Original prints by Picasso, Dali, Chagall, others to be sold Feb. 7 by Baterbys in Orlando

Dec. 19, 2008 - PRLog -- (Orlando, Fla.) - About 270 original prints -- many of them signed and/or numbered, by major 20th-century masters like Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Joan Miro and others -- will be sold at auction on Saturday, Feb. 7, by Baterbys Art Auction Gallery. The sale will be conducted live (and online), in the beautiful Pointe Orlando complex, located at 9101 International Drive in Orlando.

   The auction will begin promptly at 2 p.m., with a one-hour preview from 1-2 p.m. The entire auctioneer's premium (10 percent of sales) will be donated to the Mission of Threshold Center for Autism in Winter Park, Fla. Baterbys will be moving into a new permanent gallery facility soon, also at  Pointe Orlando. A grand opening is planned (date yet to be announced; watch baterbys.com for details).

   One of the centerpieces of the auction promises to be a plate signed and numbered limited-edition lithograph by Salvador Dali, titled Etre Dieu (French for “Being God”). The plate, one of only 500 produced, is inspired from an “opera-poem” written by Dali himself and based on a libretto by Dali and Manuel Vasquez Montalban, with music by the French avant-garde musician Igor Wakhevitch.

   Dali is the only painter to write a libretto for an opera-poem. Etre Dieu was first conceived in 1927 as a reflection of Dali's larger-than-life personality, and a collaboration with Federico Garcia Lorca, in Madrid, Spain. In 1974, Dali made a record of the opera in Paris. But he refused to follow Montalban's text word-for-word, declaring, “Dali never repeats himself.” Instead, he improvised.

   Ultimately, Etre Dieu was produced as an audio-visual opera-poem in six parts, in 1985. The work features Dali as God and Brigitte Bardot as an artichoke. Also, Catherine the Great and Marilyn Monroe do a striptease. The 3-CD boxed set was published by German-label Eurostar, now out of business. It is so rare, only a few sets are known to exist (and it is not being offered at the Feb. 7 sale).

   Another highlight of the sale will be about 25 original paintings by William Vincent Kirkpatrick (Fla./N.M., 1939-2004), from an estate of 200 artworks consigned to Baterbys. Born to Irish parents in St. Augustine, Fla., Kirkpatrick was an Impressionist painter of landscapes, florals, figures and Native American portraits. He also painted murals. He split his time between St. Augustine and Santa Fe, N.M.

   In Santa Fe, Kirkpatrick was one of the Canyon Road artists, as well as the Taos artists not far away. He studied at Maitland Art College and later refined his craft under the noted artist-writer Alfred Morang, as well as Florida artist Tracy Lois Bartlett, who died earlier this year at age 106. A book of Kirkpatrick's rich and full life is soon to be published (and will be available online, at baterbys.com).

   Also to be offered will be a collection of original prints and lithographs by Leonor Fini (French/Argentinian, 1908-1996), who studied and painted in the circle of Salvador Dali. Best know for her surreal female figures and illustrations, Ms. Fini was born in Buenos Aires, but in 1933 she moved to Paris, where her works revealed a gift for fantasy. There, she became part of the Surrealist movement.

   Also slated to cross the block on Feb. 7 will be works of art by the following listed artists:

Pablo Picasso (Spanish/French, 1881-1973) – Probably best known for his Cubist paintings and printmaking, Pablo Picasso singlehandedly revolutionized Western art. He was born in Spain and lived most of his life there or in France, where he studied the Old Masters and classical sculpture.

Marc Chagall (Russian/French, 1887-1985) – Best known for his village peasant theme paintings, Chagall (born Moishe Shagal) was a shrewd observer of the contemporary scene and had great sympathy for human suffering. He became a French citizen after studying at the Ecole de Paris.  

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (French, 1864-1901) – Toulouse-Lautrec became one of France's most prominent Post-Impressionist painters. He brilliantly captured the Paris night life, and was often called “the soul of Montmarte.” He also did illustrations for the magazine Le Rire during the 1890s.

Joan Miro (Spanish, 1893-1983) – Miro was born in Barcelona and earned international acclaim for his abstract curvilinear design paintings, collages and murals. His work is mostly Surrealistic. Miro despised conventional painting methods and once famously declared an “assassination of painting.”

Jack Levine (Mass./N.Y., born 1915) – Still alive and well in Boston, Levine is an American Social Realist painter and printmaker best known for his satires on modern life, political corruption and biblical narratives. His caricatures are in the mod genre and express unique social commentary.

   Baterbys offers its clients something that is unique in the industry: a lifetime money-back guarantee of authenticity for each work of art it sells. This is important to buyers looking to build a collection of art, since provenance is everything. It is Baterbys' philosophy that gaining a buyer's trust is key to ensuring they will become repeat customers. No other auction house offers such a guarantee.

   Baterbys produces quarterly art review books that also serve as catalogs. They are a complete reference to all the artists Baterbys sells for dealers, collectors and new buyers. The catalogs – suitable for coffee table display – feature artist biographies, discussions on the artwork, and full museum descriptions of all the items. The cost is $124 hardcover, $94.99 soft cover (less with a subscription).

   Baterbys has over 25 years' experience in the art world and auctioneering. The firm specializes in Internet and live auctions of world-class, authentic artwork, especially 20th-century masters, from Dali through Chagall, Picasso, Fini and numerous post-Impressionists. Baterbys' main concentration is in rare graphic works. The firm is always accepting quality consignment for future fine art auctions.

   For more information on Baterbys and the company's upcoming calendar of auction dates, you may log on to www.baterbys.com. To consign a single piece of art, an estate or an entire collection, you may call them directly, at (866) 537-0265. Or, you can send them an e-mail, to press@baterbys.com.

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Ken Hall writes pre-sale and post-sale press releases for auction houses, for a fee ($250 US$). He writes, submits and tracks stories for clients. Submissions are published in trade magazines, posted on industry websites and appear in local newspapers.