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John (1909) Koch Sold at Auction Prices
Painter, b. 1909 - d. 1978
(b Toledo, Ohio 1909; d New York 1978) American painter. John Koch was a successful portraitist and genre painter in a world dominated by abstraction. He used his apartment on Central Park West as the backdrop for his subjects, whether figurative or still life. A common theme of Koch's best works is the connection between his subjects. Koch returned to the theme of artist and model throughout his career, using himself or fellow painters as subjects. There is no abstraction in Koch's compositions, yet they are not accurate mirrors of reality, rather they are idealized versions that conform to Koch's fancy. Koch's use of light and atmosphere are reminiscent of the Old Masters, particularly Jan Vermeer, whom he admired and many of whom were represented in his own collection. Differing from the Masters, Koch uses not only natural light sources but also artificial. Koch's talent of interpreting the effects of light onto surfaces adds to the heightened drama of his scenes. (Credit: Christie’s, New York, American Paintings, December 1, 2005, Lot 137)
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soldSep. 19, 2023John Koch (American, 1909-1978) Woman Bathing 60 x 36 in. framed 61 x 37 x 1 1/4 in.
Est: $10,000 - $12,000John Koch (American, 1909-1978) Woman Bathing signed 'Koch' (lower right) oil on canvas 60 x 36 in. framed 61 x 37 x 1 1/4 in.
Bonhams
soldSep. 19, 2023John Koch (American, 1909-1978) Untitled (Still Life with Fish and Lobster) 20 x 24 in. 25 3/4 x 29 1/2 x 1 1/2 in.
Est: $3,500 - $5,000John Koch (American, 1909-1978) Untitled (Still Life with Fish and Lobster) signed 'Koch' (lower right) oil on canvas 20 x 24 in. 25 3/4 x 29 1/2 x 1 1/2 in.
Bonhams
soldJul. 29, 2023John Koch (American/France, 1909-1978), "View of Manhattan Over the Hudson"
Est: $10,000 - $15,000John Koch (American/France, 1909-1978) "View of Manhattan Over the Hudson Piers", ca. 1930 oil on canvas initialed lower right. Framed. 53" x 60", framed 57" x 64" Provenance: Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, February 28, 2021, lot 3057; Private collection, Atlanta, Georgia.
New Orleans Auction Galleries
soldJul. 22, 2023John Koch (1909-1978)
Est: $800 - $1,200Woman Dressing. Pencil on paper. Signed (lower left), in good condition, framed. 12 x 9 1/4 in. (image); 23 x 17 in. (frame). A preparatory drawing for a painting. From the Collection of William C. Estler, Palo Alto, CA. Acquired from Kraushaar Galleries, NY.
Turner Auctions + Appraisals
soldMay. 25, 2023John Koch (1909-1978) Portrait of Bonaventura Devine 36 x 30 in. (91.4 x 76.2 cm.) (Painted in 1973.)
Est: $25,000 - $35,000John Koch (1909-1978) Portrait of Bonaventura Devine signed and dated 'Koch '73' (lower right) oil on canvas 36 x 30 in. (91.4 x 76.2 cm.) Painted in 1973.
Bonhams
soldApr. 22, 2023John Koch (American/France, 1909-1978), "View of Manhattan Over the Hudson"
Est: $20,000 - $40,000John Koch (American/France, 1909-1978) "View of Manhattan Over the Hudson Piers", ca. 1930 oil on canvas initialed lower right. Framed. 53" x 60", framed 57" x 64" Provenance: Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, February 28, 2021, lot 3057; Private collection, Atlanta, Georgia.
New Orleans Auction Galleries
soldApr. 05, 2023John Koch American, 1909-1978 (i) Woman Ironing and (ii) Study for "In the Museum": Two
Est: $800 - $1,200John Koch American, 1909-1978 (i) Woman Ironing Signed John Koch (lc) Pencil on paper 13 1/8 x 12 3/8 inches (33.3 x 31.4 cm) (ii) Study for 'In the Museum' Signed Koch (lr) Pencil on paper Sight 10 1/4 x 8 inches (26 x 20.3 cm) Provenance: Kraushaar Galleries, New York (both works) C Property from the Collection of Helen Sonnenberg Tucker
Doyle New York
soldJan. 25, 2023John Koch (American, 1909-1978) Manuscript I 36 x 54 in. (91.5 x 137.2 cm) framed 41 1/2 x 59 1/2 in.
Est: $30,000 - $50,000John Koch (American, 1909-1978) Manuscript I signed 'Koch' (lower left), titled on a label from Kraushaar Galleries, New York (affixed to a fragment of old frame backing now affixed to the current frame backing along with a partial label from Kraushaar Galleries) oil on canvas 36 x 54 in. (91.5 x 137.2 cm) framed 41 1/2 x 59 1/2 in.
Bonhams
soldDec. 07, 2022John Koch (1909 - 1978) American
Est: $500 - $2,000John Koch (1909 - 1978) American Watercolor on Paper Measure 11"in H x 9"in W and 19 3/4"in H x 15 3/4"in W with frame Known for: Genre-interiors, figure, portrait and still life painting Biography: John Koch, born in Toledo, Ohio in 1909, was an American realist best known for his paintings of fashionable Manhattan and New England mansion dwellers. Koch's early art training was minimal. He attended two summers at the artists' colony at Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he was influenced by the work and theory of Charles Hawthorne. After graduating from high school, he went to Paris, where he stayed for four years painting on his own, never under a teacher. As he later recalled, "the Louvre taught me my major lessons." His wife was a pianist and instructor and often Koch's paintings were of her students. "Music," one of Koch's most representative interior scenes, pictures Koch's wife, Dora Zaslovsky, teaching her student, the well-known musician Abbey Simon. A combination of outdoor and artificial light, used by Koch since 1950, imbues the scene with a clear light. The diagonal line created by the direction of Simon's gaze and Mrs. Koch's gesture connects the two sides of the scene, which is divided by the glass shelves in the middle. The terra cotta figurines on each side of the bottom shelf echo the positions of the two people. This symbolic and compositional relationship between objects and people is characteristic of Koch, and is used by him often. Although Koch is generally viewed as a painter of the rich and famous, he was not just a superficial 'society painter'. As Koch himself stated, "I am quite visibly a realist, occupied essentially with human beings, the environments they create, and their relationships." His style is akin to the work of the seventeenth-century Dutch master Jan Vermeer, evoking quiet, intimate interiors, and creating luminous effects by under-painting in egg tempera and glazing with oils. Koch's compositions were elegant. His warm tones and colors invited you into his world where, as you investigate the contents, you discover treasures amongst his beautifully observed objects.
Coral Gables Auction
soldNov. 09, 2022John Koch (1909 - 1978) American
Est: $2,000 - $3,000John Koch (1909 - 1978) American Watercolor on Paper Measure 11"in H x 9"in W and 19 3/4"in H x 15 3/4"in W with frame Known for: Genre-interiors, figure, portrait and still life painting Biography: John Koch, born in Toledo, Ohio in 1909, was an American realist best known for his paintings of fashionable Manhattan and New England mansion dwellers. Koch's early art training was minimal. He attended two summers at the artists' colony at Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he was influenced by the work and theory of Charles Hawthorne. After graduating from high school, he went to Paris, where he stayed for four years painting on his own, never under a teacher. As he later recalled, "the Louvre taught me my major lessons." His wife was a pianist and instructor and often Koch's paintings were of her students. "Music," one of Koch's most representative interior scenes, pictures Koch's wife, Dora Zaslovsky, teaching her student, the well-known musician Abbey Simon. A combination of outdoor and artificial light, used by Koch since 1950, imbues the scene with a clear light. The diagonal line created by the direction of Simon's gaze and Mrs. Koch's gesture connects the two sides of the scene, which is divided by the glass shelves in the middle. The terra cotta figurines on each side of the bottom shelf echo the positions of the two people. This symbolic and compositional relationship between objects and people is characteristic of Koch, and is used by him often. Although Koch is generally viewed as a painter of the rich and famous, he was not just a superficial 'society painter'. As Koch himself stated, "I am quite visibly a realist, occupied essentially with human beings, the environments they create, and their relationships." His style is akin to the work of the seventeenth-century Dutch master Jan Vermeer, evoking quiet, intimate interiors, and creating luminous effects by under-painting in egg tempera and glazing with oils. Koch's compositions were elegant. His warm tones and colors invited you into his world where, as you investigate the contents, you discover treasures amongst his beautifully observed objects.
Coral Gables Auction
soldNov. 09, 2022John Koch American, 1909-1978 Sculpture and Lilies, 1970
Est: $40,000 - $60,000John Koch American, 1909-1978 Sculpture and Lilies, 1970 Signed Koch and dated '70 (ll) Oil on canvas 29 7/8 x 24 7/8 inches (75.9 x 63.2 cm) Provenance: The artist Kraushaar Galleries, Inc., New York Private collection Kraushaar Galleries, Inc., New York Exhibited: Louisville, KY, J. B. Speed Art Museum, John Koch: An Exhibition of His Paintings, Jan. 12 - Feb. 15, 1971, illus. in cat. New York, NY, Kraushaar Galleries, Inc., John Koch, Feb. 28 - Mar. 25, 1972, no. 15, Illus. in cat. New York, NY, The New York Cultural Center, John Koch, Feb. 21 - Apr. 1, 1973, no. 66, illus. in cat. p. 68 New York, NY, Kraushaar Galleries, Inc., John Koch, Apr. 26 - Jun. 7, 1996, no. 11 C
Doyle New York
soldNov. 04, 2022John Koch (American, 1909-1978) The Concert, 1954 Oil on canvas 25 x 30 inches (
Est: $60,000 - $80,000John Koch (American, 1909-1978) The Concert, 1954 Oil on canvas 25 x 30 inches (63.5 x 76.2 cm) Signed lower right: Koch PROVENANCE: The artist; Kraushaar Galleries, New York; Private collection; By descent in the family; Private collection, Park City, Utah. At a time when the world seemed to turn its back on the realist tradition, John Koch persisted and presented intimate views of his personal world, working within the genre of American Realism that includes Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper as its luminaries. Paintings such as The Concert are populated with models, musicians, views of his studio, and his own elegant New York City apartment. Koch's particular brand of realism sought to find the epic and the archetype among the plain spoken and quotidian. Leslie Cheek, Jr. wrote of the artist's paintings: "His pictures of his particular slice of our world today are vigorous and appealing. One enjoys with him his love of fine furniture, elegant mirrors, rich fabrics, and fresh flowers-all glowing with the individual reflections which light, his particular forte, gives to each." ( John Koch in New York: 1950-1963, exhibition catalogue, New York, 1963, p. 8) Koch worked out of his elegant fourteen-room New York City apartment on Central Park West, which not only served as a studio to host sitters, but also provided a wonderful backdrop for many of his paintings. The elegantly furnished rooms, filled with antiques and paintings by masters from various centuries feature prominently in his oeuvre and imbue his paintings with a sophisticated intimacy. It is not uncommon to see glimpses of Central Park through the windows in his works, much as one would when actually in Koch's apartment. As in the present work, Koch always rendered his works with astute technical proficiency and a keen attention to light and detail. The acuity extends beyond his depiction of the objects that surrounded him to the inner character of his human subjects. "[For] Koch the painting of a portrait is a completely normal activity; it is just a fine picture of a person he likes, always with objects related to the individual included. In fact, a Koch portrait, when viewed by a stranger, is as enjoyable as it is to the family of the person depicted. In this manner, John Koch has, almost singlehandedly in our time, reestablished the portrait as work of art, not of mere craftsmanship-just as it had always been in the past periods of high artistic excellence." ( John Koch in New York: 1950-1963, p. 8) HID01801242017
Heritage Auctions
soldOct. 02, 2022Attr. John Koch (1909 - 1978)
Est: $1,000 - $2,000Attributed to John Koch (New York, Michigan / France, 1909 - 1978) Portrait of a boy. The sitter is the consignor's father, and was said to have been painted in either Baltimore or New York in 1940. Oil on Canvas. Appears to be unsigned. Inscribed 'October 1940' verso on canvas. Having framing label from 1953 verso, framed by Purnell Galleries. Sight Size: 35 x 31 in. Overall Framed Size: 42 x 38 in.
Helmuth Stone
soldSep. 25, 2022John Koch (1909 - 1978) American
Est: $1,500 - $2,500John Koch (1909 - 1978) American Charcoal and Pastel on Paper Measure 14 1/4"in H x 8 1/2"in W and 24 1/2"in H x 15 1/2"in W with frame Known for: Genre-interiors, figure, portrait and still life painting Biography: John Koch, born in Toledo, Ohio in 1909, was an American realist best known for his paintings of fashionable Manhattan and New England mansion dwellers. Koch's early art training was minimal. He attended two summers at the artists' colony at Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he was influenced by the work and theory of Charles Hawthorne. After graduating from high school, he went to Paris, where he stayed for four years painting on his own, never under a teacher. As he later recalled, "the Louvre taught me my major lessons." In defense of his seemingly "upper-crust" subject matter, Koch once stated, "I have great affection for ... dishonored subject matter ... (because of) the arbitrary ... way in which it has been dismissed. Have (sic) the sensuous, the lyrical elements really been expelled from modern life? Of course not. Is modern man exclusively occupied with his own tragic plight, his neuroses, his destruction? This ... is as much the sentimentality of our day as was the sweetness and light for which we so tirelessly berate the Victorians." Although Koch is generally viewed as a painter of the rich and famous, he was not just a superficial 'society painter'. As Koch himself stated, "I am quite visibly a realist, occupied essentially with human beings, the environments they create, and their relationships." His style is akin to the work of the seventeenth-century Dutch master Jan Vermeer, evoking quiet, intimate interiors, and creating luminous effects by under-painting in egg tempera and glazing with oils. Koch's compositions were elegant. His warm tones and colors invited you into his world where, as you investigate the contents, you discover treasures amongst his beautifully observed objects.
Coral Gables Auction
soldSep. 22, 2022John Koch
Est: $300 - $500John Koch (New York, 1909-1978) Study for THE FATHER, 1975 graphite on paper, framed sight H13 1/2" W8" Provenance: Kraushaar Galleries, New York Dr. Walter Grady Bishop, Jr. (sold in these rooms, March 2002, Lot 484) North Carolina estate
Charlton Hall
soldSep. 18, 2022John Koch (1909 - 1978) American
Est: $2,000 - $3,000John Koch (1909 - 1978) American Watercolor on Paper Measure 11"in H x 9"in W and 19 3/4"in H x 15 3/4"in W with frame Known for: Genre-interiors, figure, portrait and still life painting Biography: John Koch, born in Toledo, Ohio in 1909, was an American realist best known for his paintings of fashionable Manhattan and New England mansion dwellers. Koch's early art training was minimal. He attended two summers at the artists' colony at Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he was influenced by the work and theory of Charles Hawthorne. After graduating from high school, he went to Paris, where he stayed for four years painting on his own, never under a teacher. As he later recalled, "the Louvre taught me my major lessons." His wife was a pianist and instructor and often Koch's paintings were of her students. "Music," one of Koch's most representative interior scenes, pictures Koch's wife, Dora Zaslovsky, teaching her student, the well-known musician Abbey Simon. A combination of outdoor and artificial light, used by Koch since 1950, imbues the scene with a clear light. The diagonal line created by the direction of Simon's gaze and Mrs. Koch's gesture connects the two sides of the scene, which is divided by the glass shelves in the middle. The terra cotta figurines on each side of the bottom shelf echo the positions of the two people. This symbolic and compositional relationship between objects and people is characteristic of Koch, and is used by him often. Although Koch is generally viewed as a painter of the rich and famous, he was not just a superficial 'society painter'. As Koch himself stated, "I am quite visibly a realist, occupied essentially with human beings, the environments they create, and their relationships." His style is akin to the work of the seventeenth-century Dutch master Jan Vermeer, evoking quiet, intimate interiors, and creating luminous effects by under-painting in egg tempera and glazing with oils. Koch's compositions were elegant. His warm tones and colors invited you into his world where, as you investigate the contents, you discover treasures amongst his beautifully observed objects.
Coral Gables Auction
soldAug. 28, 2022John Koch (1909 - 1978) American
Est: $1,500 - $2,500John Koch (1909 - 1978) American Charcoal and Pastel on Paper Measure 14 1/4"in H x 8 1/2"in W and 24 1/2"in H x 15 1/2"in W with frame Known for: Genre-interiors, figure, portrait and still life painting Biography: John Koch, born in Toledo, Ohio in 1909, was an American realist best known for his paintings of fashionable Manhattan and New England mansion dwellers. Koch's early art training was minimal. He attended two summers at the artists' colony at Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he was influenced by the work and theory of Charles Hawthorne. After graduating from high school, he went to Paris, where he stayed for four years painting on his own, never under a teacher. As he later recalled, "the Louvre taught me my major lessons." In defense of his seemingly "upper-crust" subject matter, Koch once stated, "I have great affection for ... dishonored subject matter ... (because of) the arbitrary ... way in which it has been dismissed. Have (sic) the sensuous, the lyrical elements really been expelled from modern life? Of course not. Is modern man exclusively occupied with his own tragic plight, his neuroses, his destruction? This ... is as much the sentimentality of our day as was the sweetness and light for which we so tirelessly berate the Victorians." Although Koch is generally viewed as a painter of the rich and famous, he was not just a superficial 'society painter'. As Koch himself stated, "I am quite visibly a realist, occupied essentially with human beings, the environments they create, and their relationships." His style is akin to the work of the seventeenth-century Dutch master Jan Vermeer, evoking quiet, intimate interiors, and creating luminous effects by under-painting in egg tempera and glazing with oils. Koch's compositions were elegant. His warm tones and colors invited you into his world where, as you investigate the contents, you discover treasures amongst his beautifully observed objects.
Coral Gables Auction
soldJul. 31, 2022John Koch (1909 - 1978) American
Est: $2,000 - $3,000John Koch (1909 - 1978) American Watercolor on Paper Measure 11"in H x 9"in W and 19 3/4"in H x 15 3/4"in W with frame Known for: Genre-interiors, figure, portrait and still life painting Biography: John Koch, born in Toledo, Ohio in 1909, was an American realist best known for his paintings of fashionable Manhattan and New England mansion dwellers. Koch's early art training was minimal. He attended two summers at the artists' colony at Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he was influenced by the work and theory of Charles Hawthorne. After graduating from high school, he went to Paris, where he stayed for four years painting on his own, never under a teacher. As he later recalled, "the Louvre taught me my major lessons." His wife was a pianist and instructor and often Koch's paintings were of her students. "Music," one of Koch's most representative interior scenes, pictures Koch's wife, Dora Zaslovsky, teaching her student, the well-known musician Abbey Simon. A combination of outdoor and artificial light, used by Koch since 1950, imbues the scene with a clear light. The diagonal line created by the direction of Simon's gaze and Mrs. Koch's gesture connects the two sides of the scene, which is divided by the glass shelves in the middle. The terra cotta figurines on each side of the bottom shelf echo the positions of the two people. This symbolic and compositional relationship between objects and people is characteristic of Koch, and is used by him often. Although Koch is generally viewed as a painter of the rich and famous, he was not just a superficial 'society painter'. As Koch himself stated, "I am quite visibly a realist, occupied essentially with human beings, the environments they create, and their relationships." His style is akin to the work of the seventeenth-century Dutch master Jan Vermeer, evoking quiet, intimate interiors, and creating luminous effects by under-painting in egg tempera and glazing with oils. Koch's compositions were elegant. His warm tones and colors invited you into his world where, as you investigate the contents, you discover treasures amongst his beautifully observed objects.
Coral Gables Auction
soldJul. 28, 2022John Koch American, 1909-1978 Female Nude
Est: $700 - $900John Koch American, 1909-1978 Female Nude Signed Koch (lr) Graphite heightened with white on paper 8 3/4 x 10 3/4 inches (22.2 x 27.3 cm) Provenance: Kraushaar Galleries, New York C Property from the Collection of Sandra and Fred Pine
Doyle New York
soldJul. 10, 2022John Koch (1909 - 1978) American
Est: $1,500 - $2,500John Koch (1909 - 1978) American Charcoal and Pastel on Paper Measure 14 1/4"in H x 8 1/2"in W and 24 1/2"in H x 15 1/2"in W with frame Known for: Genre-interiors, figure, portrait and still life painting Biography: John Koch, born in Toledo, Ohio in 1909, was an American realist best known for his paintings of fashionable Manhattan and New England mansion dwellers. Koch's early art training was minimal. He attended two summers at the artists' colony at Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he was influenced by the work and theory of Charles Hawthorne. After graduating from high school, he went to Paris, where he stayed for four years painting on his own, never under a teacher. As he later recalled, "the Louvre taught me my major lessons." In defense of his seemingly "upper-crust" subject matter, Koch once stated, "I have great affection for ... dishonored subject matter ... (because of) the arbitrary ... way in which it has been dismissed. Have (sic) the sensuous, the lyrical elements really been expelled from modern life? Of course not. Is modern man exclusively occupied with his own tragic plight, his neuroses, his destruction? This ... is as much the sentimentality of our day as was the sweetness and light for which we so tirelessly berate the Victorians." Although Koch is generally viewed as a painter of the rich and famous, he was not just a superficial 'society painter'. As Koch himself stated, "I am quite visibly a realist, occupied essentially with human beings, the environments they create, and their relationships." His style is akin to the work of the seventeenth-century Dutch master Jan Vermeer, evoking quiet, intimate interiors, and creating luminous effects by under-painting in egg tempera and glazing with oils. Koch's compositions were elegant. His warm tones and colors invited you into his world where, as you investigate the contents, you discover treasures amongst his beautifully observed objects.
Coral Gables Auction
soldJun. 12, 2022John Koch (1909 - 1978) American
Est: $2,000 - $3,000John Koch (1909 - 1978) American Watercolor on Paper Measure 11"in H x 9"in W and 19 3/4"in H x 15 3/4"in W with frame Known for: Genre-interiors, figure, portrait and still life painting Biography: John Koch, born in Toledo, Ohio in 1909, was an American realist best known for his paintings of fashionable Manhattan and New England mansion dwellers. Koch's early art training was minimal. He attended two summers at the artists' colony at Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he was influenced by the work and theory of Charles Hawthorne. After graduating from high school, he went to Paris, where he stayed for four years painting on his own, never under a teacher. As he later recalled, "the Louvre taught me my major lessons." His wife was a pianist and instructor and often Koch's paintings were of her students. "Music," one of Koch's most representative interior scenes, pictures Koch's wife, Dora Zaslovsky, teaching her student, the well-known musician Abbey Simon. A combination of outdoor and artificial light, used by Koch since 1950, imbues the scene with a clear light. The diagonal line created by the direction of Simon's gaze and Mrs. Koch's gesture connects the two sides of the scene, which is divided by the glass shelves in the middle. The terra cotta figurines on each side of the bottom shelf echo the positions of the two people. This symbolic and compositional relationship between objects and people is characteristic of Koch, and is used by him often. Although Koch is generally viewed as a painter of the rich and famous, he was not just a superficial 'society painter'. As Koch himself stated, "I am quite visibly a realist, occupied essentially with human beings, the environments they create, and their relationships." His style is akin to the work of the seventeenth-century Dutch master Jan Vermeer, evoking quiet, intimate interiors, and creating luminous effects by under-painting in egg tempera and glazing with oils. Koch's compositions were elegant. His warm tones and colors invited you into his world where, as you investigate the contents, you discover treasures amongst his beautifully observed objects.
Coral Gables Auction
soldMay. 26, 2022John Koch (1909-1978) Two Studies for Three Musicians: A Pair of Works 9 x 6 in. (22.9 x 15.2 cm.); 6 x 9 in. (15.2 x 22.9 cm.) (Executed in 1958, each.)
Est: $1,000 - $1,500John Koch (1909-1978) Two Studies for Three Musicians: A Pair of Works signed 'Koch' (lower left) and dated and inscribed with title 'London '58. / Study for 3 Musicians' (lower right); signed 'Koch' (lower left) and inscribed 'man to right holding drink in (his) right hand / woman pours with her right / Metronome' (lower center) and dated and inscribed with title 'London 58 / 3 Musicians' (lower right) and inscribed 'violin / hand reaching' (center right); inscribed 'With best wishes / from / Dora & John Koch' (on a piece of paper affixed to the reverse) graphite on paper, each 9 x 6 in. (22.9 x 15.2 cm.); 6 x 9 in. (15.2 x 22.9 cm.) Executed in 1958, each. For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
soldMay. 17, 2022JOHN KOCH (1909-1978) Model at Rest oil on canvas 24 x 16 in. (60.9 x 40.6
Est: $40,000 - $60,000JOHN KOCH (1909-1978) Model at Rest oil on canvas 24 x 16 in. (60.9 x 40.6 cm.)
Christie's
soldMay. 08, 2022John Koch (NY,OH,1909-1978) oil painting
Est: $2,700 - $3,400ARTIST: John Koch (New York, Ohio, 1909 - 1978) NAME: Harlequin with Lute MEDIUM: oil on canvas CONDITION: Very good. No visible inpaint under UV light. SIGHT SIZE: 15 x 8 inches / 38 x 20 cm FRAME SIZE: 19 x 12 inches / 48 x 30 cm SIGNATURE: lower right PROVENANCE: C W Kraushaar Art Galleries (has remnants of gallery label on verso) CATEGORY: antique vintage painting AD: ART CONSIGNMENTS WANTED. CONTACT US SKU#: 120652 US Shipping $49 + insurance. BIOGRAPHY: John Koch, born in Toledo, Ohio in 1909, was an American realist best known for his paintings of fashionable Manhattan and New England mansion dwellers.Koch's early art training was minimal. He attended two summers at the artists' colony at Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he was influenced by the work and theory of Charles Hawthorne. After graduating from high school, he went to Paris, where he stayed for four years painting on his own, never under a teacher. As he later recalled, "the Louvre taught me my major lessons."At a time when the world seemed to turn its back on the realist tradition, Koch persisted and presented intimate views of his personal world. His paintings are populated with models, musicians, views of his studio, and his own elegant fourteen-room apartment facing Central Park West in New York City.His wife was a pianist and instructor and often Koch's paintings were of her students. "Music," one of Koch's most representative interior scenes, pictures Koch's wife, Dora Zaslovsky, teaching her student, the well-known musician Abbey Simon. A combination of outdoor and artificial light, used by Koch since 1950, imbues the scene with a clear light. The diagonal line created by the direction of Simon's gaze and Mrs. Koch's gesture connects the two sides of the scene, which is divided by the glass shelves in the middle. The terra cotta figurines on each side of the bottom shelf echo the positions of the two people. This symbolic and compositional relationship between objects and people is characteristic of Koch, and is used by him often.In defense of his seemingly "upper-crust" subject matter, Koch once stated, "I have great affection for ... dishonored subject matter ... [because of] the arbitrary ... way in which it has been dismissed. Have (sic) the sensuous, the lyrical elements really been expelled from modern life? Of course not. Is modern man exclusively occupied with his own tragic plight, his neuroses, his destruction? This ... is as much the sentimentality of our day as was the sweetness and light for which we so tirelessly berate the Victorians."Although Koch is generally viewed as a painter of the rich and famous, he was not just a superficial 'society painter'. As Koch himself stated, "I am quite visibly a realist, occupied essentially with human beings, the environments they create, and their relationships." His style is akin to the work of the seventeenth-century Dutch master Jan Vermeer, evoking quiet, intimate interiors, and creating luminous effects by under-painting in egg tempera and glazing with oils. Koch's compositions were elegant. His warm tones and colors invited you into his world where, as you investigate the contents, you discover treasures amongst his beautifully observed objects.
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