Skip to content
Auction Hawk
Lithographs of Thomas Hart Benton — image 1

Showing 48 of 53 images — see the full catalogue for the rest.

Lithographs of Thomas Hart Benton

Circle Auction, Kansas City · 22 Aug 2026

This sale ended on 22 August 2026. The page is kept for reference.

No upcoming sales from Circle Auction are listed — see other Missouri auctions.

Started
Sat, Aug 22, 2026 · 11:00 am (ET)
Location
Kansas City, Missouri, 64 105
Sale format
Online Only
Lots
52
Auction house
Circle Auction

About this listing: the details were supplied by the auction house. Bidding, payment and collection are handled by the auction house, not by Auction Hawk, and Auction Hawk is free for bidders. Spotted an error? Tell us.

About this sale

This sale offered 52 lots, listed under Fine Art & Prints. It closed on Saturday 22 August 2026. Circle Auction has no upcoming sales listed on Auction Eagle right now.

Highlights from this sale

A selection of lots from the catalog.

The auction house’s description

Circle Auction is proud to offer an outstanding collection of lithographs by artist Thomas Hart Benton, assembled by the late Dr. Clarence R. Decker, who served as the president of the University of Kansas City (now called the University of Missouri – Kansas City) from 1938-1953. During Decker's time in that position, he helped to grow the university many times over. He played an instrumental role in UKC's accreditation, and under his tenure, the university became the first institution of higher learning in the state to enroll Black students and the first in the region to accept Japanese-American students following World War II internment. Decker also built a program that brought visiting artists and cultural leaders to campus. Benton was among those welcomed to UKC, and accounts of the period describe Benton as part of the Deckers? personal circle, including being hosted by Clarence and Mary Decker at University House. This personal connection is reflected in the collection itself, with many lithographs inscribed by Benton to ?Deck? and his wife Mary. In 1949, Decker commissioned Benton to create the lithograph Prayer Meeting, as documented in Creekmore Fath?s catalogue raisonn?, The Lithographs of Thomas Hart Benton. Decker left the University of Kansas City in 1953 and continued serving in higher education until his death in 1969. Assembled 60 to 80 years ago and preserved in the Decker family ever since, this single-owner collection is now being offered to the public, giving collectors the rare chance to acquire Benton lithographs with direct personal association to one of his Kansas City friends and patrons.

Full catalog and bidding: view on liveauctioneers.

Upcoming Fine Art & Prints auctions in Missouri

No other upcoming sales in this category and area are listed right now.

Fine Art & Prints auctions in Missouri All auctions in Missouri All Fine Art & Prints auctions

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where was the Lithographs of Thomas Hart Benton?

Lithographs of Thomas Hart Benton was held on Sat, Aug 22, 2026 · 11:00 am (ET) in Kansas City, Missouri by Circle Auction.

Is this auction online or in person?

This is an online-only auction, so you bid through the live catalog.

How do I bid or view the catalog?

View the full catalog and register to bid on the live catalog at https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/426980_lithographs-of-thomas-hart-benton/.