FRANKLIN, Mass. – Paintings attributed to fine art superstars Andy Warhol, Claude Monet and Franz Kline are just a few of the tantalizing offerings in Woodshed Art Auctions’ upcoming Impressionist, Pop & Modern Art Auction planned for Thursday, August 9th, online and live in the 500 Gallery, at 475 Franklin Village Drive in Franklin, starting promptly at 5:30 pm Eastern.

The auction will feature rare and new-to-the-market paintings and drawings from private collections in Europe and the Americas, to include large canvasses signed Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Willem de Kooning and Oswaldo Guayasamin. Other prime works include sketches and paintings attributed to Vincent van Gogh, Warhol, Wifredo Lam, Monet, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Jean-Michel Basquiat and many others.

“The catalog presents a survey of the styles made famous by the most influential artists of the Impressionist, Pop and Modern eras,” said Bruce Wood, the owner of Woodshed Art Auctions. “Sophisticated collectors will find many treasures at attractive prices. Those lucky enough to see the preview exhibition at 500 Gallery will witness an array of artworks worthy of a museum.”

Mr. Wood added live bidders who make their way to 500 Gallery in person will benefit from a promotional five percent buyer’s premium, versus the 20-25 percent bidders will pay online. The color catalog, showing all 251 lots, can be viewed now, at www.woodshedartauctions.com, as well as on the bidding platform LiveAuctioneers.com. People can register to bid on either site.

The work attributed to Andy Warhol (Am., 1928-1987) is an 11 inch-square stylized rendering of the Mobilgas logo, executed with acrylic paint on heavy weight paper and signed on the reverse (est. $30,000-$50,000). Warhol created a series of paintings and prints based on iconic logos, including the Mobilgas sign. This painting is a possible study for a larger work.

The painting done in the manner of Claude Monet (Fr., 1840-1926), is a diminutive tempera on paper work titled Poplars (est. $50,000-$80,000). For much of 1891 Monet worked on a series of paintings depicting the tall, thin poplar trees that lined the River Epte, near his home at Giverny, France. This painting, signed and with pencil indications, is a possible color study for that series.

The painting attributed to Franz Kline (Am., 1910-1962) is a signed abstract composition in a 50 ½ inch by 42 ½ inch frame (est. $60,000-$80,000). Kline, known for his bold compositions in black and white, later produced color abstractions. This work, believed to be a transitional piece, has strong black lines, an armature to the painting’s energetic strokes of amber and brown.

Warhol is represented several times in the auction. A crayon sketch on thin tan paper, titled Chairman Mao, signed and dated “’75” on the unframed 11 ¼ inch by 9 ½ inch image, should bring $80,000-$120,000; while an acrylic and graphite on canvas titled Tomato Soup, unframed and signed, should hit $50,000-$80,000. Both are attributions, due to a lack of documentation.

Several paintings have a realistic chance of soaring to six figures. They are as follows:

• An abstract oil on canvas Portrait of a Woman attributed to Willem de Kooning (Dutch, 1904-1997), signed bottom right and sizable at 51 inches by 39 ¼ inches (est. $150,000-$250,000). It was formerly the property out of an estate in Peru.
• An untitled (Fear) oil on canvas painting attributed to Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamin (1919-1999), signed bottom right and even larger at 52 inches by 65 inches (est. $120,000-$150,000). From the same estate in Peru as the de Kooning.
• A framed oil on canvas painted in the manner of the late Pop Art icon Jean-Michel Basquiat (Am., 1960-1988), titled Portrait of a Skeletal Man with Crown (est. $100,000-$150,000). Verso signed, marked with the artist’s monogram, dated ’82.

An oil on illustration board attributed to the Pop Art forefather Stuart Davis (Am., 1892-1964), titled Champion, signed lower left and 12 inches by 16 ½ inches in the frame, has an estimate of $50,000-$80,000; while an untitled oil on board maritime scene done in the manner of William Henry Johnson (Am., 1901-1970) should realize $35,000-$45,000.

A gouache on paper attributed to Fernand Leger (Fr., 1881-1955), titled Female Faces, 15 ½ inches by 11 inches unframed and signed with initials, should hit $20,000-$30,000.

Live previews will be held at 500 Gallery beginning August 1st, Wednesday thru Friday, from 10-5, and Saturday, from 10-3, all times Eastern. Telephone and absentee bids will be accepted.

Woodshed Art Auctions is a family-owned art gallery specializing in oil painting restoration and live and online art auctions, celebrating its 50th anniversary. The firm is always accepting quality artworks for future auctions. To inquire about consigning a single piece or an entire collection, you may call Bruce Wood at 508-533-6277; or, e-mail him at bruce@woodshedartauctions.com.

For more information about Woodshed Art Auctions and the Impressionist, Pop & Modern Art Auction scheduled for Thursday, August 9th, please visit www.woodshedartauctions.com.

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