311: KANSAS CITY ARTISTS JOHN DE MARTELLY AND JAMES GANTT

Three works by artists with ties to the Kansas City Art Institute.

1) A Regionalist's interpretation of Leda and the Swan in graphite on paper by James G. Gantt (1911-1984), signed lower left and dated 38.

2) An early John DeMartelly (1903-1979) drypoint etching signed in the plate and again in pencil below the image lower right and dated '28, inscribed 'Imp - '36 Dec' lower right margin, a gift to James Gantt and his wife upon their marriage in 1936. It is titled 'The Vendors of Tripe' (edition of 50) on page 25 of Bill North's exhibition catalogue, 'The Prints of John S. DeMartelly 1903-1979' (Kresge Art Museum, Michigan State University 1997). The scene is Italian and the quote is a Tuscan proverb. A copy of this print was owned by Jackson Lee Nesbitt since he printed the exhibition image of it while he was a student at KCAI. The inscription 'l'appetito vien mangiando' meaning 'the appetite comes while you're eating.' Further inscribed 'To Jimmie - John.' Only one other instance of this etching at auction has been recorded.

3) An unsigned etching with horses attributed to David Gilleylan, fellow KCAI student under Thomas Hart Benton.

4) A carved amber horse 1.5 inches also attributed to David Gilleylan by James Gantt's daughter.
The images range from 7.75 to 17.25 and the horse is 1.5 inches.
The Gantt drawing shows foxing throughout. The DeMartelly etching has a badly chipped lower left corner.
Provenance: The estate of Kansas City artist James Britton Gantt who, along with his wife, studied sculpture under Rosenbauer at the Kansas City Art Institute in the 1930s.
$600 - $800