The Winter Show Returns to the Park Avenue Armory in Style
Featuring Designer Vignettes by Bunny Williams Interiors, Stephen Sills Associates and Alex Papachristidis
The Winter Show Returns to
the Park Avenue Armory in Style
Featuring Designer Vignettes by Bunny Williams Interiors,
Stephen Sills Associates and Alex Papachristidis Interiors
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Rare and dazzling treasures await discovery at The Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, New York City. Photo: Zach Hilt |
By Benjamin Genocchio
One of Helen Allen’s earliest memories as a young girl growing up in New York is attending The Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory with her mother. She still has a vision, she says, of a dazzling reveal of treasures from all around the world. The Show is New York’s longest-running art, antiques and design fair, established in 1954 by East Side Settlement House to benefit the organization’s programming which is dedicated to improving the lives of families in the Bronx and Northern Manhattan by focusing on education and workforce development. Today, Allen is the Executive Director of the Winter Show and for the 2023 edition, its 69th, she has assembled just under 70 exhibitors from Europe and the United States. There is also one gallery from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Eguiguren Gallery, the first from Latin America in recent times.
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| Sonia Delaunay (1884-1979), Eclipse. Rare Hand Woven wool tapestry produced by Ateliers Pinton. Edition 2/6. France. From Portuondo, London and New York. |
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Left: Rare pair of chandeliers by Max Ingrand (1908–1969). Oxidized nickelled brass and partly sanded glass, Model no. 2338. Produced by Fontana Arte, Italy, c. 1960. From Portuondo, London and New York. Right: Rare Desk by Gio Ponti (1891–1971) in walnut and brass designed for the Vembi-Burroughs offices in Genoa and Turin. Produced by Giordano Chiesa, Italy, c. 1950. From Portuondo, London and New York. | ||
“It feels like the dealers have really made a big effort this year,” Allen says, as she walks through Armory overseeing the preparation of the booths. “The quality and variety of material is outstanding, at a level that surpasses previous years.” She is not wrong about the variety, for the 2023 show includes among other things, a limited edition 1930 Commodore Roadster, parked at the booth of Kelly Kinzle (New Oxford, PA) and described by the gallery as “an Art Deco masterpiece by Isotta Fraschini.” Priced at $1,450,000, it features a lush Lalique hood ornament and, Kinzle says, is only one of nine others ordered from Milan. “This roadster, equipped with the ‘Super Sprint’ package, possessed power, speed, and refined engineering, coupled with astonishing luxury coachwork by Carrozzeria Castagna.”
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1930 Commodore Roadster, Isotta Fraschini, body by Carrozzeria Castagna. From Kelly Kinzle, New Oxford, PA. |
Every object that is presented at the fair is vetted for authenticity, date, and overall condition by a committee of more than 120 experts. Vetting maintains buyer trust and supports dealer integrity but also helps to educate buyers and visitors about what it is they are looking at. “Each year, The Winter Show offers dedicated and passionate collectors and connoisseurs the opportunity to acquire and learn about an extensive range of works from around the world,” said Allen. “Dealers sell, but also educate.”
Many of the dealers participating in the show have tremendous experience in their areas of expertise, and in some cases, Allen notes, have been exhibiting at the fair for decades. Hyde Park Antiques is celebrating 40 years at the show, while Macklowe Gallery is celebrating 26 years. Other galleries have been around for decades, including Adelson Galleries, A La Vielle Russie and Ralph M. Chait.
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From Milord Antiques, Paul Evans, welded, polychromed and patinated steel "Skyline Dining" table. Circa 1973. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner. |
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Carlo Bugatti, rare oak and parchment chair in the "orientalist" style, hand painted with bird and leaf motifs. Italy, circa 1904. From Milord Antiques. |
In addition to the booths, each year the fair invites stars from the world of design and architecture to be honored as Design Council Co-Chairs and create small installation vignettes featuring objects and artworks from show dealers. Bunny Williams Interiors, Stephen Sills Associates and Alex Papachristidis Interiors are all doing vignettes for the 2023 show that are, Allen says, “Going to be spectacular, like entering into another world!”
It is impossible to single out one booth over another given the material is so varied; the show covers 5,000 years of human creativity. But some of the more interesting displays include, at Robert Simon, a cool exhibition on historic women artists, titled “Heroines of the Brush”, with artwork ranging from the Renaissance to the 20th Century. Milord Antiques from The Gallery at 200 LEX powered by Incollect (NYC) has an important suite of Bugatti furniture including a cabinet, console and mirror, and chair, along with pieces by Paul Evans and Philip and Kelvin LaVerne.
Other highlights at the 2023 show include Arader Gallery’s (Philadelphia, and New York), selection of rare maps and prints, rare books, and watercolors from the 16th century onwards. Guy Regal NYC returns with a selection of marvelous Peter Lane ceramics, much sought after by interior designers for high-end interiors, as well as an elegant little side table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne.
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Alba & Brian Benson (American) Bronze and Iron Fire Screen, 2010. Offered by Guy Regal, New York City. |
Among the individual items that stand out are a cast bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin at Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts (New York) depicting one of the many Burghers of Calais (Pierre de Wiessant). He is also showing two important works by Lithuanian sculptor Jacques Lipchitz, “Lesson of a Disaster,” 1961-1970, a bronze measuring over 11 feet tall, and “Bather,” a cubist composition from 1917.
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Presented by Lillian Nassau LLC, Left: Frank Lloyd Wright, Wisteria Window from the Darwin D. Martin Residence American, circa 1904. Right: Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company, Rare Favrile Glass Lava Vase with Stand, ca. 1906-07. | ||
Nearby, an exquisite glass wisteria window by Frank Lloyd Wright at the booth of Lillian Nassau LLC (New York) from the Darwin D. Martin Residence in Buffalo, New York. They are world-renowned specialists in Tiffany Studios and Louis Comfort Tiffany, and have several important Tiffany Studios objects on view including a rare Favrile glass Lava Vase. Tambaran (New York) has fine tribal art including a spectacular 19th-century Raven Tlingit Headdress from British Columbia made of wood, pigment, human hair, and leather.
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Raven Tlingit Headdress, wood, pigment, human hair, leather. 19th century, British Columbia. Offered by Tambaran. |
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Set of 8 Mahogany George II Dining Chairs with Important Provenance, 1750, England. Offered by Clinton Howell Antiques. |
Clinton Howell Antiques (New York) has a rare set of eight George II carved mahogany dining chairs attributed to Samuel Norman and created for a member of the Pakington family, c. 1740, likely for Sir Herbert Pakington’s stately home Westwood Park in Worcestershire, England. Portuondo is once again mixing art and design with their usual stellar quality—this year they have tapestries by Robert Motherwell and Sonia Delaunay alongside a pair of chandeliers by Max Ingrand, and a desk made of walnut and brass by Gio Ponti.
There is something for everyone in this show, regardless of preferred taste, period, or style — a quality that makes it such fascinating viewing. Joan B. Mirviss LTD (New York) is presenting the best of 20th-century and modern Japanese ceramics, while Levy Galleries (New York) will feature, among other things, a rare Chippendale Tall Case Clock from Providence, Rhode Island. This is the first time it is being sold.
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Mōri Shūkō, The Nest, 1929, Showa era, Japan. Two-panel folding screen; ink, mineral colors, and gofun (powdered shell) on silk. Offered by Thomsen Gallery. |
Thomsen Gallery (New York, USA) specializing in important Japanese paintings and works of art, is bringing “The Nest” by Möri Shükö (1929), a two-panel folding screen depicting four young egrets in a mature pine tree. It is serene, tranquil and gorgeous.
For those with more modern and minimal tastes, Geoffrey Diner Gallery (Washington, D.C.) has a 1969 dining set by George Nakashima, including a table with ten chairs, commissioned by National Geographic photographer Wilbur E. ‘Bill’ Garrett. Today these dining sets are highly prized, rare to find complete and in such good condition, making this one of the modern design highlights of the fair.
Details:
The Winter Show runs January 20–29, 2023, at the Park Avenue Armory, 67th Street and Park Avenue, New York City. Daily admission is $40 ($30 advance purchase), which includes a copy of the Show catalog. To purchase tickets for the Opening Night Party on January 19, 2023, email events@eastsidehouse.org, call (718) 292-7392, or visit thewintershow.org.
Dates:
Opening Night Party
Thursday, January 19, 2023
5–9 PM
Daily Admission
Friday, January 20 through Sunday, January 29, 2023
Opens daily at 12 PM
Closing times vary; for detailed hours please visit thewintershow.org/tickets
Young Collectors Night
Thursday, January 26, 2023
6–9 PM
Connoisseurs Night
Friday, January 27, 2023
5:30–8 PM
Floorplan:
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2023 Winter Show Exhibitors:
A La Vieille Russie, Inc., New York Adelson Galleries, Inc., New York Arader Galleries, Philadelphia and New York Aronson of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Avery Galleries, Bryn Mawr, PA Barbara Israel Garden Antiques, New York Bernard Goldberg Fine Arts, LLC, New York Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz, Paris, France Charles Clark, Woodbury, CT Clinton Howell Antiques, New York Cove Landing, New York Daniel Crouch Rare Books, London and New York Debra Force Fine Art, New York Didier Ltd, London Dolan/Maxwell, Philadelphia Doris Leslie Blau, New York Eguiguren Arte de Hispanoamérica, Buenos Aires European Decorative Arts Company, New York French & Company, New York Galerie Perrin, Paris Geoffrey Diner Gallery, Washington, DC Guy Regal NYC, New York H. Blairman & Sons Ltd, London Hill-Stone, Inc., South Dartmouth, MA Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York Hyde Park Antiques, Ltd., New York Imperial Art, Paris, France James Robinson, Inc., New York Joan B Mirviss LTD, New York Jonathan Cooper, London Kelly Kinzle, New Oxford, PA Kentshire, New York Keshishian, London Koopman Rare Art, London | D9 E7 D2 E14 A13 C8 C1 E6 E12 D8 A1 E15 A2 D6 D12 C13 D10 A11 C11 B4 C5 B11 E13 D3 B9 D4 E11 C2 E4 A14 B15 C3 C14 E3 | Lawrence Steigrad Fine Arts, New York Les Enluminures, Chicago and New York and Paris Levy Galleries, New York Lillian Nassau LLC, New York Lowell Libson & Jonny Yarker Ltd, London MacConnal-Mason Gallery, London Macklowe Gallery, Ltd., New York Maison Gerard, New York Michael Goedhuis, London Michael Pashby Antiques, New York Michele Beiny, Inc., New York Milord Antiquités, Montreal, Canada The Old Print Shop, Inc., New York Patrick & Ondine Mestdagh, Brussels, Belgium Peter Finer, London Portuondo Gallery, London and New York Ralph M. Chait Galleries, Inc., New York Red Fox Fine Art, Middleburg, VA Robert Simon Fine Art, New York Robertaebasta, Milan, Italy; London Rolleston Ltd, London Ronald Phillips Ltd, London Rountree Tryon Galleries, Petworth, UK S. J. Shrubsole, New York Schwarz Gallery, Philadelphia Simon Teakle Fine Jewelry, Greenwich, CT Steinitz Gallery, Paris Spencer Marks, Southampton, MA Tambaran, New York Thistlethwaite Americana, Middleburg, VA Thomas Colville Fine Art, Guilford, CT and New York Thomas Heneage Art Books, London Thomsen Gallery, New York Véronique Bamps, Monaco | B5 A6 E1 B2 B8 D5 C9 C7 B1 D11 D1 A8 A12 E5 A3 B12 D7 E9 C10 C12 A5 E2 A9 A4 A7 A10 B10 E10 B3 E8 C4 B6 C6 B7 |
