The market for works on paper occupies a distinctive space in the collecting landscape. Often undervalued compared to paintings and sculpture, these works offer direct insight into an artist’s hand and mind. They frequently reveal key moments of experimentation or transition, offering rare access to the creative process. For collectors looking to build thoughtfully and strategically, works on paper provide a compelling combination of authenticity, authorship, and long-term potential.
Museums have long championed these works for their intimacy and immediacy. Increasingly, private collectors are taking note. Whether you are entering the market for a blue-chip artist or expanding a focused collection, the opportunity to acquire significant works on paper has never been more compelling.
The following eight artworks exemplify the depth, variety, and quality available in this category. Each piece represents an artist of historical or market importance, and each offers a strong reason to consider works on paper not as secondary, but as essential to a serious collection.
1.
Jean Tinguely (Swiss, 1925-1991)
Untitled (Composition), 1991
Mixed media on paper
Sheet: 13 x 10.25 in.; Framed: 19 x 16.75 in.
Signed and dated to lower margin
This energetic late work by Tinguely reflects the artist’s lifelong embrace of movement, experimentation, and play. Though best known for his kinetic sculptures, Tinguely’s works on paper possess their own expressive force. This piece’s lively composition and mixed media approach highlight the performative spirit that defines his oeuvre.
2.
Tula Telfair (American, B. 1961)
Untitled (Noon)
1996
Oil on paper
Image Size: 17.5 x 31.25 in.; Framed: 29.5 x 42.5 in.
Signed and dated lower left
Provenance:
G.E. Corporate Art Collection
Heritage Auctions
Private Collection, NC
Telfair’s landscapes are meditative spaces where memory and imagination intersect. This work, executed in oil on paper, stands out for its scale and textural richness. The use of oil lends it a painterly depth not typically associated with works on paper. Telfair continues to garner critical attention, and this piece is a strong representation of her mid-career output.
3.
Fernand Leger (French, 1881-1955)
La Danse
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Inscribed along lower edge: “La Danse maquette pour la N.R.C.”
Signed “F.L” lower right
5.5 x 13 in.; Framed : 13 x 20.75 in.
Provenance
Collection of Bernard and Rebecca Reis, New York
Collection of Barbara Poe Levee, Los Angeles, California, by descent
Private collection, Denver, Colorado, by descent
Heritage Auctions Private Collection, NC
This signed and inscribed maquette offers a vivid glimpse into Léger’s dynamic approach as both a designer and draftsman. The composition captures his enduring fascination with rhythm, movement, and modern life, seamlessly bridging the realms of painting, architecture, and stage design. Created as a study for a mural, this work stands out for its direct connection to a larger public commission. That connection makes it especially appealing to collectors of early 20th century European modernism.
4.
Henri Le Sidaner
La Table aux Lanternes, 1924
Medium: Watercolor and ink on paper
9.25 x 10.75 in.; Framed: 19 x 22.5 in.
Authenticated by Louis Le Sidaner (son of the artist) verso
Provenance
Galleries Maurice Sternberg, Chicago, IL
Dr. Randal Williams Collection, NC
Le Sidaner’s twilight interiors and gardens are celebrated for their gentle mystery and lyrical quality. This watercolor exemplifies his ability to suggest atmosphere and mood through subtle color and composition. Authenticated by the artist’s son, the work carries both emotional resonance and a direct link to a respected Symbolist legacy.
5.
Francisco Toledo (Mexican, 1940-2019)
Untitled (Biomorphic Abstraction in Black and White), 1959
Ink and gouache on paper
Signed and dated to lower right: “FToledo / 59”
6.75 x 5.75 in.; Framed: 17 x 13.5 in.
Provenance
Heritage Auctions
Private Collection, NC
Created when Toledo was just nineteen, this rare early work demonstrates the organic, mythological themes that would come to define his career. The biomorphic forms are already fully realized, and the use of ink and gouache shows a confident and experimental hand. As interest in Latin American modernism continues to rise, early works by Toledo are becoming increasingly scarce and desirable.
6.
Paul de Longpré (French, 1855-1911)
Pink Roses, 1903
Watercolor on paper
27 x 14 in.,; Framed: 38.5 x 25.5 in.
Signed and dated to lower right, “Paul de Longpré Los Angeles, 1903.”
Provenance
The Redfern Gallery, Laguna Beach, California
Dr. Randal Williams Collection, NC
Known for his masterful botanical compositions, de Longpré combines scientific precision with painterly elegance. This large-scale floral still life is animated by the presence of bumblebees, adding a sense of life and motion to its exquisite detail. Signed and dated, this work represents a peak example of its genre and speaks to the timeless appeal of late 19th-century naturalist watercolor.
7.
Romare Bearden (American, 1911-1988)
Gathering, c. 1964
Collage on paperboard
Image: 8 3/8 x 5 5/8 in.
Framed: 21 3/4 x 18 in.
Signed to lower right, “Romare Bearden”
Provenance
Jerald Melberg Gallery
Private Collection, NC
Exhibition History
Charlotte, NC The Mint Museum of Art
Charlotte's Own: Romare Bearden August 24-October 27, 2022
Charlotte, NC The Mint Museum of Art
Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections September 2011 - January 2012;
Tampa, FL, Tampa Museum of Art, January 2012- May 2012;
Newark, NJ; Newark Museum of Art, May 2012 - August 2012.
This intimate collage comes from a defining period in Bearden’s career. Created during the 1960s, when his signature visual language was fully realized, Gathering c. 1964 captures the depth of narrative and cultural symbolism that makes his work so enduring. The small scale intensifies the composition’s power, while the collage medium connects directly to Bearden’s most historically significant contributions to American art. Works from this period continue to gain institutional and market attention.
8.
Peter Hurd (American, 1904-1984)
Untitled (Southwestern Landscape)
Ink wash on paper
Image (sight): 3 x 7 in
Framed : 9.75 x 13.5 in
Initialed to lower left, “P.H.”
This atmospheric study distills the wide-open landscapes of the American Southwest into a restrained, poetic image. Hurd’s work is prized for its connection to place, and this drawing reflects his ability to evoke land and light with minimal means. It is a thoughtful acquisition for collectors interested in American regionalism and midcentury landscape painting.
For collectors focused on quality, authorship, and long-term potential, works on paper offer a powerful and often overlooked opportunity. These 8 pieces span decades, movements, and geographies, but they share a common strength: each tells a deeper story of the artist’s vision, and each holds its place as a smart, lasting acquisition.
To inquire about availability or request a private viewing, reach out to Marie St. Germain, Director of Private Sales, at marie@arcadiaappraisals.com.