“A STUDY OF DOWN-ROLLING ORANGES WITH A STAID NEON APPLE,” 1995 BY RAIMONDS STAPRANS (B. 1926). SOLD IN 2023 FOR $237,500. “RAIMONDS STAPRANS IS STILL ALIVE AT THE AGE OF 97,” IAN SAYS. “HE IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS PAINTINGS OF ORANGES, WHICH MAKES ‘A STUDY OF DOWN-ROLLING ORANGES WITH A STAID NEON APPLE’ SO COVETED. HIS VIBRANT COLOR PALETTE USED FOR A MUNDANE SUBJECT IS WHAT DRAWS THE VIEWER IN. THAT, ALONG WITH HIS UNIQUE BRUSHSTROKE STYLE, CAN CAUSE YOU TO OBSERVE THE PAINTING FOR QUITE A WHILE, CONSTANTLY DISCOVERING SOMETHING NEW.”
(“MODERN HEAD #1,” FROM THE “MODERN HEAD” SERIES, 1970 BY ROY LICHTENSTEIN (1923-1997). SOLD IN 2024 FOR $38,100. “THIS PIECE SPECIFICALLY CAME FROM A SPECIAL COLLECTION FROM THE MARMOR FAMILY,” IAN EXPLAINS. “THEY BOUGHT PRINTS DIRECTLY FROM A WELL-KNOWN PRINT SHOP IN LOS ANGELES CALLED GEMINI GEL. THE CRISPNESS OF THE PRINT, WITH ITS VIBRANT COLORS ON A UNIQUE JAPANESE HOSHI LAID PAPER, MAKES THIS PARTICULAR LICHTENSTEIN PRINT SO FASCINATING.”
Photos courtesy of John Moran Auctioneers
WITH THE CURRENT POPULARITY of Mid Century Modern as a cultural period, you only have to look as far as the art market to get a pulse on what’s trending.