Editor’s Picks – April 4th 2023

Created for the 100^th anniversary of the French print shop Mourlot Studios, this colorful and rare-to-auction 1953 lithograph by Joan Miró contains all the elements for which the artist’s work is beloved. Miró’s signature airborne vessels and spiky creatures float in a skyscape punctuated by the orange globe that anchors the composition. The signed and numbered work is No. 61 from the edition of 75.

Joan Miró Lithographie pour le centenaire de L’Imprimerie Mourlot, 1953
Lithograph in colors on Arches paper
20 x 26 inches (50.8 x 66 cm) (sheet)
Ed. 61/75
Estimate: $10,000-$15,000
Auction: April 18

Birger Sandzén’s early artistic style was heavily influenced by tonalism and Scandinavian Romanticism, but once he began spending his summers in the American West, his palette exploded with color. Colorado was a frequent subject for the Sweden-born artist, who called the state “a paradise for painters.” This work, featuring Sandzén’s trademark vibrancy and strong brushwork, captures a moonlit lake scene near Estes Park. 

Birger SandzénLake at Moonrise, Estes Park, Colorado, 1949
Oil on Masonite
19-3/4 x 24 inches (50.2 x 61.0 cm)
Estimate: $30,000-$50,000
Auction: May 12

Infused with humor but composed in a style that calls to mind the old masters, the works of Donald Roller Wilson have caught the eye of comedic legends such as Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Carol Burnett and Dan Aykroyd. His paintings often feature anthropomorphized animals, such as this 1996 oil-on-canvas depicting a half-dressed orangutan sporting a bejeweled crown and attempting a come-hither grin.

Donald Roller Wilson You Know You Want It, 1996
Oil on canvas
29 x 27-1/2 inches (73.7 x 69.9 cm)
Estimate: $40,000-$60,000 
Auction: May 23