works with private buyers. Unlike real estate, when a dealer will tout their listing to other realtors in their area or genre, art dealers will typically keep a marquis offering EXTREMELY quiet as the amount of people qualified for many purchases are extremely limited. Oftentimes a work will appear on the market for a matter of hours only to be snatched by the one savvy investor it was shown to.  Many works which we feature are shown only to one or two qualified candidates before they are purchased. However, this does also require that a rapport is developed between the client and the art consultant.

Sotheby’s New York 7 May, 2013. Lot 33, "Trois Femmes à La Table Rouge," by Fernard Léger, oil on canvas, 21 1/2 by 32 inches, 1921 had an estimate of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It sold for $7,165,000.

Sotheby’s New York 7 May, 2013.Christie’s New York 8 May, 2013. Lot 13, "Le Fumeur," by Pablo Picasso, pastel and colored wax crayons on paper, 20 1/4 by 9 5/8 inches, 1964 had a modest estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $1,083,750.

PERSONAL TOUCH: Most of our clients are international, not based in Miami as we are. This is the beauty of working in this field in a day-and-age where communication is so accessible to all. When I first began in the art field in 1996, I recall attempting to sell a sculpture to a client in Brunei using only a well-timed fax, sent at the precise moment when the client would be entering his office after lunch… on the other side of the world. Using new platforms such as Linkedin, Facebook, Pinterest and other media, we are able to interact in real-time with our clients and discover their likes and dislikes in due course. We spend time determining what the correct works are for each individual client, whether it is for long or short-term investment, aesthetics, museum or philanthropic bequest or passion-based collecting. Whatever the motivation, we work hard to match the perfect piece with the correct client. Once we know the proclivities of a given client, we can better dialogue solutions to problems, present new opportunities and develop friendships. Given our active travel schedule, we have then been able to personally meet up with clients who have been purchasing from us for years. Nothing will supplant looking at a client eye-to-eye and shaking someone’s hand when making a deal happen, but our hands-on approach to our collectors have allowed us to develop the relations virtually and then carry them over to a nice glass of wine during a personal visit. Our travels have allowed us to meet with clients and friends in Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Islas Canarias, London, Mexico, Czech Republic, Austria and of course, throughout the United States.  Future travels will take us to South America, Ireland and the far East.

Christie’s New York 8 May, 2013. Lot 5, "Maisons sur un coteau, hiver, environs de Luveciennes,"by Camille Pissarro, oil on canvas,12 1/4 by 18 1/8 inches, 1872 had an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $1,083,750.

If you would like to hear more about investment-level artworks from 19^th and 20^th Century masters such as Picasso, Monet, Giacometti, Pissarro, Dali, Warhol, Kline, Rauschenberg, Indiana, Modigliani, Leger, Rothko and others, please let us know. We can begin this dialogue slowly and learn more about each other along the way. Perhaps your location will be the next one on our list to visit.

Please email: Reed@robinrile.com.

WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR RODIN’s ‘THINKER’

A 28 inch bronze cast of Auguste Rodin’s ‘The Thinker’ sells for a record $15.3 million at Sothebys’ recent Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale in New York, amid the great sales results. The record $15.3 million surpassed the previous record of $12 million.

Auguste Rodin

1840 – 1917
LE PENSEUR, TAILLE DE LA PORTE DIT MOYEN MODÈLE

Inscribed A. Rodin and with the foundry mark Alexis Rudier Fondeur Paris; additionally inscribed on a plaque affixed to the rock Le Penseur: Executé en 1906 dans mes ateliers et sous ma surveillance pour Monsieur Ralph Pulitzer, Auguste Rodin.
Bronze
Height: 28 1/8 in.
71.5 cm
Conceived in 1880, this cast executed between January and June, 1906.

Ironfoetus by A. Nicolas. Edition of 8 plus 4 proofs.

ROBIN RILE FINE ART is proud to be the sole US importer contemporary-art pieces from a French artist A. Nicolas. His works consist of embedded resin sculpture encased in acrylic giving the impression of a science experiment or oddity. His works rarely make it to the US because of the exclusivity and rarity of the editions he produces. Like most French artists, he will produce only 12 examples of any given limited edition composition, whereas many American artists will produce editions of 50, 100 or more. Most examples of his works will sell to galleries and private collectors in Asia or Europe before they make it to our shores. Whenever we are fortunate enough to locate one or two, they generally sell as quickly as they are located. However, we have located several works from his seminal “PRESDESTINATES Collection” (AKA: HeroFoetuses) and “VANITIES Collection” (Skulls) which could be made available to our contemporary art collectors.

(L to R) Spiderfoetus, Batfoetus & Superfoetus by A. Nicolas. Edition of 8 plus 4 proofs.

ONLY One example of each is available. Not all shown are available. Other are available that are not shown.

Please inquire to reed@robinrile.com for details and availability.

(Clockwise from Top Left) DaliSkull, BaconSkull, WarholSkull, CesarSkull, PicassoSkull by A. Nicolas. Edition of 8 plus 4 proofs.

Like much of the contemporary art scene, the artwork is intended to be as shocking as it is aesthetically pleasing. So, many of these images will strike you as odd or even potentially offensive. This is the point, it get people talking… And, let’s face it… It is fun to have art that gets people talking.

Hulkfoetus by A. Nicolas. Edition of 8 plus 4 proofs.

For availability inventory information Contact:

Reed V. Horth

Facebook: www.facebook.com/robinrile

(Clockwise from top Left) Darwinfoetus, Thingfoetus (Fantastic 4), Mariofoetus, Deathfoetus, Jokerfoetus, Yodafoetus, Ironfoetus & Darthfoetus by A. Nicolas. Edition of 8 plus 4 proofs.

NOTE: Many illustrated works are now SOLD OUT. Please inquire as to availability and price.

IRON MAN 3 Artist BASK!

“Hey…working on Iron Man 3, and Robert Downey, Jr. wants your work in the movie.” Bask received a call last year which changed his life and career. Commissioned for a series of paintings this Street-Artist has now gained international recognition for his series of paintings adorning the homes of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr’s character) as well as Mandarin (played by Ben Kingsley).

When the Iron Man crew called last year, their offer seemed almost too good to be true. After the Morton Salt Girl remake, they wanted 13 more paintings from Bask to adorn the Mandarin’s hideout, staged inside a mansion on South Beach: seven recreations of past paintings chosen from BASK’s repertoire, three paintings based on the film’s graphics (provided by the production team), and three original new works of Bask’s making from concept to execution. Without much finagling, BASK’s trademark style — a raw, politically-minded fusion of gleeful Americana with symbols of destruction and painterly texture — seemed to fit Iron Man’s vibe. So much so that Robert Downey Jr. decided to snag several of BASK’s works for his own collection.

Watch the movie. Then check out BASK at RRFA.

*****

“A Stranger Love” 78″ x 37″ mixed media on panel- SOLD, Private Collection, Miami

For commission or inventory information Contact:

Salvador DALI (1904-1989)

Terpsichore, Muse of Dance

Medium: Prestige-scale Bronze

Size:69.5x38x9.5 cm (27.4×15.0×3.7 in)

Date of creation: 1971

Subject fantastic

Movement/period: 20th Century Surrealism

Signature: YES

Authentication certificate: YES

Present Value: $40,000.

Price: $22,250.

Terpsichore, Muse of Dance (also known as “Woman in Skirts”)

Our Muse of Music and Dance seems to be about to take off; we can say that she almost levitates. She was intentionally conceived headless in order to show that she didn’t need of a facial expression or ritual mask in order to show her true self – she is the sacred myth of Victory, celebrated in the dance. We don’t need to see her body, the line’s tension, the volume’s play and the careful texture of the bronze in enough to transmit her whole spirit, that of celebration, triumphant after the Victory.

The sculpture presents some physical similarity to the “Victory of Samothrace” (c. 190) today at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

CONTACT:
Reed V. Horth
ROBIN RILE FINE ART
Miami, FL USA
www.robinrile.com
reed@robinrile.com
PH: (813) 340-9629
Skype: reed.v.horth
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rvhorth
Facebook: www.facebook.com/robinrile

Dali’s Guardian Angel:

The Dr. Edmund Klein Collection of Salvador Dali original drawings

The angel theme informs much of the Klein Collection, and the angel in this delightful 1978 work might be characterized as a bit seductive! The long-legged angelic figure is in the au naturel, striking a pose calculated to draw attention, beyond that which would already be assured through her marked inhibition. Dali considered Dr. Klein his “guardian angel” for helping him with a medical condition that has never been fully disclosed and quite likely will always remain a mystery.

******

Dali drew numerous horses during his prolific career, but seldom if ever a horse being walked by another person. The horse and rider motif symbolized a sense of importance, leadership and heroism. The Klein family recalls it being explained to Dr. Klein by Dali that the steed’s rider here is supposed to represent Dali, while the man guiding its direction is meant to be Dr. Klein, just as Dr. Klein led Dali in the right direction with respect to his medical issues. The work was drawn on Dali’s sketchpad; it’s unclear precisely what is written in Dali’s handwriting, but it is obviously related to dermatology.

******

How fitting that Dali would choose his own book- that is, a book he conceived and authored- to create one of his finest original drawings, this one in black crayon. It is dedicated not only to his friend, but to his “great friend, Dr. Edmund Klein.”

This is truly one of the more gallant and muscular portrayals of a horse, whose Don Quixote-like rider is tall and proud in the saddle, against a backdrop of a glimpse of mountainous terrain and birds streaking across the sky. The Daliesque perspective lines are seen on the ground below.

SOLD

*****

Guardian Angel No. II (1976) Ink on catalogue, “The Photographer & The Artist” Sidney Janis, (1976) , 6.5” x 8” (16.5cm x 20.3cm)

The spirit of the guardian angel theme, emblematic of the Klein Collection, is wonderfully captured in this very special drawing, showing a reverently kneeling angel holding an olive branch, a symbol of peace and hope. This thoughtful work was made in the 32-page catalogue, The Photographer & The Artist, opening 4-7pm, thru March 6, 1976 at Sidney Janis, 6 West 57^th. New York. (Copyright 1976).

Dedicated to Dr. Klein, the work featured the words “guardian angel” in Dali’s handwriting, along with this important hand-written designation: “No. II.  First = Gala”. This, of course, meant Dr. Klein was second only to Gala (Dali’s beloved wife) as his reigning guardian angel! This realization is more significant than one might first imagine. Clearly Dali was hyper-aware of his mortality, and was facing this inevitability when he first enlisted the intervention of Dr. Klein. Although the details are unknown, it is clear that Dr. Klein helped Dali get through and go beyond his medical concerns. Dali putting Dr. Klein second only to Gala as his “Guardian Angel” speaks volumes about the painter’s feelings for his physician.

It is also significant to note that one of Dali’s most important paintings in the 1952 work, “The Angel of Port Lligat”, which portrays his wife Gala as a winged angel along the shore of their Spanish Home. Moreover, one of the watercolors in the collection of Mrs. Albert D. Lasker, whose Foundation honored the work of Dr. Klein, was “Guardian Angel of Cadaques” of 1943.

Dali’s Guardian Angel:

The Dr. Edmund Klein Collection of Salvador Dali original drawings

By Paul Chimera

This is the story of two great 20^th century pioneers who came together in a remarkable union of medical and artistic genius: Dr. Edmund Klein and painter Salvador Dali. It resulted in a unique collection of original drawings that… have never before been seen by the art world.

Thirteen Dali drawings, plus a Dali sculpture, represent not only a very special collection of art, but an intriguing page of art history.

Edmund Klein, MD (1921-1999) was a renowned dermatologist and skin cancer expert. His medical career led him to Boston, Mass, where he worked as a researcher with the Sidney Farber Research Foundation. In 1964, Dr. Klein accepted the position of Chief of Dermatology at the world-renowned Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo (NY) There he developed the protocol for the application of a highly effective topical anticancer agent for the skin cancer. Eventually Dr. Klein settled with his wife and five children in Williamsville, NY, a Buffalo suburb. He was the recipient of the highest award in American medicine-the prestigious Lasker Award for clinical research in cancer immunology. One observer, in describing Dr. Klein’s extensive professional accomplishments, called him the “Father of modern immunology”.

Martha Klein, Dr. Klein’s wife, explains how her husband originally forged a connection with Salvador Dali. “Mary Lasker (of the aforementioned Lasker Foundation) knew my husband by the late 1960’s, and in 1972 he received the Lasker Award. Around the same time, Dali’s manager called the house and said, ‘Salvador Dali calling for Dr. Klein’. I think Mary Lasker was the connection. I was very thrilled with that call!”

“They set up their first appointment”, Mrs. Klein continued, “and he went to New York to see Dali for the first time. He saw him often after that, probably 15 times, both at the St. Regis and in Europe.”

It is unclear precisely what medical condition Dali had-or feared he had- that led him to Dr. Klein’s door. Surely Dali’s manager was instructed to spare no expense in finding the best of the best to treat, or at least consult with, the wealthy, world famous Catalan master. Dali lived all his life in Port Lligat, Spain, or on the Costa Brava, spending many hours in the Mediterranean sun when he wasn’t hard at work in his studio, or traveling to Paris, Madrid, Monte Carlo or New York. Although Dr. Klein was, as a July 30, 1999 New York Time obituary stated, an “expert on skin cancer.” He never revealed- not even to his wife- the exact nature of Dali’s condition, rigorously maintaining doctor/patient confidentiality. But whether Dali had, in fact, a form of skin cancer, or some other sun-related skin problem, he and Dr. Klein developed a close personal relationship, each respecting the other’s expertise in their chosen field. “He never discussed the nature of the illness that Dali had”, Mrs. Klein remembers. “Edmund adored Dali and had a great appreciation of those drawings. I cannot even imagine his state of mind as he sat there and Dali drew and explained to him exactly what each one meant.”

Dr. Klein, born in Vienna and receiving his M.D. in 1951 from the University of Toronto, never charged Dali for his medical consultations and treatments. Mrs. Klein notes that the two men had a close relationship that went beyond a professional one; they would often dine together at the St. Regis Hotel and spend time together as friends.
Part of that time saw Dali take up pen, ink even crayon; to create 11 original drawings for the man he called his “Guardian Angel”. Mrs. Klein remembers that Dali brought the books [some in the collection were drawn on] to their meetings, not her husband. Whatever Dr. Klein did for Dali medically, it obviously made an enormous impression on him, and earned his abiding respect and admiration. Indeed, the Guardian Angel idea is carried out thematically among the majority of the drawings inscribed to Dr. Klein. One sketch even states in Dali’s handwriting that Dr. Klein was the artist’s “Guardian Angel No. II”- right behind Gala (Dali’s wife), of course, as number One!

Another work, referred to as Dali & DNA, featured three angelic figures-one holding a caduceus (medical staff), intended to represent Dr. Klein himself. Thus, from 1972 to the early 1980’s, Dr. Klein acquired an impressive collection of one-of-a-kind dedicatory drawings, most executed on blank pages of Dali books the artist would bring with him, create in, then give to his surrealist soul mate. Several were drawn in Dali’s sketchbook, another in a rare exhibition catalog. One Dali sculpture, called St. John the Baptist- fashioned directly from Dali’s hands, not merely produced by artisans working off a Dali design- is also part of the Klein collection, together with a unique authenticating statement written by Dali himself.

[Below you will find] each of the works in the Klein Collection, accompanied by a brief description and in some cases alluding to other works by Salvador Dali for reference purposes. The drawings help tell a story that spans decades, but which has never been shared outside the Klein family of Western New York and a few close friends- until now.

The Journal of Medicine, in its VOL. 30, No. 5 & 6 (1999), noted- after a listing of Dr. Klein’s achievements: “There was more to Ed Klein, the man, than the accomplishments listed above. We will never forget watching him evaluate patients at almost midnight, speaking to with them while leaning upon his glass covered Salvador Dali masterpiece stretched out on this consultation room desk…”

Dedicatory drawings by Dali are being accorded the status they deserve as legitimate and often quite interesting examples of the Master’s original handiwork- at times more spontaneous, at times quire thoughtfully executed. At least two commercially produced books have now been published that focus exclusively on such works. One is Salvador Dali Dedicatories, Editorial Mediterrania, 1990; and a second A Sabater Con un Abrazon en el Quin Elisabet: Dali, by Enrique Sabater, Umberto Allemandi, & Co. 1998.

The works of the Klein Collection are guaranteed by the owner, Mrs. Edmund Klein who confirmed their provenance. All works were executed expressly for, and in the presence of, the late Dr. Edmund Klein. They were gifts from the artist to Dr. Klein; have been through no other hands and have rarely been shown to the public.

For acquisition information, Please Contact:

Reed V. Horth
ROBIN RILE FINE ART
Miami, FL USA
www.robinrile.com
reed@robinrile.com
PH: (813) 340-9629
Skype: reed.v.horth
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rvhorth
Facebook: www.facebook.com/robinrile

Boban

“PowerfulPlay”

Original Stainless Steel Spoon Creation

One-of-a-kind

Dimensions: 32” x 22” x 16”

PRICE ON REQUEST

ALSO AVAILABLE:

Boban

“Centaurus”

Original Stainless Steel Spoon Creation

One-of-a-kind

36″h x 20″w x 13″d

May your arrow’s flight be swift and true, oh man-beast of legend myth, for
the survival of the Centaurs depends upon your skill and the swiftness of your hooves

SOLD

Boban

“Sentimental Runner”

Original Stainless Steel Spoon Creation

One-of-a-kind

21″h x 6″w x 41.5″d

May your arrow’s flight be swift and true, oh man-beast of legend myth, for
the survival of the Centaurs depends upon your skill and the swiftness of your hooves

Boban

“St. George and the Dragon”

Original Stainless Steel Spoon Creation

One-of-a-kind

SOLD

Boban

Original Stainless Steel Spoon Creation

One-of-a-kind

Boban

Original Stainless Steel Spoon Creation

One-of-a-kind

Boban

Original Stainless Steel Spoon Creation

One-of-a-kind

Boban

“Violin & Romance”

Original Stainless Steel Spoon Creation

One-of-a-kind

Dimensions: 24” x 18” x 10”

SOLD

Boban

Original Stainless Steel Spoon Creation

One-of-a-kind

Boban

Original Stainless Steel Spoon Creation

One-of-a-kind

BOBAN ILIC (Serbian, b. 1964)

Exhibitions –
-Various galleries in Europe (1986 – 1990).
-Toyamura International Sculpture Biennale 2001, Japan
-Makati shangrila –Grand art Gallery –Philippines , May 7, 2002
-International Artexpo New York 2002-2003.
- Lincoln Park art initiative – Chicago -2003
- Premiere Gallery & Alexandros Foundation- June 20th -2003
-MG Gallery 676 N Dearborn-Chicago- Permanent displays
- 100 + one man show’s in the period 1985-2004
Awards –
-First place for sculpture design at North Shore Art League 1992,Chicago IL
-Award of excellency Port Clinton Art Festival 1998 (Best Art Work of the show)
-F Price (Best of the Show) Toyamura International Sculpture Biennale 2001
Sapporo, Japan
- Annual Sculpture Exibit “Linkoln Park Art Initiative 2003” First place.
Special Projects –
-Monument of Shaka Zulu figure for Oak Park Community displayed outside at the City of Chicago.
-Sculpture of Pegasus displayed outside on Montigo Bay, Jamaica.
-Complete Interior Design and Art at Palette’s Gallery, downtown Chicago.
-Sculpture commissioned by McDonalds Corporation displayed with McDonalds art collection.
-Sculptures for Mobile Oil Corporation displayed out side of headquarters, Texas.

Media Exposure
“Wild Chicago” on WTTW Ch 11, Chicago video show.
“What’s Working” program about Boban’s art on WTTW Ch 11.
“Good Morning America” on national television.
“ Starting Over” N.B.C. on national TV

To order or obtain further information,

Daughters of Odessa Ensemble (Three-Quarter Life Size) (1997). 32w x 34d x 47.5h. Bronze edition of 8 plus 4 proofs. Dimensions: 47.5” x 32” x 34”

“Daughters of Odessa” is Hart’s allegorical tribute to the four daughters of Czar Nicolas, martyred during the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. He felt that the four daughters personified all that is beautiful and innocent in the world, which has been much forgotten by the end of the 20th Century. This was his call to remember, “The ability to have FAITH, sustain HOPE, feel the transforming power of BEAUTY and to revel in the INNOCENCE around us.” (-Frederick Hart). Faith, Hope, Innocence and Beauty… The four Daughters of Odessa.

Literature: Frederick Hart Changing Tides, by Michael Novak, pg. 53-68. [illustration of another cast]

Adam (Full Scale) (2001) Bronze edition of 8 plus 4 proofs. Dimensions: 81” x 24” x 22”.

Saint Peter (Full Scale) (2003) Bronze edition of 8 plus 4 proofs. Dimensions: 70” x 25” x 20”.

Celebration (1991) Bronze, Edition of 8 plus 4 proofs, Dimensions: 83” x 30” x 30” Life-size bronze, edition of 8 plus 4 proofs.

Chanson (1994) Bronze, Edition of 8 plus 4 proofs, Dimensions: 65” x 39.5” x 25”.

The Herald (1992) Bronze, Edition of 6, Dimensions: 50” x 27.5” x 67.5”.

To order or obtain further information,

Joan Beltrán Bofill (Spanish, 1939-2009) “Imagen Mediterranea” (51.187” x 38.187”- 130cm x 97cm) Price on request

Text from: http://robinrile.com/blog

Worth Avenue to Mallorca: Beltran Bofill paints life of sun and light

Back in the early 2000′s, I began working on the design and curation of a new gallery on Worth Avenue in beautiful Palm Beach, Florida. It was the third in the gallery chain I was working with at the time and it was quite beautiful, within eyesight of the Atlantic Ocean and across from the historic Esplanade, where the likes of Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Saks Fifth Avenue all kept residence. As I was working there throughout the week and commuting to either Tampa or Miami on the weekends. While waiting for inventory, I spent my hours watching surfers effortlessly undulate in the rolling waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Waves would roll in and roll out as I read Umberto Eco novels and stared at the play of light on the water. Strolls down Worth Avenue are beautiful, hot and not for the weak-of-credit. On one particular trek from our gallery to the fashionable bistro Bice, I stopped into the lovely and venerable Wally Findlay Gallery. WFG was established in 1870, so they are what we were,  at the time, aspiring to be. The gallery of choice for the well-heeled and upwardly-mobile. They have featured everyone from Edgar Degas to Marc Chagall to Alexander Calder and everyone in between. On this particular day, they had a lovely painting in the front window by a Spanish painter named Joan Beltrán Bofill (Spanish, 1939-2009).

Joan Beltrán Bofill (Spanish, 1939-2009) Perisatisa (1987) Oil on canvas (39 3/8" x 28 3/4" - 100cm x 73cm) Price on request

At that point, I was quite unfamiliar with the artist, but his style was a fresh take on the classical impressionist ethos. While not impressionist per se, the free brushstrokes and impasto painting techniques echoed masters of the past without miming them precisely. Young maidens in flowing skirts and shawls stand in rocky Majorcan landscapes while intemperate winds and natural sunlight wash over them. Rather than being frenetic in the face of such tempest, his works promoted surprisingly calm reflection. Light seems to emanate from the canvas itself as though washed through trees overhead. They seemed a salve to the everyday cacophony of city living and well suited for the homes and interior design of Palm Beach and South Florida homes.

His vision and his work, although they had always been in my mind had never been part of my professional repertoire. The inventories in my former galleries revolved around other neo-impressionist masters, Jose Royo, Nicola Simbari, Pino Daeni and others. However, he always seemed to start it all for me.

More than a decade later, and more than a year after Bofill’s passing, my travels brought me to both Spain and Mallorca, Bofill’s homeland. Though we never met, the sun is exactly as he described it in his paintings. It sifts through the tree tops and fills the day with calming warmth. The whites are whiter. Just as he told me. The yellows, reds and blues are brighter and deeper. Just as he described. The wind on the hills and rocky outcrops of Majorcan beaches effects the same rejuvenation and calm as he conveyed in work after work. As I sat in the Mediterranean sun reflecting, Bofill made sense to me.

Joan Beltrán Bofill (Spanish, 1939-2009) " La Barca" (28" x 39"- 72cm x 98cms) Price on Request

Wandering past a small antiquario in Central Madrid, I noticed a familiar vision. One whom I had not seen in a decade, but one whom had occupied my thoughts through the previous weeks. It was a Bofill. The women he delicately placed in the background hovered in the pure whiteness of their dresses in the placid Mallorcan sun and it passed through the trees overhead. The winds were calm but you could almost sense the verdant lavender and olive oil in the air. It brought me back to my days in Palm Beach staring admiringly at works on Worth Avenue…. as well as the previous days staring at the rocky beaches of the Mediterranean shores of Malllorca. My wife and I stepped inside and spoke to the shop owner who then made arrangements for us to see several other Bofill works from the estate of the artist. We snatched them up on the spot.

Now, we stare at the placid landscapes and flowing, sunlit dresses and a calm comes over us. While remembrances abound of my early days on sunny Palm Beach, new memories have taken over from the beaches of Mallorca. Bofill has perfectly encapsulated what it means to be on in the sun of Eastern Spain. The brightness. The warmth. The wind. The feeling. Perhaps this is what painting is supposed to do. Take you to someplace…. other. Perhaps seeking these sights is why I came here in the first place.

Joan Beltrán Bofill (Spanish, 1939-2009) “Luz y Movimiento" (24" x 16.5"- 61cm x 42cms) Price on Request

Please contact, info@robinrile.com or see www.robinrile.com

for information on our present inventory of works from Joan Beltrán Bofill.

RECENTLY SOLD:

"The Eagle has landed! All is well. Painting is beautiful ! They did a wonderful job in packing and crating and there was no damage of any kind… We just got the Bofill reframed and hung this afternoon and thought we would share it with you. She looks so much nicer in new frame and at proper height. Really great piece and goes perfect in our dining room.. . Thank you for your efforts and feel free to use me as a reference. Regards, E.L." Private collection, PA

Tomasz Rut (Polish, b. 1961)

“Ne Plus Ultra”

oil on canvas. Circa 2005,

46″ x 34″

Certificate from Park West Gallery (2006)

PRICE: $29,950.

Tomasz Rut (pronounced root) was born in 1961 and raised in Warsaw, Poland, the son of an Olympic athlete father and artist mother who together encouraged a love of art and the classics. During his childhood Rut was introduced to the Pompeiien Frescos as well as Renaissance and Baroque art, which have influenced his oils on canvas, murals, and graphic works. Rut had his first showing in Warsaw at the age of eleven. Trained in Art Conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Rut continued his education in New York City at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and at Columbia University in Manhattan. He eventually took a job in art conservation for the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, traveling the east coast restoring large scale murals in museums and mansions for such clients as the Smithsonian Institution and the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, DC, the New Jersey State House in Trenton, the Gusman Center for the Arts and Vizcaya Museum in Miami.[4]

It was during these travels he began to notice the void of figurative paintings from the past that one could purchase, so Rut invented a style aimed at filling this void. This style incorporated cracked canvasses that mimic aged Italian frescoes and figurative oils. “The one element evident in all of my paintings is the superficial patina or aging,” which is created with a variety of transparent and semitransparent glazes, giving each work the aged and classic appearance that exemplifies Rut’s style.[4]

“Rut’s mural size paintings are contemporary conversions of the classical vocabulary variously continued by Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, and Rubens. In making them he returns to antiquity by a double detour. First, he sets in motion the charming unreal apparatus of the Quattrocento mise-en-scene, and more importantly its heroic nudity, vigorous modeling, expressive anatomic structure, powerful movement and fascinating physiognomy. Tinged with sadness, his super-human youths play once more on Arcadian pipes (i.e. pan flute) – a motif also reprised by Matisse. Alternatively, he offers us impossible delicate, gracile females-’still unravished bride(s) of quietness’-delimiting them with sylvan togas and braided tresses. Nor does he leave rearing steeds, which in the grand manner represent humanity’s turbulent passions.” ~Dorothy Keane-White, Art Curator & Director for Northwood University.

The subjects of Rut’s paintings, whether a figure, horse, or object, is at the center of every work, surrounded by compressed space with few background details to distract from the subject.