Sarasota Estate Auction
Live Auction

Major Fine Art, Antiques & Silver - August Day 2

Sun, Aug 17, 2025 11:00AM EDT
  2025-08-17 11:00:00 2025-08-17 11:00:00 America/New_York Sarasota Estate Auction Sarasota Estate Auction : Major Fine Art, Antiques & Silver - August Day 2 https://bid.sarasotaestateauction.com/auctions/sarasota-estate/major-fine-art-antiques-silver---august-day-2-19630
Over 900 lots will be offered in day 2 of our 2 day auction weekend! There are multiple lots of important fine art from landscapes and etchings to old masters and portraits. We have a Collection of Yosemite Valley Paintings, Oriental Rugs, Sterling Silver, a Lifetime Collection of Sevres Urns, Old Master Paintings, Asian Antiquities, and more!
Sarasota Estate Auction sarasotaestateauction@gmail.com
Lot 1447

1950s Italian Signed Oil on Canvas Portrait of a Clown

Estimate: $100 - $150
Current Bid
$50

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$100 $25
$250 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,500 $250
$7,500 $500
$20,000 $1,000
$50,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
$250,000 $10,000

1950s Italian Signed Oil on Canvas Portrait of a Clown. Vintage signed portrait of a clown in full regalia, smoking a cigar. Signed by artist lower right. Framed.

Overall Size: 38 1/2 x 26 1/4 in.
Sight Size: 35 1/2 x 23 in.

 

Clown paintings occupy a strange and often polarizing niche in the art world, oscillating between kitsch, melancholy, and psychological unease. Popularized in the mid-20th century by artists like Emmett Kelly and later mass-produced for commercial decor, these works typically depict sad or whimsical clowns with exaggerated expressions and theatrical costumes. While intended to be lighthearted or sentimental, many viewers find them unsettling—perhaps because they blur the line between comedy and tragedy, masking complex emotions behind a painted smile. Their lingering popularity may lie in this tension: they evoke nostalgia, irony, and discomfort all at once, making them oddly compelling cultural artifacts.

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Sarasota Estate Auction IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING! BUYER MUST ARRANGE SHIPPING. All shipping will be handled by the winning bidder. Sarasota Estate Auction recommends obtaining shipping quotes before bidding on any items in our auctions. To obtain a quote, please email info@premiershipment.com. Be sure to include the lot you are interested in and address you would like the quote for. Refunds are not offered under any circumstances base on shipping issues, this is up to the buyer to arrange this beforehand.

BIDDER MUST ARRANGE THEIR OWN SHIPPING. Although SEA will NOT arrange shipping for you, we do recommend our preferred shipper Premier Shipping & Crating at info@premiershipment.com You MUST email them, please DO NOT CALLl. If you'd like to compare shipping quotes or need more options, feel free to contact any local Sarasota shippers. You can email any one of the shippers below as well. Be sure to include the lot(s) you won and address you would like it shipped to. Brennan with The UPS Store #0089 - 941-413-5998 - Store0089@theupsstore.com AK with The UPS Store #2689 - 941-954-4575 - Store2689@theupsstore.com Steve with The UPS Store #4074 - 941-358-7022 - Store4074@theupsstore.com Everett with PakMail - 941-751-2070 - paktara266@gmail.com

38 1/2 x 26 1/4 in.