Scott Kahn occupies a singular position within contemporary American painting, developing a quiet, introspective body of work that resists both stylistic trends and market-driven narratives. Often described as a “painter’s painter,” Kahn has built a practice grounded in observation, memory, and emotional restraint.

His landscapes—devoid of human presence yet charged with psychological depth—exist in a suspended state between realism and abstraction. In recent years, his work has gained renewed attention, notably through a posthumous dialogue with Matthew Wong, whose admiration for Kahn helped introduce his work to a younger generation of collectors and institutions.

Introduction

Born in 1946 in Springfield, Massachusetts, Scott Kahn studied at the School of Visual Arts and later at The New School in New York. Kahn emerged in the 1970s within a milieu dominated by Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism, yet his work developed along a distinctly independent path. Influenced by artists such as Milton Avery and Fairfield Porter, he pursued a form of representational painting that prioritized atmosphere over narrative.

For decades, Kahn remained relatively under-recognized, maintaining a consistent practice outside the dominant currents of the art world. His rediscovery in the late 2010s, partly through his connection with Matthew Wong, has since repositioned him as a significant figure in contemporary landscape painting.

Kahn’s paintings are characterized by their quiet intensity and structural clarity. His compositions often depict natural environments—parks, forests, ponds, or snow-covered landscapes—rendered with simplified forms and carefully modulated color. Human figures are absent, yet their presence is implied through framing, perspective, and spatial construction. The viewer occupies a position within the scene, often looking into or across a landscape that feels both familiar and distant.

There is a distinct sense of stillness in his work. Time appears suspended, and the compositions resist narrative progression. Instead, they invite prolonged contemplation, functioning less as depictions of place than as meditations on perception and memory.

Kahn works primarily in oil on canvas, employing a methodical approach that emphasizes clarity and control. His surfaces are smooth, with visible restraint in brushwork, allowing color relationships and compositional structure to take precedence. The palette is often muted, with carefully calibrated tones that enhance the atmospheric quality of the work. Edges are softened or simplified, contributing to the sense of distance and detachment. His technique reflects a balance between observation and reconstruction—the landscapes are not strictly painted from life, but reconfigured through memory and formal consideration.

Main Series and Bodies of Work

Kahn’s oeuvre is structured around recurring motifs that evolve over time, rather than discrete, formally defined series. Across these motifs, Kahn’s work evolves through subtle shifts in color, scale, and spatial organization, rather than dramatic stylistic changes.

Winter Landscapes
Among his most striking works are his winter scenes, where snow-covered grounds flatten the pictorial space and reduce visual information to essential forms. These compositions often emphasize contrast—dark tree trunks against pale expanses—creating a balance between abstraction and representation. The absence of detail intensifies the emotional resonance, producing a sense of quiet isolation.

Parks and Open Spaces
Kahn frequently depicts parks and semi-urban landscapes, where nature is subtly shaped by human intervention. These works explore thresholds—between natural and constructed environments, openness and enclosure. The compositions often guide the viewer through pathways or across bodies of water, reinforcing a contemplative mode of viewing.

Trees and Vertical Structures
Trees play a central role in Kahn’s visual language, often functioning as structural anchors within the composition. They divide space, create rhythm, and introduce a vertical counterpoint to the horizontal spread of the landscape. In many works, trees are reduced to near-abstract forms, emphasizing their role as compositional elements rather than descriptive details.

Water and Reflection
Bodies of water—ponds, lakes, or rivers—introduce a reflective dimension, both visually and conceptually. These surfaces often mirror the surrounding landscape, doubling the image and reinforcing the sense of stillness and introspection.

Institutional Presence

Kahn’s work has been exhibited in a range of institutional and gallery contexts, with increasing visibility in recent years. His inclusion in exhibitions focusing on contemporary landscape painting and figurative traditions has reinforced his relevance within current discourse. The renewed attention following his association with Matthew Wong has also led to broader institutional recognition.

His works are held in several public collections, including the Portland Museum of Art and other regional institutions in the United States. While historically underrepresented in major museum collections, his increasing visibility suggests a growing institutional reassessment.

Gallery Representation

Scott Kahn is represented by Van Doren Waxter, which played a foundational role in reintroducing his work to the contemporary art scene and establishing his recent market momentum.

In July 2021, Almine Rech announced its exclusive representation of Kahn, following the online solo exhibition One by One: Scott Kahn. This marked a decisive turning point in the artist’s career, positioning his work within a global gallery network and significantly expanding his visibility. Subsequent solo exhibitions include Scott Kahn at Almine Rech Paris Matignon (2021) and The Walled City at Almine Rech New York (May–June 2022), both of which reinforced his institutional and market presence.

Additional exposure through Harper’s has further supported this expansion, contributing to a broader and increasingly international collector base.

This renewed attention follows a pivotal moment in 2018, when Matthew Wong publicly expressed admiration for Kahn’s work. That endorsement acted as a catalyst, triggering a rapid and sustained increase in collector demand—one that continues to define the artist’s market trajectory today. The dialogue with Matthew Wong is particularly significant. Wong openly acknowledged Kahn as an influence, and their work shares a sensitivity to color, solitude, and emotional nuance. This connection has created a bridge between generations, positioning Kahn as both precursor and contemporary.

Back in 2018, Canadian artist Matthew Wong—whose own career was at the time on an unexpected meteoric rise—bought an oil on linen painting of Kahn’s entitled Cul de Sac (2017). Since both were fascinated by nature and actively exploring magical realism in their work, Wong and Kahn had been communicating for years via Facebook despite their significant age difference and living quite far apart. Wong was then in his thirties and living in Edmonton, while Kahn was over seventy and in Brooklyn. On a trip to New York, Wong toured Kahn’s studio, which led to his purchase of Cul de Sac.

“No one was paying any attention to me. I thought I’d die in my cousin’s attic, in poverty, without any recognition.
And then Matthew came along.”

Subsequently, in addition to telling his dealers about Kahn, Wong posted a picture of Cul de Sac on his Instagram feed, which spurred an instant, overwhelming response. Kahn had been represented by Katharina R. Perlow Gallery in New York for twenty-five years during the middle part of his career, but, prior to 2018, he had not had a formal relationship with any gallery for fifteen years. According to Kahn:

Kahn’s work resonates within a broader re-evaluation of quiet, introspective painting in contemporary art. His practice offers an alternative to more expressive or concept-driven approaches, emphasizing instead the enduring power of observation and formal discipline. Scott Kahn’s paintings operate in a space of deliberate restraint, where simplicity becomes a vehicle for depth. His landscapes do not seek to impress or narrate—they invite. In an era often defined by immediacy and spectacle, Kahn’s work offers something rarer: a sustained, quiet engagement with the act of looking.

PART I: SUMMARY

Auction Market Overview

2025 AUCTION STATISTICS
Turnover: USD 1,777,986
+ 25.4% vs. 2024
# Lots sold: 9
Sell-Through Rate: 90%

Highest Price Achieved at Auction:
Big House – Homage to America, 2012
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 25 May 2022
HKD 11,250,000 / USD 1,433,140

Scott Kahn’s market has experienced significant growth in recent years, driven in part by renewed critical attention and collector interest following his connection to Matthew Wong. Demand has been particularly strong for his landscapes, especially those that exemplify his signature balance between abstraction and representation. His relatively limited output, combined with decades of underexposure, has contributed to a sense of scarcity in the market.

Auction Summary

2025 Auction Highlights

9 lots sold at auction in 2025 for a total turnover of USD 1,777,986. With 1 lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 90%. The highest price for 2025 was achieved by In the Wilderness, a painting dated 1984, that sold at Phillips, in New-York, on 14 May 2025, for USD 406,400.

2025 Top 3 Lots

6 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 1,572,246, representing 88.4% of the total turnover for 2025.

2024 Auction Highlights

6 lots sold at auction in 2024 for a total turnover of 1,418,049. With 1 lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 86%. The highest price has been achieved at Christie’s in Hong-Kong on 27 September 2024, when Job, a painting dated 2008, sold for HKD 2,898,000 (USD 372,520).

2024 Top 3 Lots

All lots sold for more than USD 100,000. The average price is 236,341.

2023 Auction Highlights

33 lots sold at auction in 2023 for a total turnover of USD 7,274,861. With 4 lots unsold, the sell-through rate is 89%. The highest price was achieved by Winter on Wig Hill, a painting dated 1991, at Christie’s in London on 28 February 2023.

2023 Top 5 Lots

Only 1 lot sold for more than USD 1 million. 19 lots sold for more than USD 100,000 generating a cumulative turnover of USD 6,516,697, representing 89.6% of the total turnover for 2023.

2022 Auction Highlights

29 lots sold at auction in 2022 for a total turnover of USD 10,233,076. With only 1 lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 97%. The highest price was achieved at Christie’s in Hong-Kong on 26 May 2022, when Big House Homage To America, a painting dated 2012, sold for HKD 11,250,000 (USD 1,433,139).

2022 Top 5 Lots

Only 2 lots sold above USD 1 million. 23 lots sold above USD 1 million, generating a total turnover of USD 9,773,120, representing 95.5% of the total turnover for 2022.

Top Lots

#1. Big House – Homage to America, 2012

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 25 May 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 11,250,000 / USD 1,433,140

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
BIG HOUSE, HOMAGE TO AMERICA, 2012
Oil on linen
62 1⁄4 x 72 inches (58×183 cm)
signed and dated (on the lower right bottom edge)
Signed, titled and dated (on the upper overlap)

#2. Winter on Wig Hill, 1991

Christie’s London: 28 February 2023
Estimated: GBP 300,000 – 500,000
GBP 978,000 / USD 1,182,873

SCOTT KAHN (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Winter on Wig Hill, 1991
Oil on linen
66×78 inches (167.7 x 198 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ‘91’ (lower right)
Signed, titled and dated ‘WINTER ON WIG HILL KAHN 1991’ (on the overlap)

#3. Griswold Pond, 2010

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 30 November 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,500,000 – 2,500,000
HKD 7,812,000 / USD 1,000,896

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Griswold Pond, 2010
Oil on linen
62×72 inches (157.5 x 182.8 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’10’ (lower right)

Phillips Hong-Kong: 30 November 2021
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 1,500,000
HKD 7,510,000 / USD 963,203

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contemp… Lot 13 November 2021 | Phillips

SCOTT KAHN
Cadman Plaza, 2002
Oil on linen
62 x 75 7/8 inches (157.5 x 193 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’02’ lower right
Further signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘”CADMAN PLAZA” KAHN 2002 © 2002 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ on the overlap

#5. Croquet, 1992

Christie’s London: 12 October 2022
Estimated: GBP 100,000 – 150,000
GBP 793,800 / USD 900,408

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Croquet, 1992
Oil on linen
36 1/8 x 32 inches (91.8 x 81.4 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’92’ (lower right)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated (on the overlap)

PART II: AUCTION RESULTS

2026 Auction Results

NO SALE AT AUCTION AS OF 15 MARCH 2026

2025 Auction Results

9 lots sold at auction in 2025 for a total turnover of USD 1,777,986. With 1 lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 90%. The highest price for 2025 was achieved by In the Wilderness, a painting dated 1984, that sold at Phillips, in New-York, on 14 May 2025, for USD 406,400.

2025 Top 3 Lots

6 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 1,572,246, representing 88.4% of the total turnover for 2025.

#1. In the Wilderness, 1984

Phillips New-York: 14 May 2025
Estimated: USD 250,000 – 350,000
USD 406,400

Scott Kahn Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Afternoon Session

#2. Family Portrait, 1985

Christie’s New-York: 15 May 2025
Estimated: USD 250,000 – 350,000
USD 327,600

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Family Portrait | Christie’s

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Family Portrait, 1985
Oil on linen
78×78 inches (198×198 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’85’ (lower right)
Signed again twice, titled and dated again twice
‘FAMILY PORTRAIT KAHN 1985 © 1985 by Scott Kahn’
(on the overlap)

#3. Interior, 1996

Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 30 March 2025
Estimated: HKD 1,200,000 – 2,200,000
HKD 2,159,000 / USD 277,506

Scott Kahn 斯科特 · 卡恩 | Interior 室内 | Modern & Contemporary Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s

SCOTT KAHN (b. 1946)
Interior, 1996
Oil on linen
62 1/8 x 68 inches (157.7 x 172.8 cm)
Signed and dated ’96 (lower right)

#4. Sunset from the Attic II, 2018

Christie’s New-York: 15 May 2025
Estimated: USD 70,000 – 100,000
USD 277,200

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Sunset from the Attic II | Christie’s

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Sunset from the Attic II, 2018
Oil on canvas
24×20 inches (61 x 50.8 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’18’ (lower right)
Signed again twice, titled and dated again twice
‘SUNSET FROM THE ATTIC II KAHN 2018 © 2018 by Scott Kahn’
(on the overlap)

#5. Berkshire Nightscape II, 2005

Larsen Art Auction: 26 April 2025
Estimated: USD 150,000 – 250,000
USD 135,000 (Hammer)
USD 162,000

Lot – Scott Kahn Berkshire Nightscape II, 2005

SCOTT KAHN (American, b. 1946)
Berkshire Nightscape II, 2005
Oil on linen
36×40 inches (91.4 x 101.6 cm)
Signed and dated Scott Kahn 05, lower right

#6. Reflecting in the Wilderness, 2005

Phillips Hong-Kong: 27 May 2025
Estimated: HKD 700,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 952,500 / USD 121,540

Scott Kahn Modern & Contemporary Art: Evening & Day Sale

USD 100,000

#7. Still Life with Pitcher, 1981

Sotheby’s New-York: 28 February 2025
Estimated: USD 70,000 – 100,000
USD 82,550

Still Life with Pitcher | Contemporary Discoveries | 2025 | Sotheby’s

SCOTT KAHN (b. 1946)
Still Life with Pitcher, 1981
Oil on canvas
36×32 inches (91.4 x 81.3 cm)
Signed and dated ’81 (lower right)
Signed, titled and dated 1981 (on the overlap)

#8. Portrait of Fred Kirwin, 1987

Christie’s New-York: 30 September 2025
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 69,850

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Portrait of Fred Kirwin | Christie’s

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Portrait of Fred Kirwin, 1987
Oil on canvas
34×30 inches (86.4 x 76.2 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’87’ (lower right)

#9. Boat Basin, 1981

Sotheby’s New-York: 16 May 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 53,340

Boat Basin | Contemporary Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s

REPEAT SALE

Sotheby’s New-York: 19 July 2023
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 44,450

Boat Basin | Contemporary Discoveries | 2023 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

SCOTT KAHN (b. 1946)
Boat Basin, 1981
Oil on linen
27×33 inches (68.6 x 83.8 cm)
Signed and dated ‘81 (lower right)
Signed, titled and dated 1981 (on the overlap)

Lots Passed

The Greek Church, 1997

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 29 March 2025
Estimated: HKD 1,200,000 – 2,200,000
PASSED

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), The Greek Church | Christie’s

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
The Greek Church, 1997
Oil on canvas
32×36 inches (81.3 x 91.4 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’97’ (lower right)
Signed, signed, titled, dated and inscribed
‘THE GREEK CHURCH KAHN 1997 ©1997 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’
(on the overlap)

2024 Auction Results

6 lots sold at auction in 2024 for a total turnover of 1,418,049. With 1 lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 86%. The highest price has been achieved at Christie’s in Hong-Kong on 27 September 2024, when Job, a painting dated 2008, sold for HKD 2,898,000 (USD 372,520). All lots sold for more than USD 100,000. The average price is USD 236,341.

2024 Top 3 Lots

#1. Job, 1998

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 27 September 2024
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 2,898,000 / USD 372,520

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Job | Christie’s

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Job, 1998
Oil on linen
61 3/4 x 76 1/8 inches (157 x 193.2 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’98’ (lower right)
Signed, titled, dated and inscribed ‘JOB KAHN 1998 ©1998 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ (on the overlap)

#2. Cedar Lake, 1988

Rago: 24 September 2024
Estimated: USD 200,000 – 300,000
USD 252,000

106: SCOTT KAHN, Cedar Lake < Post War & Contemporary Art, 24 September 2024 < Auctions | Rago Auctions

#3. April in Old Lyme, 2008

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 29 May 2024
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 1,890,000 / USD 241,966

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), April in Old Lyme | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
April in Old Lyme, 2008
Oil on linen
30×36 inches (76.2 x 91.4 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ‘08’ (lower right)

#4. Pennsylvania New Jersey Border, 1993

Christie’s London: 27 June 2024
Estimated: GBP 120,000 – 180,000
GBP 151,200 / USD 191,722

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

REPEAT SALE

Christie’s New-York: 13 May 2022
Estimated: USD 150,000 – 200,000
USD 403,200

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Pennsylvania New Jersey Border | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Pennsylvania New Jersey Border, 1993
Oil on canvas
36×40 inches (91.6 x 101.5 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’93’ (lower right)
Signed twice, titled, inscribed and dated twice ‘PENNSYLVANIA NEW JERSEY BORDER KAHN 1993 © 1993 by Scott Kahn’ (on the overlap)

#5. Tree of Life, 2009

China Guardian Hong-Kong: 7 April 2024
Estimated: HKD 1,200,000 – 1,800,000
HKD 1,440,000 / USD 184,096

Auction | China Guardian (HK) Auctions Co., Ltd. (cguardian.com.hk)

2023 Auction Results

33 lots sold at auction in 2023 for a total turnover of USD 7,274,861. With 4 lots unsold, the sell-through rate is 89%. The highest price was achieved by Winter on Wig Hill, a painting dated 1991, at Christie’s in London on 28 February 2023. Only 1 lot sold above USD 1 million. 19 lots sold over USD 100,000 for a cumulative turnover USD 6,516,697, representing 89.6% of the total turnover for 2023.

2023 Top 5 Lots

#1. Winter on Wig Hill, 1991

Christie’s London: 28 February 2023
Estimated: GBP 300,000 – 500,000
GBP 978,000 / USD 1,182,873

SCOTT KAHN (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Winter on Wig Hill, 1991
Oil on linen
66×78 inches (167.7 x 198 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ‘91’ (lower right)
Signed, titled and dated ‘WINTER ON WIG HILL KAHN 1991’ (on the overlap)

#2. Twilight, 1982

Christie’s New-York: 10 November 2023
Estimated: USD 150,000 – 250,000
USD 819,000

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Twilight, 1982
Oil on canvas
36 1/4 x 36 2/4 inches (92.1 x 92.1 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’82’ (lower right)
Signed again twice
Titled and dated again twice ‘TWILIGHT KAHN 1982 © 1982 by Scott Kahn’ (on the overlap)

USD 500,000

#3. The Swimming Pool, 1998

Rago Auctions: 8 November 2023
Estimated: USD 200,000 – 300,000
USD 453,600

108: SCOTT KAHN, The Swimming Pool < Post War & Contemporary Art, 8 November 2023 < Auctions | Rago Auctions (ragoarts.com)

#4. The Kipling Garden, 1991

Phillips Hong-Kong: 31 March 2023
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 1,500,000
HKD 3,048,000 / USD 388,285

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contempor… Lot 113 March 2023 | Phillips

#5. New Moon, 2013

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 29 May 2023
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 3,024,000 / USD 386,290

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
New Moon, 2013
Oil on linen
24×28 inches (60.9 x 71.1 cm)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘NEW MOON KAHN 2013 2013 Scott Kahn all rights reserved’
(on the overlap)

#6. Carnations, 2003

Christie’s New-York: 12 May 2023
Estimated: USD 150,000 – 250,000
USD 378,000

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Carnations, 2003
Oil on canvas
36 1/8 x 40 1/8 inches (91.8 x 101.9 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’03’ (lower right)

#7. Winter Morning, 1992

Christie’s London: 14 October 2023
Estimated: GBP 100,000 – 150,000
GBP 302,400 / USD 366,678

Scott Kahn (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Winter Morning, 1992
Oil on linen
30×32 inches (76.2 x 81.3 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ‘92’ (lower right)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated
‘WINTER MORNING KAHN 1992 ©1992 by Scott Kahn’ (on the overlap)

#8. Queen’s Park, 1998

Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 5 April 2023
Estimated: HKD 1,200,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 2,794,000 / USD 355,928

Scott Kahn 斯科特 · 卡恩 | Queen’s Park 皇后公園 | 50th Anniversary Contemporary Evening Auction | 2023 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

SCOTT KAHN (b. 1946)
Queen’s Park, 1998
oil on linen
30×36 inches (76.2 x 91.4 cm)
Signed and dated ’98 

#9. Full Moon, 1998

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 28 November 2023
Estimated: HKD 600,000 – 900,000
HKD 2,772,000 / USD 355,880

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Full Moon | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Full Moon, 1998
Oil on canvas
28 1/2 x 22 1/2 inches (72.4 x 57.2 cm)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘KAHN FULL MOON 1998’ (on the reverse)

#10. Berkshire Spring, 2005

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 29 May 2023
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 2,268,000 / USD 289,718

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Berkshire Spring | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Berkshire Spring, 2005
Oil on linen
44×50 inches (111.7 x 127 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’05’ (lower right)

#11. Autumn Moon, 2014-2015

Christie’s London: 1 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 80,000 – 120,000
GBP 201,600 / USD 242,628

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Autumn Moon, 2014-2015
Oil on linen
24 1/8 x 28 1/8 inches (61.3 x 71.5 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’14’ (lower right)

#12. Still Life with Roses and Cards, 1986

Phillips New-York: 16 May 2023
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 241,300

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contemporar… Lot 373 May 2023 | Phillips

#13. Sunset Over the Hollow, 1990

Christie’s Shanghai: 23 September 2023
Estimated: CNY 300,000 – 500,000
CNY 1,638,000 / USD 224,984

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Sunset Over the Hollow, 1990
Oil on linen
16×20 inches (40.6 x 50.8 cm)
Signed and dated ‘S. Kahn ’90 (lower right)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘SUNSET OVER THE HOLLOW 1990 © 1990 by S. Kahn all rights reserved’ (on the stretcher)

#14. Market Square, Eynsham, 2005

Christie’s New-York: 10 March 2023
Estimated: USD 80,000 – 120,000
USD 189,000

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Market Square, Eynsham, 2005
Oil on canvas
20×24 inches
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’05’ (lower right)

#15. Circular Driveway, 1983

Shannon’s: 26 October 2023
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 75,000
USD 175,000

Lot – SCOTT KAHN, American b. 1946, “Circular Driveway”, 1983, oil on canvas, 30 x 30 inches (76.2 x 76.2 cm.), Frame: 31 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 31 1/4 in. (79.4 x 3.8 x 79.4 cm.) (shannons.com)

SCOTT KAHN (American, b. 1946)
Circular Driveway, 1983
Oil on canvas
30 x 30 inches (76.2 x 76.2 cm)
Signed and dated lower right “Scott Kahn ’83”
Signed, titled, and dated on the reverse, inscribed on the reverse “© 1983 by Scott Kahn/all rights reserved”

#16. Balcony Pine Run, 2002

Bonhams Hong-Kong: 25 November 2023
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 1,020,000 / USD 130,833

Bonhams : Scott Kahn (B. 1946) Balcony Pine Run

#17. Changeable Weather, 2007

Phillips London: 3 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 70,000 – 90,000
GBP 101,600 / USD 121,866

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contempor… Lot 133 March 2023 | Phillips

#18. Duke’s Mound, 1998

Phillips Hong-Kong: 31 March 2023
Estimated: HKD 400,000 – 600,000
HKD 889,000/ USD 113,250

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contempor… Lot 115 March 2023 | Phillips

#20. Self Portrait as a Tree, 2007

Christie’s London: 1 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 60,000 – 80,000
GBP 81,900 / USD 98,567

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Self Portrait as a Tree | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Self Portrait as a Tree, 2007
Oil on linen, in artist’s frame
22 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches (57.2 x 47 cm)
Signed and dated ‘S. Kahn ’07’ (lower right)
Signed twice, titled, inscribed and dated twice ‘SELF PORTRAIT AS A TREE KAHN 2007 © 2007 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ (on the overlap)

#21. Lynda in Italy, 1987

Christie’s London: 29 June 2023
Estimated: GBP 70,000 – 100,000
GBP 75,600 / USD 95,370

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Lynda in Italy | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Lynda in Italy, 1987
Oil on linen
48 x 42 1/8 inches (122 x 106.9 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’87’ (lower right)
Signed twice, titled, inscribed and dated twice ‘© 1987 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved. 1987. KAHN LYNDA IN ITALY (on the overlap)

#22. Full Moon Over The Channel, 2006

Shannon’s: 26 October 2023
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 93,750

Lot – SCOTT KAHN, American b. 1946, “Full Moon Over the Channel”, 2006, oil on canvas, 20 x 17 inches (50.8 x 43.2 cm.), Frame: 24 x 1 1/2 x 21 in. (61 x 3.8 x 53.3 cm.) (shannons.com)

SCOTT KAHN (American, b. 1946)
Full Moon Over The Channel, 2006
Oil on canvas
20×17 inches (50.8 x 43.2 cm)
Signed and dated lower right “S. Kahn ’06”
Titled, signed, and dated on the reverse, inscribed on the reverse “© 2006 by Scott Kahn/all rights reserved”

#23. View of Shelter Island Sound, 1979

Sotheby’s New-York: 28 September 2023
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 88,900

View of Shelter Island Sound | Contemporary Curated | 2023 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

SCOTT KAHN (b. 1946)
View of Shelter Island Sound, 1979
Oil on canvas
38×42 inches (96.5 x 106.7 cm)
Signed and dated 79 (lower right)

#24. Ascent, 2019

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 24 September 2023
Estimated: HKD 300,000 – 500,000
HKD 604,800 / USD 77,337

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Ascent | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Ascent, 2019
Oil on linen
43 1/8 x 38 1/8 inches (109.5 x 96.8 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’19’ (lower left)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘ASCENT KAHN 2019 © 2019 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ (on the overlap)

#25. Sage Street, Sag Harbor, 1979

Shannon’s: 26 October 2023
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 68,750

Lot – SCOTT KAHN, American b. 1946, “Sage Street, Sag Harbor”, 1979, oil on canvas, 26 x 31 inches (66 x 78.7 cm.), Frame: 27 1/4 x 1 3/4 x 32 in. (69.2 x 4.4 x 81.3 cm.) (shannons.com)

SCOTT KAHN (American, b. 1946)
Sage Street, Sag Harbor, 1979
Oil on canvas
26×31 inches (66 x 78.7 cm)
Signed and dated lower right “Scott Kahn ’79”
Titled, signed, and dated on the reverse, inscribed on the reverse “© 1979 by Scott Kahn/all rights reserved”

#26. Boat Basin, 1981

Sotheby’s New-York: 19 July 2023
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 44,450

Boat Basin | Contemporary Discoveries | 2023 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

SCOTT KAHN (b. 1946)
Boat Basin, 1981
Oil on linen
27×33 inches (68.6 x 83.8 cm)
Signed and dated 1981 (lower right)

#27. Spring Path, 2016

China Guardian Hong-Kong: 8 October 2023
Estimated: HKD 250,000 – 350,000
HKD 300,000 / USD 38,306

Auction | China Guardian (HK) Auctions Co., Ltd. (cguardian.com.hk)

#28. Coffee, 1980

SCOTT KAHN (American, b. 1946)
Coffee, 1980
Oil on canvas
40×38 inches (101.6 x 96.5 cm)
Signed and dated lower right “Scott Kahn ’80”
Titled, signed, and dated on the reverse, inscribed on the reverse “© 1980 by Scott Kahn/all rights reserved”

#29. Tea, 1979

Shannon’s: 26 October 2023
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 32,500

Lot – SCOTT KAHN, American b. 1946, “Tea”, 1979, oil on canvas, 38 x 40 inches. (96.5 x 101.6 cm.), Frame: 39 1/4 x 1 3/4 x 41 1/4 in. (99.7 x 4.4 x 104.8 cm.) (shannons.com)

SCOTT KAHN (American, b. 1946)
Tea, 1979
oil on canvas
38×40 inches (96.5 x 101.6 cm)
Titled, signed, dated on the reverse “Tea, Kahn 1979”

#30. Flowers From The Garden, 1988

Shannon’s: 26 October 2023
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 28,600

Lot – SCOTT KAHN, American b. 1946, “Flowers From the Garden”, 1988, oil on canvas, 16 x 13 inches (40.6 x 33 cm.), Frame: 17 x 1 1/4 x 14 in. (43.2 x 3.2 x 35.6 cm.) (shannons.com)

SCOTT KAHN (American, b. 1946)
Flowers From The Garden, 1988
oil on canvas
16×13 inches (40.6 x 33 cm)
Signed and dated lower right “S. Kahn ’88”
Titled, signed, and dated on the reverse, inscribed on the reverse “© 1988 by S. Kahn / all rights reserved”

#31. Peruvian Pot, 2005

Bonhams London: 15 December 2023
Estimated: GBP 8,000 – 12,000
GBP 17,920 / USD 22,884

Bonhams : SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) Peruvian Pot 2005

#33. Portrait Of Claude Fusco, 1988

Shannon’s: 26 October 2023
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 12,500

Lot – SCOTT KAHN, American b. 1946, “Portrait of Claude Fusco”, 1988, oil on canvas, 20 x 20 inches (50.8 x 50.8 cm.), Frame: 21 x 1 1/4 x 21 in. (53.3 x 3.2 x 53.3 cm.) (shannons.com)

SCOTT KAHN (American, b. 1946)
Portrait Of Claude Fusco, 1988
Oil on canvas
20×20 inches (50.8 x 50.8 cm)
Signed and dated lower right “S. Kahn ’88”
Titled, signed, and dated on the reverse, inscribed on the reverse “© 1988 by Scott Kahn/all rights reserved”

2022 Auction Results

29 lots sold at auction in 2022 for a total turnover of USD 10,233,076. With only 1 lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 97%. The highest price was achieved at Christie’s in Hong-Kong on 26 May 2022, when Big House Homage To America, a painting dated 2012, sold for HKD 11,250,000 (USD 1,433,139).

2022 Top 5 Lots

Two lots sold for more than USD 1 million. 23 lots sold for more than 100,000, generating a total turnover of USD 9,773,120, representing 95.5% of the total turnover for 2022.

#1. Big House – Homage to America, 2012

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 25 May 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 11,250,000 / USD 1,433,139

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
BIG HOUSE, HOMAGE TO AMERICA, 2012
Oil on linen
62 1⁄4 x 72 inches (58×183 cm)
signed and dated (on the lower right bottom edge)
Signed, titled and dated (on the upper overlap)

#2. Griswold Pond, 2010

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 30 November 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,500,000 – 2,500,000
HKD 7,812,000 / USD 1,000,896

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Griswold Pond, 2010
Oil on linen
62×72 inches (157.5 x 182.8 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’10’ (lower right)

#3. Croquet, 1992

Christie’s London: 12 October 2022
Estimated: GBP 100,000 – 150,000
GBP 793,800 / USD 900,408

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Croquet, 1992
Oil on linen
36 1/8 x 32 inches (91.8 x 81.4 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’92’ (lower right)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated (on the overlap)

#4. Into the Woods, 2016

Christie’s Shanghai: 1 March 2022
Estimated: CNY 800,000 – 1,200,000
CNY 5,670,000 / USD 898,160

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Into the Woods, 2016
Oil on linen
30×40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm)
Signed ‘Scott Kahn 16’ (lower right)

#5. Burning Leaves, 1987

Sotheby’s New-York: 17 November 2022
Estimated: USD 200,000 – 300,000
USD 529,200

Burning Leaves | Contemporary Day Auction | 2022 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Burning Leaves, 1987
Oil on linen
66×78 inches (167.6 x 198.1 cm)
Signed Scott Kahn and dated ‘87 (lower right)
Signed KAHN and by Scott Kahn, titled and dated 1987 and ©1987 (on the overlap)

#6. Soundview, 2008

Phillips Hong-Kong: 22 June 2022
Estimated: HKD 900,000 – 1,400,000
HKD 4,032,000 / USD 513,650

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contemporary… Lot 4 June 2022 | Phillips

#7. Bird of Paradise, 1997

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 27 May 2022
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 3,780,000 / USD 481,559

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Bird of Paradise | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Bird of Paradise, 1997
Oil on linen
26×28 inches (66×71 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ‘97’ (lower right)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘BIRD OF PARADISE KAHN 1997 ©1997 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ (on the overlap)

#8. Pennsylvania New Jersey Border, 1993

Christie’s New-York: 13 May 2022
Estimated: USD 150,000 – 200,000
USD 403,200

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Pennsylvania New Jersey Border | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Pennsylvania New Jersey Border, 1993
Oil on canvas
36×40 inches (91.4 x 101.6 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’93’ (lower right)
Signed again twice, titled and dated again twice ‘PENNSYLVANIA NEW JERSEY BORDER KAHN 1993 © 1993 by Scott Kahn’ (on the overlap)

#9. Shelley’s House, 2015

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 1 December 2022
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 3,024,000 / USD 388,798

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Shelley’s House, 2015
Oil on linen
24×30 inches (61 x 76.2 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’15’ (lower left)
Signed again, inscribed, titled and dated again ‘SHELLEY’S HOUSE KAHN 2015 © 2015 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ (on the overlap)

#10. The Studio, 1989

Bonhams New-York: 19 May 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 353,175

Bonhams : SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) The Studio 1989

#11. Heatwave, 2013

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 26 May 2022
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 2,772,000 / USD 353,143

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Heatwave, 2013
Oil on linen
20 1⁄8 x 22 inches (51.1 x 55.9 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ‘13’ (lower right)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated (on the overlap)

#12. The Daniels’ Garden at L’Angle D’Oie, 2000

Christie’s New-York: 13 May 2022
Estimated: USD 75,000 – 95,000
USD 327,600

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), The Daniels’ Garden at L’Angle D’Oie | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
The Daniels’ Garden at L’Angle D’Oie, 2000
Oil on canvas
16×20 inches (40.6 x 50.8 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’00’ (lower right)
Signed again twice, inscribed, titled and dated again twice ‘THE DANIELS’ GARDEN AT L’ANGLE D’OIE KAHN 2000 © 2000 by Scott Kahn’ (on the overlap)

#13. Cadman Plaza Summer, 2006

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 1 December 2022
Estimated: HKD 1,00,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 2,016,000 / USD 259,199

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Cadman Plaza Summer, 2006
Oil on linen
44×50 inches (111.7 x 127 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Khan ’06’ (lower right)

#14. Point House, The End, 2020

Christie’s New-York: 17 November 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 252,000

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Point House, The End, 2020
Oil on panel
24×24 inches (61×61 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’20’ (lower right)
Signed again twice, titled and dated again twice (on the reverse)

#15. April in Old Lyme, 2008

Christie’s New-York: 29 September 2022
Estimated: USD 80,000 – 120,000
USD 252,000

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), April in Old Lyme | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
April in Old Lyme, 2008
Oil on linen
30×36 inches (76.2 x 91.4 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’08’ (lower right)
Signed again, inscribed, titled and dated again ‘APRIL IN OLD LYME KAHN 2008 © 2008 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ (on the overlap)

#16. Variation, 1986

Phillips New-York: 19 May 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 212,500

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contemporar… Lot 313 May 2022 | Phillips

#17. Landscape with Tile Floor, 1986

Christie’s London: 14 October 2022
Estimated: GBP 80,000 – 120,000
GBP 207,900 / USD 233,071

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Landscape with Tile Floor | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Landscape with Tile Floor, 1986
Oil on linen, in artist’s frame
20 1/4 x 20 1/4 inches (52.2 x 52.2 cm)
Signed and dated ‘S. Kahn ’86’ (lower right)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘KAHN 1986 LANDSCAPE WITH TILE FLOOR © 1986 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ (on the overlap)

#18. Bush at Sunset, 1984

Phillips New-York: 16 November 2022
Estimated: USD 150,000 – 200,000
USD 214,200

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contem… Lot 329 November 2022 | Phillips

#19. The Woods, 2017

Shannon’s: 27 October 2022
Estimated: USD 80,000 – 120,000
USD 212,500

Lot – SCOTT KAHN, American (b. 1946), “The Woods”, 2017, oil on linen, 20 x 22 inches (shannons.com)

SCOTT KAHN (American, b. 1946)
The Woods, 2017
Oil on linen
20×22 inches
Signed and dated lower right “Scott Kahn, ’17”
Titled, signed and inscribed on the stretcher “2016-2017, © 2017 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved”

#20. Monument Mountain – After the Rain, 1984

Sotheby’s New-York: 17 November 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 138,600

Monument Mountain – After the Rain | Contemporary Day Auction | 2022 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

SCOTT KAHN (b. 1946)
Monument Mountain – After the Rain, 1984
Oil on linen
40×35 inches (101.6 x 88.9 cm)
Signed Scott Kahn and dated ‘84 (lower right)
Signed KAHN and by Scott Kahn, titled and dated 1984 and ©1984 (on the overlap)

#21. Elise’s Garden, 1988

Phillips Hong-Kong: 30 November 2022
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 1,008,000 / USD 129,147

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contem… Lot 123 November 2022 | Phillips

#22. Protected Alcove, 1992

Christie’s New-York: 29 September 2022
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 126,000

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Protected Alcove | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Protected Alcove, 1992
Oil on linen
14×16 inches (35.6 x 40.6 cm)
Signed and dated ‘S. Kahn ’92’ (lower right)
Signed again, titled and dated again ‘PROTECTED ALCOVE KAHN 1992 © 1992 by S. Kahn’ (on the overlap)

2021 Auction Results

#1. Cadman Plaza, 2002

Phillips Hong-Kong: 30 November 2021
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 1,500,000
HKD 7,510,000 / USD 963,203

SCOTT KAHN
Cadman Plaza, 2002
Oil on linen
62 x 75 7/8 inches (157.5 x 193 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’02’ lower right
Further signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘”CADMAN PLAZA” KAHN 2002 © 2002 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ on the overlap

PART III: FOCUS

Winter Landscapes

Winter Morning, 1992

Christie’s London: 14 October 2023
Estimated: GBP 100,000 – 150,000
GBP 302,400 / USD 366,678

Scott Kahn (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Winter Morning, 1992
Oil on linen
30×32 inches (76.2 x 81.3 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ‘92’ (lower right)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated
‘WINTER MORNING KAHN 1992 ©1992 by Scott Kahn’ (on the overlap)

Painted in 1992, Scott Kahn’s frosty landscape heralds the first jubilant light of morning. Rising from behind a faraway woodland, the low, pendulous sun bathes the scene with a brilliant pale lustre. Trees stand bare and exposed to the winter chill, bristling with spectral drama. Their tangled branches cast long shadows onto the snow and seem to creep across the painting’s surface like tracery. Though devoid of human presence, except for a discreet stone boundary wall to the left of the canvas, the landscape teems with life. Deeply inspired by his natural surroundings, the present painting is one from a number of works executed while Kahn was residing at a patron’s home in Chester, Connecticut. Featuring soft rolling hills, thick fleecy clouds and bewitching winter trees, the Massachusetts-born artist evokes the familiar New England countryside. Recently achieving explosive, global success in the art market at the age of seventy, Kahn is widely known for his figurative, Magic Realist style. Conjuring distinctly atmospheric landscapes, still lifes, portraits and interiors, he draws not only from direct observation, but from recollected memory, dreams, and imagination. Working in this diaristic, autobiographical mode, Kahn constructs worlds that feel hinged in reality yet loose and faraway, as though recollected or imagined. Leitmotifs recur across his paintings, weaving through a thread of familiarity and association. At once we recognize the fluffy, exquisitely modelled clouds, and Kahn’s signature burning sun, rendered so often as a perfect and enigmatic disc that seems to singe through the canvas surface. Often painting scenes from memory and dreams, Kahn’s work speaks to early twentieth-century Surrealist invocations of the uncanny, the ‘familiar made strange’. Wanting to create work that ‘suggests something beyond what is actually being seen’, Kahn’s paintings can be defined by an atmosphere that is at once mesmeric and disquieting, real and imagined.

Winter on Wig Hill, 1991

Christie’s London: 28 February 2023
Estimated: GBP 300,000 – 500,000
GBP 978,000 / USD 1,182,873

SCOTT KAHN (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Winter on Wig Hill, 1991
Oil on linen
66×78 inches (167.7 x 198 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ‘91’ (lower right)
Signed, titled and dated ‘WINTER ON WIG HILL KAHN 1991’ (on the overlap)

An enigmatic scene of snow-hushed splendor, Winter on Wig Hill (1991) is a magical large-scale landscape by Scott Kahn. Spanning almost two meters across, it presents an immersive vista rich in detail, texture and hints of symbolism, based on a location in Chester, Connecticut, close to the artist’s long-time home. The painting is dominated by swelling, dappled mounds of snow, their soft shadows and contours as smooth as polished marble. They are dotted with dark, spindly trees, sections of low stone wall, and a red-painted garage that seems to float on its blanket of white: it is answered, to the left, by a single evergreen shrub. Free of human presence, the painting places these objects in silent conversation. The background gives way to a tree line of variegated golden-brown branches and distant, stippled hills. Crisp clouds fill the sky, which fades from a stormy grey to a clear blue. Stone walls frame the foreground, furthering the picture’s play of symmetry: a driveway of rutted snow seems to rush out towards the viewer.

Kahn’s paintings are renowned for their surreal, cinematic staging and beguilingly dreamlike aura. They are also animated by a rich sensitivity to the realities of landscape, light, and the shifting seasons. Kahn studied at the Arts Students League, New York, under Theodoros Stamos in 1968, and received his MFA in painting two years later. After this early abstract period, it was a four-year stint living in Sag Harbor, Long Island, where he taught himself to paint landscapes, portraits, and interiors from life, that proved foundational for Kahn’s mature practice. His more fantastical works are often composed when he has no appropriate setting at hand, and must draw instead on imagination and memory. With beauty in his sights, however, he is a keen observer of the outside world.

Parks

Queen’s Park, 1998

Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 5 April 2023
Estimated: HKD 1,200,000 – 2,000,000
HKD 2,794,000 / USD 355,928

Scott Kahn 斯科特 · 卡恩 | Queen’s Park 皇后公園 | 50th Anniversary Contemporary Evening Auction | 2023 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

SCOTT KAHN (b. 1946)
Queen’s Park, 1998
oil on linen
30×36 inches (76.2 x 91.4 cm)
Signed and dated ’98 

Exuding a quiet vitality, Queen’s Park from 1998 is a masterful and enchanting example of Scott Kahn’s ingenious synthesis of hyper-realistic painting and surrealistic landscapes. Among the most renowned names in contemporary American art, Kahn has built a unique artistic and expressive language, his chimerical and autumnal compositions radiating a sense of tranquility and calm which is instantly arresting. Striking with its rhythmic cadence of dense brushwork, stylistic precision and tonal vibrancy, Queen’s Park is an archetypal example of the remarkable, almost supernatural, universe which the artist has been consistently developing since the mid-1980s. The present work was exhibited in 2021 at Harper’s Chelsea 534 + Harper’s Apartment in New York as part of the most comprehensive presentation of Kahn’s oeuvre to date, providing the public a broad overview of his unique approach to combining naturalistic painting with surrealist flourishes.

At once ghostly and tranquil, Queen’s Park is a symphony of calming greens, blues and earthy tones in which Kahn explores the recurring themes of rest and relaxation. Executed with fastidious precision – every ripple in the silent pool, every blade of grass, every sweeping cloud in the sky is rendered in sensuous detail – Queen’s Park expertly blends the interior world of the imagination with the natural landscape. The crisp greens of the trees and the rich yellow-green of the rolling hills are articulated with staccato-like brushstrokes by Kahn, who was deeply influenced by the compositions of Vincent van Gogh and the ingenious aesthetic of René Magritte. Unlike his contemporaries from the New York school who were practitioners of Abstract Expressionism, Kahn’s compositions investigate magical realism following the footsteps of the Modernists. Carefully constructed in a flattened perspective, Queen’s Park expresses a subtle sentiment of solitude and tranquility, capturing intangible and fleeting emotions.

Croquet, 1992

Christie’s London: 12 October 2022
Estimated: GBP 100,000 – 150,000
GBP 793,800 / USD 900,408

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Croquet, 1992
Oil on linen
36 1/8 x 32 inches (91.8 x 81.4 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’92’ (lower right)
Signed, titled, inscribed and dated (on the overlap)

Acquired directly from the artist in 1996, Croquet (1992) is a visionary landscape by Scott Kahn. The work was painted during a period in which Kahn was living in a sea-view flat in Brighton, East Sussex, and depicts the easternmost house on the historic Lewes Crescent: one of these grand Victorian mansions, with a secret tunnel to the seafront, is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The building sits to the left of a garden of rolling green lawns, whose every blade has been picked out with obsessive attention. At the center, framed by dark, windswept trees, is an abandoned croquet game. An empty white bench faces away from the pitch. Beyond is the sea—painted with shimmering waves, and a cluster of white boats that echo the croquet hoops below—and a vast blue sky filled with dramatic, otherworldly red clouds. A wrought-iron gate in the foreground places us at a remove from the scene, heightening its tenor of surreal mystery.

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1946, Kahn received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1967. The following year he studied at the Arts Students League, New York, under Theodoros Stamos, where he encountered first-generation Abstract Expressionists including Mark Rothko. He earned his MFA in painting from Rutgers University in 1970. Initially working in a mode informed by artists such as Kenneth Noland, Frank Stella and Helen Frankenthaler, Kahn discarded abstraction altogether when he began to feel it didn’t adequately reflect his own lived experience. He spent four years living in Sag Harbor, at the end of Long Island, teaching himself to paint landscapes, still lifes, interiors and portraits from life. He views this time as his most important period of learning and considers himself a self-taught artist. On his return to New York City, in the absence of beautiful views from his window, Kahn began to draw upon his imagination, dreams and memories, and his work took on the more fantastical quality for which he is best known today. With a miniaturist’s eye for detail and a cinematic sense of staging, he has continued to develop this style over the past four decades. Croquet conjures an uncanny, dreamlike aura worth of Alice’s journey through the rabbit-hole. In the absence of human figures, every detail from the rosy clouds to the rich, meticulously detailed foliage seems alive with symbolism, narrative intrigue and anthropomorphic presence. Kahn, however, sees his works as essentially diaristic: while they contain imaginary elements, all are ultimately drawn from real-life experience.

Soundview, 2008

Phillips Hong-Kong: 22 June 2022
Estimated: HKD 900,000 – 1,400,000
HKD 4,032,000 / USD 513,650

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contemporary… Lot 4 June 2022 | Phillips

Currently based in Brooklyn, New York, Scott Kahn is best known for his striking yet intricate oil paintings, carefully composed to showcase a highly methodical manipulation of light, shadow, and depth. Kahn’s oeuvre is a collection of autobiographical vignettes, encompassing serene landscapes, familiar portraits, and domestic interiors that the artist recalls from his creative reveries. Artfully refracted through the prism of memory, emotion, and experience, Kahn’s work is a harmonious marriage of existing locations and his own phantasmagorical interpretations. His manifestations are delightful and warm in their realistic nature, yet he diverges from the traditional path of naturalistic painting, incorporating subtle elements of the surreal into his work and instilling in it a simmering sense of unease. Kahn’s detailed, dreamlike canvases strike the perfect balance between the homely and the haunting, creating an aesthetic that, while seemingly reminiscent of American Regionalism, is completely unique. Kahn’s 2008 painting takes us to a park in Soundview, a neighbourhood in the Bronx, New York. Standing on a small, lush-green field, our line of sight is framed by dense, yellowing foliage, hinting towards a nearing autumnal time. Beyond the hedges and shrubs, our view extends into the salt marshes, partially obscured only by a lone fir tree. Further out, the calm waters glisten in the mellow midday sun, seamlessly blurring with the clear sky as its edges disappear into the horizon. The drifting clouds infuse the otherwise naturalistic scene with a dreamlike sensibility, tinted with ombre hues of mauve and bubblegum pink more typical of a sunset sky. A comfortable solitude pervades the landscape, evoking a wave of tranquility and peace within the viewer — and yet, the isolated and subtly illusive setting conjures a confusing sense of liminality, leaving us to wonder if we are in a dream.

Soundview epitomizes Kahn’s ability to transcend the boundaries between the material and the immaterial. Instead of recording the exact physicality, Kahn chooses to focus on depicting the version of it in his memories or daydreams, merging quotidian landscapes with enthralling reveries. Masterfully blurring the lines between imagination and reality, Kahn imbues the selected scene with intense emotion and a personal touch that makes his paintings all the more intimate. While some have labelled Kahn to be a photorealist, the artist disagrees with this classification, emphasizing individual uniqueness over restricting himself to a single category or movement. Although his works could be considered photo-realistic, they are based on sudden bursts of inspiration brought about by recent experiences or feelings instead of pre-existing photographs. Elaborating on his style, Kahn muses: ‘I don’t consider myself a conceptual artist, but I certainly want to express some symbolic and philosophical meaning through my work.’ Similarly, he cites his dreams as inspirations for his paintings, hoping to achieve a ‘poetic transcendence’ through the use of dreamlike allegories and symbolism; a lingering implication that his canvases portray more than what meets the eye.

René Magritte, The Human Condition, 1933 / Collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
© 2022 C. Herscovici, Brussels / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Critics frequently draw a connection between Kahn and René Magritte, who is perhaps best known for his thought-provoking masterpieces, created by combining and transfusing mundane elements into surreal, unsettling imagery. Much like Magritte, Kahn experiments with realism and perception, challenging preconditioned ideas of depth, perspective, and reality. Kahn’s vistas are intimate yet otherworldly, bridging the gap between the tangible and fantastical, enticing viewers to contemplate what exists beyond the frame. There is a mysterious allure to the locations that Kahn selects; often too visually indistinct to pinpoint a specific time and place, yet generic enough for us to link to a faraway memory. Kahn’s repertoire is an imaginative and introspective one, constantly exploring and expanding the myriad of possibilities within both the interior and landscape genres.

Trees

In the Wilderness, 1984

Phillips New-York: 14 May 2025
Estimated: USD 250,000 – 350,000
USD 406,400

Scott Kahn Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Afternoon Session

In Scott Kahn’s monumental 1984 painting In the Wilderness, stretching to seven feet high and over four feet wide, a nude male figure hovers at the center of an overgrown forest. With arms and legs outstretched, the man appears to be falling backwards into the foliage or perhaps leaping out from within, his face largely expressionless. Rendered in jewel-like tones, each quadrant represents a season – with the frosty branches at the upper left conveying winter, and the golden yellow hues at the lower right signifying fall. The trees sprouting from the ground arch outwards and back in to enclose the figure, as if bending to some force beyond our comprehension. All that is visible of the world beyond is a triangle of blue sky at the upper center. In contrast, close inspection of the ground at the lower center reveals it to not be dirt at all, but magma, studded with stones – evoking the molten core of the earth, pulsating and radiating with energy. Intricately and delicately painted, Scott Kahn’s triumphant work rewards close looking.

For Kahn, nature is a primary inspiration. Having started out as a photorealist, the artist began painting from life while living in Sag Harbor with his partner, surrounded by natural vistas. Upon moving back to New York City, Kahn returned to painting in a studio without landscapes readily available, forcing him to rely on his imagination and memory. What emerged from this experience is the style that Kahn has come to be known for: fantastical, dreamlike scenes that masterfully merge magical realism with his lived experience.

“When I’m compelled to paint, it becomes a journey into another world, creating an illusion that invites the viewer to enter my artistic realm.”

Unbeknownst at the time, the year this work was painted was critical for Kahn as it was also the year that the artist Matthew Wong was born; although almost 40 years apart in age, these two artists would come to share a mutual admiration for each other that would launch Kahn into a period of critical success late in life. Kahn, a seasoned painter who had been exhibiting steadily since the 1970s and selling his works for modest prices, began corresponding with the young painter over Facebook in the late 2010s. Wong had cited Kahn as one of his artistic inspirations in interview, which led to a fast friendship between the two. Wong acquired a work by Kahn in 2017 and posted it to his Instagram, setting off a chain of events which led to Kahn’s astronomical ascent. Although Wong tragically passed in 2019, Kahn continues to attribute his success to his late friend, even calling him a “soulmate” of sorts. Both self-taught artists, the similarities between Wong and Kahn’s paintings remain visually evident, in the solitary figures which inhabit their works, as well as the Van Gogh-esque brushstrokes. In the Wilderness is a quintessential Scott Kahn painting in many ways: featuring natural elements and a human figure, the work possesses a mystical and almost haunting energy.

Tree of Life, 2009

China Guardian Hong-Kong: 7 April 2024
Estimated: HKD 1,200,000 – 1,800,000
HKD 1,440,000 / USD 184,096

Auction | China Guardian (HK) Auctions Co., Ltd. (cguardian.com.hk)

Self Portrait as a Tree, 2007

Christie’s London: 1 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 60,000 – 80,000
GBP 81,900 / USD 98,567

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Self Portrait as a Tree | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Self Portrait as a Tree, 2007
Oil on linen, in artist’s frame
22 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches (57.2 x 47 cm)
Signed and dated ‘S. Kahn ’07’ (lower right)
Signed twice, titled, inscribed and dated twice ‘SELF PORTRAIT AS A TREE KAHN 2007 © 2007 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ (on the overlap)

The paintings of Scott Kahn straddle the boundary between the worlds of reality and dream, verisimilitude and phantasmagoria. In Self Portrait as a Tree (2007) and Autumn Moon (2014-2015), Kahn translates the natural world into oil paint with exquisite care. The former in particular considers its arboreal subject with astounding detail, down to its dappled blossom and pinprick leaves. It is a marvel of light, color and depth, executed with the care that one would expect for a more conventional subject. Yet despite representing recognizable flora, there is an unfathomable thrum in the air in both paintings, the sense that something remains hidden from us. The hazy night in Autumn Moon guards its secrets. Like René Magritte and Paul Nash before him, Kahn suggests surrealism in the everyday.

Kahn’s fecund aesthetic is the product of decades of focus. As a young artist in 1970s New York, he worked in a mode inspired by second-generation Abstract Expressionists. Yet he grew alienated from abstraction. Towards the end of the decade Kahn moved to the village of Sag Harbor, at the far end of Long Island, and taught himself to paint anew, vowing to create work that drew on his own personal life and experience. Kahn has opined that every painting is a kind of self-portrait, even when it depicts a seemingly external object like a tree. Kahn’s work often returns to the natural world, as he observes, remembers and imagines it. Describing Autumn Moon in 2015, Kahn wrote: ‘The inspiration has to be strong and compelling. If I am not moved to begin a painting, how can I expect the viewer to be moved and compelled to look at it? I envy those artists who go seamlessly from one painting to the next, who have an inventory of ideas waiting to be expressed. My paintings don’t just fall off my brush.’ These two paintings are testaments to this determination.

Burning Leaves, 1987

Sotheby’s New-York: 17 November 2022
Estimated: USD 200,000 – 300,000
USD 529,200

Burning Leaves | Contemporary Day Auction | 2022 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Burning Leaves, 1987
Oil on linen
66×78 inches (167.6 x 198.1 cm)
Signed Scott Kahn and dated ‘87 (lower right)
Signed KAHN and by Scott Kahn, titled and dated 1987 and ©1987 (on the overlap)

Utterly enchanting and instinctual in its intricacy, Scott Kahn’s masterful example Burning Leaves from 1987 is archetypal of Kahn’s ingenious synthesis of hyper realistic painting within surreal landscapes. Striking with its rhythmic cadence of dense brushwork, stylistic precision and tonal vibrancy, Burning Leaves is reflective of Kahn’s entirely improvised technique of painting, without preliminary sketching, underscoring the innate and unbridled talent of this entirely self-taught artist. The present work harnesses the very magical realism that fascinated Kahn over a fifty-year period of production.

A symphony of crisp reds, oranges and blues, Burning Leaves, is a spectacle that demands attention. Upon close inspection, Kahn’s intricate brushwork takes center stage, capturing the movement of each blade of grass and each distinct leaf with captivating clarity. And yet, taking a step back, the composition as a whole is equally captivating, presenting the immensity and wonder of the natural world, the dramatic movement of the flames standing in stark contrast to the stillness of the landscape. At once a symbol of the fecundity of nature, the composition also acknowledges an eerie absence. The basket of untouched fruit invites us to question who left this here and whether they might have started the fire. In this sense, Burning Leaves is not only about what we see within the composition, but also about what lies beyond the confines of the canvas. The crisp orange in Burning Leaves and rich, yellow rolling hills are articulated with staccato-like brushstrokes by Kahn, who was deeply influenced by the compositions of Vincent van Gogh and the ingenious aesthetic of René Magritte. Kahn’s crisp blue skies with delicately outlined clouds recall the These imagined landscapes are both familiar yet dreamlike, thus evoking an emotional tenor within viewers, the clouds create dynamism and movement across these expansive surfaces of a pure and unadulterated natural world, inviting the viewer to step into utter escapism. Unlike any other painting by Scott Kahn to come to market, Burning Leaves is a superlative example by the artist from the 1980s, which distinguishes itself from other periods by the artist by its acutely fine brushwork and level of detail rendered.

Phillips Hong-Kong: 30 November 2021
Estimated: HKD 1,000,000 – 1,500,000
HKD 7,510,000 / USD 963,203

Scott Kahn – 20th Century & Contemp… Lot 13 November 2021 | Phillips

SCOTT KAHN
Cadman Plaza, 2002
Oil on linen
62 x 75 7/8 inches (157.5 x 193 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’02’ lower right
Further signed, titled, inscribed and dated ‘”CADMAN PLAZA” KAHN 2002 © 2002 by Scott Kahn all rights reserved’ on the overlap

Painted in 2002, Cadman Plaza transports viewers to Brooklyn, New York, into a tall high-rise building overlooking Cadman Plaza Park. Meandering around the left side of the lush-green, wooded grounds is the exit ramp of the Brooklyn Bridge, whereas peering to the right brings us out to New York Harbour, where the Statue of Liberty proudly stands beneath a horizon line of fluffy white clouds bathed in sunshine. Diluting the moody, dark sky that hangs low over the city, the warm light radiates through the windows of our room, casting afternoon shadows on the checkered linoleum tile floors. The wispy waves and billowing clouds conjure a sense of eternal movement, further enhanced by the dense, rustling leaves. And yet, the roads are bare and the harbor is empty, leaving us to wonder if we are alone in this dreamlike setting, gazing out over a city entirely our own.

Vincent van Gogh, The Olive Trees, 1889 / Collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York

Citing influences as varied as Andrew Wyeth, Henri Matisse, Lucien Freud, Pierre Bonnard and John Singer Sargent – whilst Kahn’s paintings can be viewed as an amalgamation of art historical references, he extends the genre of landscape painting through a lens entirely his own. There is a poetic sensibility imbued in his images, however, that specifically recalls Vincent van Gogh’s scenic reveries, which too, are executed with distinctly singular brushstrokes.

“Every of his painting makes me feel like my soul has been stabbed. It’s so moving and so compelling. When you see one of his paintings, it’s like there is no distance between your soul and the artist’s soul. It’s that straightforward and that direct.”

The curving road in Cadman Plaza further brings to mind the work of contemporary British artist David Hockney, whom too, depicts vast, empty landscapes separated by winding tarmac. But whereas Hockney introduces a touch of the surreal through his vivid color palette, indulging in highly saturated and acidic tones, the surrealistic tinge that permeates throughout Kahn’s oeuvre comes from working from memory, as reality and fantasy warp like ‘hazy snapshots extracted from a dream’.

David Hockney, Nichols Canyon, 1980 / Sold by Phillips New York on 7 December 2020 for US$ 41,067,500 © David Hockney

Kahn seamlessly blends exterior and interior worlds through the inclusion of a window in the present work. A symbolic motif famously used throughout art history by artists such as Renée Magritte to explore notions of seeing, the transparent panes of glass frame the viewer’s vantage point and offer a metaphorical border between the intimate and public, tangible and fantastical, and conscious and unconscious.

Left: Renée Magritte, The Human Condition, 1933 / Collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
© 2021 C. Herscovici, Brussels / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Right: Liu Ye, The Second Story, 1995 / Sold at Phillips Hong Kong in Association with Poly Auction on 7 June 2021 for HK$13,076,000
© Liu Ye 

A more contemporary connection can be made to Chinese artist Liu Ye, who also employs the motif in his paintings to bridge the realistic world with spiritual or imagined realms. Beyond the aesthetics of architectural framing, both Kahn and Liu Ye use windows to represent the passing of time through the rhombus-shaped reflections of light cast into their interior scenes. Unlike Liu Ye’s inclusion of protagonists, however, Kahn’s depictions of familiar yet ambiguous vistas invite introspective contemplation as—like peering through a portal—it is from the viewer’s focal point that we take in the view.

Other Works

Interior, 1996

Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 30 March 2025
Estimated: HKD 1,200,000 – 2,200,000
HKD 2,159,000 / USD 277,506

Scott Kahn 斯科特 · 卡恩 | Interior 室内 | Modern & Contemporary Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s

SCOTT KAHN (b. 1946)
Interior, 1996
Oil on linen
62 1/8 x 68 inches (157.7 x 172.8 cm)
Signed and dated ’96 (lower right)

“I had a particular interest in dreams, yin-yang symbol symbolism – and I guess I’m still painting in this kind of symbolic dreamlike way. You know, to me, it’s an elevated way to present my experience, and most importantly, it’s just my nature, and I can’t fight my nature.”

Still Life with Pitcher, 1981

Sotheby’s New-York: 28 February 2025
Estimated: USD 70,000 – 100,000
USD 82,550

Still Life with Pitcher | Contemporary Discoveries | 2025 | Sotheby’s

SCOTT KAHN (b. 1946)
Still Life with Pitcher, 1981
Oil on canvas
36×32 inches (91.4 x 81.3 cm)
Signed and dated ’81 (lower right)
Signed, titled and dated 1981 (on the overlap)

Executed in 1981, Scott Kahn’s Still Life with Pitcher, is a masterwork in composure and technical command while, too, cloaked in a sense of an unknown, of the macabre. In the splendor of the scene, might there be something sinister lurking beyond the frame? The jewel-toned still life depicts the aquamarine and white porcelain set atop a mahogany leaf table before a dusk filled window framed by billowing white curtains. The composition is symmetric and balanced, providing a sense of stability and ease when initially viewing the work. The vignette could be taken from a period room in a historic home museum in New England, it is so elegant and self-possessed with surety and tranquility. It is perfectly staged within the washed-green walls of the space.

Scott Kahn executed the present painting shortly after abandoning an abstract mode of painting in favor of the surrealist realistic style for which he has become well known. As a means of committing himself to this new idiom, the artist took up his indoor and outdoor surroundings of still lives, interiors and landscapes as his chosen subject matter, painted from direct observation but always imbued with his distinctly enigmatic details. He painted Still Life with Pitcher in the guest bedroom of his Sag Harbor friends and neighbors, the self-taught artist Mark Heming and his wife Mary, whom the Kahn fondly recalled gave him free reign to paint in any ‘unused’ rooms of their home.

The flat construction of the scene is bolstered and enlivened by the interplay of shadow and light, form and color; dimensionality is suggested without imposing on the wonderful two dimensionality of the work. Important, it is the flatness of the work that helps support the surrealist, magical quality suspending this hyperrealistic space in a realm no one could exist in. Defined by a colonial style, the table and moldings of the room are decorative, with the scalloped edges of the table top, presenting a perfect rendition of an early American home. And, yet, the closer one looks, there is dissymmetry; the curtains are hung at different lengths with the drapery falling unevenly, the right side of the work has more light than the left, capturing the angle of the setting sun. The small signs that break the perceived balance of the compositional structure create a sense of unease.

There is an eerie quality to the lone table before the sunset-filled window. Who is seeing the scene? Who has used or will use the pitcher and cups? The absence of people but the evidence of their existence leaves questions about their whereabouts. Kahn prompts imagination in this regard, leading the viewer to interrogate the scene more upon inspection. The densely painted canvas, with high precision of brushwork and controlled line, hides more than just layers of paint but an unknown narrative as well.

Rene Magritte, The Key of the Fields (La Clef des champs), 1936. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid.
Image © René Magritte, VEGAP, Madrid.

For all the serenity, the picture feels as though it is on the precipice of disaster, the calm before the storm. Beloved for his post-surrealist work, Kahn’s unique aesthetic has been lauded for a fantastical blend of hyper-realism with surrealism, as he seems to boldly embrace both movements’ principles in his depiction of landscape and still life scenes. The magical universe Kahn cultivates in his picture fields drives the intrigue of his artwork’s subject. The point of view with which Kahn paints constructs the sense that the viewer is not the only one looking at the scene but that the scene is being watched by some third person, omniscient figure. Kahn, almost impossibly, constructs the feeling that there is someone between the viewer and the painting, that there is an implied voyeur both within but not visible in the pictorial space.

Still Life with Pitcher is a superb example of Kahn’s extraordinary dexterity as an artist, as he balances different aesthetic interests and technical capabilities. Similar to the colorful composition of Vincent van Gogh and the inspired aesthetic of René Magritte, Kahn articulates his subject with fine control and composure, constructing an imagined world full of magic and life. His investigation into a style blending Modern influence of realism and surrealism leads him to create work which is as mesmerizing as it is thought provoking.

Self-taught but working steadily as a painter since the late 1960s, Kahn credits his meteoric late career rise to championing by the highly-sought after contemporary artist, Matthew Wong. With four decades between their respective ages, the two painters found an artistic kinship amidst their work and began corresponding regularly via Facebook in 2018. When Wong posted a painting of Kahn’s Cul De Sac, 2017 that he had acquired from the artist on his social media and lauded the then largely unknown septuagenarian for his impact on his practice, he ignited a newfound collecting base with a zeal for Kahn’s unique take on a magical realism rooted in the everyday but rendered with jewel-like tones and an illusory sense of depth. In the period since, Kahn has since been the subject of numerous solo presentations at numerous notable galleries, including Harper’s Gallery, New York; Almine Rech, Paris & New York and David Zwirner, Hong Kong. His work is held in institutional collections including the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami; Long Museum, Shanghai; and the Rachofsky Collection, Dallas.

Pennsylvania New Jersey Border, 1993

Christie’s London: 27 June 2024
Estimated: GBP 120,000 – 180,000
GBP 151,200 / USD 191,722

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) (christies.com)

REPEAT SALE

Christie’s New-York: 13 May 2022
Estimated: USD 150,000 – 200,000
USD 403,200

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946), Pennsylvania New Jersey Border | Christie’s (christies.com)

SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946)
Pennsylvania New Jersey Border, 1993
Oil on canvas
36×40 inches (91.6 x 101.5 cm)
Signed and dated ‘Scott Kahn ’93’ (lower right)
Signed twice, titled, inscribed and dated twice ‘PENNSYLVANIA NEW JERSEY BORDER KAHN 1993 © 1993 by Scott Kahn’ (on the overlap)

Painted in 1993, Scott Kahn’s Pennsylvania New Jersey Border bristles with spectral drama. Inspired by a winter drive through the Delaware Water Gap, the scene captures a sharp bend in the river, which sweeps dramatically through a thickly forested mountain ridge towards a hidden vanishing point. Around it, bare trees tangle and fork, exhaling great plumes of silver-grey mist. As with many of Kahn’s most successful paintings, the work exhibits a deep appreciation for a natural world which is at once atmospheric and bewitching. Though devoid of human presence, it is alive with processes of natural regeneration. Beneath smouldering clouds and black singed branches, newly sprouted shrubs decorate the straw-colored banks of the waterway, breathing new life into the landscape. Recently achieving explosive global success in the art market at the age of seventy, the Massachusetts-born artist is widely known for his figurative, magic realist style. He conjures distinctly uncanny landscapes, still lifes, portraits and interiors, drawing not only from direct observation, but from memory, dream and imagination.

The Studio, 1989

Bonhams New-York: 19 May 2022
Estimated: USD 100,000 – 150,000
USD 353,175

Bonhams : SCOTT KAHN (B. 1946) The Studio 1989

The Studio, 1989
Oil on canvas
30×34 inches (76.2 x 86.4 cm)
Signed and dated 89; signed, titled and dated 1989 twice on the overlap

A highly personal work, The Studio (1989), depicts of the artist’s own studio at the time. Drawing inspiration from his own life, the present work is a superb example of Kahn’s oeuvre, which can be interpreted as a visual diary of the artist’s world and life around him. Kahn’s body of work often includes the places, people, and experiences in his own life, but rendered through the lens of memory and dreams, giving them a surreal and imaginative quality. Kahn’s studio was situated on Leonard Street in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood. Located in the rear of a loft building owned by a textile company, the door shown led to the bathroom and was flanked by two large north facing windows. The windows faced the back of the buildings on the next street, but Kahn made the creative decision to include the view of the World Trade Centre, given their iconic presence within the neighborhood.

Despite the artist’s rich relationship with New York City, the present work is one of only a very small number of paintings by Kahn that include the Twin Towers. The artist was moved by early Renaissance paintings he had seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Enthralled by their fantastic, surreal landscapes, they served as the inspiration to unite the gothic steepness of the hill with the towering buildings behind. Cited as a source of influence and friendship by the late artist Matthew Wong, today Kahn lives and works in Westchester and Brooklyn. A recipient of the Pollock Krasner Foundation, Kahn’s work can be found in many collections including the Long Museum, Shanghai; the ICA Miami in Florida; and the University of Pennsylvania.