Lot 203

The New Hat, Egg Tempera Painting, Roger Medearis

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The New Hat, Egg Tempera Painting, Roger Medearis

Estimate: $4,000 - $5,000

Starting Bid: $1,000

(0 Bids)

by Direct Auction Galleries, Inc.
July 5, 2026 11:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
7232 N. Western Ave
Chicago, IL, US 60645

Artist(s): Roger Norman Medearis (American, 1920-2001) Title/Subject: "The New Hat" Medium: Egg tempera on board. Signature(s): "Medearis 1961", lower left. "The New Hat / Egg Tempera / Roger Medearis / 22 x 26", back of board. Paperwork/Provenance: The piece comes from the personal collection of Alexander Lester Kreger's family, who were neighbors of Medearis in the 1960's and prior. The story passed down through generations of this family is as follows: After Roger gave up painting upon returning from WWII, his then neighbor and and later Mayor of Monterrey Park, Mr. Kreger, was concerned with Medearis' neglected talent, so he took it upon himself to encourage Medearis back into painting. He found that Medearis' yard fence was placed some inches over his property line, which prompted him to negotiate an exchange of property for new paintings by Roger. Medearis reluctantly agreed and produced the three whimsical portraits for his neighbor that year, and continued painting until his death in 2001. Today, his paintings form part of collections, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, The Butler Institute of Contemporary Art, and more. The back of the frame displays "Roger Medearis / 213 Barranca Drive / Monterey Park, Calif.", which was the address of Medearis during the production of the portraits in this auction. The paintings were in auction in 2011, but were refused sale because it was the family's Mother's wish that they all be sold to one party, which was not possible, due to the way that the auction was structured. The pieces had not left the family or been offered for sale since. Condition: Some stains, including middle of left edge, top edge, and left side near the figure's neck. There are some small scratches, stains, and chips on the frames and pink linen section. Measurement(s): 26" x 22" (board), 32 3/4" x 28 3/4" (frame). In-house shipping is available. Please see our website regarding our in-house shipping procedures.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $49 $5
$50 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $1,999 $50
$2,000 $4,999 $100
$5,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 + $1,000