Fine Art

Famous Artists’ Prints & Lithographs Kick Off 2022 (Chagall, Dali, Miro, Picasso)

It is easy to say that art is in the eye of the beholder. When it comes to collecting fine art, it usually helps collectors if the artist’s name is very well known. The January 26, 2022 Prints & Multiples Showcase Auction by Heritage Auctions was an opportunity to purchase investment-grade artists at rather affordable prices. These prints and lithographs included signed and numbered pieces and Collectors Dashboard wanted to show how some of the featured items sold. It turns out some of the sales were substantially higher than expected.

The items were considered as “investment grade” because the artists’ names are all established, and there were stated estimates for the pieces which is how we know some sold for much more than expected. As for why these are investments, each of these artists should still have demand for their works in the years and in the decades ahead.

Collectors Dashboard would warn its readers that no “investment” comes with guaranteed returns. In fact, many investments will lose value over time. If there are no assured returns in stocks and bonds, then no one buying art should expect any guarantees.

Purchasing art comes with many hurdles that would hurt investing returns. There are huge “bid/ask spreads: to consider, as well as high shipping costs, ease of damage, insurance, resale fees, and so on.

Artists with names like Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso all have many fans and they all have collectability aspects. That’s certainly not investment advice, merely an observation in popular culture.

The art market in 2022 is dominated by familiar names and Heritage Auctions has positioned them in this auction to give 2022 a strong tone going forward. We have reviewed old names and new names in Heritage Auctions Prints & Multiples Showcase Auction.

There were just 77 pieces of art featured in the January 26, 2022 Prints & Multiples Showcase Auction. That is actually a small number of pieces for a large auction house, and that might bring a more focused bidding from a large pool of interested buyers. These are some of the artists: Alexander Calder, David Hockney, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso (Images below all provided by Heritage Auctions) and more.

To the untrained eye the name Pablo Picasso transcends interests of collecting. Trophy art could be used to describe a singular piece of art like the Mona Lisa but also could be used to describe an artist that attracts the interest of collectors by name recognition only. Big names are in this auction and Collectors Dashboard looks forward to following along as the page views of art go from the hundreds to the thousands. We have featured works that have already seen bids and where those bids were already approaching the estimates made by Heritage.

The original post was updated to show purchase prices versus prior bids and versus expectations.

Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali, Alice in Wonderland, 1969. 12 photolithographs and one engraving in colors on Mandeure paper 18-1/2 x 13 inches (47 x 33 cm) (sheet, each). Edition of 2500, signed in pencil on frontispiece with an estimate of $8,000.00 to $12,000.00 and a current bid of $8,250.00 after 13 bids. This piece sold for $26,250.00 on January 26 after 27 bids.

Salvador Dali Alice in Wonderland

Salvador Dali, The Mirror of Chivalry, from Historia de Don Quichotte de la Mancha, 1980. Etching and aquatint in colors on Arches paper 29-7/8 x 22-1/4 inches (75.9 x 56.5 cm) (sheet). Ed. 239/300 signed and numbered in pencil along the lower edge with an estimate of $800.00 to $1,200.00 and a current bid of $1,050.00 after 13 bids. This piece sold for $1,500.00 January 26 after 14 bids.

Prints & Multiples, Salvador Dali (1904-1989). The Mirror of Chivalry, from Historia de Don Quichotte de la Mancha

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso, Carnaval, 1965. Linocut in colors on Arches paper 29-3/8 x 24-1/4 inches (74.6 x 61.6 cm) (sheet) Ed. 66/160 (there were also approximately 35 artist’s proofs) Signed and numbered in pencil along the lower edge with an estimate of $6,000.00 to $8,000.00 and a current bid of $3,100.00 after 2 bids. This piece sold for $8,750.00 on January 26 after 14 bids.

Prints & Multiples, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Carnaval, 1965. Linocut in colors on Arches paper. 29-3/8 x 24-1/4 inches...

Marc Chagall

Marc Chagall, Abraham and His Angels, from Bible, 1958. Etching with hand coloring on Arches paper 17-3/4 x 14 inches (45.1 x 35.6 cm) (sheet). Ed. 86/100 signed and numbered in pencil along the lower edge with an estimate of $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 and a current bid of $1,250.00 after 10 bids. This piece sold for $3,125.00 on January 26th after 16 bids.

Prints & Multiples, Marc Chagall (1887-1985). Abraham and His Angels, from Bible, 1958. Etching with...

Marc Chagall, Carte de voeux pour aimé Maeght, Paris, 1960. Lithograph in colors on wove paper 11-1/4 x 14-1/4 inches (28.6 x 36.2 cm) (sheet) with an estimate of $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 and a current bid of $825.00 after 7 bids. This piece sold for $1,251.25 on January 26th after 9 bids.

Prints & Multiples, Marc Chagall (1887-1985). Carte de voeux pour aimé Maeght, Paris, 1960. Lithograph in colors on wove p...

Joan Miro

Joan Miro, Young Artists, 1973. Lithograph in colors on wove paper 35-1/2 x 24-1/8 inches (90.2 x 61.3 cm) (sheet). Ed. 49/75. Signed and numbered in pencil along the lower edge with an estimate of $3,000.00 to $5,000.00 and a current bid of $1,700.00 after 3 bids. This piece sold for $5,250.00 on January 26th after 11 bids.

Prints & Multiples, Joan Miro (1893-1983). Young Artists, 1973. Lithograph in colors on wove paper. 35-1/2 x 24-1/8 inch...

David Hockney

David Hockney, Tree, 1968. Lithograph in colors on BFK Rives paper 25-3/4 x 19-3/4 inches (65.4 x 50.2 cm) (sheet). Ed. 75/95. Signed, numbered, and dated in pencil along the lower edge with an estimate of $2,000.00 to $3,000.00 and a current bid of $1,250.00 after 6 bids. This piece sold for $6,875.00 on January 26 after 26 bids.

Prints & Multiples, David Hockney (b. 1937). Tree, 1968. Lithograph in colors on BFK Rives paper. 25-3/4 x 19-3/4 inches...

Alexander Calder

Alexander Calder, Untitled, circa 1975. Lithograph in colors on wove paper 19-5/8 x 12-3/4 inches (49.8 x 32.4 cm) (sheet). Ed. XXXI/L. Signed and numbered along lower edge with an estimate of $2,000.00 to $3,000.00 and a current bid of $1,250.00 after 4 bids. This piece sold for $3,250.00 on January 26 after 15 bids.

Prints & Multiples, Alexander Calder (1898-1976). Untitled, circa 1975. Lithograph in colors on wove paper. 19-5/8 x 12-...

But Wait, There’s More…

Some of the other artists with works up for grabs are James Rosenquist, Beverly Fishman, Tony Cragg, Math Bass and more. The full list of pieces is here.