Portrait of a Bearded Young Man was part of Swann Auction Galleries' LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History auction, which took place on August 21, 2025.
Portrait of a Bearded Young Man Reading
(1971-72) Oil on linen canvas
64.8 x 54 cm.; 25 1/2x21 1/4 inches.
Signed and dated in pencil, lower edge (twice)
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
To my knowledge, this is the first time Swann has offered a Beauford Delaney work in a sale whose theme is not African-American artists.
The blues and greens that dominate the background of this work and the horizontal line behind the subject that virtually bisects the painting evoke a country landscape. White streaks in the upper portion of the painting make me think of clouds.
Perhaps Beauford painted this during one of the first trips he took to Saint Paul de Vence, where, in 1971, James Baldwin had recently moved into what would become his last home.
The estimated sale price of Portrait of a Bearded Young Man was $20,000 - $30,000.
The painting sold for $16,500, including a 25% buyer's premium.
For more information about the auction, click HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment