James Lesesne Wells Paintings & Artwork for Sale | James Lesesne Wells Art Value Price Guide

Dec. 14, 2024
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, Sisters
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 Sisters 1928 linocut 8-1/2 x 6-3/4 inches (image) 15 x 11 inches (sheet) signed, with 1 imp. Provenance: private collection, Washington, DC This is a highly desirable, early image by Wells.
Black Art Auction
Oct. 03, 2024
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Untitled (World War II Scene).
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Untitled (World War II Scene). Crayon and pencil with color pencil additions on cream wove paper, circa 1942-45. 432x355 mm; 17x14 inches. Initialed in pencil, lower right. Provenance: the James K. Hill collection.
Swann Auction Galleries
Oct. 03, 2024
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Aspiration.
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Aspiration. Linoleum cut on buff, fibrous Japan paper, 1928. 381x305 mm; 15x12 inches, wide margins. Proof, aside from an unknown edition. Provenance: the James K. Hill collection. Illustrated: Willis Richardson. Plays and Pageants from the Life of the Negro , 1930. This collection of twelve plays is illustrated on the front cover and throughout with James Lesesne Wells's block prints. This linocut is a very scarce, early impression of this stylized Harlem Renaissance print. When this print was published in 1930, Wells had moved to Washington, DC and had begun teaching visual art at Howard University. There he also worked with historian Carter Woodson whose company Associated Publishers produced Plays and Pageants and other scholarly books. An impression of this print was exhibited in the artist's 1986 restrospective James Lesesne Wells: Sixty Years in Art at the Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC. Powell/Reynolds p. 14 and 55.
Swann Auction Galleries
Oct. 03, 2024
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Looking Upward.
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Looking Upward. Linoleum cut on Japan paper, 1928. 352x232 mm; 13⅞x9⅛ inches, full margins. Signed, titled, dated and numbered 18/20 in pencil, lower margin. Printed later, aside from the earlier edition of 20. Other impressions of this print were gifted by Ruth and Jacob Kainen to the collections of the Baltimore Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Looking Upward was created by Wells the year before he began teaching printmaking at Howard University in Washington, DC. A detail of this print was used to illustrate the book jacket spine of The Negro Wage Earner, 1930, by Lorenzo J. Greene and Carter G. Woodson. Powell/Reynolds p. 15.
Swann Auction Galleries
Oct. 03, 2024
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) The Winding Road.
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) The Winding Road. Linoleum cut on artificial Japan paper, circa 1940. 152x178 mm; 6x7 inches, wide margins. Artist's proof, aside from an unknown edition and a later printing. Signed, titled and inscribed "A/P" in pencil, lower margin. Provenance: the estate of Constance E. Clayton, Philadelphia.
Swann Auction Galleries
Sep. 14, 2024
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, Circus Riders
Est: $800 - $1,200
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 Circus Riders c. 1930 linoleum cut on paper 4-3/4 x 3-1/4 inches (image) 9-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches (sheet) signed and titled
Black Art Auction
Sep. 14, 2024
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, Orpheus and the Musicians
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 Orpheus and the Musicians 1982 color woodcut print 24-1/2 x 17 inches (image); full margins signed, titled, and dated, 3rd Imp.
Black Art Auction
Apr. 04, 2024
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Steel Mill II.
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Steel Mill II. Linoleum cut on cream Japan paper, 1928-29. 203x254 mm; 8x10 inches, wide (full ?) margins. The 7th impression or proof, from an unknown edition. Signed, titled and inscribed "7 imp" in pencil, lower margin. Steel Mill II is a wonderful example of the innovative printmaking from the Harlem Renaissance era. James Lesesne Wells's early career as a printmaker is characterized by his mastery of linoleum block printing. Many of Wells' block prints, like Workmen, The Negro Wage Earner and Builders, portray the everyday experience of working African Americans in bold, graphic compositions. This image is one of several prints that Wells made of the Lackawanna steel mills. An impression of Steel Mill I is in the collection of Museum of Modern Art. A modernist, Wells popularized subjects of workers well before the WPA era. Wells's artwork was published in leading Black periodicals like The Crisis and Opportunity, as well as in publications by writers Alain Locke, Marianne Moore, Willis Richardson and Carter Woodson.
Swann Auction Galleries
Apr. 04, 2024
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Jonah and The Whale.
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Jonah and The Whale. Linoleum cut on imitation Japan paper, 1963. 381x279 mm; 15x11 inches, full margins. Signed, titled, dated and numbered 5/25 in pencil, lower margins. Another impression of this print is in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.
Swann Auction Galleries
Dec. 08, 2023
James Lesesne Wells (American 1902-1993), Jonah and the Whale, Linoleum cut on Japan paper, 1963, Sight size: 381 x 279 mm (15 x 11 in)
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
James Lesesne Wells (American, 1902-1993) Jonah and the Whale Linoleum cut on Japan paper, 1963; apparently in good condition. Framed.* Signed James L. Wells and dated '63 in graphite l.r. and titled and numbered 5/25 in graphite l.l.
Weschler's
Dec. 08, 2023
James Lesesne Wells (American 1902-1993), Interlude, Oil on linen, 40 x 30 in (101.6 x 76.2 cm)
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
James Lesesne Wells (American, 1902-1993) Interlude Oil on linen Signed J. L. Wells l.r.
Weschler's
Oct. 19, 2023
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Star Gazing.
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Star Gazing. Linoleum cut on Japan paper, 1928-29. 438x305 mm; 17 1/4x12 inches, full margins. A later edition, printed after 1950. Signed, titled, dated "29" and numbered 6/50 in pencil, lower margin. Another impression of this scarce Harlem Renaissance print is in the Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, SC.
Swann Auction Galleries
Oct. 19, 2023
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Profile No. 2.
Est: $6,000 - $9,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Profile No. 2. Linoleum cut on Japan paper, 1929. 203x178 mm; 8x7 inches, wide margins. Signed, titled and numbered 5/35 in pencil, lower margin. Profile No. 2 is a wonderful example of James Lesesne Wells' block prints from the Harlem Renaissance; his interests in both African and modern art are seen in this portrait. Wells exhibited the very similar print Primitive Girl in the Exhibition of the Work of Negro Arts at the Harmon Foundation in New York in 1931. We have not found another record of this very scarce print.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jun. 16, 2023
JAMES LESESNE WELLS, STILL LIFE WITH VIOLIN, SCREENPRINT
Est: $5,000 - $6,000
Artist: James Lesesne Wells, American (1902 - 1993) Title: Still Life with Violin Year: 1987 Medium: Screenprint, signed, numbered, and titled in pencil Edition: 99 Image Size: 28 x 32 inches Frame Size: 29.5 x 34.25 inches Publisher: Lou Stovall Workshop Description: James Lesesne Wells was an American artist whose work reflected the vitality of the Harlem Renaissance movement. This print is signed, numbered, and titled in pencil with publisher blindstamp lower left.
RoGallery
May. 20, 2023
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, Portrait of a Young Man
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 Portrait of a Young Man c. 1940 oil on canvas 20 x 16 inches signed on verso "James Wells" Provenance: purchased at Black Art Show, NYC, 2001, private collection, Atlanta, Georgia inscribed: "sitter, Briggs"
Black Art Auction
Apr. 06, 2023
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Looking Upward.
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Looking Upward. Linoleum cut on Japan paper, 1928. 352×232 mm; 13 7/8x9 1/8 inches, full margins. Signed, dated and titled in pencil, lower margin. A later printing. Other impressions of this print were gifted by Ruth and Jacob Kainen to the collections of the Baltimore Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Looking Upward was created by Wells the year before he began teaching printmaking at Howard University in Washington, DC. A detail of this print was used to illustrate the book jacket spine of The Negro Wage Earner, 1930, by Lorenzo J. Greene and Carter G. Woodson. Powell/Reynolds p. 15.
Swann Auction Galleries
Apr. 06, 2023
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Carousel.
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Carousel. Oil on linen canvas, 1962. 406x559 mm; 16x22 inches. Signed and dated in oil, lower right. Provenance: acquired directly from the artist, private collection, Washington, DC (1967); hence by descent, private collection. This impastoed, colorful canvas shows James Lesesne Wells continued experimentation and increased expressionism with oil painting in the postwar period. Wells also made an earlier, untitled linoleum cut of the same composition - an impression dated circa 1949 is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Swann Auction Galleries
Mar. 10, 2023
James Lesesne Wells (American 1902-1993), Vase of Flowers, Woodcut in color on Japan paper, circa 1972, Sight size: 768 x 432 mm (30-1/4 x 17 in)
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
James Lesesne Wells (American, 1902-1993) Vase of Flowers Woodcut in color on Japan paper, circa 1972 Signed James L. Wells in graphite l.l., titled Vase of Flowers in graphite l.r, and inscribed A/P in graphite l.c.; apparently in good condition. Framed.*
Weschler's
Mar. 10, 2023
James Lesesne Wells (American 1902-1993), Husband and Wife, Senegal, Oil on canvas, 35 x 24 in (88.9 x 61 cm)
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
James Lesesne Wells (American, 1902-1993) Husband and Wife, Senegal Oil on canvas Signed JLW l.r. and inscribed Husband & Wife, Senegal/ Unfinished on stretcher
Weschler's
Mar. 10, 2023
James Lesesne Wells (American 1902-1993), Untitled: Group of Six Illustrations, Each ink on paper with page numbers, inscriptions and layout directions inscribed in graphite, Largest: 14-1/2 x 15-1/2 in (36.8 x 39.4 cm)
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
James Lesesne Wells (American, 1902-1993) Untitled: Group of Six Illustrations Each ink on paper with page numbers, inscriptions and layout directions inscribed in graphite; each with tears and losses. Each unframed. These illustrations appear to be for an unidentified book and include: 'The King Tells the Sun That It's Too Late', 'The Disobedient Daughter', 'Why Chickens ***?', 'The Antelope Tells His Troubles to the Jackel [sic]', 'The Leopard and the Hare' and a leopard and fox
Weschler's
Mar. 10, 2023
James Lesesne Wells (American 1902-1993), Cover Art for 'The Story of the Negro Retold' by Carter G. Woodson (American 1875-1950), Ink with white heightening on paper mounted to board, 20 x 30 in (50.8 x 76.2 cm.)
Est: $800 - $1,200
James Lesesne Wells (American, 1902-1993) Cover Art for The Story of the Negro Retold by Carter G. Woodson (American 1875-1950) Ink with white heightening on paper mounted to board; overall with tears and losses. Unframed. Signed JLW l.r.
Weschler's
Mar. 10, 2023
James Lesesne Wells (American 1902-1993), 'Negroes of Africa, History and Culture', 'Negroes of Africa, Civilization and History' and 'O For a Muse of Fire': Three Woodblocks
Est: $800 - $1,200
James Lesesne Wells (American, 1902-1993) Negroes of Africa, History and Culture, Negroes of Africa, Civilization and History and O For a Muse of Fire: Three Woodblocks The first two, engraved copper and metal plates, the first mounted on wood and the third, a metal plate mounted on wood and inscribed 'James L. Wells/ 'O for a Muse of Fire'/ Illustrated: Richardson/ Plays & Pagents [sic]/ PP 294/ 1930' on verso
Weschler's
Dec. 09, 2022
James Lesesne Wells (American 1902-1993), Cover Art for the First Edition of 'Frederic [sic] Douglass' by Benjamin Quarles and Illustration of Figures Marching Before American Flags: Two Works, Each ink on paper
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
James Lesesne Wells (American, 1902-1993) Cover Art for the First Edition of 'Frederic [sic] Douglass' by Benjamin Quarles and Illustration of Figures Marching Before American Flags: Two Works Each ink on paper; each overall with handling creases and toning. Each unframed. The first, circa 1948, signed J.L. Wells l.r. and with editing marks and annotations along edges in graphite; the second, circa late 40s, initialed J.L.W l.l.
Weschler's
Nov. 19, 2022
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, Mill Worker
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 Mill Worker c. 1940 lithograph 9-1/2 x 8-1/2 (image) signed and titled, inscribed, "10th imp." . This image is also known by the alternate title, "Time Out". Included in a program/exhibition: 1st Annual Awards Reception, "A Salute to James L. Wells", which took place at Capitol East Graphics Gallery. The presentation involved E.J. Montgomery, Gail Hansberry, Cindy Brewer, Gastrel Riley and H. Elaine Jackson.
Black Art Auction
Nov. 19, 2022
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, Peter the Fisherman
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 Peter the Fisherman c. 1950 woodcut print on paper 11-1/2 x 7-1/2 inches signed, titled and numbered 7/35 Included in a program/exhibition: 1st Annual Awards Reception, "A Salute to James L. Wells", which took place at Capitol East Graphics Gallery. The presentation involved E.J. Montgomery, Gail Hansberry, Cindy Brewer, Gastrel Riley and H. Elaine Jackson.
Black Art Auction
Nov. 19, 2022
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, African Fetish II
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 African Fetish II c. 1929-30 woodblock print on paper 7-1/2 x 6-1/4 inches signed, titled, with "10 imp." Included in a program/exhibition: 1st Annual Awards Reception, "A Salute to James L. Wells", which took place at Capitol East Graphics Gallery. The presentation involved E.J. Montgomery, Gail Hansberry, Cindy Brewer, Gastrel Riley and H. Elaine Jackson.
Black Art Auction
Nov. 19, 2022
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, Still Life
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 Still Life c. 1945 colored linoleum cut print 11-1/2 x 18 inches (image) signed, titled and inscribed, "proof" Included in a program/exhibition: 1st Annual Awards Reception, "A Salute to James L. Wells", which took place at Capitol East Graphics Gallery. The presentation involved E.J. Montgomery, Gail Hansberry, Cindy Brewer, Gastrel Riley and H. Elaine Jackson.
Black Art Auction
Nov. 19, 2022
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, Samson in the Temple
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 Samson in the Temple c. 1950 woodcut print on paper 12 x 10 inches unsigned Included in a program/exhibition: 1st Annual Awards Reception, "A Salute to James L. Wells", which took place at Capitol East Graphics Gallery. The presentation involved E.J. Montgomery, Gail Hansberry, Cindy Brewer, Gastrel Riley and H. Elaine Jackson.
Black Art Auction
Nov. 19, 2022
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, Journey to Calvary
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 Journey to Calvary 1957 woodblock print on paper 9 x 13-1/4 inches signed, dated, titled and numbered 9/35 Included in a program/exhibition: 1st Annual Awards Reception, "A Salute to James L. Wells", which took place at Capitol East Graphics Gallery. The presentation involved E.J. Montgomery, Gail Hansberry, Cindy Brewer, Gastrel Riley and H. Elaine Jackson.
Black Art Auction
Nov. 05, 2022
James Lesesne Wells. "Circus Riders," woodblock
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
(American, 1902-1993). Woodblock print on paper, pencil signed "J.L. Wells" lr, pencil titled ll, image size: 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 in., framed.
Alex Cooper
Oct. 06, 2022
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Carousel.
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Carousel. Oil on linen canvas, 1962. 406x559 mm; 16x22 inches. Signed and dated in oil, lower right. Provenance: acquired directly from the artist, private collection, Washington, DC (1967); hence by descent, private collection. This impastoed, colorful canvas shows James Lesesne Wells continued experimentation and increased expressionism with oil painting in the postwar period. Wells also made an earlier, untitled linoleum cut of the same composition - an impression dated circa 1949 is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Swann Auction Galleries
Oct. 01, 2022
James Lesesne Wells. "Circus Riders," woodblock
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
(American, 1902-1993). Woodblock print on paper, pencil signed "J.L. Wells" lr, pencil titled ll, image size: 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 in., framed.
Alex Cooper
Jun. 28, 2022
JAMES LESESNE WELLS, AMERICAN 1903-1991, STILL LIFE WITH VIOLIN, 1987, Color screenprint, Sheet: 31 1/2 x 35 1/2 in. (80.01 x 90.17 cm.)
Est: $1,500 - $3,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS AMERICAN, 1903-1991 STILL LIFE WITH VIOLIN, 1987 Color screenprint Lower left Lou Stovall Workshop blind stamp and numbered: 16/99; lower center titled: Still Life With Violin; lower right signed and dated: James L. Wells 1987
Potomack Company
May. 10, 2022
James Lesesne Wells (American, 1902-1993) Wanderers, circa 1930 Oil on canvas 18
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
James Lesesne Wells (American, 1902-1993) Wanderers, circa 1930 Oil on canvas 18-1/4 x 24-1/2 inches (46.4 x 62.2 cm) Black Art of a Distinguished Collector PROVENANCE: Amero Auctions, Sarasota, Florida, May 30, 2020, lot 55; Acquired by the present owner from the above. EXHIBITED: Harmon Foundation at the Art Center, New York, "Exhibition of the Work of Negro Artists," February 16-28, 1931, no. 111, Gold Medal Recipient. LITERATURE: Harmon Foundation at the Art Center, Exhibition of the Work of Negro Artists, New York, 1931, p. 24, no. 111, illustrated. James Lesesne Wells was an American painter and graphic artist of African descent. He was also a professor at Howard University for 39 years and founded the graphics art department. He was considered a pioneer in modern art education. Wells studied at Lincoln University and transferred to Columbia University where he majored in art. As a student at Columbia, Wells was dramatically impacted by the first ever exhibition of African art at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. This marked a turning point not just in museum exhibition history but for Wells' approach to his work. He was also influenced by the woodcuts of Albrecht Durer and the German Expressionists--Ernst Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Oto-Muller and Emile Nolde. Contrary to his peers at the time, he considered printmaking a major art form. He wanted the ideas in his work to be accessible at large and to Black people. Wells' art depicted the plight of African Americans during the Great Depression. Compounding their struggle, Black people had to deal with institutional racism and discrimination. Wells not only reflected the realities of his time in his art, but he also participated in protests against segregation. Wells "Wanderers" received the Gold Medal at the Harmon Foundation's 1931 "Work of Negro Artists" exhibition. The painting depicts three African American women migrating, which could have been to the North, Mid-West or the West, from the Southern states. African Americans began to carve out their own place in these new cities and fought against racism in an effort not only to establish homes for themselves but lives which were enriched by Black culture, art and music. The "Wanderers" depicts the great migration of Black people to new cities for economic opportunities and a better quality of life. The title of this piece ‘Wanderer' is Wells' statement that Black people in America were unwanted peoples in a country that did not respect their humanity despite their contributions. Halima Taha, writer, arts & cultural strategist, and author of Collecting African American Art: Works on Paper and Canvas © Halima Taha/Tahathinks 2021 The present work is accompanied by an original copy of the 1931 Harmon Foundation exhibition catalog in which the work is illustrated, along with a photocopy of a contemporary newspaper article related to the exhibition. HID01801242017
Heritage Auctions
Mar. 31, 2022
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Builders.
Est: $7,000 - $10,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Builders. Linoleum cut on cream Japan paper, 1929. 368x273 mm; 14x10 3/4 inches, wide margins. Artist's proof, from a later printing of an unknown edition size. Signed, dated and inscribed "AP" in pencil, lower margin. Another impression dated 1929 is in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Exhibited: James Lesesne Wells: Sixty Years of Art, curated and organized by Richard Powell and Jock Reynolds, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC, December 4, 1986 - January 24, 1987, then traveled to The Studio Museum in Harlem, spring and summer 1988 (another impression). Illustrated: Richard Powell and Jock Reynolds, James Lesesne Wells: Sixty Years of Art. p. iii (another impression). Builders was created by Wells the year he began teaching printmaking at Howard University in Washington, DC. In Builders, Wells portrays the everyday experience of African Americans at labor in this bold, graphic composition.
Swann Auction Galleries
Mar. 31, 2022
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) The Awakening.
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) The Awakening. Woodcut on imitation Japan paper, circa late 1940s. 254x355 mm; 10x14 inches, wide margins. Signed, titled, dated "55" and numbered 7/35 in pencil, lower margin. A later impression printed in 1955 of this scarce woodcut.
Swann Auction Galleries
Mar. 31, 2022
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Bronze C Street Diana.
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Bronze C Street Diana. Woodcut on imitation Japan paper, circa 1940s. 304x457 mm; 12x18 inches, wide margins. Signed, titled, dated "72" and inscribed "4th imp." in pencil, lower margin. A later impression printed in 1972 of this scarce print. Inspired by the environs of Washington, DC in the 1940s, Wells made woodcut landscapes of various locales, including River Boat C. & O. Canal, DC and Flower Vendor. Bronze C Street Diana is a view of the fountain honoring the early twentieth-century lawyer, Joseph J. Darlington. The monument, a sculpture of Diana the Huntress, is atop a plinth at Fifth Street and Indiana Avenue in Judiciary Square.
Swann Auction Galleries
Mar. 31, 2022
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Interlude.
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1993) Interlude. Oil on linen canvas, 1949. 1016x762 mm; 40x30 inches. Signed in oil, lower right. Provenance: private collection, Washington, DC. Illustrated: Cedric Dover, American Negro Art, plate 64, p. 140. Interlude is a significant oil painting of James Lesesne Wells - a scarce, large example of his 1940s modernist painting. While known primarily as a printmaker, Wells established himself as a talented modernist painter early in his career. Wells first gained national recognition with the Harmon Foundation award for his 1931 oil painting Journey to Egypt. This painting and Wells's Journey into the Holy Land were acquired in 1931 and 1935 by the Phillips Collection, Washington, DC - the first African American artist acquired by the collection. Interlude is illustrated in Cedric Dover important 1950 survey American Negro Art and is listed in Cederholm's Afro-American Artists: Bio-bibliographical Directory. Other oil paintings from 1949 include his Still Life which was once in the Evan-Tibbs Collection, Washington, DC. In 1949, Wells was in the center of the growing visual artist community in Washington, DC and rose to the position of associate professor at Howard University. He'd taken a sabbatical the previous year to study intaglio printmaking with Stanley William Hayter at his Atelier 17 in New York, and began making wood engravings. In 1950, Wells had a solo exhibition, Paintings and Prints by James Lesesne Wells at the Barnett-Aden Gallery in Washington, DC from April 1 - May 31.
Swann Auction Galleries
Mar. 12, 2022
James Lesesne Wells, 1902-1993, Merry-Go-Round
Est: $500 - $700
James Lesesne Wells 1902-1993 Merry-Go-Round 1950 woodcut 10 1/8 x 14 inches (image) 12 x 18 inches (sheet) signed, dated, titled, and numbered, 10/25 This print is identical to "Carousel" (1949) which is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Black Art Auction
Oct. 07, 2021
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Group of 5 linoleum cuts.
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Group of 5 linoleum cuts. Each on cream thin Japan paper, circa 1930. 387x273 mm; 15 1/4x10 3/4 inches (sheet), full margins. This illustrative series is a very scarce example of printmaking from the Harlem Renaissance era. James Lesesne Wells's early career as a printmaker is characterized by his easy mastery of block prints. Wells also was very successful in having this graphic work widely published in leading black periodicals like The Crisis and Opportunity; his illustrations accompanied the writing of the likes of writers Alain Locke, Marianne Moore, Willis Richardson and Carter Woodson.
Swann Auction Galleries
Sep. 28, 2021
James Lesesne Wells (1902-1993); Primitive Boy;
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
James Lesesne Wells (1902-1993) Primitive Boy, 1928 Linocut, on Japan paper, signed in pencil, titled, dated and numbered 7/35, with full margins, framed. 8 7/16 x 5 5/8in (21.4 x 14.3cm) sheet 13 1/4 x 12 1/8in (33.7 x 30.8cm) For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Apr. 22, 2021
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Untitled (African Fetish).
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Untitled (African Fetish). Linoleum cut on tissue-thin Japan paper. circa 1929. 114x83 mm; 4 1/2x3 1/4 wide margins. This very scarce Harlem Renaissance print is a wonderful example of James Lesesne Wells' block prints and his interest in the influence of African sculpture on modern art. Wells exhibited several simiilar prints in the Exhibition of the Work of Negro Arts at the Harmon Foundation in New York in 1931.
Swann Auction Galleries
Apr. 22, 2021
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Untitled (Worship with Masks).
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Untitled (Worship with Masks). Brush and ink on thin cream wove paper, mounted to mat board, circa 1929. 191x127 mm; 7 1/2x5 inches. Provenance: private collection, New York. This illustration by Wells is from a series of drawings of African sculptural subjects. We have not been able to locate any publication.
Swann Auction Galleries
Apr. 22, 2021
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Circus.
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Circus. Linoleum cut on cream thin Japan paper, circa 1928. 203x235 mm; 8x9 1/4 inches, full margins. A scarce example of early printmaking from the Harlem Renaissance era by James Lesesne Wells.
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 06, 2021
James Lesesne Wells, 1905-1998, Noah
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
James Lesesne Wells 1905-1998 Noah 1930 woodcut 10-1/2 x 11-3/4 inches (image) signed, titled and numbered 6/35
Black Art Auction
Dec. 10, 2020
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Phoenix Ascending.
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Phoenix Ascending. Color offset lithograph, 1985. 660 x521 mm; 26x20 inches, full margins. Signed, titled and numbered 25/100 in pencil, lower margin.
Swann Auction Galleries
Dec. 10, 2020
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Orpheus and Eurydice (Eurydice Ascends).
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Orpheus and Eurydice (Eurydice Ascends). Color woodcut on thin Japan paper, 1983. 603x451 mm; 23 3/4x17 3/4 inches, wide margins. Artists proof, aside from the edition of 25. Signed, dated, titled and inscribed "A/P" and "6th imp." in pencil, lower margin.
Swann Auction Galleries
Dec. 10, 2020
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Builders.
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Builders. Etching on cream laid paper, 1938. 267x216 mm; 10 1/2x8 1/2 inches, full margins. Signed, titled, dated and inscribed "Artist's Proof" in pencil, lower margin. Provenance: collection of the artist, Washington, DC; private collection, California. Exhibited: James Lesesne Wells: Sixty Years in Art, the Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC, December 4, 1986 - January 24, 1987 (traveled to the Studio Museum in Harlem); California Afro-American Museum, Los Angeles, CA, with the labels on the frame back. Illustrated: Richard J. Powell and Jock Reynolds. James Lesesne Wells: Sixty Years in Art. no 21, p. 25.
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