Soulis Fine Art Auctions Presents Their 20th Annual Winter Sale

Day one is comprised solely of material from the estate of John Adair Jr. Mr. Adair was a very passionate and discerning collector of many things. Born in Kansas, he operated an antique shop in Tokyo, Japan, for over 30 years. This offering is comprised of 75 high-grade antique Caucasian prayer and other tribal rugs from his personal collection dating to the middle of the 19th century. His collection is one of the largest to be offered at auction in a very long time. Several sessions will be required to disperse this and his collection of post-war modern graphics. His Japanese antiques come later in the spring. On Saturday, February 21, the auction begins with works from Adair’s collection of Calder, Vassarely, Agam and others; followed by 75 outstanding examples of Caucasian weaving in excellent condition. The highlight pictured here exemplifies the quality and unusual nature of his selections. This antique Talish displays lustrous wool in deeply saturated colors and a skillfully executed pattern. Shirvan prayer rugs and works by weavers from the Akstafa region of the South Caucasus were the collector’s favorites and are offered here in abundance.

Day two of the Soulis Fine Art 20th annual winter auction is comprised of 300 paintings and fine pencil-signed prints offered in 292 lots. One of the most interesting and certainly the largest is a sculptural mixed-media work on canvas by Bosco Sodi. Mr. Sodi lives and paints in many countries, from Greece to New York. Describing his process, and thereby his works, he indicates that the outcome of each depends on where he is when the painting is created.

Going by size, the next largest in the sale is a self-portrait by the Native American expressionist Fritz Scholder. This significant self-portrait is one of only a few to be offered at auction. Most are held by the artist’s family and in museum collections.

Much smaller in scale, but of equal significance, is a work in oil on artist’s illustration board by Norman Rockwell. During the late 1930s, Rockwell produced a number of illustrations for Schenley’s Double Rich bourbon, “The Cream of Kentucky.” These promotions pictured successful men, like the example here, engaged in their leisure activities with a glass of Schenley’s as their companion. This work has appeared at auction before, and whether through Illustration House, Heritage Auctions in Dallas, or this presentation, no one has been able to confirm that this painting ever made it to production. The arched opening was obviously reserved for promotional text.

In 1911, St. Louis–born artist Albert Bloch was invited as the only American to exhibit with the avant-garde Blue Rider group in Munich alongside leading figures such as Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc. After World War I, he essentially disappeared from the and settled at the other end of the world in Lawrence, Kansas. There he painted primarily for himself and his younger wife, Anna, no longer exhibiting his work. The resent oil on canvas titled The Spangled Motley from 1953 is a rare example of Bloch revisiting his Expressionist period. Found in pristine original condition, this work was purchased directly from the artist in the mid-20th century.

Also in the avant garde are works by the Chicago modernist fiancé and protégé Anthony Angarola and Belle Baranceanu. Both artists are represented in this rare instance by fine and rarely seen oils up for bid on Saturday the 22nd. Their works seldom appear at auction and have never offered together in the same sale.

Anthony Angarola, an educator and rising figure of 1920s modernism, taught at the Art Institute of Chicago and later at the Minneapolis School of Art. Belle Baranceanu was his student and protégé, following him from Chicago to Minneapolis. The two developed a discreet, long-distance relationship after Angarola was appointed head of painting at the Kansas City Art Institute. Engaged to be married, he died suddenly at the age of 36.

Belle Baranceanu moved to California, later working as one of the very few female WPA muralists. A nearly identical composition to the painting offered here is included in Modernism in the New City: Chicago Artists, 1920–1950 the collection of Bernard Friedman.

Day two’s offering of American and European two-dimensional works is punctuated by several noteworthy room-sized Persian carpets from the 19th century and three pieces from a monumental 65-piece dining set cast in bronze circa 1910, a commission by Angelo Mariani, the French creator and marketer of Vin Mariani, a popular 19th-century patent medicine and coca wine created in 1863. Marketed as a tonic for vitality, it heavily influenced the creation of Coca-Cola. Mariani commissioned Jean-Eugène Baffier (French, 1851–1920) to create an entire dining room design. Many examples from this ensemble are held at the Musée du Berry in Bourges.

Soulis Fine Art Auctions is a Midwest auction house operating on principles of both integrity and simplicity. Buyers appreciate the personal service, in-house shipping, and low buyer’s premiums, which are uncharacteristic for the quality of items offered.