Sotheby's

 When I got off the LIRR on Saturday I headed uptown on the Q train. My destination was Sotheby's New York to meet the NYC Urban Sketchers. Sotheby's is basically an auction house, although it looks a lot like a museum, but here you can touch the artwork and merchandise that is being sold. People come with flashlights to examine the objects carefully before the auctions start. The staff there is always very accommodating and let us use any of our materials and our stools. The building has 10 floors but I think I've only explored 3 or 4 of them and the auction objects are always changing. 

I headed up to the 3rd floor where I found one of two "Allegorical Heads of a Woman" done in stone, probably Flemish and from the 18th Century. my first sketch of one of the "Two Allegorical Heads of a Woman" done in stone. Probably Flemish from the 18th Century

Making a turn of about 30 degrees I noticed another sketcher, Ken, in front of a painting. He was standing and sketching it.

We took a break from sketching to have lunch. That was one of the few problems of the day. The cafe is small and there was no way we could accommodate all the sketchers who had turned up. About a dozen of us clustered together for some food before w went back to sketching. The woman seated next to me showed me her sketches and when I saw the grasshopper weathervane below I knew I had to find it. So I headed up to the 6th floor. According to the label the Grasshopper Weathervane 

is attributed to Stem Drowne of Boston, Mass, circa 1740. It was beautiful!

Our day ended with a "show and tell." I am always amazed to see the quality of the sketches produced. It was also great to see some of the objects that I had missed in other areas of Sotheby's. A few of the sketchers actually sat in on some of the auctions. I've never been to an auction so maybe the next time we go I will check it out. I am so grateful that Sotheby's is so welcoming to us and the staff is friendly and willing to let us create.