Bonhams present sfor sale the entire collection of Melvin S. Rosenthal featuring the finest examples of art from the 20th century on November 16 in New York. Mr. Rosenthal's collection includes renowned artists who had the greatest impact on modern and contemporary art. The dedicated sale will include nine works by 20th century masters such as Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell, and Ed Ruscha.
Mr. Rosenthal was Executive Vice President of the largest decorative pillow company in North America whose business travels took him from India, Peru, Japan, Taiwan, and China. Over the past 30 years, Mr. Rosenthal's keen eye for design and art, amassed a collection of some of the most influential Contemporary artists which set off his spectacular homes in Los Angeles and Malibu. Mr. Rosenthal built and designed his homes around his art collection, from the Ruscha over the mantle that mirrors the sunset from his Malibu beach house to the Hofmann in Los Angeles that plays opposite the view of the Hollywood Sign.
"It's a collection of the most impeccable quality and clearly a result of Mr. Rosenthal's disposition – from his lifestyle and outlook on life to his keen sense of design and style," commented Ralph Taylor, Global Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art for Bonhams. "This equipped him with the confidence to make bold decisions in his art collecting."
A striking masterpiece painting by Hans Hofmann (1880-1966), Let There Be Light (And the Sun Beautiful as She Was and Pregnant – Scattered Her's Colours All over the Earth) (1955-1961), estimated at $3,000,000-5,000,000, was made over the course of several years by the artist. Hofmann's confident gestures are seen as he shaped an array of oranges and reds around a yellow sun, as if not only light and color, but brushwork and paint all come from the sun, spreading out over the surface of the canvas as light and color spread out over the landscape.
The dramatic strokes and bold composition of Robert Motherwell's (1915-1991) Untitled (Elegy) (1962) is an almost calligraphic language of emotion. Motherwell's powerful and comprehensive series, known as Elegies to the Spanish Republic, are widely recognized and this particular work remained with the artist until his death (estimate: $1,000,000-1,500,000). The Eighties (1980) by Ed Ruscha (b. 1937), estimated at $800,000-1,200,000, is another example that suggests an orange, red sunset spreading over the ocean.
Additional works included in the sale:
• Site Avec 8 Personnages (E39) (1981) by Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) is estimated at $150,000 – 250,000.
• Plutusia IV (1995) by Frank Stella (B. 1936) is estimated at $60,000 – 80,000.
• Loop (1970) by Adolph Gottlieb (1903-1974) is estimated at $50,000 – 70,000.
• Untitled (1992-1993) by Frederick Eversley (B. 1941) is estimated at $120,000 – 180,000.
• Green and Yellow Squash (1997) by Donald Sultan (B. 1951) is estimated at $20,000 – 30,000.
• Tête de jeune fille (1913) by Jean Metzinger (1883-1956) is estimated at $60,000 – 80,000.