CHRIS RITTER (American, 1908-1976). When Chris Ritter's widow, Jane Ritter, passed away in 2006, her estate included a virtual time capsule of her late-husband's work - paintings and etchings and lithographs not seen since his death thirty years earlier. My collection of over 300 of those works, purchased at the 2006 Jane Ritter estate sale, come directly from Chris Ritter's Ogunquit Maine studio and are being offered for sale as a collection. Until now, this collection has not been offered for sale, and with the exception of the estate sale, has not been seen by the public.
CHRIS RITTER was an important figure in the New York postwar avant-garde art scene. He opened the LAUREL GALLERY in New York City in 1946 and published a series of print portfolios, beginning with one of five etchings by MILTON AVERY. In 1947 he offered a show of paintings to GRACE BORGENICHT. When he decided to close Laurel Gallery in 1951, he urged her to open her own gallery, which she did. Ritter's work and his gallery explored the surrealist sensibility transplanted from Europe and given new life as it came into contact with popular culture in the United States. Chris Ritter's work is represented in the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, the Worcester Art Museum, The Brooklyn Art Museum, The British Museum, The Whitney Museum of American Art, the New York Public Library, and the Library of Congress. He exhibited widely including at the Chicago Art Institute. During his life he was listed in Who's Who in American Art; after his death his is listed in Who Was Who in American Art. For more information on Chris Ritter, please look him up at http://www.askart.com/
Included with this collection are a dozen or so works by artist friends of Ritters who also achieved a high level of importance in the art world. Most if not all of these people became listed artists, and a search for these artists through askart.com will prove infomative and fruitful. I will begin with the 6 PEGGY BACON etchings.
In November 2006 I was in touch with DeWitt Hardy of Maine regarding the Peggy Bacon etchings, and what follows are his replies to me:
"Dear Ms. Gray, ...I just wanted you to know right away what you did have. I wish I could be more help about information. All I can remember is that I printed them, and I will vouch for their authenticity since they are not signed. They aren't signed because Peggy died before I could get them to her. I don't know how many there are, but I think very few. If I were you I would establish their authenticity in some public way because I think Kraushaar Gallery in N.Y. has the plates. Should they decide to restrike them, you want to show yourself to be in possession of the originals. They were printed by Fairgrounds Press {Pat and DeWitt Hardy} in North Berwick, ME. on or about the year of Peggy Bacon's demise. Hope this helps you out. Yours, DeWitt Hardy"
And...
"Dear Barbara, I am not the only one who can vouch for the Bacons. Pat Hardy and George Burk can as well. As it regards the Chris Ritters, George and I curated a retrospective of his work which is the only one he had...By the way, I was just at the Boston Art Fair and saw a Milton Avery printed by Ritter for $8500.00.Yours, DeWitt Hardy"
Included with this collection are a dozen or so works by artist friends of Ritters who also achieved a high level of importance in the art world. Most if not all of these people became listed artists, and a search for these artists through askart.com will prove infomative and fruitful. I will begin with the 6 PEGGY BACON etchings.
In November 2006 I was in touch with DeWitt Hardy of Maine regarding the Peggy Bacon etchings, and what follows are his replies to me:
"Dear Ms. Gray, ...I just wanted you to know right away what you did have. I wish I could be more help about information. All I can remember is that I printed them, and I will vouch for their authenticity since they are not signed. They aren't signed because Peggy died before I could get them to her. I don't know how many there are, but I think very few. If I were you I would establish their authenticity in some public way because I think Kraushaar Gallery in N.Y. has the plates. Should they decide to restrike them, you want to show yourself to be in possession of the originals. They were printed by Fairgrounds Press {Pat and DeWitt Hardy} in North Berwick, ME. on or about the year of Peggy Bacon's demise. Hope this helps you out. Yours, DeWitt Hardy"
And...
"Dear Barbara, I am not the only one who can vouch for the Bacons. Pat Hardy and George Burk can as well. As it regards the Chris Ritters, George and I curated a retrospective of his work which is the only one he had...By the way, I was just at the Boston Art Fair and saw a Milton Avery printed by Ritter for $8500.00.Yours, DeWitt Hardy"
DeWitt Hardy of Maine is not only intimitely familiar with the work of Chris Ritter but will also vouch for the authenticity of the Bacon etchings.
Other artists' work included with this collection are OSCAR CHELINSKY (2 etchings); CARL GUSTAF NELSON (1 abstract dated 1941); HARRY GREAVER (1 signed & numbered print dated 1966); JOHN LOUIS LAURENT (1 abstract pencil drawing dated 1961); JOSEPH PENNELL (1 etching dated 1898); GERHARD MARCKS (1 lithograph dated 1973); GEORGE CONSTANT (1 drawing); DEWITT HARDY (48 etchings); BERNARD KARFIOL (1 watercolor); LEONARD PYTLAK (1 framed lithograph); KYM (1 painting on fabric); MOSHE GAT (1 drawing with ink); and several more very nice mystery (to me) pieces by artists with the same provenance (2006 estate sale, Jane Ritter) whose signatures I cannot make out but perhaps whose work you know. There is also an amazing and rare portfolio of 24 drawings by HENRY STRATER in its original folder and box and in pristine condition.
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The entire collection contains approximately 370 original works. To start a conversation with regard to the purchase of this collection, kindly EMAIL
Thank you,
Barbara
