More Dash Than Cash

Tonight:  First Night of fabulous new game show, "More Art Than Money!"  How well did Vogue do?

Oh, boy.  Just, oh boy.  These aren't the only pages.  Introductory blurbage:

In this Vogue annual, its ninth, are twenty-three works of art, all from New York galleries.  The artists stretch from living Americans to an unknown Greek sculptor who lived about 600 B.C.  The price stretch:  $36 to $400 ($289 to $3200)."

Quite reasonable.

Starting with left page, upper center, oblongish blob.

"Henri-Georges Adam:  'Flagstones, Sand and Water, No. 3':  black and white copper engraving.  By the fifty-five-year-old French sculptor, famous for his engravings and tapestry designs, whose work has been exhibited in Paris (where he lives), and twice here. "  At $36, this is the cheapest selection.

Here it is - probably not the identical piece - in the French gallery Galerie Gimpel & Mueller:

Looks better!

You can read a biography of Mr. Adam, in a heavy French accent, at the Champetier website (below). Here's what he looked like:

That is one fine French artist!  The hair, the cigarette, the gaze  . . .

Another French gallery, Michelle Champetier, sold yet another engraving from this series for 1,000 euros, which would be $1327.

$36 in 1959.  1000 Euros now.  Adjusting for inflation and currency:  $289 became $1327.

Well done, Vogue!

This was sold at the Staempfli Gallery, which had just opened in 1959.  George William Staempfli was a Swiss artist and curator who specialized in artists such as Mr. Adam.  Mid level, I'd say.

Not very many of them are going to be this easy.

Tweeting today:  more Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges.