Monday, October 21, 2013

Art Brings Back Happy Memories

“She had seen the flower painting by Fantin-Latour which had recently been exhibited.”--Proust, In Search of Lost Time

Well, until this auction, I did not remember I had personally seen a Fantin-Latour flower painting (see Item 116because of the vastness of the Musée d’Orsay!  A French major in college, I studied French art in undergraduate classes at Vanderbilt University, and so I am delighted to see copies of famous works as well as some new works (Item 115) in this auction!

Item 116


During my year in Paris earning my masters from Sciences Po and working for the OECD, I enjoyed visiting the Parisian art museums during my free time.  The Louvre Museum is expansive and center-town beside the Seine River.  It was originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century and then transformed into a palace and finally declared a museum.  My favorite works in the Louvre are the Napoleon paintings, which are bigger than life--standing several meters tall.  I never realized how large the paintings were until I saw them in real life towering above me.

Lucky in location during my first six months in Paris, I lived a block from the Musée d’Orsay.  A former train station, the museum features works from 1848 to the beginnings of cubism, including the impressionists and post-impressionists.  My favorite artist featured in the Musée d’Orsay is Vincent van Gogh.  During my undergraduate study abroad in the South of France, I visited Arles, walking in van Gogh’s footsteps.  From the Starry Night Over the Rhone to The Café Terrace At Night, Arles looks much the same now as it did in van Gogh’s paintings; in fact, the cafe featured in The Café Terrace At Night is still there.  Influencing artists from van Gogh to Cézanne, the South of France has an amazing warm, bright yellow sun.  Originally from the South of France, Cézanne is also a favorite painter of mine; I have climbed Mont Sainte-Victoire, which Cézanne frequently painted.

Whereas Cézanne habitually painted Mont Sainte-Victoire, British Sir John Everett Millais (1829-1896) often painted children.  Millais’ "Little Speedwell's Darling Blue," 1892, is featured in this auction (see Item 124). 
 It is a lovely painting of the artist's granddaughter, Phyllis, seated by (and holding) flowers.  An unusual title, it is from Lord Alfred Tennyson's In Memoriam, section LXXXIII:

“O sweet new-year delaying long;
[...]
Bring orchis, bring the foxglove spire,
Deep tulips dash'd with fiery dew,
Laburnums, dropping-wells of fire.”

Also included in this auction, is a print of a child painting (Item 122).  It appears to be a copy of a Loren Entz (1949-); an American from Kansas, Entz focuses on the quiet, domestic side of Western rural life.  In Entz’s paintings, the audience can appreciate how gently the artist depicts the love of children and family.

This auction also features some other adorable pictures of children!  See the teddy bears on the porch swing and young love in Item 120.  Well, we all know young love can sometimes lead to trouble (as seen in Jan C. Verhas’ "The Broken Flower Pot" which is item 105).  When the going gets tough, that’s when we need home, family, pets (Items 114 and 118), and friends.  "American Homestead Spring" (Item 122) shows a peaceful pastoral home, and "Romantic Moment" by Lena Lih (Item 123) depicts a calm country retreat far from the world’s woes.  Finally, in "Two Sisters" (Item 104), 
Robert Edward Morrison illustrates the love of family.  

From our family to yours, we feel so fortunate to share with you these great pieces of art!

Happy bidding!

Adrienne
www.ayptoday.com

Oh You Beautiful Doll!

Dolls vary in price point, materials and subject matter. Some people collect only baby dolls, other collect fashion dolls, other collect a certain brand or time period.  Still others collect dolls they played with as a child or dolls from a certain country or region.  The possibilities are endless. Decide what you like and ask questions then jump in and have fun.


An interesting place to visit if you want to see beautiful dolls is The Doll House Museum in Harrisburg. Their website is http://hbgdollmuseum.com/index.html  It is situated in a life-size Victorian Dollhouse.  There are over 5,000 dolls and toys on display. The Doll House Museum, 2004 State Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17103. Call first 717-233-3099 - they close from January to May.
We have a wonderful and varied collection of beautiful dolls just waiting for you in our current auction.  Did I mention we ship? Your doll purchase can be delivered to you or someone else nation wide if you have a gift in mind.  Let’s highlight some of my favorites and we would love to hear about some of yours.
We have a Dawn Doll. Topper Corp. produced Dawn Dolls from 1970 until their close in 1973. Dawn dolls are 6" tall. This doll has painted eyes and "real" eyelashes. She is made of soft vinyl, and is jointed at her neck, hips and shoulders.  Her knees have a bending mechanism and her waist twists for posing. See item 12.




Vintage dolls from other countries can be found in our auction.  Notice the wonderful details of the dolls, their wonderful clothing and tiny accessories.  As each country is different, so is each doll. See item 38.


Heritage Signature Collection Porcelain dolls are pretty porcelain dolls that many doll collectors love. They have distinct features and pretty hair. Their outfits are very well detailed. They range in size and height from nine inches tall to a large seventeen inches tall. Some of the dolls in our auction come with their Certificate of Authenticity which may add to their value. See item 51.




We know you will enjoy getting to know our beautiful dolls.


Happy Bidding

Liz
www.ayptoday.com