CHELSEA — As the longtime manager of the Chelsea Hotel, the late Stanley Bard acquired dozens of works of art from artists who stayed at the legendary lodge.
Nearly 100 of those pieces — including works by Christo, Tom Wesselmann and Barry Flanagan — will be auctioned off at a sale in Philadelphia on May 16 that could net a hefty sum, Freeman’s auction house said in a release.
Bard, who passed away in February, often accepted art from cash-strapped residents in lieu of rent.
“It’s a privilege for us to have the opportunity to handle art from Stanley Bard’s collection,” Dunham Townend, head of Freeman’s Modern and Contemporary Art department, said in a statement.
“His contributions not only to the Chelsea Hotel but to the artists and creative community of New York City are legendary."
Tom Wesselmann (American 1931-2004) "Face #1." (Courtesy: Freeman's)
Wesselmann’s “Face #1” (pictured above) and “Study for Blue Nude #14” are among the paintings hitting the auction block. The former is expected to go for anywhere from $600,000 to $800,000, while the latter will likely go for $50,000 to $80,000, Freeman’s said.
Flanagan’s “Jackass and the Elephant,” meanwhile, could bring in around $150,000 to $250,000, the auction house said.
The auction will also include works by Bronx-born artist Larry Rivers, longtime hotel resident Philip Taaffe, Dutch painter Karel Appel and Australian artist Sidney Nolan.
Larry Rivers (American 1923-2002) "Art and the Artist: Portrait and Painting of Arshile Gorky." (Courtesy: Freeman's)
The pieces will be on display at Rogue Space on West 26th Street May 2-5, and at Freeman’s in Philadelphia May 11-15, the auction house said.
“Relics of a bygone era at the Chelsea, each of these works speaks to the extraordinary stories of the Hotel, as well as to the man who gathered, protected and nurtured the artists who helped define art, music, politics and culture of the 20th century,” it added.
The auction house did not say where proceeds from the sales would go.
