Works on paper were traditionally used by artists to test out new ideas with relatively inexpensive charcoal or pencil, lending them a sense of immediacy. In the Modern era, artists turned to media such as watercolor, gouache, collage and oil as a unique way to showcase their visions on paper. Graphic art became more than just a glimpse into the artist’s working process, transforming these compositions into fully-realized masterpieces in and of themselves.

Modernism celebrated experimentation and improvisation, qualities that drew artists more than ever to working on paper.&nbsp;

A Modern Medium

At the dawn of the 20th century, an era of rapid industrialization punctuated by war and social unrest, many artists sought vibrancy and grace in those around them. Portraiture has been a dominant artistic practice for centuries and remains one of the most significant for its insights into social, cultural and political history. With photography replacing the need for faithful documentation through painting, artists were free to capture the essence and identity of their sitters.

With photography replacing the need for faithful portraiture at the fin-de-siècle, artists instead sought to capture the spirit of their subjects.&nbsp;

Finding Beauty

Across cultures and across decades, the evolution of abstraction has run parallel to the development of Modern Art. From the geometry of the Bauhaus to the spontaneity of the Abstract Expressionists, twentieth-century artists redefined the representational to capture the experience of a world changing beyond recognition.&nbsp;

The path to abstraction in the first half of the 20th century was anything but linear.

A Brief History of Abstraction

Developed in late nineteenth-century France, Impressionism was born from the practice of artists bringing their canvases, brushes and paints outdoors, or en plein air, to spontaneously capture an impression of what they saw before them. The rapid application of paint and visible brushwork needed to quickly illustrate the transient scene and the fleeting sunlight gave rise to the movement that we know today as Impressionism. Impressionism soon took hold in American art, as artists and collectors began to appreciate the revolutionary aesthetic and brought it back across the Atlantic.

Capturing the Ephemeral

Throughout history, the myths and legends of the ancient world have consistently fascinated artists and intellectuals seeking beauty and truth. From the Greek and Roman heroes in the gilded frames of the Paris salons, to the maenads and satyrs dancing across Picasso’s late work, Classicism has been an ever-fruitful source of inspiration for artistic minds in the modern age.&nbsp;

Mythos

Classicism Reimagined

Sotheby’s is honored to present the collection of Frances Wells Magee across our May Marquee Auctions.

Works from The Collection of Frances Wells Magee

Appearing for the first time at public auction, six sculptures from the renowned collection of Jules E. Mastbaum will be offered across our Modern Evening and Day auctions. A Philadelphia movie theater magnate and philanthropist, Mastbaum became enamored of Rodin’s work on visiting Paris in 1923 and would go on to found The Rodin Museum in his hometown of Philadelphia. The Mastbaum name has since become synonymous with Rodin’s oeuvre and the great history of American collectors.

Sotheby’s is privileged to offer a selection of sculptures from the private collection of the founder of The Rodin Museum in Philadelphia.

Property from the Family of Jules E. Mastbaum

The Mastbaum Bronzes

Carefully assembled over the course of 40 years, The Vanguard Spirit collection celebrates the genesis of 20th Century Modernism in Cuba. The artists included here reframed international Modernism by applying their unique Caribbean sensibilities to create a transformative Trans-Atlantic aesthetic language. Executed with an unparalleled expressive diversity, each work within this collection represents the incredible diversity of the island, unified by the search for a genuine expression of cubanidad (“Cubanness”).

The Vanguard Spirit

New York

The Modern Day Auction draws together a century of paintings, drawings and sculpture from across Europe and the Americas to showcase the best of Impressionism through to Abstract Expressionism. The evolution of art in the modern era was shaped by movements, counter-movements and cross-currents that defy narrow categorizations by continent or medium. Provocative, daring and revolutionary: it is this persistent urge of successive generations of artists across the world to challenge established norms and preconceptions, and to reimagine what art might achieve, that has paved the way to the contemporary era. Sale Number: N11158

VP | Head of Modern Day Auction

SVP | Head of Auctions, Modern & Contemporary Art

Scott Niichel

SVP | Senior Specialist, Impressionist & Modern Art

Frances Asquith

Associate Specialist, Modern Art

Zoë Zaneteas

Cataloguer, Modern Art

Blair Moll

Associate Cataloguer, Modern Art

VP | Head of Contemporary Day Auction

Nicole Schloss

AVP | Deputy Head of Contemporary Art Day Sale, Contemporary Art

Emily Miles

Associate Specialist, Contemporary Art

Alya Sama

Associate Cataloguer, Contemporary Art

Carola Reyes Benítez

SVP | Head of American Art

SVP | Senior International Specialist

AVP | Specialist, American Art

Associate Cataloguer, American Art

Katie Maher

SVP | Head of Latin American Art

Anna Di Stasi

AVP | Specialist, Latin American Art

Emily Nice

Pre-Sale Experience Coordinator, Impressionist & Modern Art

Cindy Qian

Post Sale Manager, Impressionist & Modern Art

Cara Mitchell

Meet our Team

Explore the top works, collections and stories of the season as they are announced, and join us for our in-person Highlights Exhibitions around the world which culminate in The New York Sales exhibition in New York in May.

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The Modern Day Auction draws together a century of paintings, drawings and sculpture from across Europe and the Americas to showcase the best of Impressionism through to Abstract Expressionism. The evolution of art in the modern era was shaped by movements, counter-movements and cross-currents that defy narrow categorizations by continent or medium.