Charles McGee Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Charles McGee Art Value Price Guide

Oct. 03, 2024
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - 2021) Untitled (Still Life).
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - 2021) Untitled (Still Life). Oil on masonite board, 1952. 610x406 mm; 24x16 inches. Signed and dated in oil, lower right. Provenance: private collection, Michigan. This still life is one of the earliest paintings by this important Detroit artist to come to auction. Beginning in 1947, Charles McGee was attending art classes part time at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit (now the College for Creative Studies). In 1951, he studied oil painting with the director Sarkis Sarkisian and was a classmate of Hughie Lee-Smith. From his academic beginnings, McGee's work evolved into the large, vibrant multimedia constructions that he is known for today. His works are now in many museum collections, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Howard University and Clark Atlanta University. In 2009, Dr. Julia R. Myers curated the first major retrospective of his work with the exhibition and catalogue Energy, Charles McGee at Eighty-Five at Eastern Michigan University. Myers pp. 6-7.
Swann Auction Galleries
Sep. 14, 2024
Charles McGee, 1924-2021, Duke Ellington
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Charles McGee 1924-2021 Duke Ellington 1950s conte crayon on paper 7-1/2 x 7 inches signed Provenance: private collection, Philadelphia, PA
Black Art Auction
Jun. 08, 2024
Charles McGee (1924-2021) US, Charcoal Figural
Est: $500 - $1,000
Charles McGee (American, 1924-2021) charcoal on paper figural drawing. Titled "Seated Figure". 1966. Signed along bottom. Depicts a figure sitting. Looks like head in hands. Condition: Spots in all corners. Artist Biography (Wikipedia): Charles McGee (December 15, 1924 February 4, 2021) was an American artist and educator known for creating paintings, assemblages, and sculptures. His artwork is in the collections of the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. He also had several large-scale public works in the city of Detroit. Overall Size: 16 3/4 x 13 3/4 in. Sight Size: 10 1/2 x 8 in. #1175
Sarasota Estate Auction
May. 18, 2024
Charles McGee, 1924-2021, Duke Ellington
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Charles McGee 1924-2021 Duke Ellington 1950s conte crayon on paper 7-1/2 x 7 inches signed
Black Art Auction
Dec. 02, 2023
Charles William McGee, 1924-2021, Barbara
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Charles William McGee 1924-2021 Barbara 1955-1965 oil on masonite 16-1/2 x 14 inches signed Exhibition label: The Midland Art Counsel, Midland, MI (Lent by Al and Ilene Keats, November 1980) Illustrated: Energy, Charles McGee at Eighty-Five, Julia R. Myers, Eastern Michigan University, 2009, p. 6
Black Art Auction
Nov. 17, 2023
Charles McGee (American, 1924-2021) Charcoal Crayon, Graphite And Kneaded Eraser on Illustration Board, 1970, "April", H 40" W 60"
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Signed lower right. This beautiful and significant example of McGee's technique was completed in 1970 and acquired by his then student, Emily C. Williams. Ms. Williams daughter remembers the day her mother took her as a little girl to Heritage House to pick up the completed work from McGee. Many years later, in the 1980s, William's daughter reconnected with the artist to show him the work and reconnect with memories of her mother. Frame Measurements: H 41.5" W 62". Exhibition History: Eastern Michigan University, Energy Exhibition, November 9 - December 19, 2009 (catalogue included); Center for Creative Studies, Energy Exhibition, March 20 - April 24, 2010; Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, Signatures: Charles McGee & Students, October 1 - November 12, 2010 (catalogue included) Provenance: The Artist; to his student Emily C. Williams, Detroit, MI; by descent Private Collection, Detroit, MI
DuMouchelles
Jul. 27, 2023
Charles McGee (American, 1924-2021) Whimsical Woman
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Charles McGee (American, 1924-2021) Whimsical Woman gouache on paper 11 5/8 x 8 1/2 inches. This lot is located in Chicago. Property from the Collection of Jean Sulkes, Chicago, Illinois
Hindman
May. 20, 2023
Charles William McGee, 1924-2021, Barbara
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
Charles William McGee 1924-2021 Barbara 1964 oil on masonite 16-1/2 x 14 inches signed Exhibition label: The Midland Art Counsel, Midland, MI (Lent by Al and Ilene Keats, November 1980)
Black Art Auction
Jan. 20, 2023
Charles Mcgee (American 1924-2021) Ink Wash, Charcoal And Gouache On Wove Paper, Laid Down To Pressed Board, Circa 1960 H 20.25" W 30.25"
Est: $1,500 - $3,000
Black and white image of geese. Matted and framed under glass. Frame size H.27.5" x 37.5". Provenance: Property of a Southfield, MI private collector.
DuMouchelles
Jun. 17, 2022
CHARLES MCGEE (AMERICAN 1924-2021) INK WASH, CHARCOAL AND GOUACHE ON WOVE PAPER, LAID DOWN TO PRESSED BOARD, CIRCA 1960 H 20.25" W 30.25"
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Black and white image of geese. Matted and framed under glass. Frame size H.27.5" x 37.5". Provenance: Property of a Southfield, MI private collector.
DuMouchelles
Jun. 04, 2022
Charles McGee, 1924-2021, Portrait of a Woman
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Charles McGee 1924-2021 Portrait of a Woman 1952 oil on masonite 12 1/2 x 11 inches signed and dated Provenance: the artist to a private collection, Detroit, MI, thence by descent to present owner
Black Art Auction
Apr. 29, 2022
CHARLES MCGEE (AMERICAN 1924-2021) INK WASH, CHARCOAL AND GOUACHE ON WOVE PAPER, LAID DOWN TO PRESSED BOARD, CIRCA 1960 H 20.25" W 30.25"
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
Black and white image of geese. Matted and framed under glass. Frame size H.27.5" x 37.5". Provenance: Property of a Southfield, MI private collector.
DuMouchelles
Mar. 31, 2022
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - 2021) Noah's Ark #10.
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - 2021) Noah's Ark #10. Mixed media and collage on masonite, 1984. 1219x1219 mm; 48x48 inches. Initialed, titled and dated in ink, verso. From the Noah's Ark series. Provenance: acquired from G. R. N'Namdi Gallery, Detroit; private collection, Michigan. Noah's Ark is a series of painted collages that express nature, joy and optimism. The androgynous flat black figures and disembodied abstract shapes, suspended in a flat plane, vibrate with rhythmic energy. They form repetitious biomorphic patterns that fill many of the spaces, emphasizing the flatness while invigorating the composition. A hybrid of painting, collaged fabric, and still-life objects, these works express McGee's belief in the, "interconnectedness of all things". Beginning in 1947, Charles McGee was attending art classes part-time at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit (now the College for Creative Studies). In 1951, he studied oil painting with the director Sarkis Sarkisian and was a classmate of Hughie Lee-Smith. He exhibited in the landmark exhibit The Negro in American Art, UCLA Art Galleries, Los Angeles in 1966. He then curated Seven Black Artists at the Detroit Artists Market in 1969, which included himself, Lester Johnson, Henri Umbaji King, Robert Murray, James Lee, Allie McGhee, Harold Neal, and Robert J. Stull. This immediately led him to open the artists' collective Gallery 7 and the Charles McGee School of Art, which became a fixture in the Detroit art world. From this early academic beginning, McGee's work evolved into the large, vibrant and multi-media constructions that he is known for today. His works are now in many museum collections, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Howard University and Clark Atlanta University. In 2009, Dr. Julia R. Myers curated the first major retrospective of his work with the exhibition and catalogue Energy, Charles McGee at Eighty-Five at Eastern Michigan University. Myers pp. 6-7.
Swann Auction Galleries
Mar. 12, 2022
Charles McGee, 1924-2021, Portrait of a Man
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Charles McGee 1924-2021 Portrait of a Man c. 1960 charcoal and graphite on paper 12 x 9 inches signed
Black Art Auction
Dec. 04, 2021
Charles McGee, 1924-2021, Portrait of a Woman
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Charles McGee 1924-2021 Portrait of a Woman 1952 oil on masonite 12 1/2 x 11 inches signed and dated Provenance: the artist to a private collection, Detroit, MI, thence by descent to present owner
Black Art Auction
Dec. 04, 2021
Charles Mcgee, 1924-2021, Cat's Cradle
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Charles Mcgee 1924-2021 Cat's Cradle 1969 charcoal (crayon) and graphite on illustration board 40 x 30 inches signed Provenance: the artist to the current owner who visited him in his studio in Detroit, MI
Black Art Auction
May. 22, 2021
Charles McGee, 1924-2021, Seated Woman
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Charles McGee 1924-2021 Seated Woman c. 1960 charcoal and graphite on paper 40 x 32 inches signed
Black Art Auction
Apr. 22, 2021
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - 2021) Untitled (Still Life).
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - 2021) Untitled (Still Life). Oil on masonite board, 1952. 610x406 mm; 24x16 inches. Signed and dated in oil, lower right. Provenance: private collection, Michigan. This still life is one of the earliest paintings by this important Detroit artist to come to auction. Beginning in 1947, Charles McGee was attending art classes part time at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit (now the College for Creative Studies). In 1951, he studied oil painting with the director Sarkis Sarkisian and was a classmate of Hughie Lee-Smith. From this early, academic beginning, McGee's work evolved into the large, vibrant and multimedia constructions that he is known for today. His works are now in many museum collections, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Howard University and Clark Atlanta University. In 2009, Dr. Julia R. Myers curated the first major retrospective of his work with the exhibition and catalogue Energy, Charles McGee at Eighty-Five at Eastern Michigan University. The artist recently passed away on February 4th of this year. Myers pp. 6-7.
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 06, 2021
Charles McGee, b. 1924, Self Portrait
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Charles McGee b. 1924 Self Portrait 1968 charcoal on paper 26 x 20 inches signed and dated label verso: Arwin Galleries, 222 Grand River West, Detroit, MI
Black Art Auction
Dec. 06, 2020
Charles McGee, (American, b. 1924), Untitled, charcoal on paper, 6 1/2" x 8 1/4"
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
signed lower right
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
Nov. 14, 2020
Charles McGee, b. 1924, Girl Blowing Bubbles, Oil on masonite, 25 x 15 inches
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
Charles McGee b. 1924 Girl Blowing Bubbles Oil on masonite c. 1955 Signed. McGee was born in South Carolina, but moved to Detroit when he was ten years old. He studied at the Society of Arts and Crafts (now the Center for Creative Studies) in Detroit. He also studied in Spain for a year. He was later an associate professor at Eastern Michigan University (1969-87) and had his own art school and gallery in the 1970s. McGee painted several murals, including The Blue Nile (1987) at the Detroit People Mover Broadway station. He helped found the Urban Wall Mural Program in Detroit in 1978, a community beautification project funded by the Michigan Council of Arts. There were a total of fifteen murals executed for this project in the 1970s and 80s. McGee also painted murals at the Martin Luther King Community Center and for Northern High School. McGee exhibited extensively and was included in the controversial Contemporary Black Artists in America held at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1971. 25 x 15 inches
Black Art Auction
May. 16, 2020
Charles McGee, b. 1924, Regeneration (Drawing for Ford Hospital Installation), Micro Pigment ink on bond paper, 11-1/2 x 20-1/2 inches
Est: $2,500 - $3,500
Charles McGee b. 1924 Regeneration (Drawing for Ford Hospital Installation) Micro Pigment ink on bond paper 2005 Signed; Signed, dated, titled verso This assemblage was executed for the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI in 2007. 11-1/2 x 20-1/2 inches
Black Art Auction
Apr. 04, 2019
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - ) Untitled (Table Top Still Life).
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - ) Untitled (Table Top Still Life). Oil on masonite board, 1957. 560x934 mm; 22x36 3/4 inches. Signed and dated in oil, lower right. Provenance: private collection, San Diego, California; private collection, California. This modern still life by Charles McGee is a scarce and excellent example of the Detroit artist's late 1950s oil painting. A beautiful study in cool tonality, McGee punctuates the compostion with the high key colors and abstract shapes of various candies and fabric patterns. This sophisticated painting shows the development of McGee's practice by the late 1950s. Beginning in 1947, Charles McGee attended art classes part time at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit (now the College for Creative Studies). In 1951, he studied oil painting with director Sarkis Sarkisian and was a classmate of Hughie Lee-Smith. From this early academic beginning, McGee's painting evolved in the 1950s into modernism - including tonal palettes, a flat stylization of the figure and the painterly development of surface. Reflecting the influence of such diverse artists as Jacob Lawrence and Ben Shahn, his late 1950s paintings include Sustenance and Boy on a Stoop. McGee's expressive figurative art would continue to evolve into the large, vibrant and multimedia constructions that he is known for today. His works are now in many museum collections, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Howard University and Clark Atlanta University. In 2009, Julia R. Myers curated the first major retrospective of his work with the exhibition and catalogue Energy, Charles McGee at Eighty-Five at Eastern Michigan University. Myers pp. 9-11.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jul. 25, 2014
ABSTRACT ATTRIBUTED TO CHARLES WILLIAM MCGEE (B. 1924).
Est: $500 - $700
ABSTRACT ATTRIBUTED TO CHARLES WILLIAM MCGEE (B. 1924). Watercolor on paper, signed and dated "57" lower right. Geometric shapes in tones of yellow, orange, black and grey. 13"h. 24.75"w., in a wood frame, 16"h. 28"w.
Garth's Auctioneers & Appraisers
Mar. 17, 2013
CHARLES MCGEE (AMERICAN B. 1924), CHARCOAL & PENCIL DRAWING, 11" X 9 1/4", "HOMMAGE TO A RECTANGLE"
Est: $75 - $125
CHARLES MCGEE (AMERICAN B. 1924), CHARCOAL & PENCIL DRAWING, 11" X 9 1/4", "HOMMAGE TO A RECTANGLE":Float framed.
DuMouchelles
Jun. 17, 2012
CHARLES MCGEE [AMERICAN B. 1924], WATERCOLOR, 39"
Est: $750 - $1,000
CHARLES MCGEE [AMERICAN B. 1924], WATERCOLOR, 39" X 26", MOTHER AND CHILD: Depicting a mother holding her child. Unframed. A Detroit artist, Charles McGee was named first-ever Kresge Foundation Eminent Artist in 2008.
DuMouchelles
Jan. 15, 2012
CHARLES MCGEE, ETCHING 1968 9.5" X 12" "EMBRACE"
Est: $300 - $400
CHARLES MCGEE, ETCHING 1968 9.5" X 12" "EMBRACE" #13/16: Pencil signed. Dated '68. Titled in pencil. Framed. #13/16.
DuMouchelles
Oct. 06, 2011
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - ) Fishermen on the Detroit River.
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - ) Fishermen on the Detroit River. Oil on masonite board, mounted to thick cardstock, 1951. 305x406 mm; 12x16 inches. Signed and dated in oil, lower right. Provenance: acquired directly from the artist; private collection, Detroit; thence by descent to the current owner. This figurative painting is the earliest known work by this important Detroit artist to come to auction. Beginning in 1947, Charles McGee was attending art classes part time at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit (now the College for Creative Studies). In 1951, he studied oil painting with the director Sarkis Sarkisian and was a classmate of Hughie Lee-Smith. McGee painted carefully composed groups of figures in other early paintings--in Spring, 1951, a tightly cropped group of boys play marbles. From this early, academic beginning, McGee's work evolved into the large, vibrant and multimedia constructions that he is known for today. His works are now in many museum collections, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Howard University and Clark Atlanta University. In 2009, Julia R. Myers curated the first major retrospective of his work with the exhibition and catalogue Energy, Charles McGee at Eighty-Five at Eastern Michigan University. Myers pp. 6-7.
Swann Auction Galleries
May. 17, 2009
CHARLES MCGEE, ACRYLIC ON MASONITE, 26" X 48", C.
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
CHARLES MCGEE, ACRYLIC ON MASONITE, 26" X 48", C. 1970, RECLINING FEMALE: AMERICAN, B. 1924 25 3/4" x 47 3/4". Brightly colored image in shades of green, blue, orange, red and yellow come together to depict a reclining young woman. Signed "C. McGee" along lower portion; unframed. The verso shows that a wood stretcher is adhered to the piece and is marked "Arwin 10546". Donated to Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum for resale to benefit programming, scholarships or Art Museum acquisitions.
DuMouchelles
Feb. 19, 2008
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - ) Mother and Child.
Est: $6,000 - $9,000
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - ) Mother and Child. Ink, brush and wash on thick wove paper, circa 1970. 1000x660 mm; 39 1/2x26 inches. Signed in charcoal, lower right. Provenance: the artist; private collection. Born in Clemson, SC, McGee studied at the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts. He exhibited in the landmark exhibit The Negro in American Art, UCLA Art Galleries, Los Angeles in 1966. He then curated Seven Black Artists at the Detroit Artists Market in 1969, which included himself, Lester Johnson, Henri Umbaji King, Robert Murray, James Lee, Allie McGhee, Harold Neal, and Robert J. Stull. This immediately led him to open the artists' collective Gallery 7 and the Charles McGee School of Art, which became a fixture in the Detroit art world. McGee's works are in the permanent collections of Howard University, Washington, DC, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the University of Michigan Museum, Ann Arbor.
Swann Auction Galleries
Sep. 14, 2007
CHARLES MCGEE (AMERICAN B. 1924), OIL ON BOARD, 21
Est: -
CHARLES MCGEE (AMERICAN B. 1924), OIL ON BOARD, 21 X 29, PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN* Signed lower right; framed; label on reverse. From the collection of Robert E. Lee, Grosse Pointe.
DuMouchelles
Feb. 06, 2007
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - ) Chessplayer.
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
CHARLES MCGEE (1924 - ) Chessplayer. Charcoal on thin wove paper, mounted to mat board, circa 1966-70. 225x560 mm; 9x22 inches. Signed in charcoal, lower left. Provenance: James A. Porter, hence by descent to his daughter, Constance Porter-Uzelac. Born in Clemson, SC., McGee studied at the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts. He exhibited in the landmark exhibit The Negro in American Art, UCLA Art Galleries, Los Angeles in 1966. He then curated Seven Black Artists at the Detroit Artists Market in 1969, which along with himself, included Lester Johnson, Henri Umbaji King, Robert Murray, James Lee, Allie McGhee, Harold Neal, and Robert J. Stull. This immediately led him to open the artists'' collective Gallery 7 and the Charles McGee School of Art which became a fixture in the Detroit art world. McGee''s works are in the permanent collections of Howard University, Washington, DC, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the University of Michigan Museum, Ann Arbor.
Swann Auction Galleries