John Andre Gundelfinger (1937 - 1991) France
John Andre Gundelfinger (1937 - 1991) France
Oil on Paper
Measure 15"in H x 19 1/2"in W and 21"in H x 25 1/4"in W with frame
Known for: Figure, landscape, collage, illustrator Name variants: John Gundlefinger
Biography: John Gundelfinger was born in 1937, in St. Die, France, and grew up in Queens, New York. His mother was a Quaker and his father a German Jewish journalist. John's father left the family when John was young. A full-scholarship graduate of the High School of Art & Design (New York City), John earned a B.A. in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts (NYC) (also on full scholarship), and attended graduate school at NYU, majoring in Philosophy of Art Education. In the 1960s John's unique illustrations appeared in Time, Newsweek, McCall's, and Esquire, as well as on book covers for Harper & Row, Scribner's, Macmillan, and Viking Press. He exhibited in the Society of Illustrators Annual every year from 1961 to 1968. The Society awarded him the Gold Medal for Editorial Illustration, in 1962, and the Award of Excellence in Advertising Illustration, in 1963. Throughout the sixties and seventies, it was common to see Gundelfinger look-alike drawings by artists trying to copy John's style. In 1967 Gundelfinger had his first one-man exhibition, which was at the University of Tennessee, followed by scores of one-man shows and group exhibitions every year from 1970 till 1989. His landscapes were bought for the collections of AT&T, General Mills, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Chase Manhattan Bank, Johnson & Johnson, The Museum of Fine Arts in Caracas, Venezuela, and the Smithsonian Institution, among dozens of other major organizations. An art educator, John Gundelfinger taught drawing and painting in New York City, at the School of Visual Arts, Parsons School of Design, and the Fashion Institute of Technology. He also guest lectured at the University of Tennessee, and taught at the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Famous Artists School in Connecticut. He drew anyone who'd sit for him, but he particularly liked the structure of black faces. For over thirty years he drew portraits of black people in the subway, young toughs and old workingwomen. With typical kindness, he'd draw surreptitiously, using tiny matchbooks rather than obvious sketchbooks, to keep his subjects from feeling watched and unsettled. He made wonderfully funny collages and cards on silky red paper that he hand cut in long narrow strips, and sent them to a few lucky friends. Even his envelopes were inventive, with funny messages on the front, sealed with blue glossy tape. He always had a stamp and wouldn't have used e-mail even if he'd lived long enough to see it. Anything that might have kept him from work was unthinkable. He was highly social, with aristocratic manners and a wide circle of diverse and loyal friends. His wife's parties for him were a successful mix of scientists, artists, writers, musicians, well-known actors, and old pals. He read voraciously and remembered verbatim parts of books he'd read twenty years before. He loved Nabakov and Flaubert. The modern art world was not in John Gundelfinger's universe. If people wanted to buy canvases of triangles or white space, it was their business. He had to paint the New England skies and trees and fields, and he painted them as though they were his own creations. His friends still call a clear azure sunset with streaks of changing pinks a Gundelfinger Sky. John's portraits of his friends show us as better looking than we thought we were on our best day because that was how he saw us.
Condition
Coral Gables Auction strongly encourages bidders to inspect all items in person prior to bidding. Statements made by Coral Gables Auction regarding the condition of any object are provided as a courtesy and for general guidance only. Such statements should not be relied upon as statements of fact and do not constitute a representation, warranty, or assumption of liability by Coral Gables Auction
All lots are offered and sold “AS IS, WHERE IS”, with all faults and imperfections, whether visible or not
For additional condition information or to request a condition report, please contact Coral Gables Auction at info.coralgablesauction@yahoo.com prior to bidding.
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All invoices exceeding $5,000, including the Buyer’s Premium and any applicable fees, must be paid by check or wire transfer. If payment for an invoice exceeding $5,000 is processed through the online platform by credit or debit card, the payment will be automatically refunded to the card, and the buyer will be required to complete payment by check or wire transfer.
Storage & Abandoned Property:
Any lot remaining on Coral Gables Auction premises for more than 30 business days following the sale will incur a storage and handling fee of $5.00 per lot, per day.
Any fully paid item remaining uncollected for more than three (3) months will be considered abandoned property and may be disposed of at the discretion of Coral Gables Auction.
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John Andre Gundelfinger (1937 - 1991) France
Oil on Paper
Measure 15"in H x 19 1/2"in W and 21"in H x 25 1/4"in W with frame
Known for: Figure, landscape, collage, illustrator Name variants: John Gundlefinger
Biography: John Gundelfinger was born in 1937, in St. Die, France, and grew up in Queens, New York. His mother was a Quaker and his father a German Jewish journalist. John's father left the family when John was young. A full-scholarship graduate of the High School of Art & Design (New York City), John earned a B.A. in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts (NYC) (also on full scholarship), and attended graduate school at NYU, majoring in Philosophy of Art Education. In the 1960s John's unique illustrations appeared in Time, Newsweek, McCall's, and Esquire, as well as on book covers for Harper & Row, Scribner's, Macmillan, and Viking Press. He exhibited in the Society of Illustrators Annual every year from 1961 to 1968. The Society awarded him the Gold Medal for Editorial Illustration, in 1962, and the Award of Excellence in Advertising Illustration, in 1963. Throughout the sixties and seventies, it was common to see Gundelfinger look-alike drawings by artists trying to copy John's style. In 1967 Gundelfinger had his first one-man exhibition, which was at the University of Tennessee, followed by scores of one-man shows and group exhibitions every year from 1970 till 1989. His landscapes were bought for the collections of AT&T, General Mills, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Chase Manhattan Bank, Johnson & Johnson, The Museum of Fine Arts in Caracas, Venezuela, and the Smithsonian Institution, among dozens of other major organizations. An art educator, John Gundelfinger taught drawing and painting in New York City, at the School of Visual Arts, Parsons School of Design, and the Fashion Institute of Technology. He also guest lectured at the University of Tennessee, and taught at the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Famous Artists School in Connecticut. He drew anyone who'd sit for him, but he particularly liked the structure of black faces. For over thirty years he drew portraits of black people in the subway, young toughs and old workingwomen. With typical kindness, he'd draw surreptitiously, using tiny matchbooks rather than obvious sketchbooks, to keep his subjects from feeling watched and unsettled. He made wonderfully funny collages and cards on silky red paper that he hand cut in long narrow strips, and sent them to a few lucky friends. Even his envelopes were inventive, with funny messages on the front, sealed with blue glossy tape. He always had a stamp and wouldn't have used e-mail even if he'd lived long enough to see it. Anything that might have kept him from work was unthinkable. He was highly social, with aristocratic manners and a wide circle of diverse and loyal friends. His wife's parties for him were a successful mix of scientists, artists, writers, musicians, well-known actors, and old pals. He read voraciously and remembered verbatim parts of books he'd read twenty years before. He loved Nabakov and Flaubert. The modern art world was not in John Gundelfinger's universe. If people wanted to buy canvases of triangles or white space, it was their business. He had to paint the New England skies and trees and fields, and he painted them as though they were his own creations. His friends still call a clear azure sunset with streaks of changing pinks a Gundelfinger Sky. John's portraits of his friends show us as better looking than we thought we were on our best day because that was how he saw us.
Condition
Coral Gables Auction strongly encourages bidders to inspect all items in person prior to bidding. Statements made by Coral Gables Auction regarding the condition of any object are provided as a courtesy and for general guidance only. Such statements should not be relied upon as statements of fact and do not constitute a representation, warranty, or assumption of liability by Coral Gables Auction
All lots are offered and sold “AS IS, WHERE IS”, with all faults and imperfections, whether visible or not
For additional condition information or to request a condition report, please contact Coral Gables Auction at info.coralgablesauction@yahoo.com prior to bidding.
Important Payment Information:
All invoices exceeding $5,000, including the Buyer’s Premium and any applicable fees, must be paid by check or wire transfer. If payment for an invoice exceeding $5,000 is processed through the online platform by credit or debit card, the payment will be automatically refunded to the card, and the buyer will be required to complete payment by check or wire transfer.
Storage & Abandoned Property:
Any lot remaining on Coral Gables Auction premises for more than 30 business days following the sale will incur a storage and handling fee of $5.00 per lot, per day.
Any fully paid item remaining uncollected for more than three (3) months will be considered abandoned property and may be disposed of at the discretion of Coral Gables Auction.
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
