Milton Avery
Milton Avery
1893 - 1965
Milton Avery is one of the most significant American artists of the twentieth century and a leader in modernism internationally. He painted the figure and domestic interiors, but was also well known for his unique landscape work. Avery was a pivotal link between the American Scene painting of the 1930s and Abstract Expressionism, as his work bridged a gap between realism and abstraction – it was abstracted and simplified, but did not abandon all reference to natural forms. His paintings are known for their simplicity, serenity and harmony, sophisticated colour palette and a flattening of form.
Born in Altmar, New York, Avery studied at the Connecticut League of Art Students in Hartford, then moved to New York City in 1925. He took classes at the Art Students League of New York and by 1928 was exhibiting in that city. In the 1930s, Avery associated with well-known artists there such as Marcel Duchamp, Adolph Gottlieb and Mark Rothko.
Avery was influenced by German Expressionism and French Fauvism – in particular, Henri Matisse’s innovative use of colour and space. However, he took an independent stance, and his work stood outside of any movement or prevailing trend, which confounded critics.
The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC was the first museum to mount a solo museum exhibition in 1944. In 1945 two of the leading dealers in modern French art in New York, Paul Rosenberg and Durand-Ruel, held concurrent exhibitions in their New York galleries.
In the 1950s, there was an important change in Avery’s work – he thinned his pigments to the consistency of watercolour, laying on his colour like a transparent veil, resulting in the picture surface seeming to dematerialize.
By the 1960s, Avery’s work was being reappraised - appreciation for its originality rose, and he emerged as a major figure in twentieth century art. In 1982, New York’s Whitney Museum mounted a retrospective of his work. Avery’s paintings are in prominent museum collections both in the United States and internationally.
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Old Mountain, Young Trees by Milton Avery sold for $97,250
Milton Avery
Old Mountain, Young Trees
24 x 30 in, 61 x 76.2 cm
oil on canvas board
Estimate: $100,000 - $150,000 CDN
Sold for: $97,250 CDN (premium included)
Fall 2017 - 1st Session on Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Myself in Blue Beret by Milton Avery sold for $67,250
Milton Avery
Myself in Blue Beret
21 1/2 x 14 3/4 in, 54.6 x 37.5 cm
oil on paper
Estimate: $60,000 - $80,000 CDN
Sold for: $67,250 CDN (premium included)
Post-War & Contemporary Art on Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Autumn Meadow by Milton Avery sold for $55,250
Milton Avery
Autumn Meadow
22 x 28 in, 55.9 x 71.1 cm
oil on canvas board
Estimate: $60,000 - $80,000 CDN
Sold for: $55,250 CDN (premium included)
International Art on Thursday, April 26, 2018
Sunset Harbor by Milton Avery sold for $43,250
Milton Avery
Sunset Harbor
20 x 26 in, 50.8 x 66 cm
gouache on paper
Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000 CDN
Sold for: $43,250 CDN (premium included)
The James and Elizabeth Eayrs Collection on Thursday, November 30, 2017
Beach Birds by Milton Avery sold for $31,250
Milton Avery
Beach Birds
17 x 22 in, 43.2 x 55.9 cm
mixed media on paper
Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000 CDN
Sold for: $31,250 CDN (premium included)
Fall 2017 - 1st Session on Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Dark Waters by Milton Avery sold for $31,250
Milton Avery
Dark Waters
22 1/2 x 30 3/4 in, 57.2 x 78.1 cm
watercolour and graphite on paper
Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 CDN
Sold for: $31,250 CDN (premium included)
Fall 2017 - 1st Session on Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Grazing Cows by Milton Avery sold for $28,125
Milton Avery
Grazing Cows
15 3/8 x 22 1/4 in, 39.1 x 56.5 cm
gouache on paper board
Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000 CDN
Sold for: $28,125 CDN (premium included)
The James and Elizabeth Eayrs Collection on Thursday, November 30, 2017
Boathouse in Fog by Milton Avery sold for $11,500
Milton Avery
Boathouse in Fog
11 x 30 1/2 in, 27.9 x 77.5 cm
watercolour and gouache on paper
Estimate: $12,000 - $16,000 CDN
Sold for: $11,500 CDN (premium included)
April 2005 on Saturday, April 30, 2005
Brown Bird Brown Sea by Milton Avery sold for $10,000
Milton Avery
Brown Bird Brown Sea
18 x 24 in, 45.7 x 61 cm
colour monotype
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CDN
Sold for: $10,000 CDN (premium included)
Post-War & Contemporary Art on Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Forest Edge by Milton Avery sold for $5,850
Milton Avery
Forest Edge
8 3/4 x 23 in, 22.2 x 58.4 cm
oil on paper
Estimate: $3,000 - $4,000 CDN
Sold for: $5,850 CDN (premium included)
October 2012 - 3rd Session on Thursday, October 25, 2012