Day 1: Folk Art, Outsider & Self-Taught. Day 2: Two Private Native American Collections with Select Additions
Wed, Mar 11, 2026 10:00AM EDT
Live Auction
Lot 51
David Butler - Santa in Sleigh
Estimate: $800 - $1,500
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $200 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $200 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $50,000 |
David Butler (1898–1997), 'Santa in Sleigh'. Two-sided painted cutout tin.
L 27-1/4 in. W 31-1/2 in.
David Butler was an African-American self-taught artist from Louisiana, whose visionary practice emerged in his later life after a disabling workplace injury. Rooted in deep Christian faith and informed by vernacular traditions of the American South, Butler transformed his rural home and yard into a dynamic, immersive art environment of cut, hammered, and vividly painted tin and metal sculptures. Utilizing simple tools and found materials, he fashioned expressively stylized animals, mythical creatures, angels, and symbolic figures that invited wind, sunlight, and motion to animate his work. Butler’s richly colored forms acted as both protective “spirit shields” and metaphoric vessels of personal meaning, blending dream imagery with spiritual resonance. Though he resisted the commercial art world, his creations ultimately gained broad recognition as seminal examples of Southern folk art and American visionary expression.- Smithsonian American Art Museum
His work can be found in many important museum collections including Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., American Folk Art Museum, New York, NY, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, and African American Museum of Dallas, TX. Outsider Art.
Condition
Shipping/Pickup
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