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Lot 1129: L. Wheeler Waring, o/c, Portrait of J Weldon Johns

Est: $10,000 USD - $20,000 USDSold:
Barry S. Slosberg IncPhiladelphia, PA, USMarch 19, 2018

Item Overview

Description

Laura Wheeler Waring (1877-1948), signed recto upper right and verso; n.d., oil on canvas, Portrait of James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938). [Inscription verso in gray paint, apparently in the artist's hand: "James Weldon Johnson / (1871-1938) / Writer - Poet - Teacher / Painted By / Laura Wheeler Waring”] [Provenance: Estate of Mildred Lee Powery, Philadelphia] [Apparently original toned gold and carved frame] 36" h x 30" w = image; 41 1/2”h x 34 1/2” w = frame. CONDITION: Single pinpoint of paint loss within mountains; several scattered small areas of light craquelure; no other evident issues. Wheeler Waring and her friend Betsy Reyneau were commissioned by the Harmon Foundation in the late 1930s to paint a group of portraits of note worthy African American leaders of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In a groundbreaking moment for the presentation of African American art in a major national venue, these works were exhibited at the National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington in 1944, and then toured the United States in several significant settings. This body of work now resides in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. The portrait of James Weldon Johnson offered in this sale is a closely related version of the work at the Smithsonian, with mostly minor compositional differences, but clearly the same painterly execution. Johnson’s image and position within the picture plane are virtually identical in both works, but despite similar truncation of the mountain peaks, the perspective of the background landscape and the figures which it contains is broader and more distant in the Smithsonian version. That version lacks the ledge which serves to separate the sitter from the background in this work. The other significant compositional difference is the rendering of a narrow red curtain at the left edge of this painting, behind the sitter, which does not appear in the Smithsonian version. Interestingly, the powerful 1932 photographic portrait of Johnson by Carl Van Vechten incorporates a rather wider curtain behind his left shoulder. It is possible that Waring may have adapted this element as an homage to the Van Vechten portrait. There are other differences in detail, as for example the rendering of reflected light upon the sitter’s suit jacket and upon the mountains, and the somewhat plainer chair back in this example. The dimensions of the two canvases are identical; the Smithsonian work carries a date of 1943 though the version here is not dated. While it would not have been unusual for the artist to have created more than one finished version for a commission of this magnitude, it is not clear whether either Waring or Reyneau did so other than for the Johnson portrait.James Weldon Johnson was an important figure of the Harlem Renaissance, and as a lawyer, civic leader, political activist, composer, and literary light, an extraordinary Renaissance Man. A key operative of the NAACP from 1917, he became the organization’s first black executive secretary in 1920 and held that position for a decade during the period of NAACP’s first major expansion and series of legal challenges to African American disenfranchisement. Johnson then returned to his early focus as an educator, and served as a university professor for the rest of his life. He became the first black person to join the faculty of New York University. Throughout his career, Johnson was a prolific author, poet, and trailblazing creator of anthologies within an African American context. His legacy rests largely in that sphere.

Artist or Maker

Condition Report

Single pinpoint of paint loss within mountains; several scattered small areas of light craquelure; no other evident issues

Payment & Shipping

Payment

Accepted forms of payment: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Paypal, Visa

Shipping

WE DO NOT SHIP! We help you by suggesting few shipping companies, but you must contact them.

PHILADELPHIA MAILROOM 215 745 1100, pa.mail@earthlink.net (ask for Craig); The Packaging Store, Hello@PackandShipNow.com];
[store6717@theupsstore.com 215-845-5978]

Auction Details

Spring Antiques & Fine Arts Day 2

by
Barry S. Slosberg Inc
March 19, 2018, 04:00 PM EST

3455 Edgemont Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19134, US

Terms

Buyer's Premium

23.0%

Bidding Increments

From:To:Increment:
$0$199$10
$200$499$25
$500$999$50
$1,000$1,999$100
$2,000$2,499$250
$2,500$4,999$500
$5,000$9,999$1,000
$10,000+$2,000

Terms and Conditions

PLEASE READ ALL TERMS & CONDITIONS CAREFULLY, ESPECIALLY SHIPPING!!! BECAUSE WE DO NOT SHIP!
All property offered and sold through Barry S. Slosberg, Inc., ("Auctioneer", or "Broker", or "BSS", or the "Company") shall be offered and sold on the terms and conditions set forth in these Conditions of Sale. By participating in any sale, you acknowledge that you are bound by these terms and conditions.

1. Barry S. Slosberg DOES NOT pack or ship any item. Any Purchaser wishing his/her items shipped either nationally or internationally MUST contact a shipper of his/her choice, or the following local shipper:

PHILADELPHIA MAILROOM 215 745 1100 pa.mail@earthlink.net
[The Packaging Store, Hello@PackandShipNow.com],


Winning bidders are responsible for all arrangements relating to the packing and shipping of their property. All shipping charges will be borne by the Buyer and paid directly to the shipper. Any risk of loss during shipment will be borne by the Buyer following delivery of the purchased item to the designated common carrier. We will gladly coordinate shipper pick-up of property at our gallery, during normal business hours only, after payment and upon receipt of e-mail confirming permission to release items to shipper.

PLEASE NOTE: Barry S. Slosberg, Inc. will place a seven (7) day hold on winning bids in compliance with our policy to verify credit card bank approvals, before any merchandise is shipped.

2. ALL PROPERTY IS SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT RECOURSE. BARRY S. SLOSBERG, NOR ITS CONSIGNOR(S) MAKES ANY WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO ANY PROPERTY OFFERED FOR SALE.

Except as provided below, BSS shall not be responsible for the accuracy, nor deemed to have made any representation or warranty of description, genuineness, attribution, provenance or condition of the property and no statement by anyone, written or oral, in any advertisement, or which is made at the sale, in the bill of sale or invoice, or elsewhere, shall be deemed such a warranty or representation or an assumption of liability. All bidders acknowledge their right to have made or requested full inspection of any and all properties prior to sale and agree to accept all matters such inspection may have disclosed or indicated.

If an item is materially different than was described by the Seller, Buyer shall have 48 hours from the date the property is received to notify the Seller, and returns the property to BSS reasonably promptly in the same condition in which it was sold. After the 48 hour period all items are considered "as is", without recourse. Refunds in cash (in-house only) or credit shall be as outlined in the Seller's Refund Policies.

DIAMONDS; PLATINUM; GOLD; SILVER ONLY. (THE BROAD DISCLAIMER ABOVE APPLIES TO ALL OTHER JEWELRY)

DIAMONDS: Carat weight as stated in the catalog entry is to be considered as an approximation. Color and clarity are not guaranteed. The only guarantee is with respect to the authenticity of the stone.
GEMSTONES: We do not guarantee authenticity of colored gemstones.
PLATINUM; GOLD; SILVER: Any weights as stated in the catalog entry are to be considered as an approximation. The only guarantee is with respect to the authenticity of the grade of the metal, as marked or tested.

3. Barry S. Slosberg, Inc. reserves the right to withdraw any property at any time before the fall of the auction hammer in its sole and exclusive discretion.

4. The highest bidder acknowledged by the auctioneer shall be the purchaser. In the event of any dispute between bidders, the auctioneer shall have the sole and final discretion either to determine the successful bidder or to re-offer and resell the property in dispute. If any dispute arises after sale, the Company's sale record shall be conclusive in all respects.

5. If the auctioneer determines that any opening or later bid or any advance of bidding is not commensurate with the value of the article offered, the auctioneer may reject the same and withdraw the article from sale.

6. BSS may, upon consignor request and at its sole discretion offer certain property subject to a reserve, which is the confidential minimum price below which such property will not be sold. The auctioneer may open bidding on any lot by placing a bid on behalf of the consignor. The auctioneer may further bid on behalf of the consignor, up to the amount of the reserve, by placing successive or consecutive bids for property or by placing bids in response to other bidders.

7. Upon the fall of the auction hammer, title to any offered property will immediately pass to the highest bidder as determined in the exclusive discretion of the auctioneer. Such bidder thereupon assumes full risk and responsibility for the property sold and agrees to pay the full purchase price plus the buyer's premium and any other applicable taxes or fees. Property must be removed within 7 days from the date of sale. If not so removed, Barry S. Slosberg Inc. reserves the right to impose a personalty moving fee of $35 per lot and charge a storage fee of $10.00 per day per lot.
UNLESS PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS ARE MUTUALLY AGREED UPON IN WRITING, STORAGE CHARGES WILL BE ASSESSED STARTING ON THE 10TH DAY AFTER THE AUCTION. IF PROPERTY IS NOT REMOVED WITHIN (30) THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE AUCTION, IT WILL BE CONSIDERED ABANDONED, AND WILL BE RESOLD ON BEHALF OF THE AUCTIONEER TO RECOUP THE PERSONALTY MOVING AND THE STORAGE FEE.
BSS may also prohibit the A purchaser who fails to remove property in compliance with these Terms and Conditions from participating, directly or indirectly, as a bidder or purchaser in any future sale or sales. The Company will not be responsible for any loss, damage, theft, or otherwise responsible for any goods left in the Company's possession after seven (7) days. If the foregoing conditions or any applicable provisions of law are not complied with, in addition to other remedies available to the Company and the Consignor (including without limitation the right to hold the purchaser(s) liable for the bid price) the Company, at its option, may either cancel the sale, retaining as liquidated damages all payments made by the purchaser(s). In such event, the purchaser(s) shall remain liable for any deficiency in the original purchase price and will also be responsible for all costs, including warehousing, the expense of the ultimate sale, and the Company's commission at its regular rates together with all related and incidental charges, including legal fees. Payment MUST be made within five (5) business days upon receipt of invoice and is a precondition to removal of property. Payment shall be by PayPal, credit card or cashier's check. NO MONEY ORDERS! The Company will charge interest of one and one-half percent (1 1/2%) per month on any balance remaining thirty (30) days after the day of sale. If the foregoing conditions or any applicable provisions of law are not complied with, in addition to other remedies available to the Company and the Consignor (including without limitation the right to hold the purchaser(s) liable for the bid price) the Company, at its option, may either cancel the sale, retaining as liquidated damages all payments made by the purchaser(s). In such event, the purchaser(s) shall remain liable for any deficiency in the original purchase price and will also be responsible for all costs, including warehousing, the expense of the ultimate sale, and the Company's commission at its regular rates together with all related and incidental charges, including legal fees.

8. FIREARMS: All firearms purchases must be transferred and registered unless buyer has a current FFL license or C&R license if applicable. Post-1898 firearms must be registered in compliance with Federal and Pennsylvania State Law. All firearm transactions will take place with Delia's Gun Shop located at 6104 Torresdale Ave., Philadelphia PA 19135: (215) 332-7733. There will be a $25 transfer fee on all firearms. All online buyers needing shipping are responsible for the actual cost. Delia?s Gun Shop will handle the shipping to your local FFL dealer. Shipping charges will include packing and handling, transfer paperwork to your FFL dealer, and the actual cost of shipping your items. By law. all hand guns MUST be shipped overnight. Long rifles may be shipped within a few days. It is the buyer's responsibility to know and follow their own state laws pertaining to firearms and ammunition. If your state lists your purchased firearm on its "banned list", it can not be shipped to another state. In such circumstance, the winning bidder relinquishes all claims to the said items. There will be no refunds of any kind. The winning bidder's items will be sold at public auction on a later date and time at Barry S. Slosberg Inc. with no minimum, no reserve. There will be a 30% seller's fee incurred. You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase ammunition. In order for any ammunition to be shipped, buyer must provide a faxed copy of identification to us at 215-425-7039 after payment has been made. All dealers will pay a $5 handling fee. Barry S. Slosberg Inc. makes no guarantees, warrantees or representations whatsoever and no employee or consultant of Barry S. Slosberg Inc. has the authority to do otherwise concerning the operation or firing condition, fitness for use, safety to store, or reliability of any firearm, ammunition, or parts. The use of any firearm or ammunition purchased at Barry S. Slosberg Inc. is entirely at the user?s risk. We strongly recommend that all weapons, ammunition, parts, etc. purchased at auction should be examined by a competent gunsmith. Barry S. Slosberg Inc. expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for accident, injury, damage, or unlawful conduct from the storage or subsequent use of any such lot. All property is sold "AS-IS". Neither Barry S. Slosberg Inc. nor the consignor makes any representation or warranty expressed or implied, as to the title, merchantability, fitness or condition of the property or as to the correctness of description, genuineness, attribution, provenance or period of the property. All firearms and ammunition are sold as collector lots only. Verification of fitness to fire or otherwise discharge the firearm or ammunition is expressly denied by Barry S. Slosberg Inc. A competent gunsmith should be consulted before attempting to use or fire any firearm or ammunition. The purchaser expressly acknowledges and agrees that in no event shall Barry S. Slosberg Inc. or its consignors be liable for any damages including without limitation any compensatory, incidental or consequential damages. All property offered and sold through Barry S. Slosberg, Inc., ("Auctioneer", or "Broker", or "BSS", or the "Company") shall be offered and sold on the terms and conditions set forth in these Conditions of Sale. By participating in any B.S. Slosberg, Inc. auction, you acknowledge that you are bound by these Terms and Conditions.

9. BSS reserves the right, at its complete discretion, to refuse registration to any online bidder who is deemed by BSS to have the potential to be disruptive to the auction process.

10. No "buy" bids (with out a specific bid price) shall be accepted at any time for any purpose.

11. Any absentee bids must be entered online prior to commencement of the sale. The Company's copy of any such bid shall conclusively be deemed to be the sole evidence of same, and the Company shall not be held responsible for any failure to execute any absentee bid.

12. For all Live Auctioneers bidders, a buyer's premium of 20% will be added to the hammer price, and is payable by the purchaser as part of the total purchase price. For all in-gallery, telephone and gallery left bidders, the buyer's premium shall be 15%.

13. Inquiries: All online inquiries regarding lots must be sent directly to the Seller via email and received 24 hours prior to the start of the auction.

14. Unless exempted by law from the payment thereof, the purchaser will be required to pay any and all applicable state and/or local sales taxes. Deliveries to be made outside the state where a sale is conducted may therefore be subject to a corresponding or compensating tax in another state.

15. Any and all of the conditions may be waived, or modified in writing at the sole discretion of Barry S. Slosberg, Inc.

Conditions Of Sale

Shipping Terms

WE DO NOT SHIP! We help you by suggesting few shipping companies, but you must contact them.

PHILADELPHIA MAILROOM 215 745 1100, pa.mail@earthlink.net (ask for Craig); The Packaging Store, Hello@PackandShipNow.com];
[store6717@theupsstore.com 215-845-5978]

Local pick up for out state bidders

If items are pick up in person and you are out of state taxes will be applied to your final in-house invoice.