The Graham Arader Sale An Important Collection of Color Plate Books, Maps, Atlases, Watercolors and Paintings Will Be Offered at Sotheby’s in New York on 19 June 2009.
New York, NY – On 19 June 2009, Sotheby’s will present The Graham Arader Sale. For almost four decades, Graham Arader has been one of the world’s most recognizable collectors and dealers of color-plate books, atlases, cartography, and natural history watercolors. This June, Sotheby’s will offer a remarkable selection from his holdings, ranging from original watercolors from Redouté’s Les Lilacées to the celebrated 1513 edition of Ptolemy’s geography, and from western views by Karl Bodmer, George Catlin, and H. J. Warre to ornithological illustrations by John James Audubon, Josef Wolf, John Abbot, Marc Catesby, and many others. Just as noteworthy as the content of the sale, however, is Mr. Arader’s pledge to donate 20% of the hammer price of any lot to any recognized charity chosen by the successful purchaser of that lot. A selection of lots will also be sold without reserve. The offering will be on public exhibition from June 1318 prior to the auction. (Pictured: One of 53 fine lithographed plates from the first edition of John Gould’s Family of Toucans, est. $45/65,000*) “I have been fortunate to spend nearly 40 years acquiring and selling some of the most historically important icons of American and European history from the 16th to the 19th century,” said W. Graham Arader. “In deciding to part with a portion of my holdings for estate planning purposes, I recalled the myriad libraries, universities, foundations, botanical gardens, schools, zoos and other institutions that I worked with over the years and saw an opportunity to give back to those who have supported my field and improved the quality of life for all of us. My hope is that through this sale, the works that I have treasured will find new homes that will benefit not only their owners, but the charities they designate as well.” (Pictured: Christopher Saxton, An Atlas of England and Wales, 1579, est. $165/185,000).
The auction will be divided into ten different sections encompassing the various categories Mr. Arader specializes in: Pierre-Joseph Redouté; John James Audubon; The National History of the South; Icons of American Cartography; Atlases, Cartography, and Navigation; The Expanding American Frontier; Near and Middle East; Edward Lear; Natural History; and European and American Paintings.
Highlights
Among the most important works that will be offered is a highlight from the section of paintings – The Greenland Whale Fishery by the British marine artist Robert Dodd (est. $100/150,000). Known for his spectacular and detailed portraits of important ships and naval battles from both the Revolutionary War and the French Wars of 1793-1815, Dodd captures in the present work London-based vessels operating out of the Thames, from where the largest British whaling fleet emanated well into the 19th century. In 1783, the year in which this work is dated, the British whaling industry saw a marked revival after a wartime depression. Profits at the time were such that it seems plausible that this painting was commissioned simply to mark a general return to prosperity for the whaling industry rather than any
