Eldzier Cortor Sold at Auction Prices

Painter, Lithographer, b. 1916 - d. 2015

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    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance Figure I.
      Oct. 03, 2024

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance Figure I.

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance Figure I. Mezzotint and aquatint with hand coloring on cream wove paper, 1989. 349x222 mm; 13¾x8⅝ inches, full margins. Signed, titled and numbered 9/90 in pencil, lower margin. An early proof of this print is in the collection of the Studio Museum in Harlem.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dual Form No. III.
      Oct. 03, 2024

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dual Form No. III.

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dual Form No. III. Color viscosity etching and aquatint on cream wove paper, 1978. 399x503 mm; 15¾x19⅞ inches, full margins. Artist's proof, aside from an unknown edition. Signed, titled and inscribed "A/P" in pencil, lower margin. The zinc plate used to print this image along with another proof of this print are in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Island Momento No. 1.
      Oct. 03, 2024

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Island Momento No. 1.

      Est: $40,000 - $60,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Island Momento No. 1. Oil on linen canvas, 2012. 1270x965 mm; 50x38 inches. Signed in oil, lower right. Provenance: estate of the artist, New York. Island Momento No. 1. is a significant, late career example of Eldzier Cortor's accomplished figurative painting. It demonstrates the remarkable continuity in his practice - working until the last moments of a long and very distinguished career. At the age of 96, Cortor painted this series with compositions of Caribbean women set in serene island locales - rethinking classical depictions of female beauty. The subject fits into Eldzier Cortor's decades-long series of "classical compositions" in painting and printmaking, celebrating the form and beauty of African-American women. With his characteristic dense layering of both brush and palette work, this composition is punctuated by his devices of the fan, conch shell, painted chair and window balcony and shutters, also found in such canvases as Cuban Souvenir in the David C. Driskell collection. Cortor's Tableau No. 2, also 2012, is in the collection of the San Antonio Museum of Art. Cortor has incorporated elements of Caribbean culture into his artwork since the 1940s - in 1949, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship to travel in the West Indies. After time in Jamaica and Cuba, Cortor settled in Haiti for two years where he taught classes at the Le Centre d'Art d'Haïti in Port-au-Prince. Beyond his early academic training at the Art Institute of Chicago, and his travels to the Sea Islands and West Indies, these paintings show the influence of his study of African sculpture and 19th-century French painting. Unlike his social realist counterparts, Cortor investigated both the formalism and symbolism of the African American female figure.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR AMERICAN MIXED MEDIA PAINTING
      Aug. 31, 2024

      ELDZIER CORTOR AMERICAN MIXED MEDIA PAINTING

      Est: $100 - $150

      Eldzier Cortor, American, 1916 to 2015, mixed media painting on paper depicting a portrait of a nude woman from the back. Signed lower to the center. Framed. Eldzier Cortor was an African American artist and printmaker. His work typically features elongated nude figures in intimate settings, influenced by both traditional African art and European surrealism. Cortor is known for his style of realism that makes accurate depictions of poor, Black living conditions look fantastic as he distorts perspective. Modern Afro American Fine Art, Female Portraits, Wall Art, and Collectibles. One of a kind artwork.

      Antique Arena Inc
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Trilogy No. II.
      Apr. 04, 2024

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Trilogy No. II.

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Trilogy No. II. Relief color etching and aquatint printed in orange on heavy cream wove paper, 1989. 519x382 mm; 20⅜x15 inches, full margins. Artist's proof, aside from the edition of 15. Signed, titled and inscribed "A/P" in pencil, lower margin. Printed in 2014 by the artist and Kathy Caraccio at the K. Caraccio Studio, New York. The first edition of 15 was printed in 1989 at Robert Blackburn's Printmaking Workshop. Another impression of this print is in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, Saint Louis Art Museum, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance I & Dance II/Diptych.
      Apr. 04, 2024

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance I & Dance II/Diptych.

      Est: $6,000 - $9,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance I & Dance II/Diptych. Pair of mezzotints with etching in blue, with aquatint in silver and embossing, from multiple plates, and hand-coloring, on Arches paper. Both 555x377 mm; 21⅞×14⅞ inches, full margins. Both signed, titled, and numbered 15/35 in pencil, lower margin. Another example of this mezzotint diptych is in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • AFTER Eldzier Cortor (NY,IL,1916-2015) oil painting
      Jan. 07, 2024

      AFTER Eldzier Cortor (NY,IL,1916-2015) oil painting

      Est: $500 - $650

      ARTIST: AFTER Eldzier Cortor (New York, Illinois, 1916 - 2015) TITLE: Seated Nude MEDIUM: oil on board CONDITION: Few nail holes. Some scratches/paint losses (see pictures carefully). No visible inpaint under UV light. Wear to frame. ART SIZE: 28 x 22 inches / 71 x 55 cm FRAME SIZE: 31 x 25 inches / 78 x 63 cm SIGNATURE: lower right CATEGORY: old antique vintage painting for auction sale online AD: ART CONSIGNMENTS WANTED. CONTACT US SKU#: 128320 US Shipping $90 + insurance. BIOGRAPHY: A painter and master printmaker best known for his celebratory depictions of the African American woman, Eldzier Cortor was born in Richmond, Virginia, and raised in Chicago. Cortor went on to study at the Art Institute of Chicago, and in the 1930s worked as an easel painter for the Works Project Administration (WPA), depicting the lives of African Americans in Chicago's South Side. During this time, he helped establish the SouthSide Community Art Center.In the 1940s, two fellowships from the Rosenwald Foundation allowed Cortor to study the Gullah community on the Sea Islands of Georgia and South Carolina, and to paint its African American inhabitants. Cortor found inspiration in the island's people, heavily influenced by their African heritage. He also focused primarily on the female figure, stating: "the Black woman represents the Black race." Cortor returned time and again to the female figure reminiscent of his Gullah depictions, despite having lived in various countries of the African diaspora and changing artistic styles in the United States.

      Broward Auction Gallery LLC
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme VI.
      Oct. 19, 2023

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme VI.

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme VI. Color mezzotint with etching and aquatint, 1985. 591x770 mm; 23 1/4×30 3/8 inches, full margins. Signed, titled and numbered 6/125 in pencil, lower margin.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme IV.
      Oct. 19, 2023

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme IV.

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme IV. Color mezzotint with etching and aquatint, 1985. 760x570 mm; 29 7/8×22 3/8 inches, full margins. Signed, titled and numbered 6/125 in pencil, lower margin.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme I.
      Oct. 19, 2023

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme I.

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme I. Color mezzotint with etching and aquatint, 1985. 610x420 mm; 24x16 1/2 inches, full margins. Signed, titled and numbered 19/125 in pencil, lower margin.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Two Women with Earrings.
      Oct. 19, 2023

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Two Women with Earrings.

      Est: $25,000 - $35,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Two Women with Earrings. Oil on linen canvas, 2005. 457x305 mm; 18x12 inches. Signed in oil, lower right recto. Signed, titled, dated and inscribed "oil/canvas" and "12x18" in ink on the upper stretcher bar, verso. Provenance: estate of the artist, New York. This elegant painting comes from the latter part of Eldzier Cortor's decades-long series celebrating the form and beauty of African American women. Cortor painted such figures in his Classical Composition and Classical Study series beginning in the 1960s and continued through the 2000s. Beyond his early academic training at the Art Institute of Chicago, these paintings show the influence of his study of African sculpture, 19th-century French painting, and his travels to the Sea Islands and West Indies. Unlike his social realist counterparts, Cortor investigated both the formalism and symbolism of the African American female figure.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Sepia Odalisque I
      May. 20, 2023

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Sepia Odalisque I

      Est: $3,500 - $4,500

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Sepia Odalisque I c. 1970s etching and aquatint on cream wove paper 20 x 15 inches (image) full margins 30 x 22-1/8 inches (sheet) signed, titled and numbered 9/35

      Black Art Auction
    • Untitled (Figures in a Landscape)
      May. 19, 2023

      Untitled (Figures in a Landscape)

      Est: $60,000 - $80,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916 - 2015 Untitled (Figures in a Landscape) signed (along the tacking edge) oil on canvas 33½ by 58½ in. 85.1 by 148.6 cm. Executed circa 1970.

      Sotheby's
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Composition/Jewels.
      Apr. 06, 2023

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Composition/Jewels.

      Est: $2,000 - $3,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Composition/Jewels. Relief etching on ivory wove paper, 1985. 521x460 mm; 20 1/2x18 1/8 inches, full margins. Signed, titled and numbered 8/12 in pencil, lower margin. Other impressions of this print are in the collections of the the Art Institute of Chicago, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme No. VII.
      Apr. 06, 2023

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme No. VII.

      Est: $4,000 - $6,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Jewels/Theme No. VII. Color mezzotint with etching and aquatint on ivory wove paper, 1985. 581x533 mm; 22 7/8x21 inches, full margins. Signed, titled and numbered 3/125 in pencil, lower margin. Other impressions of this print are in the collections of the Amon Carter Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Trilogy No. 1
      Apr. 06, 2023

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Trilogy No. 1

      Est: $35,000 - $50,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Trilogy No. 1 Oil on linen canvas, 2014. 914x559 mm; 36x22 inches. Signed in oil, lower right recto. Signed, titled and inscribed "oil painting" and "36x22" inches in ink on the upper stretcher bar, verso. Provenance: estate of the artist, New York. Trilogy No. 1 is a significant and beautiful example of Eldzier Cortor's late career oil painting. It demonstrates the remarkable continuity of his practice. In the summer of 2014, at the age of 98, Cortor completed his Trilogy series of oil paintings, each a composition of a trio of women - invoking the classical subject of the three graces. The artist described this trio as the "3 goddess of art: truth, beauty and goodness." The subject fits into Eldzier Cortor's over six decades-long series of "classical compositions" celebrating the form and beauty of African-American women. With his characteristic dense layering of brush and palette work, this composition show the influences of his study of African sculpture and 19th-century French painting. Unlike his social realist counterparts, Cortor investigated both the formalism and symbolism of the African-American female figure.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, L'Abbatoire No. III
      Nov. 19, 2022

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, L'Abbatoire No. III

      Est: $2,000 - $3,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 L'Abbatoire No. III c. 1967 aquatint and spit-bite etching 13-3/4 x 20-1/4 inches, full margins signed and titled AP out of and edition of 100

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Compositional Image 2
      Nov. 19, 2022

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Compositional Image 2

      Est: $15,000 - $25,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Compositional Image 2 c. 1970 Oil on canvas 11 x 14 inches Signed. Additionally signed and titled on stretcher. Provenance: The Collection of Philip J. and Suzanne Schiller, Highland Park, IL.

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Composition
      Nov. 19, 2022

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Composition

      Est: $4,000 - $6,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Composition c. 1949-51 Watercolor on wove paper 22-5/8 x 15-1/2 inches Signed in watercolor lower right. Signed, titled and inscribed "watercolor" and "Haiti" in ink on the cardboard backboard

      Black Art Auction
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance (Dance Composition No. 31).
      Oct. 06, 2022

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance (Dance Composition No. 31).

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance (Dance Composition No. 31). Etching and aquatint with handcoloring on wove paper, 1978. 552x394 mm; 21 3/4x15 1/2 inches, full margins. Artist's proof, aside from the edition of 50. Signed, titled, inscribed "AP" and numbered 5/10 in pencil, lower margin.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Blue Odalisque
      Jun. 04, 2022

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Blue Odalisque

      Est: $2,500 - $3,500

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Blue Odalisque 1998 Etching and aquatint on paper 15 x 14 inches (image) Signed, titled, and numbered 6/35

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Lady With Foliage II
      Jun. 04, 2022

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Lady With Foliage II

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Lady With Foliage II 1990 Mezzotint with etching in black, relief in silver and embossing on wove paper 11-1/2 x 12-1/2 inches (sheet) Signed, titled, dated 5/10/90 and A/P in pencil, lower margin.

      Black Art Auction
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance Composition, No. 34.
      Mar. 31, 2022

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance Composition, No. 34.

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance Composition, No. 34. Etching, aquatint, and flat bite from two plates printed in brown and black on cream wove paper, circa 1980-89. 444x355 mm; 17 1/2x14 inches, full margins. Signed, titled and numbered 1/35 in pencil, lower margin. Another impression is in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Composition.
      Mar. 31, 2022

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Composition.

      Est: $8,000 - $12,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Composition. Watercolor on wove paper, circa 1949-51. 578x394 mm; 22 5/8x15 1/2 inches. Signed in watercolor, lower right. Signed, titled and inscribed "watercolor" and "Haiti" in ink on the cardboard back board. Provenance: private collection, New York; private collection, Ohio. This attractive watercolor is a scarce example of Eldzier Cortor's painting from his Haitian period. Cortor traveled there first in 1949 on a Guggenheim Fellowship. Then from 1949-51, Cortor was a teacher at Le Centre d'Art, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, an art center, school and gallery founded in 1944 which became the center of what became known as the Haitian Art Movement. Cortor is best known for his elegant draughtsmanship and depiction of the beauty of Black women. Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1916, his family moved to Chicago where he attended Englewood High School with future artists Charles White and Charles Sebree. He studied drawing at the Art Institute of Chicago, and was a founding member of the Southside Community Art Center where he taught drawing and worked on murals during the Works Progress Administration. A Rosenwald Fellowship in 1944-45 at Sea Islands, Georgia, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1949 in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti, and teaching at the Centre d'Art in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from 1949-51 all increased his awareness of both nature and the African diaspora, which he incorporated in the naturalism of his painting.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Jewels Theme V
      Mar. 12, 2022

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Jewels Theme V

      Est: $4,500 - $6,500

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Jewels Theme V mezzotint with etching and aquatint 23 1/4 x 16 1/8 (image) signed, titled, and numbered 22/125

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Jewels/ Theme V
      Dec. 04, 2021

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Jewels/ Theme V

      Est: $5,000 - $7,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Jewels/ Theme V 1985 mezzotint with etching in black and color aquatint with etching from multiple plates on ivory wove paper 23 x 16-1/4 inches (full margins) signed, titled, and numbered 24/125 Eldzier Cortor Through the Eyes of His Son - Art Institute of Chicago https://www.artic.edu/articles/879/eldzier-cortor-through-the-eyes-of-his-son

      Black Art Auction
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance (Dance Composition No. 31).
      Oct. 07, 2021

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance (Dance Composition No. 31).

      Est: $2,000 - $3,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance (Dance Composition No. 31). Color etching and aquatint, 1978. 552x394 mm; 21 3/4x15 1/2 inches, full margins. Second state impression, aside from the edition of 40. Signed, titled, inscribed "II state impression" and numbered 6/10 in graphite, lower margin.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Environment No. 5
      Jul. 17, 2021

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Environment No. 5

      Est: $4,000 - $6,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Environment No. 5 1969 color etching and aquatint signed, titled, and numbered 10/100 24 x 34 inches (image), 34-1/2 x 42-1/2 inches (sheet)

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Dance (Dance Composition No. 31)
      May. 22, 2021

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Dance (Dance Composition No. 31)

      Est: $2,000 - $3,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Dance (Dance Composition No. 31) 1978 etching and aquatint with hand coloring 21 3/4 x 15 1/2 inches signed, titled, and numbered 6/10; with "II State Impression"

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Marche Assemblage III
      May. 22, 2021

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Marche Assemblage III

      Est: $35,000 - $45,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Marche Assemblage III c. 1985 oil on canvas signed 20 x 17.5 inches original frame

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Compositional Image 2
      May. 22, 2021

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Compositional Image 2

      Est: $20,000 - $30,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Compositional Image 2 c. 1970 Oil on canvas 11 x 14 inches Signed. Additionally signed and titled on stretcher. Provenance: The Collection of Philip J. and Suzanne Schiller, Highland Park, IL.

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Dance (Dance Composition No. 31)
      Feb. 06, 2021

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Dance (Dance Composition No. 31)

      Est: $2,000 - $3,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Dance (Dance Composition No. 31) 1978 etching and aquatint with hand coloring 21-3/4 x 15-1/2 inches signed, titled, and numbered 5/10; AP

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Jewels Theme V
      Feb. 06, 2021

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Jewels Theme V

      Est: $5,000 - $7,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Jewels Theme V 1985 mezzotint with etching and aquatint signed, titled and numbered, 22/125 23-1/4 x 16-1/8 (plate)

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Environment No. 5
      Feb. 06, 2021

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Environment No. 5

      Est: $5,000 - $7,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Environment No. 5 1969 color etching and aquatint signed, titled, and numbered 10/100 24 x 34 inches (image), 34-1/2 x 42-1/2 inches (sheet)

      Black Art Auction
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance (Dance Composition No. 31).
      Dec. 10, 2020

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance (Dance Composition No. 31).

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Dance (Dance Composition No. 31). Etching and aquatint with handcoloring, 1978. 552x394 mm; 21 3/4x15 1/2 inches, full margins. Signed, titled and numbered 49/50 in graphite, lower margin.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Three Heads.
      Dec. 10, 2020

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Three Heads.

      Est: $5,000 - $7,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Three Heads. Pen and ink on dyed pink paper. 152x114 mm; 6x4 1/2 inches. Signed in ink, lower right. Provenance: private collection, Illinois; Lusenhop Fine Art, Chicago, with the gallery label on the frame back; private collection, California.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) L'Abbatoire No. III
      Dec. 10, 2020

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) L'Abbatoire No. III

      Est: $2,000 - $3,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) L'Abbatoire No. III Aquatint and spit-bite etching printed in red and black, circa 1967. 350x514 mm; 13 3/4x20 1/4 inches, full margins. Artist's proof, aside from the edition of 100. Signed, titled and inscribed "A/P" in pencil, lower margin. Other impressions of this experimental print are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Composition.
      Dec. 10, 2020

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Composition.

      Est: $15,000 - $25,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Composition. Watercolor on wove paper, circa 1949-51. 578x394 mm; 22 5/8x15 1/2 inches. Signed in watercolor, lower right. Signed, titled and inscribed "watercolor" and "- Haiti' in ink on the cardboard back board. Provenance: private collection, New York; private collection, Ohio. This attractive watercolor is a very scarce example of Eldzier Cortor's painting from his Haitian period. Cortor traveled there first in 1949 on a Guggenheim Fellowship grant, and then from 1949-1951 was a teacher at Le Centre d'Art, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, an art center, school and gallery founded in 1944 which became the center of what became known as the Haitian Art Movement. Cortor is best known for his elegant draughtsmanship and depiction of the beauty of black women. Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1916, his family moved to Chicago where he attended Englewood High School with future artists Charles White and Charles Sebree. He studied drawing at the Art Institute of Chicago, and was a founding member of the Southside Community Art Center where he taught drawing and worked on murals during the Works Progress Administration. A Rosenwald Fellowship in 1944-1945 at Sea Islands, Georgia, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1949 in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti, and teaching at the Centre d'Art in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from 1949-1951 all increased his awareness of both nature and the African diaspora, which he incorporated in the naturalism of his painting

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • Eldzier Cortor (American, 1916-2015) The Merchants, 1951
      Dec. 10, 2020

      Eldzier Cortor (American, 1916-2015) The Merchants, 1951

      Est: $20,000 - $30,000

      Eldzier Cortor (American, 1916-2015) The Merchants, 1951 oil on canvas signed E. Cortor (lower right); signed, dated, and titled (verso) 30 x 42 inches. Property from the Johnson Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois

      Hindman
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Dancer Composition, No. XL, Etching on cream wove paper, 35.5 x 23 inches
      Nov. 14, 2020

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Dancer Composition, No. XL, Etching on cream wove paper, 35.5 x 23 inches

      Est: $5,000 - $7,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Dancer Composition, No. XL Etching on cream wove paper c. 1970s signed, titled and numbered, AP/3. Eldzier Cortor was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1916. His family moved to Chicago in 1917 where Cortor was to play a large role in the Chicago Black Renaissance of the 1930’s and 1940’s. In 1936, he attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and later studied at Chicago’s Institute of Design under Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. He worked for the WPA Federal Arts Project in the 1930’s and in 1941, co-founded the South Side Community Art Center on South Michigan Avenue. After winning two successive Rosenwald Grants, he traveled to the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas. It was here that he began to paint the women of the Gullah community as the archetype of African American culture, with their long, elegant necks and colorful head scarves. He focused on “classical composition”, making his figures resemble African sculpture. In 1946, LIFE magazine published one of these semi-nude female figures. In 1949, Cortor received a Guggenheim Fellowship and traveled to the West Indies to paint in Jamaica and Cuba before settling in Haiti for two years. There he taught classes at the Centre d’Art in Port au Prince. Cortor worked up until his death in 2015 at the age of 99. Recent exhibitions of his work have been held at the South Side Community Art Center in 2014; Eldzier Cortor Coming Home, an exhibition of prints, was held at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston held a joint exhibition of the works of Cortor and John Wilson in 2017. His work is found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Howard University. 35.5 x 23 inches

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Compositional Image 2, Oil on canvas, 11 x 14 inches
      Nov. 14, 2020

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Compositional Image 2, Oil on canvas, 11 x 14 inches

      Est: $30,000 - $40,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Compositional Image 2 Oil on canvas c. 1970 Signed. Additionally signed and titled on stretcher. Eldzier Cortor was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1916. His family moved to Chicago in 1917 where Cortor was to play a large role in the Chicago Black Renaissance of the 1930’s and 1940’s. In 1936, he attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and later studied at Chicago’s Institute of Design under Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. He worked for the WPA Federal Arts Project in the 1930’s and in 1941, co-founded the South Side Community Art Center on South Michigan Avenue. After winning two successive Rosenwald Grants, he traveled to the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas. It was here that he began to paint the women of the Gullah community as the archetype of African American culture, with their long, elegant necks and colorful head scarves. He focused on “classical composition”, making his figures resemble African sculpture. In 1946, LIFE magazine published one of these semi-nude female figures. In 1949, Cortor received a Guggenheim Fellowship and traveled to the West Indies to paint in Jamaica and Cuba before settling in Haiti for two years. There he taught classes at the Centre d’Art in Port au Prince. Cortor worked up until his death in 2015 at the age of 99. Recent exhibitions of his work have been held at the South Side Community Art Center in 2014; Eldzier Cortor Coming Home, an exhibition of prints, was held at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston held a joint exhibition of the works of Cortor and John Wilson in 2017. His work is found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Howard University. 11 x 14 inches

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Dancer Composition No. 31, Etching and aquatint on paper, 20 x 15-1/2 inches
      Nov. 14, 2020

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Dancer Composition No. 31, Etching and aquatint on paper, 20 x 15-1/2 inches

      Est: $5,000 - $7,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Dancer Composition No. 31 Etching and aquatint on paper 1978 Signed, titled and numbered 3/10 (second state imp.) Eldzier Cortor was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1916. His family moved to Chicago in 1917 where Cortor was to play a large role in the Chicago Black Renaissance of the 1930’s and 1940’s. In 1936, he attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and later studied at Chicago’s Institute of Design under Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. He worked for the WPA Federal Arts Project in the 1930’s and in 1941, co-founded the South Side Community Art Center on South Michigan Avenue. After winning two successive Rosenwald Grants, he traveled to the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas. It was here that he began to paint the women of the Gullah community as the archetype of African American culture, with their long, elegant necks and colorful head scarves. He focused on “classical composition”, making his figures resemble African sculpture. In 1946, LIFE magazine published one of these semi-nude female figures. In 1949, Cortor received a Guggenheim Fellowship and traveled to the West Indies to paint in Jamaica and Cuba before settling in Haiti for two years. There he taught classes at the Centre d’Art in Port au Prince. Cortor worked up until his death in 2015 at the age of 99. Recent exhibitions of his work have been held at the South Side Community Art Center in 2014; Eldzier Cortor Coming Home, an exhibition of prints, was held at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston held a joint exhibition of the works of Cortor and John Wilson in 2017. His work is found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Howard University. 20 x 15-1/2 inches

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Marche Assemblage III, oil on canvas, 20 x 17.5 inches
      Nov. 14, 2020

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Marche Assemblage III, oil on canvas, 20 x 17.5 inches

      Est: $60,000 - $90,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Marche Assemblage III oil on canvas c. 1985 signed original frame Eldzier Cortor was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1916. His family moved to Chicago in 1917 where Cortor was to play a large role in the Chicago Black Renaissance of the 1930’s and 1940’s. In 1936, he attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and later studied at Chicago’s Institute of Design under Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. He worked for the WPA Federal Arts Project in the 1930’s and in 1941, co-founded the South Side Community Art Center on South Michigan Avenue. After winning two successive Rosenwald Grants, he traveled to the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas. It was here that he began to paint the women of the Gullah community as the archetype of African American culture, with their long, elegant necks and colorful head scarves. He focused on “classical composition”, making his figures resemble African sculpture. In 1946, LIFE magazine published one of these semi-nude female figures. In 1949, Cortor received a Guggenheim Fellowship and traveled to the West Indies to paint in Jamaica and Cuba before settling in Haiti for two years. There he taught classes at the Centre d’Art in Port au Prince. Cortor worked up until his death in 2015 at the age of 99. Recent exhibitions of his work have been held at the South Side Community Art Center in 2014; Eldzier Cortor Coming Home, an exhibition of prints, was held at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston held a joint exhibition of the works of Cortor and John Wilson in 2017. His work is found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Howard University. 20 x 17.5 inches

      Black Art Auction
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Composition II, Japanese woodcut process, 14-1/2 x 22 inches
      Jul. 11, 2020

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916-2015, Composition II, Japanese woodcut process, 14-1/2 x 22 inches

      Est: $3,500 - $5,500

      Eldzier Cortor 1916-2015 Composition II Japanese woodcut process c. 1955-58 signed, titled, and numbered 8/15 14-1/2 x 22 inches

      Black Art Auction
    • In the Style of Eldzier Cortor, (American, 1916-2015), Local Color, oil on masonite, 30" x 24"
      Jun. 28, 2020

      In the Style of Eldzier Cortor, (American, 1916-2015), Local Color, oil on masonite, 30" x 24"

      Est: $1,000 - $2,000

      signed lower right

      Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
    • ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Lady with Foliage II.
      Jun. 04, 2020

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Lady with Foliage II.

      Est: $3,000 - $5,000

      ELDZIER CORTOR (1916 - 2015) Lady with Foliage II. Mezzotint with etching in black, relief in silver, and embossing on wove paper, 1990. 293x317 mm; 11 1/2x12 1/2 inches, full margins. Artist's proof, aside from an unkown edition. Signed, titled, dated "5/10/90" and inscribed "A/P" in pencil, lower margin. Other impressions of this print are in the collections of the Art Insititute of Chicago and the Brooklyn Museum.

      Swann Auction Galleries
    • Eldzier Cortor, aquatint etching, artist's proof
      Jun. 04, 2020

      Eldzier Cortor, aquatint etching, artist's proof

      Est: $800 - $1,200

      Eldzier Cortor (African-American, b. 1916), "L'Abbatoire No III", c. 1980, aquatint and spit-bite etching on paper, pencil signed, titled, and numbered (A/P) lower margin, 15"h x 21.5"w (sight), 22.5"h x 28.5"w (frame)

      Millea Bros Ltd
    • Eldzier Cortor, 1916 - 2015, Jewels Theme V, Color mezzotint with etching and aquatint, 23 x 16-3/4 inches (image), full margins
      May. 16, 2020

      Eldzier Cortor, 1916 - 2015, Jewels Theme V, Color mezzotint with etching and aquatint, 23 x 16-3/4 inches (image), full margins

      Est: $6,000 - $8,000

      Eldzier Cortor 1916 - 2015 Jewels Theme V Color mezzotint with etching and aquatint 1985 Signed, titled and inscribed T/P 2/State Provenance: Dr. Dianne Whitfield-Locke and Dr. Carnell Locke, Maryland Literature: One of the country's most respected African American artists, Cortor spent years studying diasporan peoples in the American South and the Caribbean, and, over the years, amalgamated various aspects of women of the African Diaspora into his prototypical black female. Eldzier Cortor was one of the first black male artists to explore the beauty and intensity of black womanhood. Sensuous and melancholy women of color inhabit Cotor's intimate spaces. Seated in a stylized interior, the elongated, gracefully introspective woman of ["Jewels/Theme V"] represents Cortor's idealized black female. Adrienne L. Childs (object entries), "Narratives of African American Art and Identity: The David C. Driskell Collection", p. 138. Note: T/P (Trial Proof) - These prints are made during the process of adjusting and developing the image. Even though technically they are unfinished prints, in the art market they are worth much more than the regularly editioned work because they reveal the process of the artist in creating the finished work. 23 x 16-3/4 inches (image), full margins

      Black Art Auction
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