Dorothy Blau's Estate Artwork Headlines Auction Gallery of The Palm Beaches

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and countless other pop and contemporary artists revered the late Dorothy Blau, a visionary Miami art dealer whose estate collection will be auctioned on March 30th. Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches will conduct the sale at their West Palm Beach gallery, with Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers. More than 325 lots will be auctioned, with additional consignments of fine art and antiques from South Florida and the Palm Beaches.

Beginning in the 1950s, Dorothy Berenson Blau was a driving force in the development of the South Florida art scene and influenced the careers of many artists. Blau launched her first gallery in 1953, and after opening a gallery in Coconut Grove in partnership with Roddy Burdine (Burdine's department stores), she established an iconic main art gallery in Bay Harbor Islands, with an associated gallery in Boca Raton.

Warhol credited Blau as being critical to his rise to international prominence. He painted Blau's portrait on two occasions during her life something he never did for any other person. Blau was also instrumental to the successes of Keith Haring, John CRASH Matos, and the husband-and-wife team of Cristo and Jeanne Claude. The rest of her stable of more than 50 internationally known artists included Robert Indiana, Larry Rivers, Alex Katz, Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein, Ernest Trova, Jean Dubuffet and a host of others.

Highlights from Blau's contemporary art collection include a composition of three Brillo boxes, circa 1980, signed by Andy Warhol; and an ink painting by John "Crash" Matos that is dedicated to Blau. There are two works by Blau's good friend Keith Haring: an etching from an edition of 20, and an unusual screenprint-on-glass nightlight. Also, there is a circa-1991, 22-piece set of Haring-designed Villeroy & Boch porcelain dinnerware. Additionally, there are many sculptural works that were displayed in Blau's Collins Avenue (Miami) oceanfront apartment.

The fine-art selection includes an oil-on-canvas by French impressionist Gustave Loiseau (1865-1935) titled "Le Quai Saint-Martin, Auxerre." The painting is in the artist's catalogue raisonne and comes with impeccable provenance. Estimate: $30,000-$40,000. Another top European painting is an oil-on-canvas of a grand Parisian boulevard by Edouard Cortes. A circa-1958 Pablo Picasso crayon drawing with full provenance and a photo-certificate signed by the artist is estimated at $100,000-$150,000.

The auction also features fine Chinese jade and cloisonne pieces, Ming blue and white porcelains, a rare Sino-Tibetan "Makahala" Buddha, American 18th-century furniture, European porcelains, bronzes and clocks; Italian 18th-century furniture and much more.

The Monday, March 30 auction will begin at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. All forms of bidding will be available, including live online through LiveAuctioneers. View the fully illustrated catalog at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

The gallery is located at 1609 South Dixie Highway, Suite 5, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401. Preview daily from 10 to 5 p.m.

For additional information, call 561-805-7115 or email leslie@agopb.com or brian@agopb.com.

Media contact:

Catherine Watson
Tel. 310-492-5316
Email

SOURCE LiveAuctioneers