WHAT: Demand for top mid-century design in all categories, from architecture to furniture, accessories and autos, continues to grow. Often, the most unusual and hard to find items sell highest.
When the signed but undated painting of a busy suburban neighborhood done in egg tempera on masonite by illustrator Lucille Corcos (1908-1973) soared to $10,000 last month at Swann Galleries, it marked a high point for mid-century art and for Corcos as illustrator.
MORE: Done as the aerial view of a suburban neighborhood with residents busy at weekend activities, the work portrays a highly-detailed moment in time. We see mid-century homes with people on ladders fixing windows and roofs, mending patios, and planting gardens as children play and dogs romp. The eye roams from detail to detail.
SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: Corcos achieved success as an artist and illustrator in a time when few women were recognized as masters of illustration. Her work was exhibited in prestigious galleries such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the British Museum and more.
HOT TIP: Because her art is unique and her style so personal, expect Corcos' fame to grow.
BOTTOM LINE: Celebrated for her "primitive" use of perspective, Corcos created art that brings viewers into the picture. There's nothing naive about her style.
