3 Photos
Tony Rosenthal (1914-2009) "Big Red," welded and painted aluminum, signed, circa 1998.
Tony Rosenthal "Lovers." Brushed aluminum, unsigned, date unknown.
"Untitled" (Tony Rosenthal's Cube). Polished bronze variation on the artist's iconic cube sculptures, signed, circa 2008.
The personal collection of Southampton-based American sculptor Tony Rosenthal will make its first public appearance in Glen Cove at Roland Auctions NY.
Rosenthal (American, 1914-2009) may be best known in the New York area for creating the landmark 15-foot-high rotating sculpture the “Alamo” cube in Manhattan’s Astor Place. He designed the piece in 1967, when it was accepted as the first permanent contemporary outdoor public sculpture by the City of New York.
Rosenthal and his wife, Cynthia, made Southampton their home for over 25 years. The artwork offered in this single-artist auction constitutes Tony Rosenthal’s “private reserve.” This complete and intact personal collection was curated by the artist himself, both in the Rosenthal home and on his Southampton property over the course of a half century.
Roland Auctions NY in collaboration with the Tony Rosenthal estate will present the “Personal Collection of Tony Rosenthal” on Saturday, September 25, at 10 a.m. The auction event will feature many pieces from the Rosenthal home in Southampton.
“We are grateful to the artist’s estate for the opportunity to bring this truly outstanding artwork into the public sphere,” said Bill Roland of Roland Auctions NY.
In preparation of the September 25 auction, three of Rosenthal’s favorite pieces, “Lovers,” “Big Red” and “Mandala” went on display at this year’s Hamptons Fine Art Fair at the Southampton Arts Center in early September.
The artwork in the collection, spanning the early 1960s through the 2000s, also had the dual function of acting as “filaments” to illuminate or spark Rosenthal’s inexhaustible creative exploration and experimentation with material, form and light. These artworks have not been offered publicly before, and in line with the intentions of the artist himself, these sculptures are now entering the public arena.
The auction will be at Roland NY at 150 School Street, Glen Cove, on Saturday, September 25, at 10 a.m. For further information, call 212-260-2000 or visit rolandantiques.com.
Staff Writer on Sep 13, 2021