ANTIQUES AND THE ARTS WEEKLY

February 14, 2020 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — 43

Abell’s March 1 Sale To Present
Property From California Estates

COMMERCE, CALIF. — Cel- and Douglas Goodan in its Arms Botke and Raoul de
ebrating its 104th year, Abell upcoming auctions. Douglas Longpre.
Auction Co. will conduct its Goodan was the grandson of
first fine art, antiques, Twenti- Los Angeles Times publisher Abell will present the estate
eth Century design and jewel- Harry Chandler, and his wife of Mary Carlisle. Carlisle was
ry auction of 2020 on Sunday, Eunice was a long-time Los an American actress, singer
March 1, beginning at 10 am Angeles arts patron and phi- and dancer best known for her
PST. lanthropist. Property from the roles in 1930s musical-comedy
Goodan collection comes from films. She starred in more than
The sale features property residences in Cambria, Pasa- 60 Hollywood films alongside
from prominent southern Cali- dena and Montecito. The auc- the likes of Gloria Stuart, Gin-
fornia estates and will be high- tion features an array of Cali- ger Rogers and Bing Crosby.
lighted by a collection of Cali- fornia plein air paintings by The Carlisle collection fea-
fornia plein air paintings. artists, including Benjamin C. tures a collection of Eighteenth
Brown, Maurice Braun, Jessie and Nineteenth Century Eng-
The auction house is repre- lish portrait paintings.
senting the estate of Eunice
Fine art in the auction
includes paintings and draw- Montague Dawson, “The Titania At Sea.”
ings signed Duilio (Dube) Bar-
Clark Hulings, “The Valencia Flower Market.” nabe, Tony Berlant, George de
Forest Brush, Stanley Cassel-
man, David Chapple, Edouard Benjamin Chambers Brown, “California Poppies.”
Cortes, Montague Dawson,
Phil Latimer Dike, Robert Sel- Arpels turquoise and chryso- An auction preview will be
don Duncanson, Joe Duncan prase earrings; Laykin et Cie conducted February 26-29
Gleason, Paul-Jean Gervais, 18K and diamond hoop ear- from 9 am to 4 pm. The Abell
Clark Hulings, Eugene Galien- rings, Schlumberger for Tiffa- gallery is at 2613 Yates Ave-
Laloue, Richard MacDonald, ny & Co. 18K diamond, and nue. For information, 800-404-
Edmund Osthaus, John Mode- coral flower brooch; 18K dia- 2235 or www.abell.com.
sitt, Leroy Neiman, Edgar mond, coral, turquoise and
Edgar Payne, “Brittany Fishing Boats, France.” Payne, George Rickey, Reuven lapis lazuli bracelet; 18K and
Rubin, Emile Grau-Sala, Jacob diamond snake wrap bracelet
Van Huysum, Bessie Potter and more.
Vonnoh, Charles Wysocki,
Jean-Pierre Yvaral, Francesco Decorative arts include Vasa
Zuniga and many others. prismatic columns and sculp-
ture; Black Forest wood deer
Antique and contemporary head; Clare Graham “Pop Top”
furniture includes a Louis XV- tete-a-tete; Gaston Rischman
style bronze-mounted display pair of silverplate bronze
cabinet; pair of Portuguese cab- birds; Emile Galle cameo glass
inets on stands; Napoleon III vase; large Pillin ceramic vase;
ormolu-mounted and boulle- Russian silver and champlevé
style cabinet signed Befort; enamel egg and cigarette case;
Spanish polychrome, carved Demetre Chiparus fire fender
walnut and parcel-gilt vargue- and more.
no on chest; Billy Haines table,
four chairs and iron console;
Philip and Kelvin Laverne
“Waterfall” table; Karl Spring-
er chrome tables; Salvador Dali
“Leda” low table and more.

Modern and contemporary
prints and multiples include
works signed Alexander Calder,
Marc Chagall, Robert Graham,
David Hockney, Jenny Holzer,
Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, Jiang
Tiefeng and others.

Jewelry includes a collection
of Lalaounis 22K gold brace-
lets and brooches; a 5.05-carat
diamond engagement ring;
1.52-carat engagement ring;
1.50-carat emerald cut balleri-
na ring; pair of Van Cleef &

Westmoreland Diversity Coalition Awarded
Heinz Endowments ‘Just Arts’ Grant

GREENSBURG, PENN. — featuring the billboard art at awards at $150,000 each. The
The Westmoreland Diversity various sites throughout West- “Just Arts” projects chosen for
Coalition (WDC) announced it moreland County and will offer funding were selected from 83
has received a grant award of related programming that will applicants whose funding
$150,000 from the Heinz allow for deeper interaction requests totaled $5.1 million
Endowments’ “Just Arts” pro- and reflection on these works. dollars.
gram, an initiative that sup- Opening receptions for the
ports artists, organizations and exhibitions will provide the A call for artists residing
communities who harness the opportunity for the public to within the regional area is now
power of the arts to respond to meet the artists behind the open and the submission dead-
social issues affecting the works appearing on the bill- line is April 1. Artists are
Pittsburgh region and beyond. boards. required to submit images of
The WDC, a member of the prior work samples and pro-
inaugural cohort of this initia- Lead artist for the project vide their vision for the work of
tive, will use the grant to sup- Sheila Cuellar-Shaffer said, “I art they plan to create for the
port the Diversity Billboard am thrilled to work on this Diversity Billboard Art Project.
Art Project. project in the role of lead artist. The billboard placements will
I look forward to directly inter- be in place in the fall of 2020.
Curated by the Westmoreland facing with the artists who will
Museum of American Art, with be selected to create these Prospective artists who wish
an advisory team of communi- impactful billboards, and I am to apply will find more infor-
ty members, the Diversity Bill- very thankful for the Heinz mation and applications at
board Art Project is a public art Endowments’ funding. Their www.wdcoalition.org/dbap.
project that will display ten support is instrumental in edu-
new works of art on billboards cating the community while SAN MARINO, CALIF. — The
around Westmoreland County, bringing several creative voic- Huntington Library, Art Muse-
inspired by the theme “Make es to the forefront.” um and Botanical Gardens is
Our Differences Our presenting “Beside the Edge of
Strengths.” The Heinz Endowments the World,” on view to February
awarded “Just Arts” grants to 24. This is one of the programs
Along with the billboard six projects totaling $434,750 marking the Huntington’s Cen-
placements, the WDC, in part- in this inaugural year for the tennial. The museum is at 1151
nership with local universities program. The WDC and the Oxford Road. For information,
and organizations, plans to Greater Pittsburgh Arts Coun- www.huntington.org or 626-
host five to seven exhibitions cil received the top grant 405-2100.

44 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — February 14, 2020

Auction Action In New York City

Keno Offers Boutique Sale From New York Collection,
Queen Anne Chair Makes $87,500
NEW YORK CITY — Leigh enance on some of the offerings exceptions. For instance, if the tan Museum of Art and another A Salem, Mass., Queen Anne
Keno walked between the three included C.L. Prickett Antiques. form and quality were great and at Winterthur. bonnet-top high chest of drawers
rooms that made up the second the piece extremely rare and with with herringbone borders on
floor of his East 69th Street town- “I am so glad it was the Prick- its original finish, they would “This chair, along with the Sir crotch veneered drawer fronts,
house the day before his January etts,” Keno said before the sale.” I make an exception in terms of a William Johnson side chair, are walnut sides, cabriole legs and
24 sale as previewers paced respect their honesty and integri- piece not having lengthy prove- two of the most important mid- pad feet would sell after the auc-
about, flipping through the cata- ty, they take what they do seri- nance. However, the collection Eighteenth Century New York tion for $56,250. It featured its
log and honing in on their inter- ously. And they guarantee every- had a very high number of pieces chairs known and epitomize what original batwing brasses and ball
ests. He was answering questions thing like I do.” which had descended directly this couple loved about American finial. It was commissioned by
with a phone pressed to his ear in from the original owner.” furniture,” Keno said. “Each has a Samuel Gardner.
one moment, and in the next he Keno invited bidding from four powerful form and is in an excel-
was bent down beside a chest platforms on auction day, which The top lot of the auction was lent state of preservation. Also, “Gardner was the wealthiest
with a flashlight patiently began at 3 pm following the found in a Queen Anne low back each chair retained fragments of man in all of Salem,” Keno said.
answering questions from a pre- Christie’s sale. upholstered open armchair in its original red cover fabric under “So it makes sense he would have
viewer. mahogany that Keno said was rose-head nails.” a high chest of this quality. The
“For the furniture, the consign- likely from New York. It sold for way this was made — the veneers
Keno’s sale was a boutique ors focused on four criteria, which $87,500. Keno sold it into that The New York Chippendale and the bookmatched walnut
offering, 45 lots in the midst of I discussed with them the first collection in May of 1991. The mahogany compass seat side sides — it’s the most expensive
the thousands of others spread time I met them in 1991, having characteristics of the chair — chair once belonging to Sir Wil- thing you could have ordered in
throughout Americana Week, but started my business as a dealer upholstered back and seat, dis- liam Johnson (1715-1774), John- 1740. The walnut was imported
he was excited to be there and to just a few years earlier. On a scale tinctive crooked arm-supports, stown, N.Y., superintendent of from Virginia, and it’s just an
take part in it. The single-owner of one to ten, in terms of quality, open arms and cabriole legs end- Indian affairs for the northern amazing monument to the Queen
sale came forth from a New York rarity, condition and provenance, ing in pad feet — relate it to a colonies, took $21,250 postsale. Anne style.”
collection, which Keno had sold they aimed for a ten in each area,” small group of known works, two The chair was attributed to the
into the past. Other lines of prov- Keno said. “However, they real- in the collection of the Metropoli- workshop of New York cabinet- Keno said he underbid the
ized that, in order to create a col- maker Thomas Brookman. example at a Northeast Auctions
lection, they had to make a few

A covered potato stamp basket with
polychrome design including a
heart and tree sold for $1,375.

The top lot of the sale was this
Queen Anne low back upholstered
open armchair that Keno said was
likely from New York. It brought
above estimate at $87,500. The
mahogany chair relates most close-
ly to a pair at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, and another is
housed at Winterthur. Keno called
it one of the most important mid-
Eighteenth Century New
York chairs known.
Review and Onsite Photos
by Greg Smith, Editor,
Catalog Photos Courtesy Keno Auctions

Auctioneer Leigh Keno examines the deep fan carving on
the Samuel Gardner Salem, Mass., Queen Anne bonnet-top
high chest of drawers. It went on to sell for $56,250.
A detail of the carved flame finial on the
Chippendale mahogany bonnet top chest-on-
chest that descended in the family of John
Treadwell. The piece would sell for $18,750.

The sale’s top lot, the New York Queen Anne Two Boston Queen Anne walnut chairs, as well as the chair
low back upholstered open armchair, $87,500, attributed to John Goddard in the same sale, represented
is seen without its coverings in the foreground, the Newport shift, a time period in the mid-Eighteenth Cen-
while the Chippendale mahogany bonnet top tury when cabinetmaking dominance filtered out of Boston
chest-on-chest, $18,750, is seen behind. into cities along the coast, Newport and New York included.
This American colonial Chippendale mahog- Both of these examples feature shell-carved crest rails, a
any and tulip-poplar tea caddy would go on vasiform splat with deeply cut shoulders, slip-in compass
to sextuple its expectation. It sold for $13,750 seat and cabriole legs. Left, $5,213; right, $3,750.
on an $1,800 estimate. The slightly domed lid
was carved from a single panel of mahogany.

February 14, 2020 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — 45

Attributed to John Goddard, this
Queen Anne shell-carved mahogany
Keno said there are only six or seven side chair from Newport, R.I., took
Keno attributed this chair to the of these original forms known today. $10,000. Identical chairs are found at
New York cabinetmaker Thomas The Boston Queen Anne mahogany the Chipstone Foundation and the
Brookman. The Chippendale mahog- This Queen Anne cherrywood flat- tuckaway tea table with a turned Karolik Collection at the Museum of
any compass seat side chair was top highboy dates to circa 1750-80 dish top, circa 1750, sold for $22,500. Fine Arts, Boston. Keno writes, “the
commissioned by Sir William John- and hails from Connecticut. It fea- A similar example is illustrated in present chair is a premier example of
son (1715-1774), Johnstown, N.Y., tures a shell carving to bottom and The Israel Sack Collection, Volume 1, the type of high-quality mahogany
superintendent of Indian affairs for a fan to the top, and it sold at and Keno said that he and conserva- seating furniture which was pro-
the northern colonies. The chair took $15,000. It was in nearly all-original tor Alan Miller believe they were duced during the period when Bos-
$21,250 postsale. condition. made in the same shop. ton’s leadership position in venture
cargo furniture was rapidly declining
sale in 2003 when it sold for Cherry Tree & Him.” The text Keno Auctions while Newport’s trade was growing.”
$271,250. indicates exactly what was pic-
A gentleman in the room picked tured, with Washington sitting in
up a Chippendale block front a star-studded chair to the side. It
desk from Salem, Mass., for had sold as part of the Kristina
$28,125, near the high estimate. Barbara Johnson in 2014. This
It featured a blocked lid with fit- time around it brought $6,875. A
ted interior above four drawers pair of classical gilt and gessoed
with original brasses, a Salem white pine eagle wall brackets,
drop-pendant scallop shell cen- circa 1825, took $6,250. A nest of
tered on the plinth on cabriole six Nantucket baskets with
legs with claw-and-ball feet. shaped wooden handles on brass
Also from Salem, Mass., was a hinges, each with a wood base,
mahogany bonnet top chest-on- sold for $3,750.
chest in the Chippendale style, Keno had planned for a timed
circa 1765 to 1780, that took online-only auction curated by
$18,750. The chest-on-chest was Diane and Gary Stradling to fol-
originally owned by John low the sale, but said it had been
Treadwell and descended in that postponed for a few weeks. It will
family until 1991, where it sold at further include items from this
Northeast Auctions to Prickett. collection, including quality Eigh-
Carved pinwheels with urn and teenth Century English Cream-
flame-carved finials adorned the ware.
tympanum above a boldly carved For additional information, A porringer top tea table, Queen Anne style Circa 1760 from Boston, this Chippendale
fan on the center top drawer, two www.kenoauctions.com or 212- in mahogany, probably Newport, circa 1745- serpentine front chest of drawers sold at
drawers fitting the cornice on 734-2381. 65, sold above estimate at $11,875. $18,750.
each side, and eight drawers
below with original brasses and
escutcheons, four drawers with
each chest. To the back of the
piece was an old note of prove-
nance, which was transcribed and
added to by the owner in 1966,
giving it a full provenance history.
An American colonial Chippen-
dale mahogany and tulip-poplar
tea caddy on ogee moulding and
ogee-bracket feet went well above
the $1,800 estimate when it sold
for $13,750. The slightly domed
lid was carved from a single panel
of mahogany.
A Boston Queen Anne mahoga-
ny tuckaway tea table with a
turned dish top, circa 1750, sold
for $22,500 following the sale.
The auctioneer said that only six
or seven of this type of table are
known to survive today. Keno sold
this into the collection in 1992,
and said, “At the time, Israel Sack
Inc had a closely related mahoga-
ny tuckaway table from the same
shop which they had illustrated
in The Israel Sack Collection, Vol-
ume 1 and had recently repur-
chased. My friend and colleague,
scholar and conservator Alan
Miller kindly assisted me in
assessing the condition and also
comparing the form and construc-
tion of the two tables; we came to
the exciting conclusion that they
were both from the same (proba-
bly) Boston shop.”
The sale also featured bits of A sign advertising “hoseshoeins and general repairins”
decorative lots, including a wool from J. Klyne brought $625. Below is a Boston Chippendale
pictorial hooked rug that read reverse-serpentine chest of drawers, circa 1770, that had
“General Washington / Noblest Of descended directly in the Knox family of Charlestown, A previewer takes a good look at the Chippendale block
Men / His House His Horse His Mass. It wound up passed. front desk from Salem, Mass., which went out at $28,125.

46 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — February 14, 2020

Auctions At Showplace Previews February 16 Auction

Leonardo Nierman (Mexican, b 1932) acrylic on Masonite An 18K yellow gold Rolex Ellsworth Kelly, “Dark Grey and White,” screenprint and
($3/5,000). ladies diamond dial Date- collage ($4/6,000).
just President bracelet
NEW YORK CITY — On Feb- Young folk art mixed-media watch ($8/12,000).
ruary 16 at noon, Auctions at compositions represent the watch, a Corum 18K yellow
Showplace will present selec- Outsider artist’s oeuvre. Other gold mechanical wristwatch large collection of Native Other items in the sale
tions of fine art, furniture, sil- highlights in fine art include and a vintage Movado 14K yel- American silver and turquoise include a group of Papua New
ver, jewelry and decorative arts Josef Wopfner’s “Chiemsee low gold ladies diamond watch. jewelry and others. Guinea carved and painted
from New York City estates. Fishermen” oil on panel, A selection of jewelry includes wood tribal items, including a
Twentieth Century works on Charles T. Phelan’s “Grazing a Slane and Slane 18K yellow A staple of Showplace’s shield, drum and large snake
paper include Lyonel Sheep” oil on canvas, Julien gold chain necklace, a plati- biweekly offerings is a selec- sculpture, Jaeger LeCoultre
Feininger’s “Gelmerode” wood- Jos’s “Harvest Day” oil on can- num and diamond eternity tion of Midcentury Modern and Imhof desk clocks, an Ital-
cut from an edition of 100, vas and more. band, a San Marco 14K yellow furniture and lighting. On ian Mottahedeh “Alpaca”
Ellsworth Kelly’s “Dark Gray gold bracelet and an Edward- offer for February 16 are an ceramic sculpture, a cast bronze
and White” screenprint and Luxury timepieces include an ian 18K white gold, diamond Erwin & Estelle “Buttercup” baseball glove and ball, a vin-
collage and two works by Lou- 18K yellow gold Rolex ladies and sapphire ring. acrylic chair, a Bertoia Dia- tage slot machine and more.
ise Nevelson, including her diamond dial Datejust Presi- mond™ Chair for Knoll, an
monumental lithograph “Unti- dent bracelet watch, a Bulgari Silver to be offered includes Eero Saarinen dining table Preview is in progress through
tled (Baro 94).” Leonardo Nier- “Ergon” stainless steel chrono- 92 pieces of Wallace “Grand and four Tulip™ armchairs, a February 16.
man is represented by a color- graph wristwatch, a Corum Barqoue” flatware, a large ser- Hans Wegner-attributed sofa,
ful acrylic on Masonite and a 18K yellow gold ladies wrist- vice of German Art Deco flat- three Tobia Scarpa glass and Showplace Antiques is at 40
gracefully curving bronze watch with 5 gram Swiss UBS ware, a Bulgari sterling silver chrome tables and an assort- West 25th Street between 5th
sculpture, while two Purvis ingot dial, an Omega 18K yel- table globe, a pair of Judaica ment of Arredoluce and Stilno- and 6th Avenues. For informa-
low gold gentleman’s wrist- sterling silver rimonim Torah vo-style lighting fixtures. tion, www.nyshowplace.com or
finials, pieces by Tiffany & Co., 212-633-6063, extension 808.
Georg Jensen and Gorham, a

Otto Bierhals In Woodstock

WOODSTOCK, N.Y. — The talk are free and open to the as well as that of his wife Otto Bierhals (1879-1944), “Henry Peper at the Forge,” circa
Woodstock Artists Association public. Agnes Baskin Bierhals (1879- 1925, oil on canvas, 29½ by 35¼ inches. Collection of Thom-
and Museum (WAAM) has 1974), and offering lessons in as and Holly Beneville.
opened the 2020 exhibition Bierhals (1879-1944) spent landscape painting.
season with the exhibition, more than 20 summers in
“Otto Bierhals: A German Woodstock, where he became The exhibition features 40
American Artist in Wood- one of the historic art colony’s works highlighting Bierhals’s
stock.” Curated by art histori- leading landscapists. Active as accomplishments as a land-
an Bruce Weber, the exhibition a painter, watercolorist, print- scape painter of the Catskills,
is the first solo display of Bier- maker and illustrator, Bier- a delineator of scenes of New
hals’s work since his major hals devoted himself from York City and his native Ger-
1938 exhibition at the Albany 1920 to 1944 to depicting the many and as a painter of still
Institute of History and Art. picturesque mountains, for- life. Among the works on view
Presented in the Phoebe and ests, fields, farmlands, houses is “Henry Peper at the Forge,”
Belmont Towbin Wing at and waterways of the area, in which pictures the local black-
WAAM, the exhibition will be the process developing great smith in his workspace on Mill
on view through May 10. technical mastery of the pal- Hill Road, the present location
ette knife. of Maria’s Bazaar.
In conjunction with the exhi-
bition, Weber will present a In 1929, he bought a tract on The Woodstock Artists Associ-
talk and walk-through of the Mill Hill Road on which he ation & Museum is at 28 Tinker
exhibition at 2 pm on Sunday, built a combined house, gal- Street. For more information,
March 22. The reception and lery, studio and school, suc- 845-679-2940 or www.wood-
cessfully marketing his work stockart.org.

The Dorsky Museum Opens 12 Years Of
Hudson Valley Artists February 8

Curt Belshe & Lise Prown, “Carrying (Pistol Packing Libby Paloma, “Chingona NEW PALTZ, N.Y. — The of submissions, curators gather
Pupils),” 2010, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art; purchased AKA Libby” (from the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art exciting new work into a cohe-
with funds from the Alice & Horace Chandler Art Acquisi- series “Lo Que No Sabrías”), at SUNY New Paltz will open a sive collection that demon-
tion Fund. 2017, Samuel Dorsky Muse- new contemporary group exhi- strates the strength and diver-
um of Art; purchased with sity of contemporary art from
funds from the Alice & Hor- bition on February 8. “Col- throughout the region.
ace Chandler Art Acquisi- lecting Local: Twelve Years
tion Fund. of the Hudson Valley Artists At the conclusion of the annu-
Annual Purchase Award” al exhibition, one or two pieces
features video, photography, are chosen to be added to the
Dorsky’s permanent collection
sculpture, prints and paint- through the Hudson Valley Art-
ings by 21 artists from ists Annual Purchase Award.
across the Hudson Valley
region. A public opening “Collecting Local” showcases
reception will be held on more than 40 of these artworks
Saturday, February 8, from 5 from the permanent collection,
to 7 pm. presenting the public with an
“Collecting Local” will be on opportunity to view these art-
view through July 12 in The works together for the first time.
Dorsky’s Sara Bedrick Gallery.
It is curated by Anna Conlan, The Samuel Dorsky Museum
curator and exhibitions manager of Art is at 1 Hawk Drive. For
at the Dorsky Museum. additional information, 845-
The Hudson Valley is home to 257-3844 or www.newpaltz.edu/
a vibrant community of artists museum.
and makers, and the Dorsky
Museum is committed to sup- HARTFORD, CONN. —
porting their work. Each year “Afrocosmologies: American
the Dorsky invites local artists Reflections” is on view at the
to share new artwork through Wadsworth Atheneum through
the juried Hudson Valley Art- January 20 at 600 Main Street.
ists exhibition. From hundreds For information, 860-278-2670
or www.thewadsworth.org.

Historic Homes & Properties

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Compiled by Madelia Hickman Ring February 14, 2020 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — 47

NYC Parks Commemorates Black History Month
With ‘Namesakes’ Exhibition

NEW YORK CITY & OUTER idents of all ages that would Laboratories, the National
BOROUGHS — In celebration Though this is not a complete list of all of the namesake foster urban beautification, Aeronautics and Space Admin-
of Black History Month, NYC parks in the NYC Parks system, the following is a list of environmental awareness and istration chose him as a candi-
Parks has announced the exhi- those depicted in the Arsenal Gallery exhibition. For park develop human potential. date for astronaut in 1978. In
bition “Namesakes: Honoring locations, www.nycgovparks.org. 1984, McNair made his first
African Americans in NYC The Hattie Carthan Garden flight into space as a mission
Parks” at the Arsenal Gallery in • Courtney Callender Playground (Manhattan) was formed in 1991 as a place specialist on the space shuttle
Central Park. The show focuses • Crispus Attucks Playground (Brooklyn) where humans could expand Challenger. His life was cut
on a selection of parks through- • Dr Ronald E. McNair Playground (Manhattan) their knowledge of plants and short on his next mission, when
out the city that are named • Dred Scott Bird Sanctuary (Bronx) grow fresh food in Brooklyn. the Challenger exploded short-
after notable African Ameri- • Greg Marius Basketball Court (Manhattan) The garden has been a place ly after take-off from the Ken-
cans. This exhibition is present- • Holcombe Rucker Park (Manhattan) that is multigenerational and nedy Space Center in Florida
ed by NYC Parks’ Ebony Society • Jackie Robinson Park and Pool (Manhattan) multicultural for more than two on January 28, 1986. He was
and Art & Antiquities and will • Jackie Robinson Parkway (Brooklyn/Queens) decades in Bedford-Stuyesant, posthumously awarded the
be on view through February 27. • Jackie Robinson Playground (Brooklyn) Brooklyn. We aim to create an Congressional Space Medal of
“This year’s Black History • Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese Monument in Stee- atmosphere of collective aware- Honor in 2004.
Month exhibition is a moving plechase Park (Brooklyn) ness, respect and responsibility
display of notable African • James Weldon Johnson Playground (Manhattan) built on the resources of our Eastern Parkway between
Americans commemorated • Lewis H. Latimer House Museum (Queens) community. Washington and Classon
through our green spaces and • Marcus Garvey Park (Manhattan) Avenues, Brooklyn.
monuments,” said NYC Parks • Pelham Fritz Recreation Center (Manhattan) The garden and market reside
Commissioner Mitchell J. Sil- • Ralph Bunche Park (Manhattan) on 2.076 acres of land with NYC Parks’ Arsenal Gallery is
ver, Fellow of the American • Shirley Chisholm Circle in Brower Park (Brooklyn) bearing fruit trees, a function- dedicated to examining themes
Institute of Certified Planners. • Shirley Chisholm monument in Prospect Park (Brooklyn)* ing hoophouse, a chicken coop, a of nature, urban space, wildlife,
“With archival and current pho- • White Playground (Manhattan) functioning community com- New York City parks and park
tographs of more than a dozen *Note: This monument has not been installed yet; a ren- posting system and seasonal history. It is located on the third
namesakes, the show illustrates dering is on display. market that operates from July floor of Parks’ headquarters in
to November. Central Park on Fifth Avenue
how African American history group known for their tremen- at 64th Street. Gallery hours
has shaped our city’s culture dous successes during the war. Dr Ronald McNair Park are Monday through Friday, 9
and park system. We are proud Brown flew in 68 missions and (Brooklyn) am until 5 pm; admission is
to partner with the Ebony Soci- was awarded the Distinguished free. For more information 212-
ety on this annual tradition, Flying Cross for his skill and Dr Ronald Erwin McNair 360-8114 or www.nyc.gov/parks.
and we encourage New Yorkers bravery. He and the other sur- (1950-1986), the second African
to visit the Arsenal Gallery to viving Tuskegee Airmen American astronaut to travel Photos courtesy NYC Parks
see this meaningful show.” received the Congressional into space, was a distinguished
Many of New York City’s Gold Medal in 2007 for their physicist and astronaut who
parks and monuments honor service. perished in the space shuttle
African Americans who have Challenger disaster in 1986. He
shaped the landscape of our cul- Betty Carter Park, 38 Lafay- Following his military service, was born and raised in Lake
ture. “Namesakes: Honoring ette Avenue at Fulton Street Brown completed his master’s City, S.C., and received a doc-
African Americans in NYC and between St Felix Street degree in 1949 and a PhD in torate in physics from the Mas-
Parks” highlights some of the and Fort Green Plaza, 1951, both from New York Uni- sachusetts Institute of Technol-
green spaces that pay tribute to Brooklyn. versity. He continued his life of ogy in 1976. After working as a
cial buildings from the late service and civil rights advoca- physicist for Hughes Research
Nineteenth and early Twenti- cy with organizations such as
the contributions and lives of eth Centuries that fell into dis- the Boys & Girls Club of Ameri-
notable African Americans from repair and abandonment by the ca, the Jackie Robinson Foun-
the Eighteenth to the Twenty- late 1970s. In the early 1980s, dation, Libraries for the Future,
First Centuries. Historical the city took possession of the and the National Park Service.
images from the NYC Parks land for urban renewal. The tri- He was also a founding member
Photo Archive are displayed angle was managed by Housing and president of 100 Black
alongside contemporary photo- Preservation and Development Men. Brown became president
graphs that show the vibrancy (HPD), who commissioned land- of Bronx Community College in
of these parks today. Accompa- scape architect Lee Weintraub 1977, where he held the post for
nying texts share biographical to design a public space named 16 years. He passed away on
details about the namesake BAM Park. Opened in 1984, the July 2, 2016 at the age of 94.
individuals as well as informa- park hosted local concerts by This section of Aqueduct Walk,
tion about the parks’ histories. the Brooklyn Music School located between 181st Street
The NYC Parks Ebony Society where Betty Carter took cello and West Burnside Avenue, was
was founded in 1985 with the lessons and was a big supporter. named in his honor in 2018.
purpose of unifying NYC Parks’ Hattie Carthan Community
African American community, Captain Roscoe Brown
increasing African American Ph.D. Plaza (Bronx) Garden (Brooklyn)
visibility, and recognizing those The garden is named after
who make outstanding contri- Captain Roscoe Brown Bedford Stuyvesant community
butions not only to NYC Parks, Ph.D. Plaza, Aqueduct Walk advocate and icon Hattie Car-
but also their communities. Aqueduct Avenue and West than, who was instrumental in
Soon thereafter, the Ebony Soci- 180th Street, Bronx. the planting of more than 1,500
ety was chartered as a non-prof- trees in Bedford Stuyvesant
it. The Society derives its name Roscoe C. Brown Jr was a dec- and the creation of the Magno-
from the Ebony tree, indigenous orated Air Force Veteran and lia Tree and Earth Center
to Africa and known for its member of the legendary (MTEC), a group of people who
strength. Since 1985, it has Tuskegee Airmen who served were the original guardians of
become an integral part of the during World War II. Following the community garden. Under
NYC Parks community and has his service, he became a promi- the leadership of Carthan, the
helped organize the annual nent academic figure in New founder of MTEC, a Green
exhibition honoring Black His- York City. Movement comprised of African
tory Month in the Arsenal Gal- Americans and Caribbeans
lery since 1991. Brown was born in Washing- began. Carthan’s goal was to
Some of the parks photo- ton, DC on March 9, 1922. After develop the skills and attitudes
graphically represented in the graduating from Springfield among Bedford-Stuyvesant res-
exhibition follow. For a complete College in 1943, he joined the
list of parks in the exhibition, Air Force, where he became one Hattie Carthan Community
see the adjacent sidebar. of the Tuskegee Airmen — the Garden, 654A Lafayette Ave-
all-African American fighter nue, Brooklyn.
Betty Carter Park
(Brooklyn)

This park is named for Betty
Carter (1929-1998), an African
American jazz artist who was a
prominent resident of Fort
Greene.

The property, located opposite
the Brooklyn Academy of Music
(BAM), once was home to small-
scale residential and commer-

48 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — February 14, 2020

Antiques Market Place
Anniversary Celebration Runs Feb. 15 & 16
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. — The 20-deal-
er shop, Antiques Market Place, will enjoy browsing this warm and wel- be storewide discounts and homemade Quirky and varied selection of stuff.
host an anniversary celebration on coming spacious group shop at 650 refreshments. Friendly people.” The anniversary cele-
Presidents’ Weekend, February 15 and State Route 149, at the intersection of bration is free and open to the public.
16, from 10 am to 5 pm both days. Route 149 and Bay Road. There will An online review said, “One of the For more information, 518-798-0010.
most fun antiques stores I’ve been in.
Antiques Market Place offers an
eclectic selection of antiques from the
Eighteenth Century through Midcen-
tury Modern. There are affordable
items for the beginning buyer and
higher-end pieces for the advanced col-
lector.

At Antiques Market Place visitors
will find a large selection of Adirondack
items, advertising, jewelry, paintings,
military, fishing, local ephemera, books,
toys, fine porcelain, pottery, quilts, tex-
tiles, furniture and kitchen items, all
offered by experienced and welcoming
dealers who are delighted to stop and
chat about their collections.

Timed to coincide with the Lake
George Winter Carnival, come and

Iconoclastic Artist Peter Saul’s First NYC Survey At New Museum
NEW YORK CITY — For more Saul crafted his own unique the late 1960s and early 1970s,
than 50 years, Peter Saul (b blend of Surrealism, history Saul created some of his most Peter Saul (b 1934), “Self,” 1987, oil and acrylic on canvas, 72
1934, San Francisco) has been painting, vernacular illustra- shocking and indelible works in by 100 inches. ©Peter Saul. Private collection, New York.
one of America’s boldest and tion, and the real-life shock and response to the Vietnam War, Courtesy George Adams Gallery, New York
most iconoclastic painters. horror of current events. This with a series that captured the
Marking the artist’s first New madcap formula has allowed conflict’s grotesque brutality,
York museum survey, “Peter the artist to critique art histori- racism and destruction. A later
Saul: Crime and Punishment,” cal pretensions while address- group of paintings, which exam-
on view throughout the third ing the outsized characters and ines the chaotic sociopolitical
and fourth floors at the New realities of his day. Long con- fabric of urban life in California,
Museum from February 11 to sidered outside the narrative of reflects the dissolution of 1960s
May 31, brings together approxi- twentieth-century art, Peter counterculture and the corrup-
mately 60 paintings from across Saul’s work has gained greater tion, racism, and greed of US
his long career. appreciation as younger artists politics.
register his influence in work
Beginning in the early 1960s, across mediums. Saul extended his interroga-
Saul began to incorporate tion of American history in his
imagery borrowed from a range Saul’s earliest paintings, which portraits of infamous criminals
of pop-cultural sources into his he created in Paris, demonstrate like John Wayne Gacy, arche-
exuberant, brightly colored a loose, gestural style of abstrac- types like cowboys and business-
paintings, adopting a style that tion, yet he began to incorporate men, and US presidents such as
has proven to be far ahead of text, recognizable characters, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush
its time. His work developed and consumer products into his and Donald Trump. He has also
independently from concurrent works as early as 1960. Around looked further back to reimagine
art historical movements like this time, he plucked figures like supposedly triumphant scenes
Pop art, with which it shares Donald Duck and Superman from America’s past — including
some superficially similar con- from the pages of comic books Columbus’ arrival in America,
cerns. Instead of the cool and deposited them into chaotic Washington crossing the Dela-
detachment of Andy Warhol scenes representative of the ava- ware and Custer’s Last Stand —
and Roy Lichtenstein, however, rice and violence of America. In as moments of comical failure or
disgrace. His disparate influenc-
es range from MAD magazine Peter Saul (b 1934), “Donald Trump in Florida,” 2017, acryl-
comics to Surrealist fantasies ic on canvas, 78 by 120 inches. Hall Collection. Courtesy
and American social realist Hall Art Foundation.
painting from the 1930s.
son artistic director, and Gary The New Museum is at 235
Saul’s work stands as a key Carrion-Murayari, Kraus Fami- Bowery. For further information,
link between young figurative ly curator, both at the New www.newmuseum.org or 212-
painters and older groups of art- Museum. 219-1222.
ists like the Hairy Who in Chi-
cago and the Bay Area Funk art-
ists, who similarly operated
outside the dominant critical
modes of their time. Historically,
his work also connects to the
Surrealist landscapes of Salva-
dor Dalí and Roberto Matta, and
to the biting political caricatures
of artists such as Francisco Goya
and William Hogarth.

This exhibition is curated by
Massimiliano Gioni, Edlis Nee-

Fiddlers At The Fairgrounds Antiques Show, Feb. 12-15

NASHVILLE, TENN. — items, rugs, quilts, advertising ary 15. Regular admission is
Antiques Week in Nashville is signs, stoneware, furniture and $10 and begins at noon on
kicked off at the new Expo Cen- all manner of accessories. Wednesday.
ter at the Fairgrounds Nash-
ville, February 12-15, for Fid- Early Bird tickets are avail- Adjacent to the Fiddlers Show
dlers at the Fairgrounds. able on the show’s website. is the Nashville Show with 130
Early shopping privileges begin exhibitors.
More than 70 exhibitors will on Wednesday, February 12, 8
come from 21 states, bringing a am to noon. Admission for Early Fairgrounds Nashville is at 625
variety of antiques and vintage Buying is $25 per person — Smith Avenue. For information,
items. You’ll find art, sporting good every day through Febru- www.fiddlersatthefairgrounds.
com or 843-812-0282.

February 14, 2020 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — 49

Midcentury Modern, Antiques, Abstract Art
At Benefit Shop Foundation February 19

A Design Within Reach Giorgio Soressi Como sofa ($2,5/5,000) designed by
Giorgio Soressi, upholstered with Kalahari leather, 90 by 42 by 30 inches deep.

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. — Midcentury Avenue, New York City estate, were an An antique Chippendale secretary The auction kicks off with Lot 1, a
Modern is still a new old favorite, and Andrew Martin tan-toned Humphrey desk, circa 1820 ($400/800) has intri- signed Karel Appel limited edition
buyers will find plenty of designer exam- leather chaise ($1/2,000) and a pair of cately carved wooden details and is woodcut, “Piste à l’image de la pla-
ples at The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc. Andrew Martin, Arne Jacobsen Egg signed on a pullout mechanism with nète,” 1978 ($1/2,000), 125/130, 39 by
in its Red Carpet auction on Wednesday, chairs ($1/2,000) in camel-toned leather, an 1830-40s militia record for one 30 inches with frame.
February 19, at 10 am. With pieces com- 45 inches tall. Col J.I. Blake, 85 inches tall. a signed Karel Appel limited edition
ing in from estates in the Hamptons, embossed woodcut ($1/2,000), “Piste à
Manhattan’s Park Avenue, a waterfront All kinds of seating options will be rep- A joy of owning antiques is the history l’image de la planète,” 1978, 30 by 22 inch-
estate in Bedford, N.Y. and Greenwich, resented in the auction, including a set of and character each piece comes with. es unframed, will appeal to bidders.
Conn., the auction will also cover all bases eight Harvey Probber-style dining room Some items give up their stories only
from antique to retro with top-draw items chairs ($500-$2,000) and four Midcentury after a bit of digging, though. This was the Several key works catalogued as “attrib-
in a wealth of other collecting categories, Modern Russell Woodard Sculptura out- case with a circa 1820 Chippendale secre- uted to” a particular artist are worthy of
from fine art and antiques to fashion, jew- door armchairs with an octagonal table tary desk ($400/800) with a flip-open front mention here and may merit further
elry and garden statuary. ($700-$1,200) designed by Russell Wood- that reveals nine small drawers. The desk study by their new owners, including an
ard, circa 1956. appears to be signed in a secret drawer attributed Tom Wesselmann marker on
“I am very excited about all the Midcen- with details of the militia record of a Col. paper ($1/5,000) depicting a reclining
tury Modern furniture in the sale, from Furniture offerings here cover all tastes, J.I. Blake, 1830s-40s. “An archivist’s nude female figure, 9¾ by 13 inches, and
Egg chairs to a Paul Evans Cityscape including an antique tufted Victorian dream, this secretary contains an inter- Mississippi Oil on Board attributed to
table,” said Pam Stone, owner and found- chaise sofa ($3/5,000) originally pur- esting inscription. He had written notes of Jean-Michel Basquiat ($1/2,000), with an
er of The Benefit Shop Foundation, Inc. chased from a Madison Avenue antique how he was promoted to different ranks,” image of a fish skeleton with various
“Buyers will also find we have some very shop in New York City, and a French Stone said. “Most antiques come with a words and symbols surrounding it in
nice period antique pieces, including a Nineteenth Century Empire mahogany story in who owned them, where they white paint, 13¾ by 10 inches.
Chippendale dresser that we discovered console table ($1/4,000) having inter- were made … but this piece literally has a
had an interesting history hidden in a changeable marble tops, circa 1820s. story written onto it.” Rounding out the auction are a room-
secret drawer.” sized Ralph Lauren handmade wool rug
The fine art category dovetails with the ($2/4,000) measuring about 168 by 126
A regular donor to the Benefit Shop Midcentury Modern offerings, with bold inches wide, an antique copper engraving
Foundation, Inc is John Edelman, chief and colorful works from a number of well- map of Asia by M. Suetter, circa late 1800s
executive officer of Design Within Reach. known artists. Highlights include a signed ($1/2,000), and a vintage Cartier Tank
Midcentury Modern is his passion, and on Chris Yowell acrylic on canvas abstract lady’s wristwatch in 18K vermeil
offer are two Design Within Reach Gior- painting ($500-$1,500) in a vibrant geo- ($1,2/2,000), possibly late 1970s.
gio Soressi Como sofas (each $2,5/5,000) metric design in primary and black colors;
in Kalahari leather. With a mission “to donate, to discover
and to do good,” the Benefit Foundation is
Works by well-known furniture design- a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, and auc-
ers are placed throughout the auction. tion proceeds support community organi-
Among them are several names most cov- zations.
eted by buyers, ranging from a signed
Paul Evans Cityscape dining table in The auction gallery is at 185 Kisco Ave-
metal, chrome and wood with an exten- nue, Suite 201. For more information,
sion leaf ($1/4,000) and a Heywood Wake- www.thebenefitshop.org or 914-864-0707.
field Sculptura six-drawer lowboy dresser
($500-$1,000) finished in “Champagne”
birch, to a John Widdicomb credenza with
a slab top and canted legs, designed by
T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings ($1,5/3,000), circa
1950s.

Once holding pride of place in a Park

Annual Colloquium Spotlights Young Scholars February 8

NEWPORT, R.I. — On Satur- lows: “The Ornate Staircase out The Breakers and explain is at 70 Perry Street. sions.org or https://www.new-
day, February 8, at Isaac Bell Railing at Marble House: A how the different designs and For information or to register, portmansions.org/learn/emerg-
House, four young scholars and Unique and Exceptional styles are used to create sepa- ing-scholars-colloquium.
professionals in the fields of Reflection of Versailles in New- ration between public and pri- contact emarchi@newportman-
decorative arts and historic port” by Mathilde Tollet, 2020 vate, family and service spaces.
preservation will share their Preservation Society Research
original research during the Fellow. This presentation will “Edgefield Stoneware in The
Second Annual Emerging explore the strength of French Met’s American Wing” by Kate
Scholars Colloquium. influences on American Gilded Hughes, 2018-20 Peggy N.
Age design practices through Gerry research scholar, the
The event is organized by the the example of the wrought Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Preservation Society of New- iron railing of the staircase at Hughes will discuss her
port County in collaboration Marble House. involvement with the Met’s
with the Decorative Arts Trust. upcoming exhibition focusing
Beginning at 10 am, each “A Tale of Two Families: An on the Nineteenth Century
scholar will give a half-hour Engraved Tea Service in Ante- alkaline-glazed stoneware of
presentation on his or her spe- bellum Augusta, Georgia” by Old Edgefield District, S.C., a
cific area of study. Kayli Rideout, PhD candidate place of monumental pottery
in American Studies at Boston production that would not have
“We’d love for students to University. Learn how a silver been possible without the
spend their Saturday with us,” tea service from the home of a forced labor of enslaved Afri-
said Leslie Jones, the director wealthy family in Augusta, can Americans.
of museum affairs and chief now in the collection of the
curator at the Preservation Museum of Early Southern A box lunch is included in
Society. “There are so many Decorative Arts, preserved the admission to the Colloquium,
incredible arts programs at stories of industry and power as are complimentary visits to
area colleges and universities, in antebellum Georgia. various Preservation Society
and we would also encourage properties.
high school students to come “Discriminate Doorknobs: An
because this gives an opportu- Inventory of Door Hardware at Registration prices for the
nity for a sneak peek at what The Breakers and the Delinea- Emerging Scholars Colloquium
this research field is all about. tion of Spaces using Decorative are as follows: $5 for students;
You are never too young to Details” by Sebastién Dutton, $30 for Preservation Society of
start looking at decorative 2020 Preservation Society Newport County and Decora-
arts.” Research Fellow. Dutton will tive Arts Trust members; and
give an overview of the variety $40 for the general public.
Participating scholars and of door hardware used through- Advance registration is
their presentations are as fol- required. The Isaac Bell House

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C E a

live, phone, absentee, and online bidding available | view the catalog at slawinski.com

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Chasing
The Butterfly Man

Exploring A Mysterious Maker
At The Cabildo In New Orleans

Fiche or “French” hinges are used to hang the doors. It is
understood that such hardware was generally ordered
from England. English trade catalogs referred to these as
“French” hinges. However the term “fiche” has been used at
least since the Eighteenth Century to describe them. Image
courtesy of Winterthur Museum.

This complex domino pattern suggests the involvement of On right is the second largest known Butterfly Man armoire, this cherry cabinet stands
inlay maker George Dewhurst (d 1822) in the production of 90½ inches tall. Shown beside its more petite counterpart, the close similarity of its design
Butterfly Man armoires. As Stephen Latta discovered, is apparent. A classic spurred scalloped skirt adorns the lower register of each armoire.
Dewhurst migrated from Boston to Baltimore to Lexington, On several Butterfly Man armoires, the front apron is cut from the exact same template,
Ky., and finally to New Orleans perhaps bringing the domi- proving that the group was made in the same workshop. All but one of the aprons have
no banding, together with a “toothed” pattern, with him. essentially the same design. Butterfly Man armoires, New Orleans, circa 1810-25. Judice
Detail of domino inlay, Butterfly Man armoire, New Orleans, Family Collection. Photograph by Terry Thibeau.
circa 1810-25. Patrick Collection, New Orleans, La. Photo-
graph by Terry Thibeau. ( continued from page 1C ) this idea — that they were so ware, hinges, drawer pulls and
book and there we were.” beautiful and we didn’t know escutcheons used in their con-
who had made them. We were struction. One armoire contain-
In a recent interview with going to do an article for The ing old textiles is displayed in a
Antiques and The Arts Weekly, Magazine Antiques in advance of period bedroom setting with
Gontar discussed her fascination the book coming out, and I early prints and a Louisiana bed.
with the topic: “My inspiration is thought we’ll do it about this
the mystery of it, the ongoing man. I thought maybe I could Turning to the print compo-
question — who made these solve this mystery and figure out nent, the accompanying volume
things? We did Furnishing Loui- who had made these objects. We is packed with information and a
siana, and some of these did a preliminary study in the wealth of beautiful illustrations.
armoires had been damaged in American furniture issue in May In the introduction, Gontar
Hurricane Katrina, that hap- 2008 that was a careful exami- explains how this maker got his
pened right in the middle of nation of all the armoires made nickname: “During the early
writing the book. I was invited by him, while taking a good look Twentieth Century, prescient
by Dr Jack D. Holden, my co- at the construction. You can see Louisiana collectors identified a
author, to this cabinetmaker’s where we were ten years ago.” small group of armoires (circa
shop in Natchez, Miss. When I 1810-25) and named their anon-
walked in the door, I saw all All of the cabinetmaker’s ymous maker the ‘Butterfly Man’
these armoires taken apart, and armoires are in private hands, so for his signature use of a com-
they told me they were the ‘But- a visit to the Cabildo galleries is monplace butterfly-shaped joint,
terfly Man’ armoires. I was fasci- a rare opportunity to examine added to reinforce wood panels.
nated with eight harmonious creations by Today, 17 armoires have been
carefully studied and are proven
this cabinetmaker at to have been constructed in the
close range. The Butterfly Man’s workshop,
exhibition and its though his identity remains
catalog follow a sim- unknown. The Butterfly Man’s
ilar format. The first stylish cabinets, most bearing
room is devoted to elaborate inlay patterns and
the history of the book-matched door panels, repre-
sent the zenith of furniture
armoire, so that vis- craftsmanship in early Nine-
itors can compare teenth Century Louisiana.”
earlier armoire
forms to the later Among the many important
neoclassical exam- elements in the reference is an
ples executed by opening chapter on “The History
the Butterfly Man. of the Armoire,” which includes
a discussion of the form from a
There are exhibits
of period hard-

Presently, all the known Butterfly Man armoires are kept Cover jacket for Cybèle Gontar’s catalog Chas-
in private collections. They are enjoyed by their owners ing the Butterfly Man: The Search for a Lost
and found useful for a variety of storage, including silver, New Orleans Cabinetmaker, 1810-1825,
glass, historic textiles and family libraries. Butterfly Man released in tandem with the exhibition of the
armoire, New Orleans, circa 1810-25. Piller Collection, same name at The Cabildo through August 15,
Baton Rouge, La. Photograph by Terry Thibeau. 2020. The catalogue may be ordered directly
from the publisher, the Louisiana Museum
Foundation, by contacting Valerie Vindici, the
grants, contracts and program coordinator, at

[email protected].

February 14, 2020 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — 13C

An installation view shows two Butterfly Man armoires along with objects that demon-
strate their context. The left back wall displays a reproduction of “Vue Interieure de la
Boutique d’un Menuisier,” an engraved image that appears in André Jacob Roubo’s L’Art
du Menuisier, featuring elements of a cabinetmaker’s workshop in the late Eighteenth Cen-
tury. Beneath it is a Nineteenth Century cabinetmakers bench along with period tools.

Discovered in Napoleonville, La., with its interior painted,
this non-inlaid cherry armoire appears in the exhibition
with doors open allowing visitors to see the “butterfly”
patches on the interior side walls and original drawer belt
with plain apron. The photograph shows this piece under
the majestic live oaks of the Judice family’s estate. Butter-
fly Man armoire, New Orleans, circa 1810-25. Judice Family
Collection. Photograph by Terry Thibeau.

Nineteenth Century Parisian like Hollywood costume design- Reinforcing double dovetail joints on the The appearance of Anglo-American inlay
dictionary of furniture by ers who add a final flourish to set interiors of the side panels are found in patterns on Louisiana armoires heralded
French art historian Henry the style of a completed film. The nearly every Butterfly Man armoire. The the Americanization of New Orleans. Detail,
Havard (1838-1921) with an relationship of inlay decoration armoires’ unknown maker was named for Butterfly Man armoire, New Orleans, circa
English translation. The cabi- to basic form is discussed thor- them by collector Hugh Smith during the 1810-25. Holden Family Collection, Pointe
nets were not just clothes closets oughly in the catalog entries on 1970s. Butterfly patch, Butterfly Man Coupée, La. Photograph by Terry Thibeau.
but could be used to store every- individual examples. Finding out armoire, New Orleans, circa 1810-25. Piller
thing from silverware to books who created the elaborate deco- Collection, Baton Rouge, La.
to weaponry. The chapter opens ration is as difficult as identify-
with an etching by Fragonard ing the cabinetmaker himself. In addition to nonrecessed door panels, the Butterfly Man’s armoire facades all bear full-
that shows a young lover being length, book-matched panels without waist rails, and have interior struts or braces dove-
discovered after hiding in his Bringing an informed perspec- tailed into the doors’ stiles or frames. The door frames have mitered joints. These intersec-
sweetheart’s armoire. Other tive to the question, the volume tions are occasionally inlaid with neoclassical motifs like bellflowers or stringing. Such
chapters discuss technical includes an important chapter inlay practice was atypical in Louisiana and suggests the involvement of an Anglo-Ameri-
details of construction, historic on “George Dewhurst, American can cabinetmaker in the cabinets’ production, as either their primary or secondary maker.
documentation, New Orleans Inlay Maker” by specialist Ste- C.C. Robin observed in Voyages dans l’interieur de la Louisiane (1807): “Ébenisterie is only
cabinetmakers, and which of phen P. Latta. Dewhurst came practiced here by the Anglo-Americans, whose work is quite inferior to that of France, espe-
these might actually be the But- from England to Boston in 1801, cially Paris. However, the diversity of exotic woods available in Louisiana could make this
terfly Man. Since they are all moved on to Baltimore and Lex- art extremely productive. A cherry wood armoire of old-fashioned design sells from 40 to
privately-owned, the catalog ington, Ky., before arriving in 100 piastres (that is from 200 to 500 francs).” Mahogany Butterfly Man armoire, New Orleans,
section, which ends the book, New Orleans in 1817. The text circa 1810-25, Private Collection, N.Y. Photograph by Lenny Marks.
not only has images of the explores the characteristics of
armoires and their decoration Dewhurst’s personal style and
but also includes photos of the concludes: “Attributing work to
examples in situ at their regular a contractor such as Dewhurst
place of residence in the historic is not such an easy task, espe-
homes of collectors. Primary cially when supporting evidence
woods used are walnut and appears scattered all along the
cherry and mahogany for the eastern United States. Still, the
finest pieces; interiors are fitted fact remains that there exist
with shelves and bands of draw- two highly distinctive bandings
ers for storage. that adorn pieces from Boston
to New Orleans and their pres-
As is the case in all aspects of ence coincides with the travels
New Orleans style, the magic is of a single man. Coincidence or
in the mix of influences. Gontar not, the matter merits our care-
writes: “In 1810, approximately ful study.”
30 cabinetmakers practiced their
trade in the French Quarter. By A visit to “Chasing the Butter-
1825, this number had doubled fly Man” is a perfect reason for
in tandem with the population making a trip to New Orleans
due to the arrival of Saint- during the spring or summer;
Dominguan (Haitian) émigrés tropical weather and superb
and Americans who migrated dining will add color to the
after the Louisiana Purchase of experience. The exhibition is on
1803... Further, an influx of view in the Cabildo (1795-1799),
Anglo-Americans and northeast- which was built as a seat of the
ern goods in post-purchase Loui- Spanish municipal government
siana brought Federal taste to in New Orleans; it is located to
New Orleans. The creation of the the left of St Louis Cathedral on
Butterfly Man armoires, which Jackson Square. The venue is
are essentially French West Indi- one of nine galleries and histor-
an-style cabinets highlighted by ic properties administered by
intricate neoclassical urns and the Louisiana State Museum;
American eagles, synthesized learn more at their website
these aesthetic and political www.louisianastatemuseum.
influences.” org or call 504-568-6968. The
Butterfly Man catalogue may be
Inlay specialists, whether per- ordered directly from the pub-
manently attached to a work- lisher, the Louisiana Museum
shop or working with many cabi- Foundation, by contacting Val-
netmakers, brought dash and erie Vindici, the grants, con-
flash to cabinetry in the early tracts and program coordinator,
Nineteenth Century — rather at [email protected].

14C — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — February 14, 2020 PROOF To: [email protected]
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PROOF To: [email protected]
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16C — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — February 14, 2020