Bessie Harvey Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1929 - d. 1994

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    • Bessie Harvey Mixed Media Folk Art Sculpture
      Jul. 08, 2023

      Bessie Harvey Mixed Media Folk Art Sculpture

      Est: $800 - $900

      Bessie Harvey (Georgia/Tennessee, 1929-1994) abstract folk art sculpture depicting a standing figure, comprised of painted driftwood mounted onto a 2 x 4 wood base with additional paint and bead decorations throughout. Unsigned. 13" H x 10" W x 3 1/4" D. Biography: Bessie Harvey was born in Dallas, Georgia, the seventh of thirteen children. She attended school through the fourth grade. In her early twenties she moved to Tennessee, living briefly in Knoxville and then permanently in nearby Alcoa, where she secured a job with Blount Memorial Hospital in order to help provide for her children and grandchildren. Although aware of her own creative gifts as a child, Harvey did not devote her full-time energies to making art until in her late forties. Seeking solace from life's challenges, she found strength and comfort in her faith and began to discern spirits in seemingly ordinary pieces of gnarled wood. In her makeshift basement studio, Harvey added paint, wood putty, shells, hair, cloth, and other items to each piece of wood in order to give vivid physical form to the spirit she perceived within. Her earliest creations tended to be small, simple figures decorated only with black paint, human hair, and shells or beads. Collectors began to recognize the raw expressive power of her strange, dark figures, and Harvey's reputation soared by the early 1980s. Troubled by local rumors that her work was the product of voodoo, Harvey one day in 1983 burned the contents of her studio. After a few weeks of self-reflection, however, she went back to work with the newfound realization that her sculptures were important messages from God to a troubled world. Her works became increasingly large, colorful, and elaborate and enriched by glitter, cloth, beads, and jewelry. She also embarked on a loosely autobiographical series, Africa in America, which she intended as a teaching tool for children in her community. By the time of her death in 1994, the series included more than twenty sculptural dioramas depicting the African American experience and race relations during and after the era of slavery. (source: The Tennessee Encyclopedia).

      Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
    • BESSIE HARVEY MIXED MEDIA DRAWING
      May. 14, 2023

      BESSIE HARVEY MIXED MEDIA DRAWING

      Est: $1,000 - $2,000

      12" x 18"

      Ledbetter Auctions
    • BESSIE HARVEY MIXED MEDIA DRAWING
      May. 14, 2023

      BESSIE HARVEY MIXED MEDIA DRAWING

      Est: $1,000 - $2,000

      18" x 11"

      Ledbetter Auctions
    • BESSIE HARVEY, LONELY TEARDROP 1993, ABSTRACT MIXED MEDIA
      Jan. 28, 2023

      BESSIE HARVEY, LONELY TEARDROP 1993, ABSTRACT MIXED MEDIA

      Est: $500 - $600

      Bessie Harvey (Georgia, 1928-1994) mixed media marker and watercolor on paper drawing titled "Lonely Teardrop," depicting abstracted intertwined hands and facial features rendered in bright colors. Titled, signed and dated "Bessie Harvey '93" lower right corner. Housed in an assembled wood frame with a blue mat under glass. Sight: 17 1/2" H 11 3/4" W. Framed: 27" H x 20 1/2" W.

      Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
    • BESSIE HARVEY (1929 - 1994)
      Mar. 19, 2022

      BESSIE HARVEY (1929 - 1994)

      Est: $1,500 - $2,500

      signed and dated Bessie Harvey 1990 18"H x 9"W

      Ledbetter Auctions
    • Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1928-1994)
      Mar. 09, 2022

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1928-1994)

      Est: $400 - $600

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1928-1994), "Bird Dog", mixed media, signed and titled on self-base, h. 9 in., w. 7 5/8 in., d. 5 1/2 in. Provenance: Gasperi Gallery, New Orleans, LA, 1993; Estate of Curator and Scholar and Advocate of Outsider and Contemporary Art Bill Fagaly, sold to benefit Prospect New Orleans' William A. Fagaly Memorial Fund for Social Impact. Ill.: Burton, Marda. "Every Nook and Cranny: A Museum at Home". Veranda. Summer 1995: p. 196. Condition: Overall fair condition.

      Neal Auction Company
    • Bessie Harvey American, b. 1929 Spirits, circa 1987
      Nov. 02, 2021

      Bessie Harvey American, b. 1929 Spirits, circa 1987

      Est: $700 - $1,000

      Bessie Harvey American, b. 1929 Spirits, circa 1987 Enamel on board 43 x 29 1/2 inches Provenance: Knoke Gallery, Atlanta Cavin-Morris, Inc., New York C Estate of an Upper West Side Collector

      DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994 American) ''Warrior'' Sculpture Mixed Media 51''x11''. An assemblage of painted wood, beads, shells, and found jewelry. Unsigned. Missing some shells and applied pieces. Collection of Mark Bloome, Seattle.
      May. 07, 2020

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994 American) ''Warrior'' Sculpture Mixed Media 51''x11''. An assemblage of painted wood, beads, shells, and found jewelry. Unsigned. Missing some shells and applied pieces. Collection of Mark Bloome, Seattle.

      Est: $200 - $400

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994 American) ''Warrior'' Sculpture Mixed Media 51''x11''. An assemblage of painted wood, beads, shells, and found jewelry. Unsigned. Missing some shells and applied pieces. Collection of Mark Bloome, Seattle.

      MBA Seattle Auction LLC
    • TN Folk Art Sculpture by Bessie Harvey
      Jan. 25, 2020

      TN Folk Art Sculpture by Bessie Harvey

      Est: $400 - $450

      Bessie Harvey (Georgia/Tennessee, 1929-1994) abstract folk art sculpture comprised of brightly painted driftwood, depicting a pair of birds by a body of water. 22 3/4" W x 9" D x 5 3/4" H. Provenance: Private Southern Collection. Biography: Bessie Harvey was born in Dallas, Georgia, the seventh of thirteen children. She attended school through the fourth grade. In her early twenties she moved to Tennessee, living briefly in Knoxville and then permanently in nearby Alcoa, where she secured a job with Blount Memorial Hospital in order to help provide for her children and grandchildren. Although aware of her own creative gifts as a child, Harvey did not devote her full-time energies to making art until in her late forties. Seeking solace from life's challenges, she found strength and comfort in her faith and began to discern spirits in seemingly ordinary pieces of gnarled wood. In her makeshift basement studio, Harvey added paint, wood putty, shells, hair, cloth, and other items to each piece of wood in order to give vivid physical form to the spirit she perceived within. Her earliest creations tended to be small, simple figures decorated only with black paint, human hair, and shells or beads. Collectors began to recognize the raw expressive power of her strange, dark figures, and Harvey's reputation soared by the early 1980s. Troubled by local rumors that her work was the product of voodoo, Harvey one day in 1983 burned the contents of her studio. After a few weeks of self-reflection, however, she went back to work with the newfound realization that her sculptures were important messages from God to a troubled world. Her works became increasingly large, colorful, and elaborate and enriched by glitter, cloth, beads, and jewelry. She also embarked on a loosely autobiographical series, Africa in America, which she intended as a teaching tool for children in her community. By the time of her death in 1994, the series included more than twenty sculptural dioramas depicting the African American experience and race relations during and after the era of slavery. (source: The Tennessee Encyclopedia).

      Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) "Walk With Me Lord", 1985
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) "Walk With Me Lord", 1985

      Est: $200 - $400

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) "Walk With Me Lord", 1985, mixed media painting on paper, signed and dated. Unframed. Size: 20'' x 12.5'', 51 x 32 cm (sheet).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed Media Painting
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed Media Painting

      Est: $200 - $400

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed Media Painting on paper, 1987, signed and dated. Unframed. Size: 11.75'' x 6.75'', 30 x 17 cm (sheet).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) "Rainbow of Faces"
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) "Rainbow of Faces"

      Est: $200 - $400

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) "Rainbow of Faces", ink drawing on paper, titled and signed. Unframed. Size: 11'' x 17'', 28 x 43 cm (sheet).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) "Queen With No Mercy", 1985
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) "Queen With No Mercy", 1985

      Est: $200 - $400

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) "Queen With No Mercy", 1985, mixed media on paper, titled, signed and dated. Unframed. Size: 11'' x 17'', 28 x 43 cm (sheet).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed media on paper, 1987
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed media on paper, 1987

      Est: $200 - $400

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed media on paper, 1987, signed and dated. Unframed. Size: 24'' x 18'', 61 x 46 cm (sheet).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Ink drawing on paper, 1986
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Ink drawing on paper, 1986

      Est: $200 - $400

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Winged Figure. Ink drawing on paper, 1986, signed and dated. Unframed. Size: 24'' x 18'', 61 x 46 cm (sheet).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Nude
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Nude

      Est: $200 - $400

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Nude, Mixed media on paper, signed. Unframed. Size: 17'' x 14'', 43 x 36 cm (sheet).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed media painting on paper, 1986
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed media painting on paper, 1986

      Est: $200 - $400

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed media painting on paper, 1986, signed and dated. Framed. Size: 23.5'' x 17.5'', 60 x 44 cm (sight); 24.25'' x 18.5'', 62 x 47 cm (frame).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) 2 Mixed Media Root Sculptures
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) 2 Mixed Media Root Sculptures

      Est: $500 - $1,000

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) 2 Mixed Media Root Sculptures, 1980's, each signed. Sizes: 15'' x 12'' x 5.5'' (38 x 30 x 14 cm) and 14.5'' x 6.25'' x 4.25'' (37 x 16 x 11 cm).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed media Root Sculpture
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed media Root Sculpture

      Est: $500 - $1,000

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed media Root Sculpture, signed. Size: 15'' x 6'' x 14.5'' (38 x 15 x 37 cm).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture

      Est: $500 - $1,000

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture, signed. Size: 19'' x 24.5'' x 5.5'' (48 x 62 x 14 cm).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture, 1988
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture, 1988

      Est: $500 - $1,000

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture, 1988, signed and dated. Size: 16.5'' x 4.25'' x 4.75'' (42 x 11 x 12 cm).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture, 1986
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture, 1986

      Est: $500 - $1,000

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture, 1986, signed and dated. Size: 21'' x 10'' x 6.5'' (53 x 25 x 17 cm).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture

      Est: $500 - $1,000

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Mixed Media Root Sculpture, signed. Size: 11'' x 13.5'' x 15'' (28 x 34 x 38 cm).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Pharoah, 1987
      Jun. 10, 2019

      Bessie Harvey (1929-1994) Pharoah, 1987

      Est: $500 - $1,000

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Pharoah, 1987, mixed media root sculpture, signed and dated. Size: 12'' x 7.5'' x 5.75'' (30 x 19 x 15 cm).

      Material Culture
    • TN Folk Art Sculpture by Bessie Harvey
      Jul. 14, 2018

      TN Folk Art Sculpture by Bessie Harvey

      Est: $600 - $800

      Bessie Harvey (Georgia/Tennessee, 1929-1994) mixed media folk art sculpture titled "Friday-Working in the Yard". Comprised of painted cloth, beads, plastic and other found materials on wood. Signed and titled on the round base. Exhibition tag included with this lot. 24" H x 6" W x 6 1/2" D. Created 1992. Provenance: Private Nashville, TN collection. Biography: Bessie Harvey was born in Dallas, Georgia, the seventh of thirteen children. She attended school through the fourth grade. In her early twenties she moved to Tennessee, living briefly in Knoxville and then permanently in nearby Alcoa, where she secured a job with Blount Memorial Hospital in order to help provide for her children and grandchildren. Although aware of her own creative gifts as a child, Harvey did not devote her full-time energies to making art until in her late forties. Seeking solace from life's challenges, she found strength and comfort in her faith and began to discern spirits in seemingly ordinary pieces of gnarled wood. In her makeshift basement studio, Harvey added paint, wood putty, shells, hair, cloth, and other items to each piece of wood in order to give vivid physical form to the spirit she perceived within. Her earliest creations tended to be small, simple figures decorated only with black paint, human hair, and shells or beads. Collectors began to recognize the raw expressive power of her strange, dark figures, and Harvey's reputation soared by the early 1980s. Troubled by local rumors that her work was the product of voodoo, Harvey one day in 1983 burned the contents of her studio. After a few weeks of self-reflection, however, she went back to work with the newfound realization that her sculptures were important messages from God to a troubled world. Her works became increasingly large, colorful, and elaborate and enriched by glitter, cloth, beads, and jewelry. She also embarked on a loosely autobiographical series, Africa in America, which she intended as a teaching tool for children in her community. By the time of her death in 1994, the series included more than twenty sculptural dioramas depicting the African American experience and race relations during and after the era of slavery. (Source: The Tennessee Encyclopedia). (Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.caseantiques.com.)

      Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
    • Bessie Harvey. Nudy Body Talk.
      Apr. 29, 2017

      Bessie Harvey. Nudy Body Talk.

      Est: $100 - $200

      Bessie Harvey. Nudy Body Talk.1984. Signed, dated and titled. Marker on paper. Some water damage. Fair condition. Size with frame is 17"w x 23"h. Est. $100-200. Ship: $45

      Slotin Folk Art Auction
    • Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Ink drawing on paper
      Jan. 23, 2017

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Ink drawing on paper

      Est: $200 - $400

      Bessie Harvey (American/Georgia, 1929-1994) Ink drawing on paper, signed. Size: 23'' x 17.5'', 58 x 44 cm (sight); 27.75'' x 21.75'', 70 x 55 cm (frame).

      Material Culture
    • Bessie Harvey (US/Georgia, b. 1928).
      Nov. 12, 2016

      Bessie Harvey (US/Georgia, b. 1928).

      Est: $400 - $600

      A pair of root cat sculptures. Mixed media: roots, paint, lacquer, straw, and glass. ++ Single cat sculpture in black. On bottom, signed Bessie Harvey. 6 3/4"h x 17"l x 5"w. ++ A trio of cats. No signature. 9 1/2"h x 10 1/4"w x 7 1/2"d.

      Quinn's Auction Galleries Central Virginia
    • Bessie Harvey
      Sep. 24, 2011

      Bessie Harvey

      Est: $400 - $600

      (Georgia, born 1928), Root Mask, unsigned, mixed media, 19-3/8 x 11-1/2 x 7-1/4 in., good condition Provenance: Purchased from the artist, early 1980s; Private Collection

      Brunk Auctions
    • Bessie Harvey
      Sep. 24, 2011

      Bessie Harvey

      Est: $400 - $600

      (Georgia, born 1928), Root Mask, unsigned, mixed media, 18-1/8 x 12 x 8-7/8 in., good condition Provenance: Purchased from the artist, early 1980s; Private Collection

      Brunk Auctions
    • Bessie Harvey sculpture (Georgia/Tennessee,
      Sep. 06, 2008

      Bessie Harvey sculpture (Georgia/Tennessee,

      Est: $1,000 - $2,000

      Bessie Harvey sculpture (Georgia/Tennessee, 1929-1994), spirit figures, Prehistoric Series, signed verso top "Bessie Harvey", stumps, plastic eyes, spray paint, 39-1/2 x 36 x 16 in. Lacking four eyes, chips and losses to stump, attachment of tallest element very loose. Private Collection, Knoxville, Tennessee

      Brunk Auctions
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