One of the earliest figures in American Pop art, Tom Wesselmann originally intended to become a cartoonist. Born in 1931 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wesselmann first studied psychology. Shortly after completing his degree at the University of Cincinatti, he relocated to New York City to study art at the Cooper Union. Wesselmann’s earliest works were small collages and assemblages, first utilizing discarded paper and old advertisements, then integrating found objects, such as utensils or even old television sets. His first large-scale series, Great American Nude, begun in 1961, earned him the attention of the art world. Featuring aggressively sexualized and highly depersonalized female figures set in commonplace surroundings, the compositions focus on sensual details, such as women’s mouths, nipples, and genitalia. The series exemplifies Wesselmann’s place as one of the originators of American Pop art; the use of bright, undiluted colors and the impersonal, advertisement-like motifs are all hallmarks of the movement. His later Smoker series would employ many of the same techniques; on large-scale canvases shaped like mouths, and done in bright, primary colors, the mouths become cartoonish symbols of eroticism. As Wesselmann progressed, he no longer constrained himself to the rectangular format canvas. Instead, he shaped and structured his canvases to correlate with his compositions; for example, his Still Life #57, in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, is not even constrained to a single canvas, but, instead, is made up of six irregularly shaped supports. His works can be found in the collections of the Honolulu Museum of Art, the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Albright-Know Art Gallery, Buffalo, and the Dallas Museum of Art. Given the popularity and demand for Pop art, market values have been generally optimistic; according to Sotheby’s Mei Moses the average compound annual return for Wesselmann is 9.4%, with 77.9% of works increasing in value.

Tom Wesselmann

Contemporary Day Auction

Tom Wesselmann 1931 - 2004 Looking Towards Alice's House signed, titled, dated 1985/89 and variously inscribed (on the reverse) enamel on laser-cut steel 66 by 89 ½ in. 167.6 by 227.3 cm. Executed in 1985-89. Please note that this work is included in the Tom Wesselmann Digital Catalogue Raisonné published by the Wildenstein Plattner Institute under number TWJTFI.

View 1 of Lot 673: Looking Towards Alice's House

looking towards alice's house

Looking Forward: The Collection of Beverly Grossman

Looking Forward: The Collection of Beverly Grossman Tom Wesselmann 1931 - 2004 Great American Nude #80 signed and dated 66 (lower right) graphite on paper 24 by 35 ¾ in. 61 by 90.8 cm. Executed in 1966. This work will be included in the Tom Wesselmann Digital Catalogue Raisonné published by the Wildenstein Plattner Institute under number TWCD0B.

View 1 of Lot 470: Great American Nude #80

great american nude #80

Vision: The Extraordinary Collection of Theodore and Ruth Baum Evening Auction

Vision: The Extraordinary Collection of Theodore and Ruth Baum

Vision: The Extraordinary Collection of Theodore and Ruth Baum Tom Wesselmann 1931 - 2004 Still Life #22 signed, titled, dated 10/62 and variously inscribed (on the reverse) acrylic, enamel, paper collage and wood with metal brackets, radio and plastic bottle on panel 36 by 48 by 4 in. 91.4 by 121.9 by 10.2 cm. Executed in 1962. This work is included in the Tom Wesselmann Digital Corpus published by the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, and will be included in their forthcoming Tom Wesselmann Digital Catalogue Raisonné.

still life #22

Looking Forward: The Collection of Beverly Grossman Tom Wesselmann 1931 - 2004 Bedroom Collage Edition signed, dated 1974, titled and numbered 6/20 (on the reverse) Liquitex printed in colors with collage on canvas mounted on Korpine 4 ½ by 8 ½ in. 11.6 by 21.7 cm. Executed in 1974, this work is number 6 from an edition of 20 plus 3 artist's proofs.

View 1 of Lot 466: Bedroom Collage Edition

bedroom collage edition

Looking Forward: The Collection of Beverly Grossman Tom Wesselmann 1931 - 2004 Smoker Study #31 signed, titled and dated 67 (lower left); signed, titled and dated 67 (on the stretcher) oil on canvas in artist’s chosen frame 8 ⅛ by 10 ⅛ in. 20.6 by 25.7 cm. Executed in 1967. This work is included in the Tom Wesselmann Digital Catalogue Raisonné published by the Wildenstein Plattner Institute under number TW040D.

smoker study #31

Smoking Cigar, by <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=tom+wesselmann&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tom Wesselmann</a>, 1999.<ul><li>Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931-2004).</li><li>Liquitex collage on Bristol board.</li><li>Hand signed and dated.</li><li>This work is presented unframed.</li></ul>&nbsp;This work is hand signed in pencil by the artist "Wesselmann", at the center of the lower image.&nbsp;It is additionally dated in pencil “99” [1999] next to the signature.&nbsp;The work is further titled in pencil, verso.&nbsp;

Smoking Cigar

Seascape by <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=Tom+Wesselmann&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tom Wesselmann</a>, 1998.<ul><li>Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931-2004).</li><li>Print on handmade paper.</li><li>Signed, dated, numbered recto in pencil along the lower margin.</li><li>Part of an edition of 50, 5 AP, 5 HC.</li><li>This work is presented unframed.</li></ul>

Seascape

Hedy Sleeping, by <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=tom+wesselmann&amp;pfilters.dateRange=upcoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tom Wesselmann</a>, 1962-1990.<ul><li>Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931-2004).</li><li>Laser-cut steel drawing multiple with alkyd oil in colors.</li><li>Hand signed.</li><li>Part of an edition of 6.</li><li>Co-published by the artist and David Janis Fine Art, New York.</li><li>This work is presented unframed.</li></ul> The subject for this work was conceived in 1962 and executed in 1990 alongside a small number of other compositions of steel-cut multiples.

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