THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ART MARKET experienced a sea change seven years ago when Swann Auction Galleries began dedicating sales to African American fine art. Few auction records existed for African American artists at the time. Most sales were handled privately by galleries and dealers, making values hard to discern because prices were not disclosed to the public. From the start, Swann sales broke records and in the ensuing years many lots have topped $100,000, including works by Malvin Gray Johnson, Charles White, Aaron Douglas, Hughie Lee-Smith, Hale Woodruff, Elizabeth Catlett, John Biggers, Barkley L. Hendricks and Kara Walker. In October 2013, a circa 1957 untitled abstract by Norman Lewis sold for more than half-a-million dollars, a record for the artist. Nigel Freeman created Swann’s African-American Fine Art department in 2006, the only one of its kind at a major auction house. He spoke with me by phone about Swann’s influence on the market, sought-after artists and scarce works, and highlights from the forthcoming Feb. 13 sale of 19th and early 20th century art. CULTURE TYPE: Swann’s first African American art sale was Feb. 6, 2007. How did it go? NIGEL FREEMAN: It was a challenge to do the first sale, […]
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