2026 Benefit Auction: "The World Is The Work"
Tue, Sep 29, 2026 12:00PM EDT - Wed, Oct 14, 2026 12:00PM EDT
Timed Auction
Lot 142A
Melle van Herwaarden, "Untitled (Tom) I", 2026
Estimate: $4,500 - $4,500
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $100 |
| $1,000 | $200 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
Melle van Herwaarden
Untitled (Tom) I, 2026
Ink on Paper
15 3/4 x 20 1/2 inches (40 x 52 cm)
Courtesy of Andrew Dubow
Melle van Herwaarden (b. 1995, the Netherlands) graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, in 2020, where he studied VAV, Moving Image. Recent exhibitions include The Vandals, Gladstone Gallery, New York (2026); Moments of Being, Jeremy Scholar, London (2026); and Flemishness, CFA and velo project, Milan (2025). His work has also been exhibited at Paulina Caspari, Munich. Working predominantly in figurative painting, van Herwaarden’s practice centres on the human figure and its surroundings, often drawing upon friends and family as subjects.
Untitled (Tom) belongs to an ongoing series of works depicting Tom, a recurring subject within van Herwaarden’s practice. Across these paintings, repetition becomes a means of understanding: the same individual is encountered through different poses, settings and moments, resisting the possibility of a single, definitive portrait.
Here, Tom is shown in profile, his gaze directed beyond the picture plane. The restrained, almost monochromatic palette draws attention to subtle shifts of light across the face and neck, while the muted background leaves the figure suspended without a clearly defined setting.
Familiarity in this work does not necessarily produce certainty; instead, sustained attention reveals something more elusive, the quiet unknowability that can remain even between people who know one another well.
Overall Dimensions
Height: 15.75 in
Width: 20.50 in
Artworks purchased at the auction will be available for pickup at The Drawing Center beginning on October 19, 2026. Wrapping of the artwork is provided.
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