On the Auction Block
Purchasing something like jewelry, furniture or artwork is probably the last thing on anyone’s mind in the second week of January. When it comes to exploring auction houses, though, that temporary lapse in public interest is just the ticket to taking home some hidden treasures at phenomenal prices. While the usual bidding crowd is taking a breather on acquisitions, you can explore the field of auction house lots with an intimacy and calmness usually unmanageable during the rest of the year. From 7th century Chinese sculptures, to masterworks of British Romanticism, to the estate of one of Washington’s most prominent families, here a selection of lots and items that are up for auction soon.
Doyle New York Continental Rococo Carved and Painted Ceremonial Sleigh Auction Date: February 6 Estimate: $3,000 - $4,000 Doyle New York will auction selections from the personal collections of CW and Marjorie Merriweather Post, housed at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens in Washington, D.C. This is a rare deaccession, and an opportunity to acquire works from the estate of one of America’s most distinguished families. The examples of English, Revival, Victorian, Renaissance-inspired and Mission style furnishings (such as the slay above), Roman marble busts and 19th century bronzes in the auction came from CW’s Battle Creek, Michigan gallery and personal office. CW’s exceptional taste extended to the late 19th and early 20th century Arts and Crafts movement, and a highlight of these offerings is a complete Roycroft suite that was first used in CW’s bedroom and later transferred to his daughter’s retreat in the Adirondacks. www.DoyleNewYork.com
Sotheby’s New York Joseph Mallord William Turner (English, 1775 – 1851) View of Heidelberg with a Rainbow Watercolor over pencil on paper Auction Date: January 31 – February 1 Estimate: $4,000,000 - $6,000,000 January’s Important Old Master Paintings and Sculpture sales include extraordinary paintings from a wide variety of genres, including a Goya portrait of his grandson, the striking Susanna and the Elders by Batoni, and masterpieces by Boucher, Turner, Bernini, Vernet and Greuze. There will also be a strong group of Baroque Italian paintings from a distinguished private collection. Turner’s Heidelberg with a Rainbow was commissioned by Thomas Prior in 1840, and stands out as one of the crowning achievements of the artist’s mature style, combining his unique use of sweeping passages of hazy color and light with his acute draftsmanship. The painting shows the German city from the north bank of the River Neckar looking across to the castle, the eighteenth century stone bridge and the fifteenth century Church of the Holy Ghost, with the banks of the river crowded with women washing clothes in the river, pipe-smoking students and horsemen cooling their mounts in the water. www.Sothebys.com
Bonham’s John Martin Tracy (American, 1843-1893) Dog Talk Oil on canvas Auction Date: February 13 Estimate: $150,000 - $250,000 Bonham’s will open its Madison Avenue galleries once again for its annual auction, Dogs in Show & Field: The Fine Art Sale. For the past 30 years, the sale has offered a delightful mix of media depicting the various qualities of man’s beloved canine companions – from the humble to the humorous, the mischievous to the majestic, and from paintings to prints, sculptures, ceramics and more. This auction is the only one of its kind in the industry, coinciding annually with the Westminster Kennel Club dog show at Madison Square Garden. Among the highlights of the auction will be a large oil of hunters resting with their dogs at the edge of a wood by the American sporting artist John Martin Tracy (1844-1923). The catalogue will also feature works by Edmund Henry Osthaus, Arthur Wardle, Maud Earl and John Emms. www.Bonhams.com
Weschler’s ‘Quarto Potere (Citizen Kane)’ Movie Poster Italian, 1948 Auction Date: February 22 Estimate: $1,000 - $2,000
Weschler’s is hosting an auction of Vintage Posters and Fine Art from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, a collection of rare European posters from the turn of the century. The framed posters range in date from 1910 to 1996, and showcase an international array of titles and international variations on significant films, including posters from France, Russia, Italy and Sweden. This RKO four-sheet Italian poster for Citizen Kane from 1948 (the film was first released in the United States in 1941) captures the drama, social impact, and cinemagraphic beauty of the film with a remarkably stark composition. Weschler’s will exhibit the posters from February 16 – 21, with a wine and cheese reception on the 20th from 5 – 7 p.m. www.Weschlers.com
The Potomack Company Earthenware Figure Chinese, Tang Dynasty, A.D. 618 – 907 Auction Date: February 23 Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 This red earthenware figure of a corpulent Chinese court lady dates back to China’s Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907), widely regarded as a highpoint in Chinese civilization and a golden age of progress, innovation and cosmopolitan culture. With her stylish chignon and flowing robe, the figure reflects poise and dignity associated with the elevated status of an eighth-century Chinese courtier, a representation of ideal beauty of the period. Colloquially known as a “fat lady,” its provenance is the Gerald M. Greenwald Collection – Two Thousand Years of Chinese Ceramics. www.potomackcompany.com, 703-684-4550
Christie’s Abraham Bloemaert (Dutch, 1566-1651) Two Boys Singing Oil on canvas laid down on panel Auction Date: January 31 Estimate: $150,000 - $250,000 With over 100 lots, Part II of Christie’s Old Master Paintings sale offers new and seasoned collectors the ideal opportunity to acquire a wide range of works from 500 years of artistic production. Offerings from British, French, Flemish, Italian and Spanish schools are all represented, and of particular interest is a significant array of 17th century Dutch paintings from a private collection, providing an ideal platform for acquiring Old Masters. This charming scene of two boys singing likely dates to around 1625, a period when the artist Bloemaert experimented frequently with Caravaggesque lighting and genre subjects. www.Christies.com
