R Wells Gallery Furniture

This is a very handsome pair of custom-made lamps. They were produced in London in the mid-20th century and are made of Walnut with brass accents. It is quite possible that this is t...

The Mower, by Vilma Eckl, 1930's and an excellent color and condition. This item has been framed and matted with Museum quality and profession. The frame is absolutely gorgeous. The ...

WOODY ALLEN WITH HIS HANDS OVER HEAD originally created by Al hirschfeld in 1967 and published in the New York Times. This is a hand-signed, limited-edition etching with an edition s...

This is one of the most highly detailed marble dust or sandpaper drawings I have ever seen. The meticulously executed in details and the subtlety of the buildings in the background i...

The equestrian lamp is a bold and luxurious statement. Made from oil rubbed, brushed bronze, and hand stitched premium leather, the design and quality are meant to last a lifetime. T...

A great looking Beidermeier looking glass. With excellent patina and retaining the original mirror, this is in a terrific state of preservation. Architectural with highly figured Wo...

This is an extremely handsome, mid-century modern mirror made from carved and gilded wood with leather and tack decoration. Very dramatic, a real statement. The site on the mirror is...

This is a very handsome and well detailed watercolor from the mid-19th century. Signed and dated, mounted in a period gold-guilded frame and retaining the original old glass. The des...

A spectacular and monumental pair of nickel silver plated lamps attributed to Mason Barbier. Retaining their original shades with matching silver piping. These are a real showstopper...

Antoni Tàpies wool carpet, this work is 1 from an edition of 6 hand made in 1968, by Maolo Millares and Carola Torres (1926-1972), signed in the upper left corer. These were sold thr...

SERAPI RUG: 8'8" X 10'8" Circa 1870's Red field with stylized meandering blossoms and an ivory, pink and blue geometric pendant medallion at the center. Ivory sub-field contains simi...

The VOLT chandelier, designed by Thierry Despont, is a classic blend of Art Deco and Steam Punk wrapped in elegance. These fixtures are available in either chrome or antiqued bronze ...

A wonderful pair of tin wall sconce with embossed pewter back-plates, originally formed by pouring melted pewter over cut and polished glass. Late 18th - early 19th century. Designe...

A monumental, very beautiful and dramatic, custom three part dinning table in mahogany. This Thierry Despont creation is one of only two in existence. The 1st, created for a stunning...

This little beauty titled girls in a village was created around 1930. It is signed in pencil on the lower right and numbered on the lower left 50 of 100. This item is available and i...

Beautiful and striking woodblock print by American artist Juliette May Fraser. likely from the 1930's. This item is not framed or matted so it is easy to ship. Please advise should y...

Simple and striking! This hand carved and gilded Sunburst mirror is of a rather simple design but has a lot of impact. Each piece hand carved and gilded. Made in Italy in the 1940s, ...

These incredible lamps were designed by renowned world designer Thierry Despont the 1990s. The quality and construction is of top grade. The bodies are made from Of high density figured maple, and the fittings are custom and made of bronze. Very few of these made. I am fortunate to be able to offer you four of them. They were never used and are in excellent condition. While Thierry Despont (1948 - 2023) was best-known for his architectural practice—for his integral role in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, his re-imagining of the Ritz in Paris, and the interiors of the Getty Center (as well as for his notable private clients like Bill Gates and Calvin Klein)—he was also an accomplished painter, sculptor, author, and furniture maker. For additional images or information please do not hesitate to reach out. These items can be picked up in person at our New Jersey location. Hyperion, “The High-One,” is one of the twelve Titan gods of Ancient Greece. He was the son of Gaia (the physical incarnation of Earth) and Uranus (literally meaning “the Sky”). Hyperion, the Titan of Light, the “God of Watchfulness and Wisdom,” inspired this magnificent floor lamp.For available in total. Finish: Figured birch with antique bronze urn...

Seldom Seen pair of George Sellers plaster serpent lamps, each with urn form body and coiled snake in black. George Sellers is a classically-trained artist who studied sculpture in I...

This is an extremely beautiful and stately, English Regency chair in solid mahogany, Circa 1825. The Carving is exceptional with classical forms of bellflowers, acanthus leaves, scro...

The work and designs of Terry Desmond have been legendary for their quality and attention to detail. These sconces by Terry are no exception. While Thierry Despont (1948 - 2023) was ...

A petite, highly patina, dramatic looking glass. French from the mid-19th century, The Mirror Has the perfect amount of wear as does the frame. It is lightweight and can be hung anyw...

Gorgeous handmade single sconce by American Artisan Larry LeBeau. Created the 1980s, this fantastically heavy, textured bronze sconce is statement piece.

Chesterfield Style leather tufted and buttoned wingback chair and matching ottoman. This chair features gently scrolled arms with austere and refined silhouettes. It's finished in ta...

A very beautiful, American, 19th century maple double-sided music stand. Likely New York City from the 1840s. In excellent condition and retaining the original retractable candle arm...

Charming and handsome 19th century original drawing and watercolor combined. Inscribe Rotonda del Capra for the Palladian Villa Rotunda....

A handsome and sophisticated mixed media on canvas by American artist John Rigsby. Found in a original state of preservation. His works are few and far between. The following biography was submitted by John David Rigsby, Jr., son of the artist. The author is Lisa Rigsby Peterson, daughter of the artist, and owner of the copyright of the biography. John David Rigsby was born on October 10, 1934, the seventh child of an Alabama Depression-era sharecropper's son. He and his family moved frequently, from one one-room structure to another, often with no running water, no plumbing, no heat but the stove. His father was killed in a car accident when Rigsby was just 9 years old. Life for the remaining eight family members proved tumultuous and difficult -- food wasn't plentiful, nor money. The family moved from place to place, following work -- Rigsby attended 30 different schools before graduating from high school. Despite living in poverty, Rigsby demonstrated academic and artistic aptitude at a young age. Two oil paintings on covers ripped off of old books that he painted when he was eight years old show the promise of an imaginative and gifted eye. Rigsby was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1953. As he later wrote, "When basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, was over, I was told to go out and find a job. Jasper Johns was painting visual aids for the 28th Regimental Headquarters. He suggested the Band Training Unit." Rigsby played the clarinet in that unit, and after 2 years of service, he enrolled at the University of Alabama on the G.I. Bill to study art. After just two years, he left school and followed his mentor (and one of the greatest and longest-lasting influences on his art), Japanese artist and U of A art instructor Tatsu Heima, to New York City. Heima introduced him to Isamu Noguchi and suggested that Rigsby work as Noguchi's assistant. Instead, Rigsby chose a job as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, since "the notion of seeing all of that art appealed more to me than the boring task of studio assistant." The opportunity was a rich one for Rigsby. He had a chance to study the masters, and cited Rembrandt with his simplicity and elegance as another of the most important influences on his work. In the years between 1957 and 1963, when Rigsby eventually earned his BFA in sculpture, the artist traveled back and forth between New York and Tuscaloosa, alternating study with forays into the fertile New York art scene. Rigsby exhibited some of his early sculpture work in 1958 at a small New York gallery, which was also exhibiting the work of Willem and Elaine de Kooning and Theodore Stamos. Shortly thereafter, searching for an educational venue closer to New York City, Rigsby visited New Haven, Connecticut, and spent an afternoon speaking with Josef Albers at Yale. Albers agreed to accept Rigsby into the Yale program on the condition that he take freshman drawing all over again. A brilliant opportunity, but, in Rigsby's words, "When it was time to register, I was hitchhiking back to Alabama, looking for food and shelter." Rigsby had his first one-man show at the University of Alabama in 1959. A visiting critic from New York, J.F. Goosen, reviewed the show and wrote "here is a talent which produces art because that is the thing for a gifted person to do. In his effortless ease of conception and execution, he has already achieved a goal that eludes many artists for a lifetime." Finally, in 1963, Rigsby received his degree in sculpture, dissolved a short-lived marriage, visited his family, packed up his car and headed permanently for New York. That year, his work was included in a group show at the Delgado Museum in New Orleans - which led to a one-man exhibit at the Delgado in 1964. During 1964, Rigsby took drawing classes at Columbia University, and worked at the General Post Office at night. He met his future wife, Linda Palmieri, and married. In 1965, his daughter Lisa was born, followed in 1966 by the birth of his son, John David Jr. In 1966, Rigsby had a successful one-man show at the Pietrantonio Gallery in New York. Shortly thereafter, he and the family moved to Tunis, Tunisia at the suggestion of a colleague, who urged him to "come paint by the light of Klee." Rigsby worked for the United States Information Agency as a teacher, and he spent the next year and a half painting over ninety paintings inspired by the smells, light, and Phoenician and Roman art surrounding him. He also executed a number of character and landscape drawings, capturing the Tunisian way of life. During his time in Tunisia, Rigsby's work was shown there in two major exhibits. Upon the family's return to the U.S. in 1968, Rigsby once again exhibited at the Pietrantonio Gallery. Later that year, Rigsby enrolled in Southern Connecticut State College's Urban Studies program, earning a master's degree in 1970. During his time at SCSU, Rigsby worked as the city of Bridgeport's Curator of Exhibits, driving a mobile art gallery from schools to neighborhood fairs and housing projects. After completing his degree, Rigsby had an exhibit at the Telfair Museum in Savannah, Georgia. This exhibit caught the attention of a member of the search committee looking to hire an artist for a newly-developed program in neighboring South Carolina. In 1970, Rigsby was selected as the first Artist-in-Residence in the state of South Carolina for the National Endowment for the Arts Artists in Schools program. His work with the newly-integrated students at Beaufort (SC) High School over the term of his residency precluded substantial work on his own art. He did, however, set up a studio in downtown Beaufort, and was able to create a modest number of paintings, which were included in exhibits at the Columbia Museum in South Carolina in 1971 and Yale University in 1973. At the end of his residency in 1974, Rigsby was named the National Visual Arts Coordinator of the Artists in Schools program for the NEA, a post he held for two years. In this position, Rigsby traveled the country, reviewing grant applications, meeting with state leaders in government, education and the arts to promote program concepts and explore local opportunities. The message he repeated over and over again echoed that of one of the other major influences on Rigsby as an artist - Ruth Asawa Lanier, whose words taught him that all of the work that the artist does is the artist's work, not simply the paintings he creates. In his capacity as National Coordinator, as well as many times in the future, Rigsby stressed that artists function in the same way as any other person in society, and deserved the same respect and place for their work as did all other professions. After two years traveling the country, Rigsby was ready for a change, saying "for the first time in my adult life, there was not a body of paintings to show for the years put into my work." In 1976, a summer retreat to the mountain community of Central City, Colorado, led to a permanent relocation. Eventually settling in the small town of Evergreen, Rigsby followed his own advice about artists becoming actively involved in their communities, and he established the Evergreen Visual Arts Center. The Center provided working space for artists, classes for adults and children, and, most importantly, a place for Rigsby to create his own work. Buoyed by the opportunity to concentrate once again on his art, and inspired by his new surroundings, Rigsby entered an extremely prolific period in his career. In 1977, he organized a traveling exhibition of his paintings, which showed at the Kimball Arts Center in Utah, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Arvada Center in Colorado. 1978 brought more exhibits, notably in Aspen and Denver, as Rigsby's work continued. He took an extended trip to visit his mentor, Tatsu Heima, in Japan, where he climbed Mt. Fuji, followed by travels to Tehran, Delhi, and several European countries. He chronicled his impressions from his travels in a small collection of paintings upon his return to the U.S. - the beginning of a practice which would continue through the rest of his life. In 1979, Rigsby's marriage failed, and at the same time he lost the lease to his Evergreen studio to redevelopment plans. In response to the personal chaos around him, Rigsby began a series of what he called "hard-nosed process paintings," the watercolor paintings of dots which marked his work from this period. The paintings gained him an NEA Individual Artist grant in 1980, as well as a Yaddo fellowship in 1981. The polka dot paintings were followed by a series of cupcake-like images, again examining space and color. During the early 1980s, Rigsby lived in a suite of old dentists' offices in a rundown part of Denver, with a studio in an area that reminded him of the Bowery in New York. In 1984, Rigsby founded the Progreso Gallery in the building where he lived, using the space both to show his own work and also to mount shows of the work of many Colorado artists. The gallery also served as a focal point for Denver's local arts community, hosting weekly discussion groups and classes. In 1984, Rigsby traveled to the Baja Peninsula and then in 1985 to Yugoslavia. After each sojourn, Rigsby returned to create vibrant and explosive paintings based on his experiences, showing them at his Progreso gallery and another alternative gallery in Denver, the Edge Gallery. The economic recession of the mid-eighties hit the art market and Rigsby hard, however, and although he continued to create new works of art, major exhibitions were difficult to come by. In 1987, Rigsby decided to leave Denver and spent six months in Barcelona, Spain. It was an electrifying trip for him. Rigsby wrote of that time: "The streets alone are a visual feast, and the additions of museums from Saarinen, Picasso and Miro to 12th century icons produced artistic indigestion. My paintings are always about the way things look and feel. Barcelona was a time machine extending those sensory and emotional concerns back to the Middle Ages. I felt the need to reduce my work to essential elements of color, scale, drawing and format. The [resulting] color studies speak eloquently for themselves, and in doing so, redefine all of the work I've done in the past 35 years of painting." Rigsby completed over a hundred paintings while in Barcelona - color studies, street portraits of the characters he encountered on a daily basis, and a number of dark landscape paintings. He found time to run with the bulls in Pamplona, and began writing stories about his adventures that were later published. Upon his return to Denver in 1988, Rigsby continued to explore the alter egos of the color studies - he concentrated on a series of dark paintings, all prominently featuring back. He commented about these black paintings that he " decided it was time to explore the perception of the eye and physical space as defined by low -light conditions…I find these paintings elegant, joyous and light-filled, with no feeling of heaviness at all." In mid-1988, Rigsby moved permanently to Houston, Texas, where he would spend the last five years of his life. Once in Houston, Rigsby made a discovery that would serve as the inspiration and material for some of the last works of his career. In 1989, he discovered a salvage yard filled with scrap rubber, and he began working on black rubber sculptures, as well as paintings with rubber elements incorporated. He made strong connections in the Houston alternative arts scene, and became a regular contributor and art critic for a local weekly newspaper, The Public News. From 1989 through 1992, he exhibited his sculptures and paintings at Houston's Brent Gallery, Fountainhead Gallery, and Blaffer Gallery. He also produced an installation of his rubber sculptures on the roof of the Diverse Works Gallery in Houston. 1992 also marked Rigsby's return to Denver when he exhibited his sculptures at the Payton-Rule Gallery in Denver, leading to an Absolut Rigsby commission by Carillon Importers. The 1990s were a tremendous struggle for Rigsby, with financial crises compounded by physical trauma (he accidentally sawed off the top joint of the index finger of his left hand while working in his studio). Although his work was being shown, it wasn't selling, and the tremendous financial pressure he felt weighed heavily upon him. He spent an increasing proportion of his time going to flea markets and garage sales, rehabilitating and repairing the things he bought there, and then re-selling them simply to raise enough money to keep a roof over his head. He had little time to paint or sculpt, the things in life that had always, no matter what the circumstances, brought him joy. Rigsby's final works were a series of intricate paintings and drawings on used books that he purchased at the flea market. Most of these drawings, which he referred to as sculptural form drawings, were executed on page after page of science texts, music books, and a Korean bible and fill hundreds of pages. Additionally, Rigsby created an exquisite book he titled 28 de los Angeles, in which his twenty-eight simple and elegant drawings of angels resonated with the influence of Rembrandt he had so admired in his early days. In a sense, Rigsby's final works, art created on used books which were the only materials he could afford, brought his work and life full circle from his childhood days. Rigsby's life, though begun and ended in adversity, was nonetheless illuminated and enriched by the irresistible impulse he had to create art and beauty. John David Rigsby was killed in a one-car accident in Colorado in August, 1993. Biography from the Archives of askART Following is a review by Michael Paglia of the artist's July 2004 retrospective at the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art. It was submitted by John Rigsby, Jr., son of the artist. There's a magnificent retrospective at Denver's Museum of Contemporary Art devoted to the work of the late John David Rigsby, who was a major powerhouse in Colorado's art scene. "Dots, Blobs and Angels" surveys more than forty years' worth of the remarkable artist's paintings and sculptures. The year 1993 was strange, and by that I mean terrible. Many of the city's galleries closed because of bad economic times, and then the artists started dying. In a matter of a few months, Denver lost three significant artists: Rigsby, experimental photographer Wes Kennedy...

Set of four 18th century Italian painted & parcel-gilt chairs, Venetian. These beautiful chairs have carved wooden frames with sweet detailing. The surface is painted green with gold...

A very handsome and stylish pair, of Italian carved, painted, gilded and upholstered in glove leather curule benches. Excellent quality and a lot of style. Very strong and can be use...

A very handsome, stately set of four, 18th century, neoclassical arm chairs. Great cream painted surface with maroon accenting. These chairs reek of the passing of time. All the Upho...

Superb early 19th century rosewood Regency table with beaded edge circular tilt-top. the top is hinged upon a highly unusual carved lattice work covered pineapple standard and gilde...

A wonderful egg tempera on board painting by American Artist Meng S. Choy. This particular Orchid goes by its Latin name of, Paphiopedilum Moquettianum. This item is signed and dated...

This is a beautiful and luxurious natural, mink fur, king size blanket. Soft pelts with rich, neutral and inviting coloration, are accented with black backing. This is perfect for a ...

Very well detailed and proportioned, carved Stone architectural spire of the gothic style. Made during the last quarter of the 19th century, origin is unknown. The carved detailing a...

A very handsome and well patented painted tole lantern. Retaining all of the original surface with no touched up details. The interior with the original Mercury glass refractor and t...

Very fine pair of "Arita" Japanese Chargers of the late 17th century based on the Chinese "Kraak" porcelain design. They are in beautiful condition with no restorations and no repair...

There are two of these incredible dining tables, in Mahogany and Brass available. Custom designed by Thierry Despont in the 1990s and produced here in America in the state of Massach...

Rare 19th century American Quilt perhaps a unique design. The obvious Navajo influence of the Red Cross symbolizing the Spider Woman is unquestionable. They're being 13 crosses also ...

A very beautiful and tactile bronze sculpture by American artist, Nathan Cabot Hale. Created Circa 1960s, this sculpture is in exceptional original c...

Set of 6 fully upholstered dining chairs in the style of Milo Baughman. This set is from the 1970s and retains the original Brown velvet upholstery. They are extremely comfortable an...

This sofa by Borg Morgensen, features gently sloping track arms with austere and refined silhouettes. It's finished in supple buffalo hide leather with a soft, sun faded patina that...

Luxurious leather sofa by Mogens Hansen, model #535. This sofa features gently curved track arms with soft, refined silhouettes. It's finished in supple leather with a soft, sun warm...

Now available, this very handsome pair of danish, leather and teak Lounge chairs. Low slung and sexy! The leather has the perfect amount of wear, and the flared, quilted arms adding ...

Beautiful Fortuny four panel double-sided folding screen. On the front side is the Papiro pattern with undulating colors and a beautiful gold bronze overlay. The back side is finishe...

Hey beautiful and unusual lamp by the Marlboro lamp company. Created the 1950s this substantial piece has survived over 60 years. The body is made of cast and sculpted terracotta and...

Beautiful American rag rug runner in woven and cotton and linen. This Runner is over 300 in in length. Making it perfect for a good long hallway or a staircase. Could potentially be ...

Striking and beautiful New England quilt in the princess feather and rose pattern. Excellent condition with a highly folky design pattern. Found in , this quilt made from blue and re...

This is a really Grand piece. Likely hailing from Connecticut, Circa 1790 to 1810. The impressive top, a single Board of pine, measuring in at just over 100 in. This item retains all...

"Mexicasn Landscape" by Adelyne S. Cross circa 1940. This item is unframed and is easy to ship. Adelyne S. Cross (1905-1979) was an American artist known for her powerful woodblock ...

This is a one-of-a-kind, trinket box from the "Dwelling" series, of torch-cut, welded, textured and enameled steel. Created by American artist, James Bearden, this unique item is a t...

A perfectly patinaed pair of teak and leather chairs by Berg of Denmark. These swivel chairs are fun and comfortable. Created in the 1970s, with hand crafted whip stitched edging, an...

Wonderful pair of English Arts and Crafts Glastonbury chairs. An English, Tudor Revival, pair of hall seats with ecclesiastical and Gothic overtones, dating to the mid-19th century...

Set of four 18th century Italian painted parcel-gilt chairs, Venetian. These beautiful chairs have carved wooden frames with sweet detailing. The surface is painted green with ...

Amazing, highly figured, driftwood floorlamp. Found in a home located on mid-coast Maine. The lamp itself is a mystery. These is no.logical way for this lamp to have been wired, yet ...

An intricate and very interesting painted tole and brass chandelier with matching shades. The chandeliers made in Italy in the 1930s. The red is that perfect shade, mixed with gold,...

Amazing signed Paul Evans 1969 welded metal brutalist cocktail coffee table. Both signed and dated. As seen by the date, this is one of his older table...

Early 19th century mounted bronze 3/4 profile. Likely French but possibly English. Carved wooden backing custom just for this particular item. In the original frame and retaining an ...

An absolutely spectacular faux coral chandelier, handmade in iron with gesso and white paint. Lots of beautiful patina, this highly complicated sculpture is spectacular when lit. It ...

A beautiful, American classical, looking glass made by The Firm of James Burton from Albany New York. This large and beautiful mirror retains the original bluish glass and gilded sur...

Jacob Glushakow (1914 – October 12, 2000[2]) was an American painter known for his keen observations of life in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. He graduated from the ...