Carroll Sockwell Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Carroll Sockwell Art Value Price Guide

Sep. 14, 2024
Carroll Sockwell, 1943-1992, untitled
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Carroll Sockwell 1943-1992 untitled 1969 acrylic on canvas 71 x 61 inches identified on label verso. Provenance: the estate of the artist. Exhibited: Corcoran Gallery , Washington Color School Paintings, February-October, 1973 Sockwell's work is less well-known than that of Alma Thomas and Sam Gilliam, probably due to his short life and the scarcity of major examples such as this, but he was an important contributor and innovator within the Washington Color School.
Black Art Auction
Apr. 04, 2024
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992) Untitled.
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992) Untitled. Oil on masonite board, 1960. 597x1499 mm; 23½x59 inches. Signed and dated in pencil, lower right. Provenance: private collection, Washington, DC. This vivid landscape is an early painting by the abstract artist and important Washington, DC painter, Carroll Sockwell. With its bold colors and expressionism, it recalls the work of both William H. Johnson and Bob Thompson., and shows the promise of a budding young artist. Born in 1943, Carroll Sockwell was raised in Washington, DC, as the youngest of five brothers. Sockwell's youth was checkered by domestic unrest, but with the support of his art therapist, Elinor Ulman, he took art classes at the Corcoran School of Art as a teenager. This painting dates from the period, when, after turning seventeen, Sockwell moved to New York, immersing himself in the art scene. He famously met Barnett Newman and Willem de Kooning, but struggled to find a stable living situation. In 1963, Sockwell returned to Washington, and joined the growing artistic community of what was becoming the Washington Color School. Sockwell developed a distinctively expressive abstraction, combining the gestural and linear, and began exhibiting at Jefferson Place Gallery. In 1974, championed by director Walter Hopps, Sockwell received a breakthrough solo exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. His work was included in many gallery and museum exhibitions in Washington DC, and at the Brooklyn Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 1992, Sockwell had a large retrospective exhibition at the Washington Project for the Arts, just before his tragic death by suicide. Sockwell's work is in many institutional collections including the Brooklyn Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Menil Collection, the American University Art Museums, Bowie State University, the Delaware Art Museum and the Federal Reserve Bank Collection. Sockwell is presently the subject of a solo exhibition at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, George Washington University, A Corcoran Homecoming: The Art of Carroll Sockwell, January 24 - March 9, 2024.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jul. 15, 2023
CARROLL SOCKWELL (AMERICAN, 1943-1992)
Est: $200 - $600
Carroll Sockwell American, 1943-1992 Cathedral I Mixed media, signed and titled to verso Wooden panels geometrically composed and painted in a utilitarian manner, accented by metal and nails. Mounted behind glass in a shadowbox frame. Carroll Sockwell was born in 1943 in Washington, District of Columbia. Carroll's works were included in many important exhibitions, including: Washington: 20 Years, held at the Baltimore Museum of Art in 1970, along with African-American contemporaries Sam Gilliam, Alma Thomas, and Kenneth Young Salute to the Barnett-Aden Gallery, Morgan State College, Baltimore, 1968 The Washington Show, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 1985 Washington 1968: New Painting: Structure, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 1968
Selkirk Auctioneers & Appraisers
Nov. 19, 2022
Carroll Sockwell, 1943-1992, Scattered Space
Est: $35,000 - $45,000
Carroll Sockwell 1943-1992 Scattered Space 1973 acrylic and collage on canvas 48 x 48 inches signed and dated verso; Corcoran Gallery exhibition label on stretcher with artist name and title. According to the Corcoran Gallery records this was an exhibition of works of The Washington Color School. Sockwell estate Inv. No. 05710 Provenance: the estate of the artist "In recent work, I aim, to produce paintings which will dominate yet enhance their surroundings. Arrangements of rectangular forms are brought into intimate relationship with architectural structure. Working with varied tonalities of a single hue, I use linear extension to give a sense of limitless space." —Carroll Sockwell Carroll Sockwell grew up in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington DC. His mother, Annie, worked as a maid and his father, Luther, although infrequently present, worked as a laborer. Sockwell's maternal grandmother lived in the home, and also his aunt, uncle and four brothers. In 1948, Carroll's mother, diagnosed with schizophrenia, was hospitalized for a period of 15 years, and his aunt became his caregiver. He attended public schools, but as a child was also hospitalized briefly with schizophrenic tendencies. With the support of social workers, young Sockwell became interested in the arts—first the theater and music, and eventually painting. At 14, he entered the Corcoran School of Art. Once again he was hospitalized for psychiatric treatment at St. Elizabeth's, and it was here he met Elinor Ulman, a pioneer in the field of art therapy. In 1959, Sockwell moved to New York, and by happenstance, met important abstract expressionist painters such as Barnett Newman and Willem de Kooning, by frequenting establishments such as the famous Cedar Bar to drink. Sockwell said later about the four years he was in New York: "I was almost the only black. It was hard to be accepted." (Judith Weinraub (1992-06-13). "The Artist Who Should Be Famous; Carroll Sockwell's Work Is Abstract But His Pain Is All Too Real". The Washington Post). Walter Hopps, Director of the Washington Gallery of Modern Art, whom Sockwell met when he returned to D.C. in 1963, remarked that he (Sockwell) was poor, black, and gay, and struggled immensely to find support and succeed. Artistically, he was tied to the Washington Color School, but gravitated to a later offshoot of the group that was more concerned with abstraction and direct painting. Sockwell also credits his formal discussions with Gene Davis and Howard Mehring (two members of the Washington Color School). His style might be said to lie at the intersection of Color Field painting, the New York School, and the constructivist rigor associated with Burgoyne Diller. Large paintings such as the work included in this auction rarely come to the market, as the overall body of work by Sockwell is comprised primarily of drawings. His paintings present a muted palette, emulating the subtle tonalities of graphite or charcoal. He had briefly become curator of the Barnett-Aden Gallery in 1965-66. By the late sixties, Sockwell was showing prominently in the city. He organized shows with Walter Hopps and Gregory Battcock and was later included by Hopps in major traveling shows of "Art in Washington". (REF: Art in Washington and Its Afro-American Presence: 1940-1970, Keith Morrison, Washington Project for the Arts, 1985, p. 60; catalog accompanying the exhibition). In 1969, he showed with artists such as Norman Lewis, Alma Thomas, Felrath Hines and Charles McGee at an exhibition sponsored by the NCAA at the Nordess Gallery in New York. In 1971, he received critical acclaim for a solo exhibition at the Jefferson Place Gallery from Jet Magazine and The Washington Post. Sockwell was relatively productive from the late 1960s through the 1980s, enjoying critical and financial success. On June 4, 1992, a solo exhibition of his work opened at the Washington Project for the Arts. His artwork was highly praised, but personally, he was criticized for being difficult, temperamental, and drinking too much. His excessive habits led him to squander his comfortable living and return to his destitute state, sleeping on a mattress in a friend's framing business. Sockwell committed suicide in 1992 by jumping from the Pennsylvania Avenue bridge in Foggy Bottom .
Black Art Auction
Jun. 04, 2022
Carroll Sockwell, 1943-1992, Untitled
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
Carroll Sockwell 1943-1992 Untitled 1970 acrylic on canvas 48 x 48 inches private owner's label verso Exhibited at the Baltimore Museum of Art (1973) and "AM i THE BeST: Paintings, Assemblages, Drawings" at the Washington Arts Museum (1973) and illustrated page 5 of the catalog, 2004 (curated by Sam Gilliam with an essay by Walter Hopps).
Black Art Auction
Feb. 06, 2021
Carroll Sockwell, 1943-1992, Untitled
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Carroll Sockwell 1943-1992 Untitled 1980 colored pencil drawing 26 x 40 inches signed and dated, STII Sockwell was included in many important exhibitions, including Washington: 20 Years, held at the Baltimore Museum of Art in 1970, along with contemporaries Sam Gilliam, Alma Thomas, and Kenneth Young; Salute to the Barnett-Aden Gallery, Morgan State College, Baltimore, 1968; The Washington Show, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 1985; and Washington 1968: New Painting: Structure, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 1968.
Black Art Auction
Dec. 13, 2020
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992)
Est: $500 - $700
"Still-Life"; 1961; Pastel on Paper; 17.5" x 12"; Signed Lower Right; Framed
James Cox Gallery
Dec. 10, 2020
CARROLL SOCKWELL - UNTITLED (ABSTRACTION)
Est: $800 - $1,200
Lot 54 Carroll Sockwell American (1943-1992) Untitled (Abstraction) (1957) colored pencil and pastel on card stock signed lower right and verso 12 x 8 inches Provenance: From the Estate of Carroll Sockwell
Capsule Gallery Auction
Dec. 10, 2020
CARROLL SOCKWELL - UNTITLED (FROM STILL LIFE SERIES)
Est: $500 - $800
Lot 45 Carroll Sockwell American (1943-1992) Untitled (From still life series) (1975) oil pastel on red paper 12 x 12 1/2 inches Provenance: From the Estate of Carroll Sockwell
Capsule Gallery Auction
Dec. 10, 2020
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992) Untitled (Abstract Composition).
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992) Untitled (Abstract Composition). Color pastels on wove paper, 1965. 464x622 mm; 18 1/4x24 1/2 inches. Signed and dated in pencil, lower right. Provenance: private collection, Washington, DC. This work of paper is an excellent example of the unique abstraction of this influential Washington, DC artist. Born in 1943, Carroll Sockwell was raised in Washington DC, as the youngest in a military family. At the age of seventeen, he went off to New York City, where he immsered himself in the art scene, experimenting abstract expressionism, pop art, Minimalism, and Conceptualism. In 1963, Sockwell returned to Washington, DC and joined the growing community of artists which the highly influential art critic Clement Greenberg named the Washington Color School. Later, Sockwell became a curator at the Barnett-Aden Gallery and also began exhibiting at Jefferson Place Gallery. In 1974, Sockwell received his first solo exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and participated in group exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. In 1992, Sockwell had his last exhibition at the Washington Project for the Arts, just before his tragic death by suicide.
Swann Auction Galleries
Sep. 10, 2020
Carroll Sockwell (American, 1943) A Wise Tale, 1979 Mixed media relief 30-1/4 x
Est: $200 - $300
Carroll Sockwell (American, 1943) A Wise Tale, 1979 Mixed media relief 30-1/4 x 30-1/4 inches (76.8 x 76.8 cm) Signed, dated, and titled on the reverse: Carroll Sockwell 1979 / A Wise Tale HID01801242017
Heritage Auctions
Jul. 30, 2020
CARROLL SOCKWELL - UNTITLED (CITYSCAPE)
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Lot 23 Carroll Sockwell American (1943-1992) Untitled (cityscape) (1958) pastel on green paper 18 x 24 inches Provenance: From the Estate of Carroll Sockwell
Capsule Gallery Auction
Jun. 04, 2020
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992) Untitled .
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992) Untitled . Brush and ink on buff cardstock, 1977. 216x305 mm; 8 1/2x12 inches. Signed in pencil, lower left recto. Signed in ink and signed and inscribed "August" in pencil, verso. Provenance: private collection, Maryland.
Swann Auction Galleries
May. 28, 2020
Carroll Sockwell - Spirit of Stone (1977)
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Lot 52.2 Carroll Sockwell American (1943-1992) Spirit of Stone (1977) mixed media on paper board signed bottom/signed verso 6 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches Provenance: from the estate of Carroll Sockwell additional window mounted ink and paper drawing verso Estimate: $1000-2000
Capsule Gallery Auction
May. 16, 2020
Carroll Sockwell, 1943 - 1992, Untitled, Colored pencil drawing, 26 x 40 inches
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Carroll Sockwell 1943 - 1992 Untitled Colored pencil drawing 1980 Signed and dated, STII 26 x 40 inches
Black Art Auction
May. 16, 2020
Carroll Sockwell, 1943 - 1992, Untitled, Pastel on paper, 26 x 40 inches
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Carroll Sockwell 1943 - 1992 Untitled Pastel on paper 1980 Signed and dated Signed verso 26 x 40 inches
Black Art Auction
Feb. 22, 2020
Carroll Sockwell (American 1943-1992)
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Carroll Sockwell (American 1943-1992) Still Life, Flowers and Fruit, 1968, pastel on paper, signed and dated in pencil lower left, framed. 23 x 17 in. image size 28 x 23 in. as framed Condition:
Neue Auctions
Feb. 22, 2020
Carroll Sockwell (American 1943-1992)
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Carroll Sockwell (American 1943-1992) Studio Interior with Sculpture, pastel on paper, signed in pencil upper left, framed. 17 x 22 in. image size 20 x 28 in.as framed Condition:
Neue Auctions
Feb. 22, 2020
Carroll Sockwell (American 1943-1992)
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Carroll Sockwell (American 1943-1992) Studio Interior, pastel on paper, signed in pencil lower right, framed. 17 x 22.5 in. image size 23 x28.5 in. as framed Condition:
Neue Auctions
Oct. 08, 2019
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992) Untitled.
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992) Untitled. Ink, graphite and color pastels on wove paper, 1977. 330x229 mm; 13x9 inches. Both signed and dated "October 18, 1977" in blue ink and signed and dated "October 77" in pencil, verso. Provenance: private collection, Maryland.
Swann Auction Galleries
Apr. 04, 2019
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992) Untitled.
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
CARROLL SOCKWELL (1943 - 1992) Untitled. Watercolor and acrylic on heavy wove paper, 1973. 546x749 mm; 21 1/2x29 1/2 inches. Signed and dated in pencil, lower center. Provenance: private collection, Washington DC. This work is an excellent example of the unique blend of geometric and gestural abstraction of this influential Washington, DC artist. Born in 1943, Carroll Sockwell was raised in Washington DC, as the youngest in a military family. At the age of seventeen, he went off to New York City, where he immsered himself in the art scene, experimenting abstract expressionism, pop art, Minimalism, and Conceptualism. In 1963, he returned to Washington, DC and joined the growing community of artists which the highly influential art critic Clement Greenberg named the Washington Color School. Later, Sockwell became a curator at the Barnet-Aden Gallery and also began exhibiting at Jefferson Place Gallery. In 1974, Sockwell received his first solo exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and participated in group exhibitionS at the Brooklyn Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. In 1992, Sockwell had his last exhibition at the Washington Project for the Arts, just before his tragic death by suicide.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jun. 16, 2018
CARROLL SOCKWELL (American, 1943-1992). ABSTRACT, signed and dated '65 lower right. Pastel.
Est: $500 - $700
CARROLL SOCKWELL (American, 1943-1992). ABSTRACT, signed and dated '65 lower right. Pastel - Framed, sight: 17 1/2 in. x 23 in.
Sloans & Kenyon