Ernie Barnes

One of the hallmarks of Heritage's approach to and definition of American Art, which anchors its abundant relationship with all Art and Design, is that American Art for Heritage is the work that has illustrated not only our nation's history, but also its character — its hopes, fears, strengths, flaws and evolution. The disposition of the United States, still a young country after all, is defined by its stories and storytelling about who we are and how we've arrived here, and its May 16 American Art Auction is nothing if not packed with works that tell stories and paint a picture, as it were, of a people's shared disposition defined by optimism, ambition, community and imagination. The tightly curated auction is shaped by a full suite of works by the inimitable Ernie Barnes along with a trove of significant Golden Age and Modern Illustration by Norman Rockwell, J.C. Leyendecker and Maurice Sendak, a stunning landscape by Frederic Church and a venture into the American West by William Robinson Leigh. The auction is itself a turning point in Heritage's tale of love for classic American Art as a category.

"American Art has always been the beating heart of our nation's story, and it's an extraordinary privilege to bring together such a dynamic, narrative-rich collection for this auction," says Aviva Lehmann, Heritage's Senior Vice President of American Art. "This auction is a tribute to the artists who have captured our collective dreams, struggles, and triumphs with honesty and beauty. We're honored to present a selection that feels both timeless and urgently alive."

Ernie Barnes (American, 1938-2009)
Anchor Leg, 1983


Ernie Barnes (American, 1938-2009)
Hold the Pocket, 1982
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 60 inches (91.4 x 152.4 cm)
Signed lower right: Ernie Barnes
Barnes, the former pro footballer who the Denver Broncos' head coach once fined for sketching during team meetings, is one of the 20th century's most distinctive painters and in the 1980s was befriended by John Mecom Jr., at the time the seasoned owner of the NFL's New Orleans Saints. Mecom Jr. commissioned Barnes — known for his incisive and expressionist take on bodies working in unison and in tension — to produce a handful of sports-themed paintings during Barnes' runup to create official works for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The resulting Barnes paintings for Mecom Jr.'s collection anchor the May 16 auction and are a tour de force of the artist's fluid neo-mannerist depiction of the physicality of his world — the way bodies merge, move, interact and dissolve into one another. They are slices of a warm and thriving community life of movement: 



Sandlot Saints (1983) with its depiction of an informal and joyous football game that's broken out in an abandoned city lot; Anchor Leg (1983) which captures the climactic moment of a group of relay-race sprinters' last explosive burst across the line; Hold the Pocket (1982) which invites the viewer into the heart of the frenzied immediacy of the football scrum; and 



Opening Ceremonies (1984), with its triumphant panorama of communal elation at the start of a Olympic Summer Games. "Here, with near-Bruegelian density, Barnes renders a vibrant crowd bursting with energy that draws the viewer in not as an observer but as a participant," says Lehmann.

 

Ernie Barnes American, 1938–2008 "The Sugar Shack", 1971 Oil on canvas 48 x 36 in. (121.92 x 91.44 cm.)  Ernie Barnes was a former NFL football player who turned to painting after his retirement in 1964. He was known for presenting figures through elongated forms in a unique neo-mannerist style. "The Sugar Shack" was used in the closing credits of the 1970s sitcom Good Times, as well as serving as the album cover of the Marvin Gaye recording "I Want You". Barnes was also the official artist of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles Complete article Ernie Barnes, Full Boogie, 1978. Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48 inches (91.4 x 121.9 cm). Courtesy of the Ernie Barnes Estate, Ortuzar Projects and Andrew Kreps Gallery. Complete article A masterful and dynamic painting from 1971 by Ernie Barnes (1938-2009) titled High Aspirations will lead the American Art sale on November 7 in New York. Estimated at $500,000 – 700,000, this work captures a moment of uninterruptable grace for the subject on the basketball court with Barnes mirroring the verticality of the leaping figure with a strikingly vertical canvas. WANN GALLERIES | AFRICAN AMERICAN ART | APRIL 6    Ernie Barnes Leads Sale with ‘Daddy’ EST. $250,000 to $350,000  Ernie Barnes (1938-2009) The Gospel Truth, 1985. Estimate: £600,000 - 1,000,000. Photo: Bonhams. The Gospel Truth, a masterwork by Ernie Barnes (1938-2009) leads Bonhams’ Post-War & Contemporary Art sale on Thursday 13 October in New Bond Street, London. The work has an estimate of £600,000-1,000,000. Ralph Taylor, Bonhams Global Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, commented: “The gospel hall paintings of Ernie Barnes have become some of the most renowned and sought-after works by the artist, and The Gospel Truth is arguably the finest example to come onto the market. Barnes' life and career has received renewed recognition since his retrospective at the California African American Museum in 2019. We are particularly excited to offer The Gospel Truth given Bonhams’ recent successes in selling masterpieces by Barnes – having achieved an impressive $1,620,375 for his Solid Rock Congregation (1993) earlier this month at Bonhams New York. This follows on from the strong result for The Maestro – which featured on the album cover of The Crusader's Ghetto Blaster (1984) – and sold at Bonhams American Art sale for $882,375 in May.” Barnes dedicated himself full-time to art following a career in professional football. He is known for elongated figures, capturing his observations of African American life growing up in North Carolina and living in Los Angeles. Barnes' work has appeared throughout pop culture on album covers, in television and movies. He was the official artist of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Purchased from the artist by Tim Hauser, eight-time Grammy winner and founder of The Manhattan Transfer, the present work conveys a musical passion shared between two masters of their craft. Hauser was introduced to Barnes’ work by the bassist Kenny Gradney of Little Feat, who also came up with the work’s title, The Gospel Truth. The painting was acquired fresh from Barnes' easel and would be a brightening focal point of Hauser’s collection. One of the most remarkable gospel canvases, it comes to the market for the first time since its making, full of unique details and qualities that make it one of the most inspired paintings by the artist. Commenting on his relationship to sport and its impact on his practice, Barnes commented that "being an athlete helped me to formulate an analysis of movement, and movement is what I wanted to capture on canvas more than anything else.” Ernie Barnes masterpiece to be offered at Bonhams New York on September 9 Solid Rock Congregation (1993), by Ernie Barnes (estimate: $500,000-700,000). Photo: Bonhams. NEW YORK, NY.- A masterpiece by American artist Ernie Barnes (1938-2009) depicting a lively Sunday church service will hit the auction block this fall at Bonhams New York, following a summer tour to London and Los Angeles. A breakout star of the spring season, Barnes’ Solid Rock Congregation (1993) is another exemplary painting from his oeuvre depicting an energetic, multi-figure composition with strong emotional resonance. Barnes conveys the euphoric, rhythmic music deeply rooted in gospel churches of the American South, painting a Sunday morning church scene brimming with people singing, dancing, and playing instruments through his unique painting style capturing movement and passion. Estimated at $500,000 - 700,000, Solid Rock Congregation will be offered in a single lot live auction on September 9 in New York. The work has never been seen by the public before and has resided with American gospel singer Margaret Bell who commissioned the painting and is depicted in the work singing into the microphone. Ms. Bell was friends with Barnes after meeting him through the NFL that her then husband, Keith Byars, who like the artist played football in the NHL. After releasing a record with Warner Alliance Records in 1991, Ms. Bell recalls sitting in Barnes studio and him saying, “After hearing your voice Margaret, I can envision a wonderful piece, full of color, movement and music! If you commission me, I will create it for you!” Barnes dedicated himself full-time to art, after his professional football career, and became a leading 20th century artist. He is known for elongated figures, capturing his observations of African American life growing up in North Carolina and living in Los Angeles. Barnes’ work has appeared throughout pop culture on album covers, in television and movies, and he was the official artist of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Featured on the album cover of The Crusader’s Ghetto Blaster from 1984, Barnes’ painting The Maestro, was recently sold at Bonhams American Art sale for $882,375. “Following the success of The Maestro, Bonhams was pleased to learn about this unknown work that is clearly a masterpiece by the artist,” commented Andrew Huber, Senior Specialist and Head of Sale for Post-War & Contemporary Art at Bonhams New York, “and we are thrilled to show it to the public for the first time.” The work is currently on preview at Bonhams New Bond Street in London and will head to Bonhams Los Angeles on July 27, then reach its final stop at Bonhams New York starting September 1 and will be previewed alongside two contemporary art exhibitions from the Post-War & Contemporary department. Ernie Barnes, LATE NIGHT DJ, 1980.PHOTO JEFF MCLANE/COURTESY UTA ARTIST SPACE AND THE ERNIE BARNES ESTATE Ernie Barnes, Cool Quarterback, 1991.COURTESY THE ESTATE OF ERNIE BARNES, ANDREW KREPS GALLERY, AND ORTUZAR PROJECTS Ernie Barnes, Uptown, Downtown, Acrylic, Overall: 30 x 20in. (76.2 x 50.8cm), Courtesy of the Ernie Barnes Family Trust, Hollywood, California Ernie Barnes, The Critic's Corner, Acrylic, Overall: 24 x 36in. (61 x 91.4cm); framed 41 x 29 x 3 in., Courtesy of the Ernie Barnes Family Trust, Los Angeles, California Ernie Barnes, Lift Every Voice, Acrylic on canvas, Overall: 40 x 30in. (101.6 x 76.2cm), Courtesy of the Ernie Barnes Family Trust, Hollywood, California Ernie Barnes, Somewhere Else, Acrylic on canvas, Overall: 22 x 28in. (55.9 x 71.1cm), Courtesy of the Ernie Barnes Family Trust, Hollywood, California