Swann Auction Galleries in New York City sold the personal art collection of the late author, poet, actress, and activist Dr. Maya Angelou (1928-2014) on Sept. 15, achieving several records. The sale offered 44 lots and 43 sold for a total of $1,294,200 (including buyer’s premium). The estimates for the collection were $402,000 to $637,000. Auction records were set for 14 individual artists, and the sale had a standing-room-only audience.
"We are absolutely thrilled this auction exceeded all of our expectations and reinforced the great status of Dr. Angelou as an American cultural icon. It was an honor to handle her collection," said Nigel Freeman, Swann Galleries' director of African-American Fine Art.
A star of the offerings was Faith Ringgold’s “Maya's Quilt of Life,” an acrylic-on-canvas and painted quilt with dyed pieced fabrics, made in 1989, which sold for an artist record $461,000.
The special quilt had been commissioned by Oprah Winfrey for Angelou’s 61st birthday. It hung in Angelou’s residence. The buyer was the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark.
“We recently welcomed our two-millionth visitor to the museum, and as we reflect on this milestone, we are developing ways to engage audiences and expand the American story within our collection,” said Crystal Bridges director of curatorial affairs Margi Conrads, as reported by artdaily.org. “This work celebrates the voice of one of the greatest storytellers of the 20th century, and we are honored to share this American treasure on a broader scale. We also think the work will resonate deeply with our local audiences because of Angelou’s Arkansas roots and the culture of the Ozarks, which boasts a long tradition of quilt-making.”
“‘Maya’s Quilt of Life’ expands the presence of important black artists in our collection, building on other recent acquisitions of works by artists ranging from Edward Mitchell Bannister to Alma Thomas,” said Crystal Bridges curator Chad Alligood. At the same time, the work bolsters a key strength of Crystal Bridges' collection: important women artists of the postwar period. The parallels between Ringgold and Angelou are manifest in this work: both women deploy the power of written word to illuminate the experience of being a black woman in America,” said Alligood, as reported by artdaily.org.
An oil-and-acrylic-on-masonite board by John Biggers, titled “Kumasi Market,” made in 1962, also achieved an artist record. It sold for $389,000. The work “Ethiopian Women,” by Biggers from 1969, sold for $37,500.
Dr. Angelou was an ardent supporter of female artists, and many works by women were among the top lots. Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe's 1993 hand colored silver print portrait, “Maya Angelou,” sold for $17,500 to the Muscarelle Museum of Art at The College of William and Mary, while mixed media collages by Phoebe Beasley titled “Catnap,” 1980, and “Play it Pretty for the People,” 1994, brought $11,875 and $8,125. Both “Maya Angelou” and “Catnap” set auction records for the artists. Another female artist whose work performed well was Elizabeth Catlett, with two lithographs selling in the top lots: “Madonna,” 1982, which realized $8,750, and “Two Generations,” 1979, which brought $8,450.
Sculptor Melvin Edwards's “OWWA Maya,” welded steel, 2011, a gift presented to Dr. Angelou by the Organization of Women Writers of Africa, sold for $40,000 and set a record for Edwards at auction.
To learn more, visit www.swanngalleries.com.