Evening Beach, a brilliant example of Milton Avery's signature style, has sold as top lot in Christie's American Art auction, which was held on February 27 in New York.
 The painting originates from Avery's trip to Laguna Beach, California in 1941 |
The piece brought an outstanding 45.6% increase on its $100,000 high estimate to sell for $146,500. Painted in 1941, it displays Avery's ability to transform a fairly commonplace composition by altering his palette, a technique he called upon throughout his career.
Depicting a peaceful scene with holidaymakers lounging by the shore, the oil on canvas is said to have been inspired by Avery's trip to Laguna Beach, California in the same year. The artist uses a natural palette of green and dark blue to portray a subdued sense of calm.
 The Jacob Lawrence work was part of a series of 30 panels, which focuses on the plight of African American people |
More impressive results were seen by Jacob Lawrence's Trappers, a tempera on masonite work that sold for $86,500 - a 246% increase on its $25,000 high estimate. Created in 1956, Trappers is one of 30 panels created for Lawrence's series Struggle…From the History of the American People.
As an African American artist, much of Lawrence's work focuses on the plight of black people in the US. His "Struggle" series was originally planned as 60 panels that would chronicle the American revolutionary war through to the sailing of the American fleet around the world in 1908.
Bringing the third highest bids was John Koch's Portrait of the Artist's Father, a magnificent display of his technical ability and use of light. It sold for $62,500, just pushing past its $60,000 low estimate.
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Images: Christie's
