Sculptor William Edmondson's Critter could make $50,000-150,000 at Christie's folk art sale later this month.
Edmondson (1874-1951) was an outsider artist who is celebrated as one of the most distinctive voices in American sculpture.
 William Edmondson was the first black artist to be given a solo show at MoMA |
He quit his job as a janitor in 1930, after hearing a message from God, and set up shop as a stonemason.
Initially he carved tombstones, but soon branched out into creating figures and animals.
In 1936 a group of art industry insiders discovered his work. In 1937 Edmondson was given a solo show at New York's MoMA - a first for a black artist.
Critter has been in the same family since its original owner acquired it in the 1940s. It's a well-known piece and so will appeal strongly to aficionados of Edmondson's work.
Edmondson's The Boxer sold for $785,000 in January, well above its $250,000 estimate.
The success of that sale suggests the present lot could achieve a similar result.
Henry Darger's The Pictures of Some of the Most Desperate Fighters in the Glandelinian Armies is valued at $30,000-50,000.
 Henry Darger's work was only discovered after his death |
Darger (1892-1973) was another outsider artist, who also worked as a janitor.
He became famous after his death, when his 15,145 page manuscript In the Realms of the Unreal was discovered by his landlords - who happened to be artists themselves.
The extraordinary work of science fiction tells the story of a rebellion of child slaves (led by a group known as the Vivian Girls) from a nation called Abbieannia against a group of adults known as the Glandelinians.
The Glandelinians are represented as Confederate soldiers (Darger had a strong interest in the American civil war).
In addition to the text, Darger produced a series of highly accomplished paintings and drawings of scenes from the story.
The sale takes place in New York on September 20 and will also feature Benjamin Franklin's presentation sword.
Please sign up to our free newsletter to receive exciting news about art and photography auctions.
