Ilona Karasz’s The Bridge sold for $2,016 at Doyle Fine Art auction on Jan. 17, 2023 in New York City. Karasz was best known for her avant-garde industrial design and many cover illustrations for New Yorker magazine. Her designs span a variety of mediums, including everything from wallcoverings, textiles and carpets to toys and furniture. The versatility in her work allowed her style to vary dramatically.
Karasz’s style reflects the influences of her education at the Royal School of Arts & Crafts in Budapest, Hungary, where she was one of the first females to be admitted. After moving to the United States, Karasz was able to achieve quick success due to her design aesthetic and technological savviness. Per a 2018 Hyperallergic feature on the artist written by Lorissa Rinehart, Karasz quickly realized the potential of mass production and began to design with machinery in mind. According to Rinehart, Karasz was lauded by both her peers and critics as one of the most innovative working artists because she was one of the only designers at the time to have a keen understanding of the production process behind the end product.
Karasz’s versatility and ability to work in many styles might have been her downfall—some feel her work was often overlooked because she failed to distinguish herself in any one category. Rather than try to take on more areas of practice than they can handle, estate planners may have to “bridge the gap” in their knowledge by working with other professionals, such as insurance agents and financial advisors, to adequately serve their clients.
Some of our other favorites from Doyle Fine Art auction on Jan. 17, 2023 in New York City appear throughout the issue.