John Burton Harter Paintings & Artwork for Sale | John Burton Harter Art Value Price Guide

Aug. 22, 2024
JOHN BURTON HARTER (1940-2002) Seated Figure.
Est: $800 - $1,200
JOHN BURTON HARTER (1940-2002) Seated Figure. Pen and ink on museum mount board. 762x609 mm; 30x24 inches. Signed in pencil, lower left. 1996. Provenance: estate of the artist to benefit The John Burton Harter Foundation. John B. Harter focused his artistic practice on the male body. He worked from photographs, first shooting his models then creating fully formed compositions based on these images. Often they depict his friends and acquaintances, he even photographed himself as a model. In addition to his artwork, he worked as a curator for many years before dedicating himself to his studio practice. He stated: "The development of my art has paralleled my homoerotic exploration and as I discovered aspects of the gay world, I incorporated them into my paintings and drawings. My translation of the gay world to imagery, to art, defined what I was learning to myself, and each – art and lifestyle – became a part of the other." Recent exhibitions of his work include The Messenger: John Burton Harter & R. E. Roberts, SPRING/BREAK Art Show, Los Angeles, CA, 2022 and his work was included in Art after Stonewall, 1969-1989, Leslie-Lohman Museum, New York, NY, 2019. His artwork is held in The Historic New Orleans Collection, New Orleans, LA; the Leslie-Lohman Museum, New York, NY; the Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans, LA; the New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA; the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jan. 28, 2023
John Burton Harter, (American/Louisiana, 1940-2002), "William Clark Nelson III", 1974/5, oil on cardstock, 24" x 20"
Est: $800 - $1,200
John Burton Harter (American/Louisiana, 1940-2002) "William Clark Nelson III", 1974/5 oil on cardstock initialed lower left, titled in pencil lower center in margin, a "John Burton Harter Trust" inventory label en verso. Unframed. To be sold for the benefit of The John Burton Harter Foundation 24" x 20" Provenance: Estate of the artist; thence to The John Burton Harter Foundation in 2002. Literature: Harter, John Burton, Encounters with the Nude Male, Paintings by J. B. Harter, England: Editions Aubrey Walter, 1997.; Doug MacCash, "Legacy in Limbo", The Times Picayune, June 25, 2002.; Rubin, David S., A Tale of Two Cities, exhibition catalogue, The John Burton Harter Foundation, 2022. Notes: I am a representational painter. I make no apologies for it. John Burton Harter, 1997 The three works offered below are being sold for the benefit of the John Burton Harter Foundation, which is a non-profit organization established by Harter to ensure the continuation of his artistic vision and which provides resources to other non-profits that advance Harter's art and interests. John Burton Harter was an artist, historian, patron of the arts and longtime Curator at the Louisiana State Museum who, at the time of his tragic death at the age of 62, was in the process of creating a gallery for homoerotic art in New Orleans. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, he was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended the University of Louisville and Louisiana State University, before settling in New Orleans. For most of his life, Harter was a closeted gay man, and both his life and art reveal an intentional dichotomy between private and public. Within the local art community, he was known and admired for his tranquil, linear landscapes and brightly-hued still lifes, which were exhibited to much acclaim. Privately, he worked on a series of eroticized male nudes of Classical inspiration. As Harter stated in the preface to his 1997 book; "I have been turning out works of gay-oriented art for nearly 30 years, most of which almost no one has seen…These paintings are ghosts for me…I am very conscious that art which touches on the sexual of whatever stamp is at greatest risk against survival."
New Orleans Auction Galleries
Aug. 18, 2022
JOHN BURTON HARTER (1940-2002) Sunshine.
Est: $800 - $1,200
JOHN BURTON HARTER (1940-2002) Sunshine. Oil on panel, 762x609 mm; 30x24 inches. Signed and dated in oil, lower right. 1997. Provenance: Estate of the artist to benefit The John Burton Harter Foundation.
Swann Auction Galleries
Aug. 18, 2022
JOHN BURTON HARTER (1940-2002) Darby, Nude Study for "Man Bathing."
Est: $700 - $1,000
JOHN BURTON HARTER (1940-2002) Darby, Nude Study for "Man Bathing." Pen and ink on museum board, 660x457 mm; 26x18 inches, full margins. Signed and dated in ink, lower right. Signed, titled and dated in ink, verso. 1995. Provenance: Estate of the artist to benefit The John Burton Harter Foundation. John B. Harter focused his artistic practice on the male body. He worked from photographs, first shooting his models then creating fully formed compositions based on these images. Often they depict his friends and acquaintances, he even photographed himself as a model. In addition to his artwork, he worked as a curator for many years before dedicating himself to his studio practice. He stated: "The development of my art has paralleled my homoerotic exploration and as I discovered aspects of the gay world, I incorporated them into my paintings and drawings. My translation of the gay world to imagery, to art, defined what I was learning to myself, and each – art and lifestyle – became a part of the other."
Swann Auction Galleries
Aug. 18, 2022
JOHN BURTON HARTER (1940-2002) Two studies for Pete Asleep.
Est: $700 - $1,000
JOHN BURTON HARTER (1940-2002) Two studies for Pete Asleep. Grease pencil and white conte on toned sketch paper, both 374x423 mm; 13 7/8x16 7/8 inches. Both signed and dated "1/9/83" in graphite, lower edge. 1983. Provenance: Estate of the artist to benefit The John Burton Harter Foundation. This pair of drawings are two studies for Harter's artwork Pete Asleep. John Burton Harter documented the richness of gay experience through his artwork. Harter is most known for male figure studies and compositions of the male body. These works range from classical studio drawings to completed paintings and self-portraits. Many convey camaraderie and affection and are filled with joy. Harter participated in the AIDS discourse, leading to his creation of the AIDS Wall. Executed from 1992-2001, the AIDS Wall is a tribute to friends and people he admired who died from AIDS-related complications or who were living with HIV. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Harter grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. Interested in anthropology, archaeology, and the arts, he was educated at the University of Louisville, BA Art History, 1963 and Louisiana State University, MA, Painting, 1970. Harter worked at the Louisiana State Museum in the late 1960s and gained a reputation for his attention to detail in caring for fine art. The museum promoted him to curator and then collections manager, overseeing all holdings. Meanwhile, Harter produced paintings and drawings that often reflected his explorations as a gay man. He credited Paul Cadmus (1904-1999) for establishing an artistic climate that motivated him to explore the male nude and relationships between men openly in art. He died in an unsolved murder at his home in New Orleans. Recent exhibitions of his work include The Messenger: John Burton Harter & R. E. Roberts, SPRING/BREAK Art Show, Los Angeles, CA, 2022 and his work was included in Art after Stonewall, 1969-1989, Leslie-Lohman Museum, New York, NY, 2019. His artwork is held in The Historic New Orleans Collection, New Orleans, LA; the Leslie-Lohman Museum, New York, NY; the Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans, LA; the New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA; the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT. Biography provided by the artist's website.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jul. 30, 2022
John Burton Harter, (American/Louisiana, 1940-2002), "Red, White and Blue", 2001, oil on board, 8" x 16", framed 9-1/2" x 17-1/2"
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
John Burton Harter (American/Louisiana, 1940-2002) "Red, White and Blue", 2001 oil on board signed and dated lower left, initialed, dated, titled and with a "John Burton Harter Trust" inventory label en verso. Framed. To be sold for the benefit of the John Burton Harter Foundation. 8" x 16", framed 9-1/2" x 17-1/2" Provenance: Estate of the artist; thence to The John Burton Harter Foundation in 2002.
New Orleans Auction Galleries
Jul. 30, 2022
John Burton Harter, (American/Louisiana, 1940-2002), "William Clark Nelson III", 1974/5, oil on cardstock, 24" x 20"
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
John Burton Harter (American/Louisiana, 1940-2002) "William Clark Nelson III", 1974/5 oil on cardstock initialed lower left, titled in pencil lower center in margin, a "John Burton Harter Trust" inventory label en verso. Unframed. To be sold for the benefit of The John Burton Harter Foundation 24" x 20" Provenance: Estate of the artist; thence to The John Burton Harter Foundation in 2002. Literature: Harter, John Burton, Encounters with the Nude Male, Paintings by J.B. Harter, England: Editions Aubrey Walter, 1997.; Doug MacCash, "Legacy in Limbo", The Times Picayune, June 25, 2002.; Rubin, David S., A Tale of Two Cities, exhibition catalogue, The John Burton Harter Foundation, 2022 Notes: I am a representational painter. I make no apologies for it. John Burton Harter, 1997 The three works offered below are being sold for the benefit of the John Burton Harter Foundation, which is a non-profit organization established by Harter to ensure the continuation of his artistic vision and which provides resources to other non-profits that advance Harter's art and interests. John Burton Harter was an artist, historian, patron of the arts and longtime Curator at the Louisiana State Museum who, at the time of his tragic death at the age of 62, was in the process of creating a gallery for homoerotic art in New Orleans. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, he was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended the University of Louisville and Louisiana State University, before settling in New Orleans. For most of his life, Harter was a closeted gay man, and both his life and art reveal an intentional dichotomy between private and public. Within the local art community, he was known and admired for his tranquil, linear landscapes and brightly-hued still lifes, which were exhibited to much acclaim. Privately, he worked on a series of eroticized male nudes of Classical inspiration. As Harter stated in the preface to his 1997 book; "I have been turning out works of gay-oriented art for nearly 30 years, most of which almost no one has seen…These paintings are ghosts for me…I am very conscious that art which touches on the sexual of whatever stamp is at greatest risk against survival."
New Orleans Auction Galleries
Jul. 30, 2022
John Burton Harter (American/Louisiana, 1940-2002), "Untitled Landscape"
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
John Burton Harter (American/Louisiana, 1940-2002) "Untitled Landscape" oil on paper initialed lower right, a "John Burton Harter Trust" inventory label en verso. Unframed. To be sold for the benefit of the John Burton Harter Foundation. 12-1/4" x 11" Provenance: Estate of the artist; thence to The John Burton Harter Foundation in 2002.
New Orleans Auction Galleries
Sep. 11, 2011
John Burton Harter (Kentucky/New Orleans, 1940)
Est: $300 - $500
John Burton Harter (Kentucky/New Orleans, 1940-2002), "Standing Nude Male-Rear", felt-tipped pen on paper, unsigned, J.B. Harter Trust "01078" label en verso, sheet 8 1/8 in. x 14 in., attractively matted and framed
Neal Auction Company
Sep. 11, 2011
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940)
Est: $400 - $600
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), "Standing Nude Male", oil on board, unsigned, J.B. Harter Trust "01084" label en verso, 14 1/2 in. x 10 in., attractively matted and framed; accompanied by The Drawings of J.B. Harter by John Burton Harter, edited by Charles W. Leslie, Leslie-Loman, Gay Art Foundation, New York, 2003
Neal Auction Company
Nov. 22, 2009
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $500 - $700
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), Three oil on masonite paintings, including "Shop Keeper of Hanoi", monogrammed and dated "2001" lower left, inscribed "JBH 2001 140 Shopkeeper of Hanoi" en verso, 8 in. x 10 in.; "Bacchus", signed "Jaybee" mid-left, dated "75" mid-right, inscribed "JBH 1975 Bacchus" en verso, 12 in. x 12 in.; and "Portrait of Sky Dawson", monogrammed mid-right and dated "1991" mid-left, inscribed "JBH 1991 Sky Dawson" en verso, 16 in. x 12 in., all bearing J.B. Harter trust labels, all unframed.
Neal Auction Company
Sep. 13, 2009
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), two paintings, including "Coastal Marsh" and "Coastal Marsh, Midday", watercolors on boards, both unsigned, both bearing labels with title and dated "1999" and "A Frame Shop, New Orleans" en verso, 12 1/2 in. x 9 in. and 6 in. x 10 in. respectively, matted and framed alike.
Neal Auction Company
Jun. 28, 2009
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $800 - $1,200
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), two watercolors including ³Coastal Marsh Sunset² and ³Coastal Marsh Evening², both unsigned, titled and dated ³1999² with ³A Frame Shop, New Orleans² label en verso, with an estate certificate, both 8 in. x 10 in., matted and framed alike.
Neal Auction Company
Jun. 28, 2009
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $800 - $1,200
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), two watercolors including ³Coastal Roads and Thun-derheads² and ³Coastal Marsh Nocturne², both unsigned, titled and dated ³1999² with ³A Frame Shop, New Orleans² label en verso, with an estate certificate, 8 in. x 10 in. and 8 in. x 11 1/2 in. respectively, matted and framed alike.
Neal Auction Company
Apr. 19, 2009
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $400 - $600
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), two oils on masonite, "Bowl with Bell Peppers" and "Mango Stand", signed and dated "2001" lower left and lower right, respectively, both inscribed with monogram, date and title, both bearing J B Ha
Neal Auction Company
Feb. 08, 2009
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $400 - $600
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), A Pair of Paintings "Split Merliton (Chayote)" and "Split Red Onion", oils on masonite, both signed and dated "2001" lower left, titled, estate numbers "JBH 2001.107" and "JBH 2001.201" and J. B. Harter Trust labels en verso, 8 in. x 10 in., in matching frames. Provenance: Estate of John Burton Harter * NO RETURNS ARE ACCEPTED ON THE BASIS OF CONDITION * PLEASE READ ALL CONDITIONS OF LISTED WITH THIS ITEM * PAYMENT DUE WITHIN 10 DAYS! * NO PAY PAL * WE DO NOT SHIP ANY ITEMS or ESTIMATE, SEE BELOW SHIPPING POLICY * LOCATED IN NEW ORLEANS, LA *
Neal Auction Company
Feb. 08, 2009
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $600 - $900
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), "Bowl with White Merlitons (Chayote)", oil on masonite, signed and dated "2000" lower left, titled, estate number "JBH2000.45" and J. B. Harter Trust label en verso, 17 3/4 in. x 21 in., framed * NO RETURNS ARE ACCEPTED ON THE BASIS OF CONDITION * PLEASE READ ALL CONDITIONS OF LISTED WITH THIS ITEM * PAYMENT DUE WITHIN 10 DAYS! * NO PAY PAL * WE DO NOT SHIP ANY ITEMS or ESTIMATE, SEE BELOW SHIPPING POLICY * LOCATED IN NEW ORLEANS, LA *
Neal Auction Company
Feb. 08, 2009
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $800 - $1,200
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), A pair of paintings "Red, White, and Blue (onions)" and "Red, White and Blue, Too (onions)", oils on masonite, both signed and dated "2001" lower left, titled, estate number "JBH 2001.156" and "JBH 2001.157" and J. B. Harter Trust labels en verso, 8 in. x 16 in. and 8 in. x 10 in., framed alike * NO RETURNS ARE ACCEPTED ON THE BASIS OF CONDITION * PLEASE READ ALL CONDITIONS OF LISTED WITH THIS ITEM * PAYMENT DUE WITHIN 10 DAYS! * NO PAY PAL * WE DO NOT SHIP ANY ITEMS or ESTIMATE, SEE BELOW SHIPPING POLICY * LOCATED IN NEW ORLEANS, LA *
Neal Auction Company
Dec. 07, 2008
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $800 - $1,200
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), "Landscape with Clouds", watercolor, initialed "BH" lower right, label en verso reading "J.B. Harter Trust 01733", 8 1/2 in. x 10 3/4 in., and "Landscape with Trees", watercolor, unsigned, label en verso reading "J.B. Harter Trust 01732", 5 1/2 in. x 7 1/4 in., unframed.
Neal Auction Company
Dec. 07, 2008
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $800 - $1,200
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), "Variegated Pumpkins (Bhutan)", oil on masonite, signed and dated "1999" lower left, titled, estate number "JBH 1999.10" and J. B. Harter Trust label en verso, 18 in. x 24 in.
Neal Auction Company
Oct. 11, 2008
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $800 - $1,200
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), a pair of paintings "Split Merliton (Chayote)" and "Split Red Onion", oils on masonite, both signed and dated "2001" lower left, titled, estate numbers "JBH 2001 107" and "JBH 2001 201" and J. B. Harter Trust labels en verso, 8 in. x 10 in., in matching frames.
Neal Auction Company
Jul. 13, 2008
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $600 - $900
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), "Baylee as Bacchus", oil on masonite, unsigned, titled mid-left, dated "75" mid-right, titled, estate number "JBH 1975" and J.B. Harter Trust label en verso, 12 in. x 12 in., unframed.
Neal Auction Company
Jul. 13, 2008
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $700 - $900
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), "Mango Stand", oil on masonite, signed and dated "2001" lower right, titled, estate number "JBH 2001.133" and J. B. Harter Trust label en verso, 16 in. x 20 in., unframed.
Neal Auction Company
Jul. 13, 2008
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $800 - $1,200
John Burton Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), "Bowl with Bell Peppers", oil on masonite, signed and dated "2001" lower left, titled, estate number "2001.195" and J. B. Harter Trust label en verso, 12 in. x 18 in., unframed. Harter was especially known for his keen interpretation of gay sensibility, including his most personal creation of an AIDS WALL, a tribute to more than fifty friends who died of AIDS. In addition to a good number of self-portraits, Harter produced numerous landscapes, still life paintings and riveting portraits. After Harter's untimely death, New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center presented "The Culture of Queer: A Tribute to J.B. Harter" and his work has been exhibited in Paris and at the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation in New York City. Note: John Burton Harter made his career in the museum world, starting at The Historic New Orleans Collection and ending as curator of collections at the Louisiana State Museum, before retiring in 1991
Neal Auction Company
Dec. 01, 2007
John Burton "Burt" Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $700 - $900
John Burton "Burt" Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), "Spaghetti Squash", oil on masonite, signed and dated "2001" lower left, titled en verso, 10 in. x 18 in.
Neal Auction Company
Dec. 01, 2007
John Burton "Burt" Harter (American/New Orleans,
Est: $700 - $900
John Burton "Burt" Harter (American/New Orleans, 1940-2002), "Squash Cut for Cooking", oil on masonite, signed and dated "2001" lower left, titled en verso, 10 in. x 18 in.
Neal Auction Company