The James W. Hyams Collection

James W. Hyams started collecting art in 1967 when he was a student in college. The first work Hyams purchased—Vegetable Soup Can from Campbell’s Soup I by Andy Warhol—was paid for in installments and hung in his dorm room. A few years later, he purchased his second work by Warhol and from there collecting became a way of life.

Over the years, Hyams has amassed a stunning collection of prints from 1960s to the present day. From Warhol to Hirst, or Lichtenstein to Doig, his collection is about as contemporary as it gets. Focusing on works that he likes by influential artists, his collection of more than 400 prints is an exceptional survey of the most important art movements of the second half of the 20th century and the start of the 21st century.

Generous with his collection, Hyams has loaned many works to galleries and universities, sharing his collection with a public audience. Further, his pieces are proudly on display in his home, his acclaimed interior widely published.

I don't buy pieces that I don't like. But I do have a purpose in my collection. I am interested in buying key artists from the period.

James W. Hyams

Richard Estes b. 1932

Considered one of the foremost Photorealist painters, the work of Richard Estes is greatly inspired by the paintings of Edgar Degas, Edward Hopper and Thomas Eakins. Despite their looser brush work, Estes' 1960s works featuring city life and people engaged in everyday activities laid the groundwork for extremely refined, masterfully detailed paintings of windowed storefronts and unassuming urban settings with an almost dreamlike atmosphere. Estes was born in Kewanee, Illinois in 1932, and raised in Chicago. He attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1952-1956, and moved to New York soon after. He worked as a graphic designer for a number of magazines and advertising agencies until 1966. Estes is the recipient of a National Council for the Arts fellowship and is a member of the National Academy of Design. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, among others. He lives in New York and Maine.

Auction Results Richard Estes