12 Artworks from eBay I’d Hang in My House

By Marni Elyse Katz
January 30, 2012

Some women come home with shoes. Me, art. My husband and I recently finished renovations on our Boston condo. A lot of our art was displaced and the new walls, particularly those around the new banquette, needed serious embellishment. Although we have lots of pieces, as we assembled our picture walls, we realized that there is actually room for more. In addition to snapping up half a dozen works at a local museum school last month and buying more than a few pieces at various art sites online, I’ve found eBay to be a great source for inexpensive works of late. Indeed, I just purchased two more pieces in the course of researching this article. Here are a dozen artworks I would love to hang in my home.

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Original Gouache Signed Miró Abstract Figures

(buy it now price, $650)

Geometric Abstract 1960 Yellow Blue Green Triangles

(buy it now price, $549 )

Seascape Signed A. Tannenbaum

(buy it now price, $295 )

Willard Grayson Smythe “Abstract Composition”

(buy it now price, $1,200 )

Danish Modern Style Sculpture

( buy it now price, $155)

Geometric Colors Painting Signed Cinthia Locke

(buy it now price, $21)

Provocative Abstract Bronze Sculpture

(buy it now price, $1,899.95 )

Still Life with Bottle and Pitcher

(buy it now price, $399 )

Crossed Metal Sculpture On Wooden Base

(buy it now price, $60 )

1960s Dancer Stamped R. Kulda

(buy it now price, $69.95)

Sally Scheiman Dancer #2

(current bid, $39)

1979 Mink Coat Fashion Press Photo by Frederic Stein

(current bid, $24.95)

12 Artworks from eBay I’d Hang in My House

1. Original Gouache Signed Miró Abstract Figures: Hard to believe a Joan Miró can be had for under a thousand dollars, yet this mixed media work of gouache, ink and crayon is said to be signed by the Spanish Surrealist painter. It's a great piece for a nursery, with its primary palette, thick black lines, and multiple shapes.

2. Geometric Abstract 1960 Yellow Blue Green Triangles: The artist of this relatively large (30" x 20”) stretched canvas from around 1960 is unknown, but no matter. The geometric composition and yellow and green colors would work perfectly with two other paintings I just hung in my living room—one a contemporary work of horizontal lines created with tape, another an abstract landscape.

3. Seascape Signed A. Tannenbaum: While I have more than a few landscapes (a hazard from summering on the Cape) and am often complaining they’re dull, I admit to being attracted to this lovely little work in floaty violets and sky blues. I’d probably reframe it more simply, though.

4. Provocative Abstract Bronze Sculpture: Cubist contours evoke a seated nude, sculpted in polished bronze and perched on a base of granite. The artist is Goga and the piece is called “Sensualidade” (sensuality). The piece would add a bit of sheen to a tableau of art books on a coffee table or bookshelf.

5. Willard Grayson Smythe “Abstract Composition”: This perky geometric abstract, done in the manner of Picasso and Braque’s Cubist style, is by painter and graphic designer Willard Grayson Smythe, who was active in the Chicago art world during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Smythe called his style "Scattered Balance Design". In any case, I like the colors, and how the blotches of yellow contrast with the hard-edged shapes.

6. Geometric Colors Painting Signed Cinthia Locke: The price for this painting by British artist Cinthia Locke was so seriously slashed that I snapped it up immediately. It will add a nice splash of color to the picture wall around the new banquette in my kitchen.

7. Danish Modern Style Sculpture: I'm currently obsessed with all things Danish. This small hardwood sculpture, reflective of early Scandinavian designs of the '50s and '60s, would look great on a living room or dining room sideboard. It’s a new piece (not vintage), carved from Golden Maple in New Mexico, and signed and numbered by the artist.

8. Still Life with Bottle and Pitcher: Although I don’t really own much in the way of still lifes, I’ve always appreciated the painstaking perfection of the Dutch masters. This original oil painting on canvas from the middle of 20^th century is done in a much looser manner, and has a definite mid-century vibe. I wonder if that pitcher is Dansk. It’s very casual, very appealing; makes me want to pour myself a glass of wine. In fact, I just submitted an offer on it.

9. Crossed Metal Sculpture On Wooden Base: I’ve been on the hunt for a geometric or curvilinear brass sculpture, but no luck. This one is pretty good, though, and the price is ideal.

10. 1960s Dancer Stamped R. Kulda: I love the blurry presentation and quirky ensemble of the subject in this gelatin silver print by Austrian photographer Rudolf Kulda from the 1960s. I recently hung a blurry color portrait of a woman I purchased a couple of years ago at a gallery on Cape Cod above a black and white still life of teacups and a small oil landscape. It added just the right amount of edge.

11. Sally Scheiman Dancer #2: Although this piece looks like a drawing, the description says it’s a watercolor by Artist Sally Scheiman. A quick Google search didn’t turn up anything about her, but I’m unbothered. It’s a rather appealing piece—love the tulle skirt—that will probably go for quite a low price.

12. 1979 Mink Coat Fashion Press Photo by Frederic Stein: This vintage press photo, dated 1979, is super fun. The futuristic mink coat is rather spectacular, and the shiny metallic boots and Wonder Woman cuffs make it irresistible. I’d frame it in silver and lean it against the mirror on my dresser, draped with a necklace or two.

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