Gordon Gallery Catalogue

On Sunday, June 18, 1995, at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds the Gordon Gallery will hold an auction of painting, sculpture, drawing, and graphics, featuring 137 works by Israeli and international artists. Among them are works by Moshe Castel, Lea Nikel, Yosl Bergner, Aviva Uri, Marcel Janco, Zvi Meirovitz, Mane Katz, Picasso, Pascin, Chagall, and Miró.

This auction introduces two innovations. First, Gordon is offering 137 works instead of hundreds. Previously, auctions featured a large number of items, sometimes reaching around 400 pieces, which were often split into at least two auction sessions. Second, the auction catalog has been redesigned to make it more authoritative and book-like. While collectors have always valued Gordon's catalogs for their clear documentary value, from now on, they will also be collected as "art books." The format has changed, with a significant number of works receiving their own dedicated pages, and in all cases, greater attention is given to each work. The slightly "store-like" character of some earlier catalogs, which had its own commercial charm, has disappeared, replaced by a more library-like and refined aesthetic. Additionally, limiting the auction to 137 works signals a commitment to quality.

A significant new feature is the inclusion of descriptive or interpretive texts accompanying many of the works. These texts, typically around 180 words or longer, address the history of the piece, the artwork itself, the general style of the artist, or sometimes all of these aspects together. The texts are clear, non-academic, and highly informative. Even those well-versed in Israeli art will appreciate the references to historical or stylistic origins, such as the "Ghetto Fighters" (1944) by Marcel Janco or the 1970s "Faces" series by Lilian Klapisch.

International auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's have long included such descriptive and interpretive texts in their specialized catalogs, offering valuable lexicon-like entries. Gordon's adoption of this intelligent tradition is a welcome development. It is reasonable to assume that these texts may even encourage buyers at the auctions, as they provide context, background, and validation for works—details not always evident on the surface of the artwork itself or known to every potential buyer.

The new Gordon catalog was designed by Shlomit Breuer.