Fine Art, Decorative Arts To Take The Lead At Benefit Shop Sale

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. — “Art is not what you see but what you make others see,” Edgar Degas famously said. Buyers will find all manner of art to make a statement in their homes in the Benefit Shop Foundation’s Red Carpet auction Wednesday, April 10, at 10 am.

From wall art, including paintings, lithographs and drawings to decorative art objects, such as art glass and sculpture, the auction will have something for all tastes.

“Our auctions are always diverse affairs across the board but art is a particular passion of mine, so we always try to have a great selection,” said Pam Stone, owner and founder of the Benefit Shop Foundation. “This sale has artworks with great color, texture and inyour-face graphics as well as sculptural works, art objects and even a nice collection of midcentury furniture having a great design aesthetic.”

Well-known artists adding designer cachet to the offerings include a signed Robert Rauschenberg color lithograph ($700–$1,500), “Arrow,” in the artist’s signature collage style with layered images of sculptures, gates and a motorcycle; a signed and numbered Henry Moore lithograph ($700–$1,400) titled “Female Torso And Sculpture Ideas II,” #10 in an edition of 25, depicting sketches of the female form/human body in neutral rust red and grey tones; a Roy Lichtenstein with a signed and numbered lithograph ($200/400), the word, “IN,” in bright orange, red and black colors; and a signed original Charles Schulz drawing ($200/400) showing Snoopy and Woodstock graduating, diplomas in hand.

This signed Robert Rauschenberg color lithograph ($700–$1,500) embodies the artist’s signature collage style with layered images of sculptures, gates and a motorcycle, 26½ by 22¼ inches.

Three-dimensional art offerings include a Peter Bramhall art glass orb, ($200/500), signed and dated October 1993, 11 inches in diameter.

A great variety of artwork will cross the block, ranging from a signed Marie Laurencin ink and gouache ($250/450) of a study of a female nude figure, to a signed Theo Tobiasse limited edition lithograph ($500–$1,000), “Naomi aux Longues Tresses, depicting two stylized figures, painted with deep blue, green and orange tones. Laurencin was a widely collected and renowned French artist (1883–1956), exhibiting at the Salon des Indépendants (1910–11) and the Salon d’Automne (1911–12). She was one of the few female Cubist painters. Tobiasse (1927–2012) was born in Palestine but raised in German-occupied Paris. A wellknown painter of the French School, he is known for his harmonizing colors and textures. Also crossing the block is a signed drypoint etching by German Expressionist Max Beckmann, “Two Dancing Couples (Zwei Tanzpaare),” circa 1923.

Sculptural art will also be well represented in the auction, led by a gold-toned sculpture of a muscular and nude male torso, signed Tonny ($200/400); a vintage and hand carved folk art deer sculpture of two deer side by side facing opposite directions ($300/600), purchased from the designer source D&D Building in New York City; a signed Peter Bramhall art glass orb, signed ($200/500) dated 1993. Bramhall fashioned this clear sphere with an 11-inch diameter and multicolor free-form elements in the interior. The Vermont artist was an early student of the Penland School of Crafts, which teaches glass blowing, and later taught glass blowing drawing and sculpture at Earlham College in Vermont.

Good design is also a form of art, and the auction will feature striking Midcentury Modern pieces such as a 1970s multifaceted mirror/wall sculpture attributed to “the Prince of Plastics” Neal Small ($200/400), circa 1970s; an MCM Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb bedroom set ($800–$2,000). Another expected highlight will be a John Stuart Inc glass top desk ($200/400) with black-toned wood on chrome legs.

The monthly Red Carpet sales feature choice collections of antique, Midcentury Modern, brand furnishings, sterling, china, crystal, jewelry and fine art. With a mission of “to donate, to discover and to do good,” the foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and auction proceeds support community organizations. Consignors get a tax deduction, the buyer gets a great deal and local nonprofits get much needed funds.

The auction gallery is at 185 Kisco Avenue, Suite 201. For information, 914-864-0707 or www.thebenefitshop.org.