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P R EV I EW I N G U P C O M I N G E X H I B I T I O N S , EV E N TS , S A L E S A N D AU C T I O N S O F H I S TO R I C F I N E A RT

ISSUE 30

Nov/Dec 2016

VOSE GALLERIES
Celebrating

LLC

175 Years i n B u si ne ss

Cros sc ur rents : The Colonies, Clubs & Schools


That Established Impressionism in America
October 29 - December 31, 2016

Monhegan
Ogunquit

Crosscurrents: The Colonies,


Clubs & Schools that Established
Impressionism in America serves
as the second of two significant exhibitions in 2016
commemorating the galleries 175 years in business.
It highlights the personal
Impressionist collection of
Abbot W. and Marcia L.
Vose, as well as over 100
works for sale by American
artists working in the Impressionist vein around the turn
of the century.

Rockport
Gloucester
Boston
Provincetown

Old Lyme

Mystic
Marthas Vineyard

Cos Cob

Nantucket

Shinnecock

New York City

Crosscurrents explores the tightly-knit communities of artists who synthesized their academic
instruction from the Art Students League of New York and the Boston Museum School with
their exposure to Impressionism in Europe to form a distinctly American style. This movement
was fostered by art colonies along the New England coastline reminiscent of those in France.
Crosscurrents includes over ninety artists active in these influential colonies, clubs and schools,
such as Henry Ward Ranger, Childe Hassam, William M. Chase, Frank V. Dumond, Theodore
Wendel, Charles Woodbury, Jane Peterson and many more. An eighty-page catalogue accompanies the exhibition, available for $25 p.p.
238 Newbury Street . Boston . MA . 02116 . 617.536.6176 . info@vosegalleries.com . www.vosegalleries.com

Allen Tucker (18661939)

October Shadows, c. 1918, Oil on canvas, 40 x 50 inches (101.6 x 127 cm), Signed lower right: Allen Tucker

100 Chetwynd Drive, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010


Telephone: (610) 896-0680 Fax: (610) 896-8749 Website: www.averygalleries.com Email: info@averygalleries.com

S
SC
CO
OT
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TS
S DA
DA L
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E
S
SA
A ART
ART AUCTIO
AUCTIO N
N

SCOTTSDALE ART AUCTION


SCOTTSDALE ART AUCTION

bERT PHILLIPS
bERT
E
STIMATE
PHILLIPS
: $50,000 - 75,000
ESTIMATE: $50,000 - 75,000

10" x 14" OIL


10" x 14" OIL
E.I. COuSE
ESTIMATE
E.I.
COuSE
: $75,000 - 125,000
ESTIMATE: $75,000 - 125,000

KEnnETH RILEy
ESTIMATE
K
EnnETH: R
$100,000
ILEy
- 125,000
ESTIMATE: $100,000 - 125,000

40" x 32" OIL


40" x 32" OIL

gERARd CuRTIS dELAnO


g
ESTIMATE
ERARd C
: uRTIS
$25,000
dELAnO
- 35,000
ESTIMATE: $25,000 - 35,000

29" x 24" OIL


29" x 24" OIL

22" x 30" wATERCOLOR


22" x 30" wATERCOLOR

NOW ACCEPTING CONSIGNMENTS FOR OUR APRIL 8, 2017 AUCTION


NOW ACCEPTING CONSIGNMENTS FOR OUR APRIL 8, 2017 AUCTION

C OnSISTEnT S uCCESS F OR C OnSIgnORS !

OnSISTEnT S uCCESS F OR C OnSIgnORS !


C uRREnTLyCHOLdIng
165 AuCTIOn RECORdS wITH 2016 SETTIng
C uRREnTLy HOLdIng 165 AuCTIOn RECORdS wITH 2016 SETTIng
15 nEw RECORdS . A vERAgIng OvER 90% OF ALL LOTS SOLd
15 nEw RECORdS . A vERAgIng OvER 90% OF ALL LOTS SOLd
For information about consigning please call one of the partners listed below or (480) 945-0225
For information about
please at
call
one of the partners listed below or (480) 945-0225
orconsigning
visit our website
www.scottsdaleartauction.com
or visit our website at www.scottsdaleartauction.com

MICHAEL FROST
MICHAEL FROST

j.n. bARTFIELd gALLERIES


j.n. bARTFIELd gALLERIES

60 W 55th Street
60 York,
W 55th
Street
New
NY
10019
New2 12
York,
. 2 4 5NY
. 8 8 910019
0
2 12 . 2 4 5 . 8 8 9 0
michael@scottsdaleartauction.com
michael@scottsdaleartauction.com

MORRIS
MORRIS

jACK MORRIS
jACK
MORRIS
& wHITESIdE
AuCTIOnS

& wHITESIdE AuCTIOnS

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220Head
Cordillo
Parkway
Hilton
Island,
SC 29928
Hilton Head
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8 29928
843.785.2318
jack@scottsdaleartauction.com
jack@scottsdaleartauction.com

bRAd RICHARdSOn
bRAd
RICHARdSOn
LEgACy gALLERy

Bozeman LEgACy
JacksongALLERy
Hole scottsdale
Bozeman 7178
Jackson
Hole
scottsdale
Main
Street
7178 MainAZ
Street
Scottsdale,
85251
Scottsdale,
85251
4 80 .94
5.1 11 3 | AZ
30 7.7
33 .23 53
4 80 .94 5.1 11 3 | 30 7.7 33 .23 53
brad@scottsdaleartauction.com
brad@scottsdaleartauction.com

AMERICAN ART
Auction november 22, 2016
ViEWinG november 1821 20 Rockefeller Plaza new York, nY 10020
contAct Elizabeth Beaman ebeaman@christies.com +1 212 636 2140

Auction | Private Sales | Christies.com


christies inc. License #1213717

JOHN LESLIE BRECK (18601899)


Garden, Ironbound Island, Maine (detail)
oil on canvas
28 x 48 in. (72.4 x 123.2 cm.)
Estimate: $700,0001,000,000

EDITORS LETTER

American Art Week

f you are a collector or just a fan of historic American art do yourself a favor
and plan on attending American Art Week in New York City if you havent
gone before. Or, even if you have, just plan on attending. It is one of the only
true celebrations of historic American art in the country, and nowhere else will
one see so much wonderful, top-tier historic American art in one place.
This year things are a bit reconfigured. However, as always, the festivities
start with The American Art Fair, where top dealers from around the country
set up booths in the Bohemian National Hall on the Upper East Side and
make available the top works from their inventory to eager collectors. Galleries
such as Questroyal Fine Art, Avery Galleries, Thomas Colville and D. Wigmore
will be present this year and the event begins Friday, November 18, and runs
through Monday, November 21.
Then, on Monday, November 21, private dealers with spaces along Madison
Avenue have joined together once again to put on the event Just Off Madison.
This year, the event is a lunchtime activity and goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
What is wonderful about Just Off Madison is that private dealers such as Debra
Force Fine Art, Betty Krulik, Meredith Ward and Conner Rosenkranz make
their appointment-only spaces open to the public. Its a great time to meet
dealers, mingle with collectors and museum professionals and, of course, see all
the current offerings.
Later in the day, at 4 p.m., Sothebys will host their American art auction,
which includes fine works from artists such as Milton Avery, Albert Bierstadt,
Thomas Moran, Grandma Moses and Edward Willis Redfield.
On Tuesday, November 22, at 10 a.m., American Art Week continues with
the Christies American paintings auction. This time around, the auction house
has managed to put together a fine collection of American impressionist works
including paintings by Frank Weston Benson, Frederick Carl Frieseke, Childe
Hassam and John Leslie Breck. Then, at 2 p.m., head a few blocks over to
Bonhams where their American art auction includes works by Paul Manship,
William Glackens, Martin Johnson Heade and Robert Henri.
There is nothing quite like American Art Week in New York City. And, then,
once it is all finished, head home to your families for Thanksgiving and discuss
everything you saw, and perhaps, purchased as well.
Sincerely,

Find us on:

Joshua Rose
Editor

American Fine
Art Magazine

CollectArt

@artmags

AmericanFine
ArtMagazine

P.S. American Fine Art Magazine is the only magazine truly dedicated to the
market for historic American art. Subscribe today by visiting
www.americanfineartmagazine.com and see in-depth reporting on gallery
shows, museum exhibitions, collector homes across the country, and previews
and reports from all the American art auctions. There is nothing quite like this
publication. All geared toward collectors of historic American art!

On the Cover
Frank Weston Benson (1862-1951), The Reader, 1906.
Oil on canvas, 24 x 29 in., signed lower left: F.W.
Benson. Estimate: $2.5/3.5 million Available at Christies
American Paintings sale on November 22, 10 a.m.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 Bimonthly


PUBLISHER Vincent W. Miller

EDITORIAL
EDITOR Joshua Rose
editor@AmericanFineArtMagazine.com
MANAGING EDITOR Rochelle Belsito
rbelsito@AmericanFineArtMagazine.com
DEPUTY EDITOR Michael Clawson
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Erin Rand
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS John OHern, James D. Balestrieri,

Jay Cantor
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Francis Smith

ADVERTISING (866) 619-0841


TRAFFIC MANAGER Amy Rosenberg
traffic@AmericanFineArtMagazine.com

PRODUCTION
MULTI MEDIA MANAGER Adolfo Castillo
ART DIRECTOR Tony Nolan
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Audrey Welch
JUNIOR DESIGNER Kevin King

SUBSCRIPTIONS (877) 947-0792


SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Emily Yee
service@AmericanFineArtMagazine.com
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Jaime Peach
jpeach@AmericanFineArtMagazine.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS COORDINATOR Jessica Hubbard
admin@AmericanFineArtMagazine.com

Copyright 2016. All material appearing in American Fine Art


Magazine is copyright. Reproduction in whole or part is not permitted
without permission in writing from the editor. Editorial contributions
are welcome and should be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed
envelope. All care will be taken with material supplied, but no
responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage. The views expressed
are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. The publisher
bears no responsibility and accepts no liability for the claims made, nor
for information provided by advertisers. Printed in the USA.
American Fine Art Magazine, 7530 E. Main Street, Suite 105,
Scottsdale,AZ 85251.Telephone (480) 425-0806. Fax (480) 425-0724 or write
to American Fine Art Magazine, PO Box 2320, Scottsdale, AZ
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POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to
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Scottsdale, AZ 85252-2320
PUBLISHED BY VINCENT W. MILLER
AMERICAN FINE ART MAGAZINE
(ISSN 2162-7827) is published 6 times a year
by International Artist Publishing Inc.
CANADA
American Fine Art Magazine
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064408
Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to
Express Messenger International
PO Box 25058, London BRC, Ontario, Canada N6C 6A8

www.AmericanFineArtMagazine.com

AMERICAN ART
November 12, 2016 | Dallas | Live & Online

Theodore Robinson (American, 1852-1896)


Normandy Mother and Child (Marie Trognon
and her baby, Giverny), 1892
Oil on canvas | 22 x 18 inches
Estimate: $300,000-$500,000

View All Lots and Bid at HA.com/5275


Inquiries: 877-HERITAGE (437-4824)
Aviva Lehmann
Ext. 1519
AvivaL@HA.com
New York

Ariana Hartsock
Ext. 1283
ArianaH@HA.com
Dallas

Alissa Ford
Ext. 1926
AlissaF@HA.com
San Francisco

DALLAS | NEW YORK | BEVERLY HILLS | SAN FRANCISCO | CHICAGO | PALM BEACH
PARIS | GENEVA | AMSTERDAM | HONG KONG

Always Accepting Quality Consignments in 40 Categories


1 Million+ Online Bidder-Members
Paul R. Minshull #16591. BP 12-25%; see HA.com. 39845

Ed Jaster
Ext. 1288
EdJ@HA.com
Beverly Hills

Winter Fine and Decorative Arts Auction

Featuring a Corporate Collection of 40 Years | December 9, 2016

Edward Moran (1829-1901)

Allessandro Volpe (1820-1877)

Attributed Jean Francois


Millet (1814-1875).
Provenance: S.P. Avery Jr.,
Frank W. Gunsaulus, Et Al

Oliver Dennett Grover (1861-1927)

Ann Darrah (1819-1881)

Johann Berthelsen
(1883-1972)

816.697.3830 | DirkSoulisAuctions.com | Dirk@DirkSoulisAuctions.com

Charles G. Shaw
(1892-1974):
Painting in an
American Rhythm
On view starting November 16

Day Break, 1938 40 x 30 painted wood relief

Holiday, 1940 16 x 12

Geometric Construction, 1942 30 x 22

D. WIGMORE FINE ART, INC.


730 FIFTH AVENUE, SUITE 602, NEW YORK, NY 10019 212-581-1657 DWIGMORE.COM

Edward S. Curtis

THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN


Edward S. Curtis

A N H I S T O R I C R E P U B L I C AT I O N

T H E R EP U B LI CAT I O N

The North American Indian Republication

An artisanal landmark, this new edition offers as beautiful

an approximation as one can imagine of a hands-on, eyes-on


encounter with Curtis masterpiece in its original form.

A.D. Coleman
Volume III, Map of the Battle of the Little Big Horn

Christopher Cardozo Fine Art


612-377-2252
publishing@cardozofineart.com
www.edwardcurtisbooks.com

CALIFORNIA & WESTERN


CALIFORNIA
WESTERN
PAINTINGS &&SCULPTURE
PAINTINGS
& 21,
SCULPTURE
Monday
November
6 pm
Monday
November 21, 6 pm
Los Angeles
Los Angeles

AMERICAN ART
AMERICAN
ART
Tuesday November
22, 2pm

PAUL HOWARD MANSHIP


(1885-1966)
PAUL HOWARD MANSHIP
(1885-1966)
Diana
Diana with brownish-green patina
bronze
and
select
of silver plate
bronze
withareas
brownish-green
patina
and1/4in
select
areas
38
high
on aof1silver
1/2inplate
marble base
38
1/4in
high
on
a
1
1/2in
marble
base
$400,000 - 600,000
$400,000 - 600,000

INQUIRIES
INQUIRIES
+1
(323) 436 5425
+1 (323) 436 5425
calpics.us@bonhams.com
calpics.us@bonhams.com
+1 (212) 710 1307
+1 (212) 710 1307
americanfineart@bonhams.com
americanfineart@bonhams.com

Tuesday
New
YorkNovember 22, 2pm
New York

International Auctioneers and Appraisers bonhams.com/americanpaintings


International Auctioneers and Appraisers bonhams.com/americanpaintings
2016 Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers Corp. All rights reserved.
Principal Auctioneer: Patrick Meade. NYC License No. 1183066-DCA
2016 Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers Corp. All rights reserved.
Principal Auctioneer: Patrick Meade. NYC License No. 1183066-DCA

CONTRIBUTORS

Melanie Enderle
Jay E. Cantor started the American Art Department for Christies in the late
70s, is on the board of the Winter Antiques Show, the Art Committee for
The Century Association, the board of directors of The Century Archives
Foundation, and recently retired as the chairman of the Collections
Committee and a member of the Steering Committee for Friends of
American Arts at Yale University. He also served as the founding president
of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

James Balestrieri

James Balestrieri is director of J. N. Bartfield Galleries in New York


City. Jim has written plays, verse, prose and screenplays. He has degrees
from Columbia and Marquette universities, attended the American
Film Institute and has an MFA in playwriting from Carnegie Mellon.
He has an excellent wife and three enthusiastic children.

John OHern
John OHern retired to Santa Fe, New Mexico, after 30 years in the museum
business, specifically as the Executive Director and Curator of the Arnot
Art Museum, in Elmira, New York. John was chair of the Artists Panel of
the New York State Council on the Arts. He writes for gallery publications
around the world, including regular monthly features on Art Market
Insights in American Art Collector and Western Art Collector magazines.

Francis Smith

The combination of art history studies done at Vassar and an abiding


fascination with American culture makes photographer Francis Smith
feel right at home shooting for American Fine Art Magazine. He is
further exploring his love for photography and United States history
through a new, independent project titled America by Another Name.

Melanie Enderle
Melanie Enderle earned her Ph.D. in art history at University of Washington, and
her MA from Reading University, England. She specializes in 19th- and 20thcentury American art. Melanie lives in Seattle, and teaches at several of the areas
colleges, and at Chinas University of Sichuan. She has held positions at Seattle
Art Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Dallas Womens Museum. Papers
she has presented include those at St. Andrews University, Huntington Library,
and upcoming at Pantheon-Sorbonne University. Her awards include the Luce
American Art Research Grant and the Allan and Mary Kollar Endowed Fellowship.

10

American Art
Art &
&
American
Pennsylvania Impressionists
Impressionists
Pennsylvania

Auction 12/04/16
Auction
12/04/16

Alasdair Nichol | 267.414.1211


Alasdair Nichol | 267.414.1211
anichol@freemansauction.com
anichol@freemansauction.com

WINOLD REISS
WINOLD REISS
(american 1886-1953)
(american 1886-1953)
MIKE LITTLE DOG (detail of triptych)
MIKE LITTLE DOG (detail of triptych)
Gouache on illustration board
Gouache
on1/4
illustration
30
3/8 x 23
in. (77.2 board
x 59.1cm)
30 3/8
3/8xx28
233/4
1/4 in.
in. (77.2
(77.2 xx 73cm)
59.1cm)
30
30
3/8
x
28
3/4
in.
(77.2
73cm)
30 3/8 x 23 1/4 in. (77.2 x x59.1cm)
30 3/8 x 23 1/4 in. (77.2 x 59.1cm)
$70,000-100,000
$70,000-100,000

www.freemansauction.com
www.freemansauction.com

www.mnafineart.com
John Singer Sargent. OPPOSITE: Venetian Woman, c. 188081. Oil on board, 16 12 inches.
Bridge with Figures, c. 190204. Watercolor and pencil on paper, 10 14 inches.

ABOVE: Venice:

I T
A A F
S P

UPCOMING

By Jay E. Cantor

G
S
Previews of upcoming shows of historic
American art at galleries across the country.

O F
D

63

Ralph Albert Blakelock: The Mad


Genius Returns, at Questroyal Fine Art
By James D. Balestrieri

I E
This home features important artwork that reflects the
collectors shared optimistic philosophy
by John OHern
14

At D. Wigmore Fine Art:


Charles Green Shaw (1892-1974), Chrysalis, 1935.
Oil on board, 16 x 12 in., estate stamped verso.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

American Fine Art Magazine is unique in its concept and presentation.


Divided into four major categories, each bimonthly issue will show you
how to find your way around upcoming fine art shows, auctions and
events so you can stay fully informed about this fascinating market.

UPCOMING

UPCOMING

E
F

M
E

Previews and reports of all the major art fairs


and events taking place across the country.

Insights from top curators about the major


exhibitions of historic American art
being organized at key American museums.

85

93

UPCOMING

A I:

Museum News

Major works coming up for sale at the most


important auction houses dealing in historic
American art.

Calendar
Art Market Updates
People & Places
New Acquisition
Ex Libris
Market Reports

26
30
36
38
39
46
48

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THIS MAGAZINE

105

Each category has its own easy-to-find color-coded


section. Quickly turn to the section that interests
you the most.
Each section lists dates and addresses for upcoming
events and activities so you dont miss any important
shows or sales.

15

5644 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94609 510-428-0100 info@clars.com clars.com

Important Fine Art Auction - November 13, 2016

Worthington Whittredge
(American, 1820-1910),
Kaatskill (Catskill) Creek,
oil on canvas, 28 x 20

Jasper Francis Cropsey


(American, 1823-1900),
Greenwood Lake, New Jersey,
oil on canvas, 12x 20

Dennis Clive
(American, b. 1950)
Falcon, 2005
ceramic sculpture, 10h

Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987)


Sunset (Series of 3),
1972, screenprints,
34 x 34

Walter Emerson Baum


(American, 1884-1956),
Winter Snow Scene,
oil on canvas, 32 x 40

Bo Bartlett
(American, b. 1955),
Lifeboat, 1998
oil on linen, 81 x 100 (1 of 2)

Gordon Onslow Ford


(American, 1912-2003),
Lines in Leaf, 1999,
acrylic on paper/canvas, 35 x 41

Clars Auction Gallery.indd 1

10/3/16 3:48 PM

Hans Hofmann
(German/American, 1880-1966)

Casein on panel

Landscape 1940
Unsigned

23 x 30 inches

Betty Krulik Fine Art, Limited


50 East 72nd St. #2A, NYC 10021

Betty Krulik.indd 1

bkrulikneart@gmail.com

bkrulikneart.com

917.582.1300

10/4/16 1:18 PM

ARTIST NAME
Title of Work, 19XX.
Estimate XX,000XX,000

Property from the Estate of Maxine Pines


MILTON AVERY
Woman and Orange Mandolin, 1947
Estimate $800,0001,200,000

American Art
Auction New York 21 November 2016

Viewing 18 21 November
1334 YORK AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10021
ENQUIRIES +1 212 606 7280 SOTHEBYS.COM/AMERICAN-ART
SOTHEBYS, INC. LICENSE NO. 1216058. SOTHEBYS, INC. 2016 MILTON AVERY TRUST / ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK

Masterworks of American Art


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The Genius of Copley and C. W. Peale

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A Revolution in Art

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Portraiture in Federal America

6.

Early Historical and Landscape Painting

7.

The 1820sArt in the Era of Good Feelings

8.

Thomas Cole and the American Landscape

9.

Thomas ColeThe Late Years

10. Other Views, Other Visions


11. American Genre Painting
12. Native Americans and Westward Expansion
13. The Civil War in Art
14. The Glow of Peace
15. ArtThe Mirror of Social Change
16. 18761893The Civic Revival of the Nation
17. 18851900Contrasts of Dark and Light
18. Americans AbroadExpatriate Painters
19. Thomas EakinsInnovation and Rejection
20. Thomas EakinsSuccess and Scandal
21. The Last YearsAnd Who Is Eakins?
22. Winslow Homer in England and New England

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and Rubens, Monet and Degas. But how much do you know about the
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O G D E N M I N TO N P L E I S S N E R
(1 9051983)

U P P E R C I R C L E B R I D G E , W Y O M I N G , C I R C A 1 9 4 1 , O I L O N C A N VA S , 2 2 18 x 3 0 I N .

Debra Force
13 EAST 69TH STREET

SUITE 4F

fine a rt , i nc .

NEW YORK 10021

TEL 212.734.3636

WWW.DEBRAFORCE.COM

Ninth Annual

PA RT I C I PAT I N G D E A L E RS
Avery Galleries
D. Wigmore Fine Art, Inc.
DC Moore Gallery
Debra Force Fine Art, Inc.
Driscoll Babcock Galleries
Forum Gallery, Inc.
Godel & Co. Fine Art, Inc.
Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Inc.
James Reinish & Associates, Inc.

November 1821
12 6 pm
Admission Complimentary

John H. Surovek Gallery


J. N. Bartfield Galleries
Jonathan Boos
Menconi & Schoelkopf
Meredith Ward Fine Art
Questroyal Fine Art, LLC
Taylor | Graham
Thomas Colville Fine Art

LECTURES

Bohemian National Hall


321 East 73rd Street, New York City

Friday, November 18, 2 pm

Inside the American Watercolor Movement


Kathleen A. Foster

theamericanartfair.com

The Robert L. McNeil, Jr., Senior Curator of American Art


and Director, Center for American Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Saturday, November 19, 2 pm

MEDIA SPONSORS

The Amazing Continuity: Stuart Davis Imagery


Karen Wilkin
Art Historian and Critic
Lecture seating is on a rst-come basis.

William T. Ranney (1813-1857)

The Chase is On!, 1853


Oil on canvas
11 x 17 in.

Exhibiting at The American Art Fair


November 18 - 21
Bohemian National Hall, New York
Please call or write for a copy of our new fall catalogue ($15 postpaid).

G O D E L &C O

506 EAST 74TH STREET 4W NEW YORK NY 10021


212-288-7272 WWW.GODELFINEART.COM
Monday - Friday 10 - 5:30 and weekends by appointment

YOU RECOGNIZE A CLASSIC WHEN YOU SEE IT


53RD ANNUAL DELAWARE ANTIQUES SHOW
November 1113, 2016 Chase Center on the Riverfront Wilmington, Delaware
OPENING NIGHT PARTY

SHOW TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Thursday, November 10 5:009:00 pm

November 1113, 2016

Celebrate the opening of the show with


cocktails and exclusive early shopping!

A spectacular showcase of art, antiques, and


designfeaturing 60 distinguished dealers!

(Opening Night Party requires a separate ticket, which includes


admission for all three days. Please call 800.448.3883.)

Benefits Educational Programming at Winterthur

Presented by
Exhibitors
A Bird in Hand Antiques
Mark and Marjorie Allen
Arader Galleries
Artemis Gallery
Diana H. Bittel Antiques
Philip H. Bradley Co.
Joan R. Brownstein American Folk Paintings
Marcy Burns American Indian Arts, LLC
Ralph M. Chait
HL Chalfant Fine Art and Antiques
John Chaski Antiques
Dixon-Hall Fine Art
Colette Donovan
Peter H. Eaton Antiques
Martyn Edgell
The Federalist Antiques, Inc.

M. Finkel & Daughter


James & Nancy Glazer Antiques
Ita J. Howe
Stephen and Carol Huber
Barbara Israel Garden Antiques
Jewett-Berdan Antiques
Johanna Antiques
Christopher H. Jones
Arthur Guy Kaplan
James M. Kilvington, Inc.
Joe Kindig Antiques
Kelly Kinzle Antiques
Greg K. Kramer & Co.
William R. and Teresa F. Kurau
Polly Latham Asian Art
Leatherwood Antiques

Bernard and S. Dean Levy, Inc.


Nathan Liverant and Son Antiques
James Wm. Lowery
Mellins Antiques
Lillian Nassau
Newsom & Berdan Antiques
Hilary and Paulette Nolan
Oriental Rugs, Ltd.
The Philadelphia Print Shop, Ltd.
James L. Price Antiques
Sumpter Priddy III, Inc.
Christopher T. Rebollo Antiques
Russack & Loto Books, LLC
Schoonover Studios, Ltd.
David A. SchorschEileen M. Smiles
American Antiques

Schwarz Gallery
S. J. Shrubsole
Elle Shushan
Somerville Manning Gallery
Spencer Marks, Ltd.
Stephen-Douglas Antiques
Steven F. Still Antiques
Gary R. Sullivan Antiques, Inc.
Jeffrey Tillou Antiques
Jonathan Trace
Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge
Maria & Peter Warren Antiques
Whitman Antiques
Bette & Melvyn Wolf, Inc.
RM Worth Antiques
Show managed by Diana Bittel

For tickets to the show or party or for more information, please call 800.448.3883 or visit winterthur.org/das.

NOW ACCEPTING
NNOOWWAACCCCEEPPTTI N
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S P R I CNO G
2017
N TA C T :

CO
CN
OTA
N TA
C TC: T :
Elaina Grinwald, Director of Consignments
C O N TA C T :
Elaina
Elaina
Grinwald,
Grinwald,
Director
Director
of of
Consignments
Consignments
info@dallasauctiongallery.com
Elaina Grinwald,
Director
of
Consignments
info@dallasauctiongallery.com
info@dallasauctiongallery.com
214.653.3900
info@dallasauctiongallery.com
214.653.3900
214.653.3900
214.653.3900

Thomas Hart Benton


Roasting
Ears
(detail)
Thomas
Thomas
Hart
Hart
Benton
Benton
Egg tempera and oil on canvas
laid on
board
Roasting
Roasting
Ears
Ears
(detail)
(detail)
Thomas
Hart
Benton
1938
EggEgg
tempera
tempera
andand
oil oil
on on
canvas
canvas
laidlaid
on
on
board
board
Roasting
Ears
(detail)
Signed
lower
left, Benton
1938
1938
Egg tempera
and oil
on canvas
laid on
board
32"H
xleft,
39.5"W
Signed
Signed
lower
lower
left,
Benton
Benton
1938
32"H
32"H
x 39.5"W
x 39.5"W
Signed lower
left,
Benton
32"H x 39.5"W

ART SHOW
2 0 1 7

JANUARY 11-15, 2017


LA CONVENTION CENTER | WEST HALL

L As p re m iere event for experi enci ng , c o l l e c t i n g , sh a r i n g &


pu rc ha s ing a r t . Featuri ng over 100 pro m i n e n t ga l l e r i e s f ro m a l l
ove r the g lo b e, exhi bi ti ng pai nti ng, scu l p t u re , w o r k s o n p a p e r,
i n sta lla tio n, p hotography, vi deo & perf or m a n c e

L A A RTS HOW.COM

WILLIAM M. PAXTON
(American 1869-1941)

Oil on canvas
The Wedding Dress (the wife of the artist) 1909
17-3/4 x 11-3/4 inches
Signed and dated upper right

Four decades of Art Advisory Services Working with Private Collections and Museums
Specializing in American paintings from 1840-1940

A.J. KOLLAR FINE PAINTINGS, LLC


1421 East Aloha Street

Seattle, WA 98112

(206) 323-2156

www.ajkollar.com

Contact us to receive our upcoming 2016-17 catalog of American paintings


by appointment

private art dealers association

independent appraiser of american art

the Best Fairs, exhibitions and Events Coast to Coast


NOVEMBER 36
SOFA Chicago
NAVY PIER
Chicago, IL
www.sofaexpo.com

THROUGH NOVEMBER 6
American Impressionist: Childe
Hassam and the Isles of Shoals
PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM
Salem, MA
www.pem.org

NOVEMBER 913
New York Art, Antique &
Jewelry Show
PIER 94
New York, NY
www.nyfallshow.com

THROUGH NOVEMBER 11
Highlights from
Avery Galleries Collection
of American Paintings

NOV. 11DEC. 10
Ralph Albert Blakelock:
The Great Mad Genius Returns

THROUGH NOVEMBER 18
Man Ray:
Continued and Noticed

QUESTROYAL FINE ART


New York, NY
www.questroyalfineart.com

FRANCIS M. NAUMANN FINE ART


New York, NY
www.francisnaumann.com

THROUGH NOVEMBER 11
1960s American Op Art

NOV. 11DEC. 23
Paintings and Drawings by
Steve Wheeler from the Estate

THROUGH NOVEMBER 19
Everett Gee Jackson:
Modernism Without Apologies

D. WIGMORE FINE ART, INC.


New York, NY
www.dwigmore.com

MEREDITH WARD FINE ART


New York, NY
www.meredithwardfineart.com

HIRSCHL & ADLER GALLERIES


New York, NY
www.hirschlandadler.com

NOVEMBER 1113
53rd annual Delaware
Antiques Show

NOVEMBER 1821
The American Art Fair

THROUGH NOVEMBER 20
Drip, Splatter, Wash:
American Watercolor, 1860-1960

AVERY GALLERIES
Bryn Mawr, PA
www.averygalleries.com

CHASE CENTER ON THE RIVERFRONT


Wilmington, DE
www.winterthur.org

BOHEMIAN NATIONAL HALL


New York, NY
www.theamericanartfair.com

THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART


Kansas City, MO
www.nelson-atkins.org

American
Art Week
NOVEMBER 18 THROUGH 22
IN NEW YORK CITY

Nov 18-21

The American Art Fair

Nov 20

Sothebys Brunch
and Auction Preview

www.theamericanartfair.com
Nov. 18, 2 p.m., Inside the American
Watercolor Movement with Kathleen
Foster; Nov. 19, 2 p.m., The Amazing
Continuity: Stuart Davis Imagery with
Karen Wilkin

CAPTION????????????????????????????????????

www.sothebys.com, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

26

Nov 21

Sothebys American Art Auction

Nov 21

Just Off Madison

Nov 22

Christies American Art Auction

Nov 22

Bonhams American Art Auction

www.sothebys.com, 4 p.m.

www.justoffmadison.com, 10 a.m-2 p.m.

www.christies.com, 10 a.m.

www.bonhams.com, 2 p.m.

ART SHOW CALENDAR


THROUGH NOVEMBER 20
Andrew Wyeth: Maine
Temperas and Watercolors

THROUGH DECEMBER 18
Ben Austrian:
An American Original

FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM


Rockland, ME
www.farnsworthmuseum.org

READING PUBLIC MUSEUM


Reading, PA
www.readingpublicmuseum.org

NOVEMBER 21
Just Off Madison

TRHOUGH DECEMBER 31
Grant Wood and the
American Farm

BETWEEN 67 AND 79 STREETS AND


FIFTH AND PARK AVENUES
New York, NY
www.justoffmadison.com
th

th

THROUGH NOVEMBER 27
Looking Out, Looking In:
Windows in Art
THE HECKSCHER MUSEUM OF ART
Huntington, NY
www.heckscher.org

NOV. 29-DEC. 4
Miami Project

REYNOLDA HOUSE MUSEUM OF


AMERICAN ART
Winston-Salem, NC
www.reynoldahouse.org

THROUGH DECEMBER 31
Audubon to Wyeth: Paintings,
Drawings, and Sculptures
LEIGH YAWKEY WOODSON ART MUSEUM
Wausau, WI
www.lywam.org

THROUGH DECEMBER 31
N.C. Wyeth: Painter

NADA MIAMI
Miami Beach, FL
www.miami-project.com

FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM


Rockland, ME
www.farnsworthmuseum.org

DECEMBER 1-5
Palm Beach
Jewelry Antiques Design
PALM BEACH COUNTY
CONVENTION CENTER
West Palm Beach, FL
www.pbfallshow.com

THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2017


Helen Levitt: In the Street
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON
Houston, TX
www.mfah.org

THROUGH DECEMBER 11
Icon of Modernism:
Representing the Brooklyn
Bridge, 18831950
GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART
Athens, GA
www.georgiamuseum.org

THROUGH DECEMBER 18
Celebrating Heroes:
American Mural Studies of the
1930s and 1940s from the Steven
and Susan Hirsch Collection
FRANCIS LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER
Poughkeepsie, NY
www.fllac.vassar.edu

THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2017


Julian Onderdonk and the
Texan Landscape
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON
Houston, TX
www.mfah.org

JANUARY 11-15, 2017


LA Art Show

Auctions
at a Glance
Nov. 3 Swanns Old Master Through Modern Prints: New York, NY
Nov. 12 HeritageAuctionsAmericanArtSignatureAuction:Dallas,TX
Nov. 13 Clars Auction Gallerys Fine Art Auction: Oakland, CA
Nov. 18-20 Thomaston Places Fall Feature Auction: Thomaston, ME
Nov. 21 Bonhams California & Western Paintings and Sculpture:
Thomaston, ME

Dec. 2-3 Altermanns December Sale: Santa Fe, NM


Dec. 2-3 Leland Little Auctions Winter Auction: Hillsborough, NC
Dec. 2-4 Neal Auction Companys Louisiana Purchase Auction:
New Orleans, LA

Dec. 3-4 Santa Fe Art Auction: Santa Fe, NM


Dec. 4 Freemans American Art & Pennsylvania Impressionists:
Philadelphia, PA

Dec. 6 Freemans Modern & Contemporary Art: Philadelphia, PA


Dec. 9 MichaansFineArtFurniture,DecorativeArtsandJewelry:
Alameda, CA

THROUGH JANUARY 29, 2017


New Terrains: American
Paintings from the
Richard M. Scaife Bequest

LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER


Los Angeles, CA
www.laartshow.com

BRANDYWINE RIVER MUSEUM OF ART


Chadds Ford, PA
www.brandywine.org

JANUARY 19-22, 2017


Art Palm Beach

THROUGH FEBRUARY 5, 2017


John Singer Sargents Mrs. Carl
Meyer and Her Children

PALM BEACH COUNTY


CONVENTION CENTER
West Palm Beach, FL
www.nextlevelfairs.com/artpalmbeach

PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART


Tulsa, OK
www.philbrook.org

THROUGH FEBRUARY 20, 2017


Max Beckmann in New York
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
New York, NY
www.metmuseum.org

THE JEWISH MUSEUM


New York, NY
www.thejewishmuseum.org

In every issue of American Fine Art Magazine, we publish the only reliable guide to all major upcoming fairs and
shows nationwide. Contact our associate editor, Erin Rand, to discuss how your event can be included in this calendar at
(480) 246-3789 or erand@americanfineartmagazine.com.

28

FEBRUARY 5-MAY 7, 2017


Lusha Nelson Photographs

= Event
= Gallery
= Museum
= Sponsored by AFAM

the

Coeur dAlene
Art Auction
Fine Western &
American Art

The 2016 Coeur dAlene Art Auction


realized over $18 million in sales at
the single largest event in the field of
classic Western and American Art .

We are now accepting quality consignments for


our 2017 sale to be held in July in Reno, Nevada.
Visit our website at www.cdaartauction.com
THE COEUR DALENE ART AUCTION
tel. 208-772-9009 info@cdaartauction.com

Howard Terpning (b. 1927), The Long Shot (detail), oil on canvas, 32 40 inches, Sold at Auction: $1,379,000

NOV/DEC 2016

MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM www.psmuseum.org

Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), The Last of the Buffalo, ca. 1888.


Oil on canvas 60 x 96 in. Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody,
Wyoming. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Trust Fund Purchase. 2.60.

Now open at the Palm Springs Art Museum in


Palm Springs, California, is Go West! Art of the
American Frontier, which presents a century of
art from an extraordinary era of exploration.
The exhibition will feature 90 works by artistexplorers and Plains Indian tribes, and will
chronicle a pivotal period from 1830 to 1930
in which cultures were merging, clashing, and
finding fortune or hardship in a changing
American landscape. Artists with works on view
include George Catlin, Albert Bierstadt, Frederic
Remington, Charles M. Russell and N.C. Wyeth,
as well as many others. The exhibition is organized
by the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, in Cody,
Wyoming. It continues through February 20, 2017.

www.moma.org

Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

CHRYSLER MUSEUM OF ART www.chrysler.org

William Herbert Dunton (1878-1936), The Cattle Buyer,


ca. 1921. Oil on canvas. Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas.

Opening October 29 at the Chrysler Museum


of Art in Norfolk,Virginia, is Branding the
American West: Paintings and Films, 1900-1950,
a new exhibition that celebrates the West and
its influence, particularly during the first half of
the 20th century. The exhibit includes celebrated
artists such as Frederic Remington, Maynard
Dixon and N.C. Wyeth, and features members of
the Taos Society of Artists. More than 90 pieces
will reveal the multiple and changing brands
of the American West during a complicated
time of modernization, war and racial unrest.
It was a time of great changefor cowboys,
for Native Americans, for the land itself. The
exhibit continues through February 5, 2017. It
is jointly organized with the Stark Museum of
Art in Orange, Texas, and the Brigham Young
University Museum of Art in Provo, Utah.

ALBRIGHT-KNOX ART GALLERY www.albrightknox.org


The Albright-Knox Art Gallery in
Buffalo, New York, has announced
it has received a $42.5 million gift
that will go toward the museums
once-in-a-lifetime expansion
project, known as AK360.
Prominent art collector Jeffrey
Gundlach, a native of the Buffalo
area who has maintained lifelong
Aerial view of the Albright-Knox Art
ties to the city and museum, has
Gallerys campus in Buffalo, New
made the challenge gift to the
York. Photo by Blake Dawson.
institution. The gift then galvanized
the entire Buffalo community to rally in support of the project,
with more than $40.5 million contributed from the private sector,
including individuals, foundations and corporations, as well as expected
government support of an estimated $20 million, including $15
million from the State of New York.
30

The Museum of Modern Art


has announced the release of an
extensive digital archive accessible
to historians, students, artists and
anyone concerned with modern
and contemporary art.The
archive includes a comprehensive
account of 3,500 of the museums
exhibitions from its founding in
1929 to today.This new digital
archive, which will continue
to grow as materials become
available, is now accessible on
MoMAs website, moma.org/
history. More than 30,000
exhibition images will also be
available in the comprehensive
archive of materials.

THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM www.thewalters.org


The Walters Art Museum
in Baltimore has launched
a new website that houses
a digital collection of
manuscripts from around the
world. The site, manuscripts.
thewalters.org, features a
user-friendly design with
intuitive search options.
Digitized are more than 900 The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.
of the museums manuscripts Photo by Sarah Stierch.
dating from the 8th to 20th
century. Funding for the comprehensive project came from three
substantial grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities,
the first coming in 2007. The site is an ongoing project so expect to
see new manuscripts added in the future.

MUSEUM NEWS
MORSE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

www.morsemuseum.org

THE SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART www.sdmart.org


Opening November 12 at Californias San Diego Museum of Art is
Visible Vaults, a new exhibition that will re-create one of the museums
most carefully guarded areas, the vaults where the thousands of works of
art in the collection are stored. Often curators cannot put everything on
view that deserves to be displayed; some works of art are too fragile, some
are too light-sensitive, and others do not have the proper context in the
galleries. However, in this behind-the-scenes display, visitors will have the
opportunity to discover over 275 little-known masterpieces, including
prints, drawings, photography, paintings, ceramics, snuff bottles and tiles.
Visible Vaults continues through November 12, 2017.
Henry Spencer Moore (1898-1986), Family Group,
1944. Bronze. Bequest of Earle W. Grant, 1972.69.

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART www.metmuseum.org


The Metropolitan Museum of Art has
announced it has recorded the highest
annual attendance since it began
tracking attendance numbers more
than 40 years ago. During the past
fiscal year, which ended on June 30,
6.7 million people visited the museum,
including the main museum location
in Central Park, the Met Fifth Avenue,
the Cloisters and the Met Breuer. The
number exceeds the previous years
attendance by more than 400,000.

Robert Henri (1865-1929), Portrait of


James Preston Esq., 1904. Oil on canvas.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Andersen in
memory of Hugh F. McKean, P-001-95.

To celebrate the 75th


anniversary of its founding, the
Morse Museum of American
Art in Winter Park, Florida,
will present Celebrating 75
YearsPathways of American
Art at the Morse Museum. The
destination has long been
known for its collection of
works by Louis Comfort
Tiff any. The exhibition will
feature more than 70 objects,
including art glass made by
Tiff any for the wealthy as well
as elegant cast glass for the
middle class and iridescent
carnival glass that was pressed
and sold for pennies to a mass
audience. It will also include
portraits, landscape paintings,
works on paper and pottery,
as well as the Art Machine,
Thomas Sullys 1871 study of
a young Queen Victoria with
precise instructions on how to
view and appreciate the work
of art. The exhibition is now
open and continues through
January 1, 2017.

32

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

THE HYDE COLLECTION www.hydecollection.org

NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM www.nrm.org

A rendering of the Feibes & Schmitt Gallery at the Hyde Collection in New York.

A view inside a gallery at the Norman Rockwell Museum.

The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, New York,


has announced it has received an $11 million gift,
the largest donation since Charlotte Pruyn Hyde
bequeathed her home and artwork to establish
the museum in 1952. Art collector, architect and
Schenectady, New York, resident Werner Feibes
provided the major bequest of art and cash. With
the gift, the Hyde will create a new 1,500-squarefoot gallery dedicated to the display of modern and
contemporary art. Named in honor of the donor
and his late partner, the Feibes & Schmitt Gallery,
will open to the public in the summer of 2017.

The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge,


Massachusetts, has announced it has received
a $1.5 million grant from the George Lucas
Family Foundation to strengthen the museums
digital learning and engagement division. The
grant will enable the museum to create a range
of multimedia experiences for visitors on-site
and online, as well as for the museums traveling
exhibitions.

S UB SC RIBE
Previewing Upcoming Events, Sales and Auctions of Historic Fine Art

Subscribe now to
this unique magazine
and website

TO A MERIC AS
NO. 1 MAGAZINE
FOR HISTORIC
FINE ART

PER ISSUE

hile impressive auction results of historic American


paintings and sculpture or an occasional celebrity
collector may garner a newspaper headline now and
then, there is no magazine, until now, that has offered
complete and comprehensive coverage of the upcoming shows and
events of this always-fascinating market that is so deeply tied to
American history, society and culture.
Previews of Upcoming
Shows and Auctions

Read Up-To-Date
Auction Reports and Analysis

The historic fine art of Americas


greatest artists is in big demand and if you
are serious about acquiring it, you need to
know about it sooner so you can plan your
collecting strategies.
When you subscribe to American Fine
Art Magazine youll know in advance what
major works are coming to market because,
every other month, youll have access to
this valuable information when we email
you the upcoming issueup to 10 days
before the printed magazine arrives in your
mailboxand before the shows even open.

In every issue well publish detailed analysis


with charts highlighting the results of
major shows and auctions so you can track
the movement of key works and prices of
major artists.

Inside the Homes of


Major Collectors

Contributing Editors and


Consultant Columnists

Our nationally-recognized fine art


consultants and award-winning
photographers take you inside the homes
of the countrys top art collectors to give
you full access to some never-before-seen
collections.

$5

FOR ONLY

TOP 10 LOTS
FREEMANS AUCTIONEERS & APPRAISERS DECEMBER 4, 2011 (INCLUDING BUYERS PREMIUM)
ARTIST

TITLE

LOW/HIGH EST.

SOLD

JAMES ABBOTT MCNEILL WHISTLER (1834-1903)

BLUE AND OPAL THE PHOTOGRAPHER

$150/250,000

$469,000

EDWARD WILLIS REDFIELD (1869-1965)


NICOLAI FECHIN (1881-1955)

SPRING
SEATED FEMALE NUDE

$200/300,000
$80/120,000

$241,000
$145,000

FERN ISABEL KUNS COPPEDGE (1883-1951)

LAMBERTVILLE ACROSS THE DELAWARE, WINTER

$30/50,000

$79,000

MARY ELIZABETH PRICE (1877-1965)

TIGER LILIES

$20/30,000

$79,000

UNDER THE TREE

$70/100,000

CHARLES ROSEN (1878-1950)

DELAWARE RIVER VIEW

$40/60,000

$43,000

FRANZ XAVER PETTER (1791-1866)

RAE SLOAN BREDIN (1881-1933)

STILL LIFE WITH ROSES AND TULIPS WITH


PARROT IN A BRASS VASE

$15/25,000

$40,000

$49,000

JOSEPH HENRY SHARP (1859-1953)

OCTOBER SNOW TAOS VALLEY (FROM MY STUDIO)

$20/30,000

$37,000

DAVID DAVIDOVICH BURLIUK (1882-1967)

FLOWER ABSTRACT

$12/18,000

$37,000

Some of the most authoritative fine art


experts in the country will contribute
regular columns explaining current
and future trends to better inform your
decision-making.

Who Makes the American


Fine Art Market Tick?
In each bimonthly issue you can read
interviews with the people behind the
scenes in this fascinating industry.

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MUSEUM NEWS
FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM www.farnsworthmuseum.org
Now open at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine, is Art of Disaster, a new exhibition
that focuses on disasters of all varieties. The exhibition, drawn primarily from the Farnsworth
collection, explores the universal world of natural and human-originated disasters. Works in the
exhibit include pieces by Washington Allston, Leonard Baskin, Harrison Bird Brown, Augustus
Buhler, Jonathan Fisher, Winslow Homer, James Hope, Waldo Peirce, and N.C. and Andrew
Wyeth. Images depict a host of disasters: drowning, floods, fire, hurricanes, shipwrecks and war; the
calamity of the aftermath: harrowing rescues, disease, death and destruction; and the cleanup that
ensued. The exhibition is on view through April 23, 2017.
Winslow Homer (1836-1910), The Life Line, 1884. Etching on vellum 127/8 x 17 in.
Collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1943.102.

CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

LESLEY UNIVERSITY

www.crystalbridges.org

www.lesley.edu

Troy Anderson, Forged from the Earth, 2016.


Bronze 18 x 9 x 9 in. Photo by Jacob Slaton.

Irving Penn (1917-2009), Ball Dress by Olivier Theyskens


for Nina Ricci, New York, 2007. Smithsonian American Art
Museum. Gift of the Irving Penn Foundation. Cond Nast.

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American


Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, has announced
that the Archives of American Art at the
Smithsonian Institution in Washington,
D.C., has been selected as the first recipient
of the Don Tyson Prize, a $200,000 award
for outstanding achievement in American
art. The prize is an unprecedented award
recognizing significant achievements in
the field of American art. A national jury
of respected museum and academic art
historians selected the Archives of American
Art for recognition, lauding the institution
for advancing knowledge in the field of
American art since its establishment in 1954.

Now open at Lesley University in


Cambridge, Massachusetts, is Irving Penn:
Beyond Beauty, a major retrospective of
the work of the legendary American
photographer. The exhibition is organized
by the Smithsonian American Art Museum
in Washington, D.C. Lesley University is the
only site for the exhibition in the Northeast.
Penns iconic photography can be seen at
two campus galleries: the Roberts and Raizes
Galleries at the Lunder Arts Center and the
VanDernoot Gallery in University Hall. The
exhibition continues through November 19.

J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM

www.getty.edu/museum

J. Paul Getty photographed by Yousuf Karsh, 1964, in the Great


Hall of Sutton Place, England Research Library, the Getty Research
Institute Photo by Yousuf Karsh, The Estate of Yousuf Karsh.

J. Paul Getty Life and Legacy, a new permanent


installation at the J. Paul Getty Museum in
Los Angeles, is now open. The exhibit tells
the story of Getty, the businessman and art
collector who used the bulk of his wealth to
create the arts institution that bears his name.
Considered the worlds richest man in the
1950s and 1960s, Getty made his fortune in
the oil business. Upon his death in 1976 he
bequeathed his estate to his small namesake
museum. The installation includes objects
that Getty collected personally and a digital
interactive experience that visitors can use
to learn about his life, business dealings and
establishment of the trust and the museum.

NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME www.baseballhall.org


Now up at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New
York, are a number of baseball-themed works from important American artists. Some
of the works were loaned to the museum by Rick Friedman, a former Yankees ball boy
from Long Island, New York. Friedman generously provided the museum with two
pieces by world-renowned artists: Alexander Calders Baseball and Elaine de Koonings
The Baseball Catch. The pieces went on temporary view beginning August 4.
Elaine de Koonings The Baseball Catch and Alexander Calders Baseball are currently on display in the museums
Frank and Peggy Steele Art Gallery. Photo by Milo Stewart Jr. / National Baseball Hall of Fame.

34

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Rural Modern exhibit opens at


Brandywine River Museum of Art
October 29 to January 22, 2017, at the Brandywine River Museum of Art in
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, is Rural Modern: American Art Beyond the City, a new
exhibition that examines the treatments of coastal New England, small-town
Pennsylvania, Midwestern farms, and other rural regions of the country to illustrate
the dispersal of modernist styles around the country. Comprised of more than 60
works, Rural Modern investigates the incursion and gradual acceptance of modernist
tropes in the American provinces. Artists include Georgia OKeeffe, N.C. Wyeth,
Marsden Hartley, Roger Medearis, Charles Sheeler, Charles Demuth and more.
Marsden Hartley (1877-1943), New Mexico Landscape, 1919-20. Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 in.
Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1949.

The origins of American design examined at Davis Museum


The Davis Museum at Wellesley College in
Massachusetts is now presenting Partners in Design:
Alfred H. Barr Jr. and Philip Johnson, a show exploring
a pivotal development in the evolution of American
design: the collaboration between the first director
of the Museum of Modern Art, Alfred Barr, who
taught the first undergraduate course in modern
Philip Johnson and Alfred Barr, Lake Maggiore,
Switzerland, April 1933. The Museum of Modern Art/
Licensed by SCALA/Art Resource, New York.

art at Wellesley College in 1926, and Philip Johnson,


MoMAs first curator of architecture. Barr and
Johnson endeavored to bring modernism to North
America, particularly the innovative ideals of rational
and functional design developed at the Bauhaus
school at Dessau, Germany. The exhibition features
furniture from Barrs and Johnsons apartments,
examples of Bauhaus graphic design, as well as an
array of objects celebrated for their design in Barrs
and Johnsons influential exhibitions at MoMA.

Left:
George Inness (1825-1894), Evening Glow, 1883.
Oil on canvas, 22 x 36 in., signed and dated lower
right: G. Inness 1883. Available at the November
12 American Art Signature Auction.
Right:
J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951), To the
Vanquished, Saturday Evening Post cover, March
10, 1934. Oil on canvas, 32 x 24 in., signed lower
left: JCLeyendecker. Available at the November
12 American Art Signature Auction.

Heritage Auctions hits bidder milestone


Heritage Auctions, one of the top auction
companies in the country, now has more
than 1 million online bidders using its
platform to buy and sell fine art, jewelry,
luxury real estate, fine wines, intellectual
property and collectibles, including
rare coins, comic books, and sports and
entertainment memorabilia. Heritage
officials indicated that the auction house

36

is adding clients at a rate of about 5,000


a month.
Our dedication to collectors, our
early and continuing embracing of mobile
technology, and Heritages free database of
more than 4 million prices realized have
attracted users from all over the world,
says Steve Ivy, CEO of Heritage Auctions.
Our 1 million online bidder members,

from the United States and 185 other


countries around the world, are buyers and
sellers seeking unique artworks, luxury
goods and record-breaking collectibles.
Heritage Auctions celebrated its 40th
anniversary this year, and now has more
than 600 employees, and total sales of
more than $800 million in prices realized
across 40 different collecting categories.

Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000), The Migration Series, Panel 1: During World


War I there was a great migration north by southern African Americans,
1940-41. Casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18 in. The Phillips Collection,
Washington, D.C., acquired 1942. The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence
Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Jacob Lawrences 60-panel


masterpiece reunited
The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., has reunited all
60 panels of The Migration Series, Jacob Lawrences seminal
masterwork depicting the mass movement of African-Americans
from the rural South to the urban North between World Wars
I and II. Half of the Migration Series is owned by the Phillips
Collection, and the other half by the Museum of Modern Art,
which has loaned its 30 works for this one-of-a-kind reunion.
The pieces will be presented in an exhibition titled People on
the Move: Beauty and Struggle in Jacob Lawrences Migration Series.
The exhibition explores the historical, literary, socio-cultural,
aesthetic and contemporary manifestations of migration that
underlie Lawrences powerful visual narrative.
The presentation is complemented by a new interactive
website, featuring the artists firsthand accounts as well as
contemporary responses to migration. The exhibition is
organized by the Phillips Collection and the Museum of Modern
Art, in collaboration with the Schomburg Center for Research
in Black Culture. It will be on view through January 8, 2017.

Olana, the former home and studio of Frederic E. Church, which is now
a historic site in Hudson, New York.

Olana Partnership honors vital advocates


at annual gala
This years Olana Partnership 2016 Frederic Church Award Gala,
held October 13 in New York City, honored important past
and present advocates to Olana, the home, studio and designed
landscapes of painter Frederic E. Church. His breathtaking estate,
in Hudson, New York, was saved from the wrecking ball 50
years ago, and today is a historic site managed by the New York
State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Award winners were Washburn and Susan Oberwager, who
have supported Olana for more than a decade with Washburn
serving as a board member and chairman at the Olana
Partnership beginning in 2000. They have been passionate
advocates for Olana as a national center for American art
and landscape. Also honored at the gala was Gov. Nelson A.
Rockefellers cultural legacy as a champion of the arts and
education. Rockefeller, who died in 1979, was instrumental in
helping bring Olana to a wider audience.

Cross Country exhibition opens February 12 at the High Museum

Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009),


The Stone Fence, 1946. Tempera
on panel. Private collection.

Opening February 12, 2017, at the High Museum


of Art in Atlanta, is Cross Country:The Power of Place
in American Art, 1915-1950, an exhibition that will
bring together works by more than 80 artists who
channeled the power of American places outside
of city limits between 1915 and 1950. As the
population grew following World War I, roads and
highways became more prominent and Americans
became increasingly urban rather than rural. Artists
also began to see the larger world, particularly as it
grew around them, and many of their works began
to show a changing national identity.
Cross Country, which continues through May 7,
is arranged geographically and will present more
than 200 artworks, including over 70 from the

High Museums permanent collection. Three of


the museums curatorial departments collaborated
on this exhibition to represent the true inclusivity
of American art during this period of growth
and change. The exhibition features not only
trained painters who worked outside of major
American cities but also photographers and selftaught artists who were earning major recognition
from the American art world for the first time in
history. Featured artists will include N. C. Wyeth,
Andrew Wyeth, Georgia OKeeffe, Grant Wood,
Thomas Hart Benton, Jacob Lawrence, Grandma
Moses, Hale Woodruff , Bill Traylor, Ansel Adams,
Dorothea Lange, Alfred Stieglitz, and Peter Sekaer,
among many others.

37

ART MARKET UPDATES

People

&

Places

The newly renovated East Building at the National Gallery of Art.

The National Gallery of Arts East Building


has reopened with 12,250 square feet of
new space for its permanent collection
of modern art and three exhibitions
The Smithsonian American Art Museum
announced that Abraham Thomas will
join the staff as The Fleur and Charles
Bresler Curator-in-Charge of its Renwick
Abraham Thomas,
Gallery. Thomas previously served as the
The Fleur and Charles
director of the Sir John Soanes Museum in
Bresler Curator-inCharge of the Renwick
London Sarah Newman and Melissa Ho
Gallery.
have also joined the curatorial team at the
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution has
been selected as the first recipient of the Don Tyson Prize. The
$200,000 prize from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
was endowed by the Tyson family and Tyson Foods, Inc., and honors
outstanding achievement in American art Richard Aste has been
appointed as the first Hispanic director of the McNay Art Museum in
San Antonio, Texas. He will replace Bill Chiego, who is retiring after
serving as the head of the institution for 25 years The Metropolitan
Museum of Art has set a new visitation record, welcoming 6.7 million
visitors across its three locations during
the last fiscal year Palm Springs Art
Museum has been awarded a $165,000
grant from the California Cultural and
Historical Endowment. The grant will be
used for projects that will ensure the safety
of the museums art collection and stabilize
the atmosphere for art preservation
In other Palm Springs Art Museum news,
Richard Aste, the new
Michael Miner has been appointed as
director of the McNay
the Dorothy and Harold J. Meyerman
Art Museum in San
Director of Development. Before joining
Antonio, Texas.

38

the museum, Miner served as the Major


Gifts and Planned Giving Officer at
Desert AIDS Project Leslie Hindman
Auctioneers has welcomed Jason Rovito
as a specialist and director of their Fine
Books and Manuscripts departmentThe
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art,
in Bentonville, Arkansas, has appointed
Michael Miner,
Lauren Haynes as Curator, Contemporary
Dorothy and Harold
Art. She joins Crystal Bridges from The
J. Meyerman Director
of Development at
Studio Museum in Harlem where she
the Palm Springs Art
served as Associate Curator, Permanent
Museum.
Collection Ed Prohaska has been
appointed as Chief Financial Officer of
the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
following a five-month search The Artists
Spaces executive director Stefan Kalmr
will leave his position to take over as the
head of the Institute of Contemporary Art
in London The Institute of Museum and
Library Services has awarded a $92,500
Lauren Haynes, the new
grant to the Tucson Museum of Art and
Curator, Contemporary
Historic Block to support a project that
Art at the Crystal
provides refugee and immigrant families
Bridges Museum of
a connection with the community The
American Art.
Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New
York, has received a $42.5 million gift from prominent art collector
Jeffrey Gundlach. In honor of the gift, the museum will become
known as the Buffalo Albright-Knox-Gundlach Art Museum. The
name change will take effect upon the opening of the museums new
building Art historian and Columbia University associate professor
Kellie Jones has been awarded a Genius Grant from the John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The $625,000 stipend will be paid
out over five years.

NEW ACQUISITION

Georgia OKeeffe
GEORGIA OKEEFFE MUSEUM

Georgia OKeeffe (1887-1986), The Barns, Lake George, 1926. Oil on canvas, 21 x 32 in. Image courtesy George OKeeffe Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

n May 2016 the Georgia OKeeffe Museum in Santa Fe,


New Mexico, acquired a rare 1926 painting by its namesake
artist.The work, titled The Barns, Lake George, was purchased
with funds from the museums acquisition fund and depicts
the rustic barns that surround the Stieglitz Family property
overlooking the shores of Lake George, New York.
The Barns, Lake George has only been shown publicly once in
the past 50 years, but exhibited at multiple important exhibitions
during OKeeffes lifetime. This included her retrospective at
Museum of Modern Art. Until it was acquired by the museum,
the painting had been in private collections since 1946.
At the time of the paintings purchase, Robert A. Kret, the
museums director, said, The Barns, Lake George, 1926, fills a
notable gap in our collection and will allow us to significantly
enhance our My New Yorks gallery. The painting will go on
view in the coming months.

The cities of New York and Lake George are the focus of the
My New Yorks gallery, as well as their significance in OKeeffes
artistic and personal development. As the museum explains, the
barn subject matter is one that connects OKeeffe to members of
the Stieglitz Circle and to American modernists who were drawn
to national subjects. The Barns, Lake George is an outstanding
example from the series of less than 10 paintings of the barns at
Lake George made between 1921 and 1934, notes the museum.
OKeeffe also painted barns found in Canada and Wisconsin.
Cody Hartley, the museums director of curatorial affairs,
adds, This acquisition will strengthen and refine our
collection, furthering our goal to represent the full breadth of
Georgia OKeeffes artistic accomplishments. Hartley explains
that the museum aims to build a collection of works by the
artist, as well as photographs of and related to OKeeffe and
pieces by other artists that provide context to her artwork.
39

NEW ACQUISITION

Edwin Dickinson
P R O V I N C E TO W N A R T A S S O C I AT I O N A N D M U S E U M

even paintings by Edwin Dickinson,


a Provincetown Art Association and
Museum founding member, officer and
exhibiting artist, were recently donated to
the museum. The works, spanning from 1914
to 1944, came from the trust of Daniel W.
Dietrich II of Philadelphia. They include the
figurative Beatrice Zucker and local Cape Cod
scenes such as View of Great Island and Dune,
South Wellfleet Beach.
In 2015, Dan passed away and through
a non-traditional process challenged three
institutionsPennsylvania Academy of
the Fine Arts, Philadelphia Museum of
Art and Provincetown Art Association and
Museumto vie for 24 oil paintings by
Dickinson. The result of this very in-depth
process was the gift of seven paintings to
PAAMs permanent collection. Joining
several other works by Dickinson, the
offerings have now doubled, says Christine
M. McCarthy, executive director of PAAM.
I am deeply grateful to Dan Dietrich and
his executor, Frank Cooper. This gift not
only strengthens our Dickinson holdings, but
speaks to the credibility of this organization
and our responsibility to carefully preserve
the legacy of the oldest continuous art colony
in America.
Along with his strong ties to the museum,
Dickinson was one of the only artists to live in
Provincetown year-round in the early 1900s.
He also was a proponent of the changing art
world, which is highlighted on his canvases
through his shift in artistic styles.
The museum explains, As the art world
changed in the early 1900s, Dickinson

Top: Edwin Dickinson (1891-1978), View of Great


Island, 1944. Oil on canvas, 10 x 12 in. Gift of
Daniel W. Dietrich II, 2016.
Left: Edwin Dickinson (1891-1978), Truro Church
Interior. Oil on canvas, 25 x 30 in. Gift of Daniel W.
Dietrich II, 2016.

40

Edwin Dickinson (1891-1978), Beatrice Zucker, 1914. Oil on Masonite, 36 x 36 in. Gift of Daniel W. Dietrich II, 2016.

was a pioneer, moving from more traditional work toward


the abstract; this shift caused a major rift among artists
in Provincetown, yet Dickinson was able to persuade his
fellow colleagues of the advantages of these changes. This
is reflective in the differing styles of painting he created

throughout his career.


The pieces were revealed to the public for the first time
on September 2. They will be part of the exhibition Edwin
Dickinson: From the Permanent Collection, curated by McCarthy,
that will be on view at the museum through December 31.
41

The second floor gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

American Art
Finds a Secure Place

t was an exciting time. When I began


my career in the field of American
arts in the mid-1960s, something of
a revolution was taking place. American
identity had long been assumed to be
present in American art and the topic
of What is American About American
Art had been regularly under review.
With the celebration of recent American
abstract painting in critical circles as
well as the popular media, American
contemporary art was trumpeted as
having wrested artistic leadership from
the capitals of Europe where it had long
resided. American art had achieved an
eminence for its power and originality
and became something of a benchmark
mirroring the political and economic
leadership position of the United
States. With each new development
or movement from Pop to Minimal,
Earthworks to Conceptual art, the
spotlight shone brighter and brighter.
By contrast, earlier American
efforts at embracing European avant-

42

By Jay E. Cantor
garde ideas had appeared provincial
against Europes radical revolutions.
With American arts new celebrity
came the question of whether there
were historical antecedents in earlier
American art thus engendering a broad
based re-examination of the countrys
artistic past. American art had been
a stepchild in both the academic and
museum communities. Colleges and
universities might offer a course or two
in the subject. Encyclopedic museums
like the Metropolitan Museum in
New York, which had been a pioneer
in welcoming American arts into
the temple of high culture with the
establishment of the American Wing in
1924, had tended to isolate American
work in distant wings where painting,
sculpture, furniture and other decorative
arts were assembled in a nostalgic
treasure chest of Americas early elite.
Initially, the arts of early America had
been prized more for their antique value
or narrative interest rather than for their

aesthetic significance. In this context,


it is interesting to note that the grand
survey of American art assembled at the
New York Worlds Fair of 1939, had not
been titled Art in America but rather Life
in America. Art served to illustrate history
rather than being an incisive vehicle for
understanding the historical past.
The earliest collections of American
fine art had, in fact, centered on
historical portraiture and those images
were principally of the leaders of a
community. It was only in the aftermath
of World War II that the achievements
of American landscape, still life and
genre painters of the 19th century
and subsequent generations came
under serious and continuing scrutiny.
While the reputations of now-lionized
figures such as Winslow Homer and
Thomas Eakins (both initially under
the dedicated purview of journalist and
curator Lloyd Goodrich) were secured
through close study and analysis, they
were still largely viewed from a template

MY VIEW
of Americanness rather than in the
context of the larger art movements of
their time.
Not surprisingly, there was an
upsurge of outdoor museums, historic
site restorations and reconstructions in
the post-war years following the lead of
Colonial Williamsburg in 1927 and the
Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield
Village in 1929. Sturbridge Village
(1946), Shelburne Museum (1947),
The Henry Francis DuPont Winterthur
Museum (1951), and Old (now Historic)
Deerfield (1952), among others, began
to attract increasingly mobile Americans
through their displays and the organizing
of symposiums, collectors weekends
and craft demonstrations. Their message
was one of American uniqueness,
individuality and independencea
not so subtle propagandistic impulse
in those fearsome cold war years. They
all helped to initiate Americans into an
appreciation of native object culture
and domestic arts. On the scholarly
and academic side, it was at Winterthur
Museum, a predominantly decorative
arts collection, that the first dedicated
masters program in American arts and
material culture was established.
Simultaneously a new generation of
scholars, curators and collectors were
sharpening their view and interpretation
of historic American work, identifying
resonances of European influence as well
as local inflections that demanded deeper
examination. In addition, the narrow
time range that had focused attention

Betsy Broun. Photo by Tony Powell.

The Lincoln Gallery.

on the earliest American work was


expanded to include all of the 19th and
early 20th centuries and, to some degree,
midcentury developments. This enlarged
view also pushed the physical boundaries
beyond the northeast to included
previously unstudied aspects of southern,
Midwestern, southwestern and Pacific
Coast arts. The expanding museum
focus on American arts, together with
the emerging historic preservation
movement, opened the way for a wider
review of the creative contributions of
previously neglected periods.
Importantly, the Metropolitan
Museums 1970 exhibition 19th Century
America, celebrating the museums 100th
anniversary, provided the first major
volley in a campaign to re-evaluate a
century that had mostly been ignored.
Such revolutionary events as the Boston

Museum of Fine Arts 1974 exhibition


Frontier America would have been
unthinkable in a major East Coast art
museum just a few years earlier.
While the 1976 American Revolution
Bicentennial exhibitions mounted
around the country for the most part
revisited well-worn paths of colonial era
work while still focusing on the political
and economic elite, some of the resulting
exhibitions and publications were
more investigative and less reverential,
enlarging the scope of inquiry while
bringing greater precision and rigor
to examining both facts and meaning
in American art as cultural document
and artistic achievement. While at times
acknowledging an innate provinciality
for the American production, a new
respect for the creative energy evident in
American art was essayed.
For its part, the National Collection
of Fine Arts in Washington underscored
a significant new approach with its
bicentennial exhibition, America as Art,
which abandoned the celebratory survey
in favor of a more acute analysis of
meaning in and of American art and its
inherent message of Americas culture
and history. It thus sought to enlarge the
reading of American art as a true portrait
of the national ethos and suggested
meaning beyond the skill and capabilities
of the artist.
This museum, under the umbrella of
the Smithsonian Institution, had been
43

MY VIEW

A sculpture in front of the museum.

considered as the countrys national


gallery from 1907 to 1937 when the
present National Gallery of Art was
established. NCFA was housed in an
all-purpose United States National
Museum on the National Mall and
included sundry art collections to
which the Smithsonian had fallen heir.
The Smithsonian had been colloquially
referred to as the nations attic and as the
NCFA evolved into its present identity,
it presented a crazy quilt assemblage
of exhibitions. It serviced the local
community with exhibitions such as
the Fourth All-Army Art Exhibition and
Capital Area Art Exhibition - Landscape
Club and wide-ranging international
shows such as Swedish Folk Art,The Dead
Sea Scrolls of Japan, Danish Abstract Art
or Medieval Frescoes from Yugoslavia, in
addition to the presentation of American
art and the permanent collection.
The acquisition by the Smithsonian
of the discarded but magisterial historic
Patent Office building provided a
distinguished new venue for the
museums collections. Its location, away
from the Mall with its collation of
institutions covering history, aeronautics,
worldwide arts and national monuments,
ultimately meant that the museum
program must provide enough appeal to
lure visitors away from the comfortable
proximity of competing institutions on
the Mall. With the move in 1968, to
this newly restored historic building,
along with its partner museum, the
National Portrait Gallery, it began a
44

more focused and aggressive campaign


of growth in acquisitions, exhibitions
and publications. It mounted a widerranging menu of one-artist and
interpretive exhibitions.
With a new generation of welltrained scholars and curators at the helm,
the museum undertook a more incisive
approach. The subjects, while including
some of the seminal artists in the
American pantheon such as Stuart Davis,
Frederic Church and Thomas Moran,
George Caleb Bingham, Alexander
Archipenko,Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Henry
Ossawa Tanner, also included important
but less familiar names such as Lily
Martin Spencer, Robert Loftin Newman
and Arthur Wesley Dow. The museum
expanded its print and photography
collections and exhibitions and with
the incorporation of the Renwick
Gallery, established in 1972 in the first
Corcoran Gallery building of 1859, it
embraced craft and design as important
creative disciplines. To buttress this more
exploratory approach, the museum
established a fellowship program in 1970
and a scholarly journal in 1986.
Then, in a move to create uniformity
among its diverse entities, and to better
identify the focus of the museum,
the Smithsonian renamed it the
National Museum of American Art but
subsequent confusion with the National
Gallery of Art has more recently resulted
in its rebranding as the Smithsonian
American Art Museum.
Shortly after occupying the Patent
Office, Joshua Taylor, a Princeton-trained
art historian who had specialized in the
study of American art and documentary
resources, took the helm. He is credited
with doubling the size of the collections
and launching a computerized inventory
of all documented American paintings
made prior to 1914. He was succeeded
by Charles Eldredge, who had been
the director of the Spencer Museum of
Art, and Professor, Art History at the
University of Kansas. A former colleague
at the Spencer, Elizabeth Betsy Broun,
joined the museum as Chief Curator
and Assistant Director in 1983, and since

1989, Betsy, as director, has steered the


museum on an ambitious journey, not
only through the often fraught waters of
government oversight, but into new and
uncharted regions that have contributed
to important changes and innovations
in the operation of hers and other
American museums.
Betsy will retire at the end of
2016 as the longest currently serving
Smithsonian museum director and one
of the most forward-thinking impresarios
of a public art museum. She has excelled
in the daunting task of identifying and
servicing a diverse museum audience and
re-defining the role of the museum itself
as it presents three centuries of American
artistic achievement.
Her museum was not alone in
Washington in collecting and exhibiting
the work of American artists. The
National Gallery collection includes
masterworks by some of the most
eminent historic American artists and the
Corcoran Gallery, initially founded in
1869, had operated as a dedicated venue
for American art since its official opening
in 1874 until its recent close. The nearby
Phillips Collection boasts a pioneering
collection of modern American art,
founded on the private collection of
Duncan Phillips, and more contemporary
American art has filled the halls of the
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture
Garden, which occupies a prominent
location on the National Mall.
But for Betsy Broun, presenting
American art took a different trajectory.
Her vision is based on a fundamental
belief that American art is a container of
American history and not just a vehicle
for aesthetic contemplation. Assuming
the directorship in 1989, within a few
years she had shifted the orientation
of exhibitions and programs away
from the nuances of art history to a
broader way of connecting American
art to history and the evolution of the
country. The Smithsonian American
Art Museum has become, in effect, a
history museum through art even if
that art is not, in itself, historic. What
excited her was what art tells us

about the evolution of the country. In


exhibitions ranging from a controversial
1991 exhibition The West as America:
Reinterpreting Images of the Frontier,
1820 1920, which caught the critical
attention of Congress, to installations
such as the Great Hall of Wonders and
Young America, and a myriad of survey
and one-artist exhibitions, the museum
has found a rich vein for exploration.
While aesthetic considerations are a
core value for the museum, it departs
from the masterwork mentality that is
a motivating force for many museums
and moves toward a more nuanced
understanding of the meaning and
significance of the works under her care
and those assembled for many of the
more than 250 exhibitions mounted
during her tenure. In comparison with
the National Gallery whose exhibitions
have been largely one-artist shows for
painters such as Thomas Eakins, Winslow
Homer, Gilbert Stuart and Mary Cassatt,

Georgia OKeeffe (1887-1986), Manhattan,

1932. Oil on canvas, 84 3/8 x 48 in.


Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Gift of the Georgia OKeeffe Foundation,
1995.3.1.

and few thematic installations, Brouns


museum has pursued an agenda of
inclusion, bringing work from multiple
regions of the country into focus. For
her, the word National means the
entire nationnot just belonging to
but reaching and partnering with a vast
territory and diverse communities.
She has achieved this goal at many
levels. Smithsonian American Art
Museum has become a leader in distance
learning offering real time video
conferencing to teach classes in all states
and overseas. Traveling exhibitions and
an internship program have engaged,
informed and expanded the use of the
museums resources, as have innovative
uses of technology in all aspects of the
museum program. Remote accessibility
through web-based resources, research
databases and digital media have all
expanded on the pioneering imperative
of Joshua Taylor.
Doing all of this has not been an easy
ride but rather the result of extraordinary
energy. Budgetary belt tightening
at the Smithsonian had, by the mid1990s, begun to significantly impact the
museum. Congressional appropriations
alone could no longer sustain staff and
programming. New initiatives were
out of the question. While the public
perception was that such national
institutions were paid for by tax dollars,
the reality was that the Betsys museum
and sister institutions had to go out and
secure funds from across the nation.
That meant making friends around the
country for a museum that was in no
ones backyard. And she has succeeded
admirably. In fact, when Betsy took the
reins, government appropriations paid
salary and benefits for a staff of 140.
Today it covers only 83 and fully onethird of the staff is paid for by private
money. Betsy has grown an endowment
of about $500,000 to $85 million while
also raising some $112 million to help
underwrite the six-year renovation to the
museums historic home. At the museum
itself, behind the scenes has, to some
degree, become front and center.
Broun conceived and secured funding for

many of the museums core programs and


new public spaces in its main buildinga
conservation center, an art storage and study
center, an enclosed courtyard, an auditorium
and an education center.The innovative
Lunder Conservation Center is the first art
conservation facility that allows the public
permanent behind-the-scenes views of the
preservation work of museums.The Luce
Foundation Center for American Art is the
only visible art storage and study center in
Washington, with thousands of artworks
on public display.The Robert and Arlene
Kogod Courtyard is a public gathering space
designed by the world-renowned architectural
firm Foster + Partners.The Nan Tucker
McEvoy Auditorium, a 346-seat space, is the
first such facility for the museum.
Most recently, Betsy secured $30
million in public and private funding for
the renovation of the Renwick Gallery,
which reopened in November 2015.
Infrastructure has been upgraded, historic
detailing renewed and other upgrades
implemented that will make it adaptable
to 21st-century requirements. With its
homes in the Patent Office and the
original Corcoran Gallery, the museum
now ably cares for two of the three
oldest buildings of the Smithsonian.
Betsy Brouns long-term vision for
the Smithsonian American Art Museum
is both unique and compelling. While
she has expanded the collections to
include contemporary folk art, media
arts, craft and decorative arts, she sees
these and the other collections not as
possessions but as voices. For her, art
wells up with its own voice. And her
museums role is to reveal how art
works in a true citizens democracy
where each group gives voice to its
hopes and dreams. To make that
happen, she has encouraged and enabled
exhibitions and installations that do
more than showcase the extraordinary
but also find deeper meaning in objects
long overlooked. Art may have the
ability to educate but without a guide
or interpreter it can well be a foreign
language for the average visitor and
that is something that Betsy Broun has
worked for 27 years to change.
45

EX LIBRIS

Sargent and the


Art of Allusion
by Joshua Rose

John Singer Sargent


and the Art of Allusion
By Bruce Redford
(New Haven,
Yale University Press)
224 pages with 120 color
and 30 black-and-white
illustrations, $65

John Singer Sargent and the


Art of Allusion is one of
the more complex books
published on the master of
American impressionists
technique and influences.

John Singer Sargent (18561925), The Countess of Warwick


and her Son, 1904-5. Worcester
Art Museum, Worcester,
Massachusetts.

46

While Sargents portraits


were immediately
recognized as the works of
a young master destined
to carry the tradition of
classical portraiture as
passed down from artists
such as Velzquez, van
Dyck and Reynolds, these
works also responded to
the stylistic experiments
and cultural preoccupations
of a world on the cusp of
modernity. Sargent achieved
this complex synthesis
through a pictorial language
composed of witty acts of
allusion.
According to Redford,
Sargent, as a follower of
Reynolds, read his Discourses
attentively and as such was
fully versed in Reynolds
doctrine of imitation
which states, in part, He,
who borrows an idea from
an antient [sic], or even
from a modern artist not
his contemporary, and so
accommodates his own
work, that it makes a part of
it, with no seam of joining
appearing, can hardly be
charged with plagiarism
But an artist should not
be contented with this
only; he should enter into
a competition with his
original
So, for Redford, the act
of Sargent borrowing or
playing with the past is
what the allusion of the title

of the book refers to. And,


for Sargent, this allusion
falls more into line with his
playing with past notions of
traditional portraiture found
within his work rather than
anything that resembles
the plagiarism as discussed
by Reynolds. In Sargents
work, stylistic conventions
are played with in a way
that allows the artist to
comment on the changing
roles brought by modernism
and the new age.
For example, in Sargents
painting Mr. and Mrs. I.N.
Phelps Stokes, Sargent
reverses or complicates
the pictorial conventions
associated with traditional
gender roles. Mrs. Stokes
is kinetic; brightly lit and
assertively posed, she frankly
and even boldly engages
the viewer. Mr. Stokes is

static; a dim accessory, a


shadowy attendant whose
expression is impassive, even
withdrawn.
Redford also spends
considerable time and effort
discussing two outputs of
Sargents work that are
rarely discussed: his portraits
of empire builders such as
Charles Stewart, 6th Marquess
of Londonderry, Carrying the
Great Cross Sword of State at
the Coronation of King Edward
VI, August 1902, and Mr.
W.C. Beaumont, his Page on
that Occasion, 1904; and his
paintings of World War I.
While some of the War
images are watercolors
depicting everyday scenes
of, say, soldiers resting in a
field or bathing in a river,
others are fiercely anti-war
such as his famous 91-by240-inch masterpiece

John Singer Sargent (18561925), The Ladies Alexandra, Mary


and Theo Acheson (The Acheson
Sisters), 1902. Devonshire
Collection, Chatsworth House,
Derbyshire, UK.

titled Gassed, 1919, in the


permanent collection of
the Imperial War Museum
in London.
According to Redford,
Gassed was commissioned
as the centerpiece for
a projected Hall of
Remembrance celebrating
Allied cooperation during
the conflictIn this
ambitious and ambiguous
work, the swagger portrait
dissolves into the stagger
portrait, the representation
of a confraternity of
suffering, in which all
markers of individuality
have been erased or
occluded.

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), Gassed, 1919. Imperial War Museum, London.

47

MARKET REPORTS

WHAT WERE HEARING FROM GALLERIES, AUCTION


HOUSES AND MUSEUMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Director / Partner
Kraushaar Galleries

we see a return to collecting works by artists who


worked in the first decades of the 20th century.

The market for early- to mid-20th-century


American art continues to be steady but
does not reflect current perceptions of the
extraordinary strength of the international
contemporary market.
In general, the interest in and demand
for American modernism remains especially
healthy. There are still works that are fresh,
of quality and command good prices. These
are examples by artists whose contribution
to the art historical canon is established and
the response to their contribution is both
aesthetic and financial. As this period holds
its own in the market place, collectors are
also looking forward and backward to enable
a broader narrative within their collections
and to find currently underappreciated, and
at times undervalued, works.

There is expanding interest in midcentury


abstraction, frequently geometric and
often influenced by the European artistic
immigration of the time. Artists who had
good reputations during their own lifetime,
but fell out of sight and favor, are being
rediscovered. This was a vibrant time in the
art world, and it is exciting to see current
collecting interest reflect that.
In addition, we see a return to collecting
works by artists who worked in the first
decades of the 20th century. Twenty years
ago, when collectors flocked to this period,
fewer works of quality became available
and prices rose dramatically; dealers
and collectors moved on. Now we see
a sustained return to a healthy market

KATHERINE DEGN

KAYLA CARLSEN
Director of American Art
Bonhams
With deadlines for the fall
auctions in New York upon us,
I find myself ever impressed by
the quality of material still available
to buyers in the marketplace. In the auction
world, we offer our entire inventory in one
day, only to rebuild for the next sale, so
I am always relieved to discover top-quality
material that has been tucked away for
decades and hasnt yet been scooped up by a
major private or public institution.
In the last few years, thanks to universally
relatable genres such as illustration art,
American impressionism and 20th-century
realism, our traditionally domestic buying
base has expanded to encompass other areas
of the globe with buyers for select material in
Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Meanwhile, outstanding examples

48

for these artists. And there continues to


be demand for artists who cannot be
categorized by style or school.
Correctly priced works of quality sell. What
remains true today, as it always has been and
should be for collectors, is to buy the best
works they respond to and can afford, and to
work with dealers that have deep knowledge
of their field and a good reputation. And to
look at the actual art, do not judge art or
artists by .jpegs or auction records.
KRAUSHAAR GALLERIES
15 E. 71st Street, #2B
New York, NY 10021
(212) 288-2558
www.kraushaargalleries.com

thanks to universally relatable genres such


as illustration art, American impressionism
and 20th-century realism, our traditionally
domestic buying base has expanded to
encompass other areas of the globe
of artwork across genres continue to
appeal broadly, perhaps in part thanks to
the exposure American art has recently
received in the United Kingdom. The recent
Georgia OKeeffe exhibition at the Tate
Modern in London and the National Gallery
of Britains acquisition of a George Bellows
Men of the Docks are great accolades for
American art abroad and we hope this will
continue to encourage international buyers
to enter the marketplace.
With some of the greatest American
pictures of all time hanging in public

institutions, there are still outstanding


examples of material that can be collected at
fair prices. As the market expands worldwide,
those fair prices may quickly disappear. My
advice would be to take advantage of this
moment. Invest now.
BONHAMS
580 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 644-9001
www.bonhams.com

PALM BEACH

JewelryAntiquesDesign

DEC 1-5, 2016


Featuring International Exhibitors
Palm Beach County Convention Center
650 Okeechobee Blvd | West Palm Beach

PBFallShow.com
F I N E A R T CO N T E M P O R A RY M O D E R N
A S I A N A N T I Q U I T I E S A N T I Q U E & F I N E J E W E L RY
PA I N T I N G S S I LV E R WATC H E S C E R A M I C S ,
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A M E R I C A N A M A N U S C R I P T S T E X T I L E S C LO C K S
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T H R O U G H 2 1 S T C E N T U RY D E S I G N

P A L M

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G R O U P

E V E N T

Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919), The Last Red Canoe. Oil on panel, 1478 x 21 in., signed lower right in arrowhead: R.A Blakelock.

Ralph Albert Blakelock:The Mad Genius Returns at Questroyal Fine Art

Opus
and

in

Fire

Darkness
by James D. Balestrieri

lakelock, Ralph Albert


Blakelock (1847-1919), the
twin of whose genius is
alwaysin museums, galleries and
monographsmadness, Blakelock,
Ralph Albert Blakelock, Greenwich
Village son of a carpenter turned
policeman turned homeopath, with
a homeopaths faith, layers color atop
color knowing, praying, that something
of those buried layers will come

50

through, that the essence of earlier,


lower hues will influence the surface
that meets his eye, and the worlds.
Blakelock, perhaps the first painter to
hide his painting, hides everything but
the light, hides every tree and cloud
and ripple of water in the stipple
between darknesses, scintillating in his
applied art, in his application of paint,
starlight and moonlight and the light
of dawns and dusks shot through with

dark matter and dark energy.


Upfront it must be said (no, not
passively, I must say it, own and own
up to it) this: if youre looking for
a straight ahead, by the numbers
rendering of Blakelocks life and work,
consult the excellent essays in the
catalog that accompanies Questroyal
Fine Arts heroic exhibition of 125
of Blakelocks paintings, Ralph Albert
Blakelock: The Mad Genius Returns.

Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919), Eternal Orb. Oil on board, 5 516 x 3 916 in.

Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919), Indian Encampment at Sunset. Oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in.

Owner Louis Salernos passion for


Blakelock nearly matches my own and
his essay reflects this; the art history
and biographical angles are neatly
covered by Dr. Mark Mitchell and
Nina Sangimino, and playwright and
director Myra Platt, Blakelocks greatgreat-granddaughter, describes and
channels his ancestors energy, pulse,
blood. If that isnt enough, I urge you
to read Glyn Vincents 2003 book, The
Unknown Night: The Genius and Madness
of R. A. Blakelock, an American Painter
Because what you get from me
when I think about, talk about, write
about Blakelock cannot be straight
ahead. To do justice to him and his
work and how I feel about his work,
I have to riff, improvise, calligraph some
free verse onto his painting.
To do it justice.
At one time, during his lifetime,
he was perhaps the most talked about,
written about, debated, vaunted and
derided American artist. That he has
fallen somewhat from the public eye is
52

not so much a consequence of changing


tastes as of his having been assimilated
into American art in the years since
his death. The prototypical American
modernist, Blakelocks bold, fearless
approach to art making informs and
underpins all who come after him.
Would it surprise you to learn that
Blakelock was Franz Klines favorite
painter? That Arthur Dove considered
him essential to American modernism? Is
Blakelocks method, his expressive, antiline, anti-finish approach to art making
so radically different from Pollocks?
Blakelocks early work shares
qualities with both the Hudson River
School and the Barbizon painters: an
emphasis on scale in naturenature
vast, humankind smallfrom the
former; an interest in the countryside,
in the dwellings of ordinary folk and
moments of labor and repose in their
lives from the latter.
But his life, what happened to him,
how he ended it, as the mad genius in
a sanitarium, also has a great deal to do

with his reputation and legacy.


In the art world, madness sells. It has
done so since the early 19th century,
when the alliance between madness,
inspiration, obsession and genius was
formed in all its brooding, visionary,
Gothic glory in Goethe, Poe, Goya,
Fuseli and, of course,Van Gogh.
Obsession, the price of vision, adds
cachet to the price of a picture. Would a
dull, ordinary, workmanlike Vincent Van
Gogh be the stuff of books and plays,
films and auction records that exceed the
GNP of small countries? Lets not leave
that a rhetorical question: no. If Blakelock
were European, French perhaps, what
space would he occupy in Western
culture? Lets leave that one rhetorical.
That Blakelock was institutionalized
is history. That he suffered from
delusions is documented. That he was,
perhaps, schizophrenic or bipolarour
fraught and freighted terms, not the
terms of his worldis possible. That he
was mad is debatable. As his fortunes
and reputation fell, providing for his

Above:
Ralph Albert Blakelock
(1847-1919), Solitude
(The River), 1889. Oil on
panel, 11 x 16 in.,
signed lower right:
R.A. Blakelock; on
verso: Solitude by R.A.
Blakelock 1889.
Left:
Ralph Albert Blakelock
(1847-1919), Indian
Hunters. Oil on
panel, 11 x 15 in.,
signed lower right
in arrowhead: R.A
Blakelock.

53

Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919), Dream Within a Dream. Oil on panel, 518 x 878 in.

family became first a concern, then a


mania. We know that he would leave his
home in New Jersey with new paintings
and not return home until he had sold
them; even if he only earned a fraction
of what he felt they were worth.
We know that he supplemented his
incomehappily, it should be noted
playing the piano for vaudeville acts. We

know that he and his family were always


impoverished and frequently on the
verge of ruin. What husband and father,
painter or plumber, might not break
down under that burden? Had patrons
like Benjamin Altman (B. Altman, yes, of
the department stores) taken just a bit
more care of Blakelock, would he have
recovered, pressed on, thrived? Then as

Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919), Autumn Landscape. Oil on canvas, 1118 x 17316 in.,
signed lower right: R.A. Blakelock.

54

now, mental illness fascinates, but it


also frightens.
Like many artists, Blakelock
went West. His American West isnt
Bierstadts or Morans. He didnt
accompany, with manifest destiny
fanfare, the great expeditions that
would grid the wilderness for progress.
Blakelocks West is of a piece with
his Adirondacks, a world on fire, a
world about to be snuffed out, about
to go dark.Yes, there are the great,
magnificent early Western scenes or
mountains and Indian encampments
that slide right into the Hudson River
School and the luminists who followed.
Looking at these, one gets the sense
that he could have beat them all at
their own game had he wished, had
that been the limit of his vision. But
these paintings, great as they are, are
Blakelock following Bierstadt and
Moran, Blakelock not yet Blakelock,
finding himself but not yet found.
Paired with Ryder, Albert Pinkham
Ryder (another artist in need of
reappraisal), in their interest in
darkness and light and color without
line, Blakelock ventured even further,

pulling back, zooming out, shrinking


himself, even in the small paintings,
paintings done under duress inside
the institutions, in response to Mrs.
Beatrice Adamss seductions, Mrs.
Adams and her Blakelock Fund,
seductions that became beatings
physical and emotionaland abject
neglect of Blakelock the man later on,
when the First World War distracted
affluence from art and ground art,
the old artas well as artists old and
newinto corpses that resisted all
attempts at revivification.
In a recent essay in these pages,
I wrote that there were no villains
among artistswith one exception. He
appears now, in this story, Blakelocks
storyH.M. (Hudson Mindell) Kitchell.
As poverty nipped at Blakelocks
heels, he took a job churning out
landscapes for the E. C. Meeker Art
Novelty Shop in Newark. Beside
him, Kitchell, who would befriend
Blakelock, watched and learned to
parrot him (Google him, hit images,
youll see it in an instant). Later, when
Blakelocks began to fetch big prices
at auction, the market was flooded
with fakes, many of them coming from
the Young Gallery in Chicago. Mrs.
Adams, protecting her golden goose
tucked away in the sanitarium, accused
Kitchell, who denied everything, except
that he had touched up a Blakelock.
After Blaklocks death, Robert Vose,
of Vose Galleries in Boston, felt that
Blakelocks widow, Cora, had been
authenticating Kitchells as Blakelocks.
Between Mrs. Adams and Kitchell,
thieves at cross-purposes, pot-calling
kettle, there is scant hard evidence. Who
signed Blakelocks name to what were
certainly Kitchells works is a mystery.
But Ive long convicted him in the
court of my own humble opinion.
Fast forward. Beginning in the
late 1960s, Nebraska art critic and
director Norman Geske, who passed
away in 2014, began to investigate
Blakelocks work, assigning Roman
numerals, I, II and III to delineate
works beyond doubt from probable and
possible paintings. Of the thousands of
paintings signed Blakelock that Geske
examined, he identified many spurious

Ralph Albert
Blakelock
(1847-1919),
Indian Madonna.
Oil on panel,
818 x 618 in.,
signed in
arrowhead
lower right: R.A.
Blakelock.
Images courtesy
Questroyal Fine
Art, LLC, New York,
New York.

works and brought some clarity to the


deep murk that had done damage to
Blakelocks reputation and market.
The following is not a new idea;
indeed, it was current in Blakelocks
later life, when his works shattered
auction records for American art,
even as the man himself languished in
sanitariums, suffering what might best
be called exploitation by committee:
Blakelock is to American art what
Walt Whitman is to American poetry
and lettersboth seek to democratize
their embrace of the world. Look
at the image of Eternal Orb, one of
Blakelocks inimitable moon-bathed
scenes. The light: blue, green, gray,
black, with who knows how many
other pigments beneath it, laces
through the branches. The moon,
round and pale, sheds it concentric
light in gossamer layers. Still as the
scene seems, everything in it seems
to shimmer, to glow, to reflect some
mystical, unwritten, unutterable poem.
The painting invites you in, saying, at
first, Anyone can look at the moon.
Then it asks to include you, saying,

Why arent you looking at the


moon? Then, ultimately, it exhorts
you, crying out, Look! The moon!
The moon is a vision! Look, look at
the moon!
I hate lists. The click bait bests of
click that plague my Facebook feed
Top 22 Behind the Scenes Things You
Didnt Know About Gilligans Island.
But if you hold my feet to the fire
and ask me, Who, to you, are the 10
best, most important, most influential
American artists? Ralph Albert
Blakelock would instantly spring to my
mind and lips.
125 Blakelocks.
Go! Look!
But first, look at the moon.

November 11-December 10
Ralph Albert Blakelock:
The Great Mad Genius Returns
Questroyal Fine Art, LLC
903 Park Avenue, Third Floor
New York, NY 10075
t: (212) 744-3586
www.questroyalfineart.com
55

Above the fireplace in the living room is Autumn River Scene, 1871, oil on canvas, by Jasper Francis
Cropsey (1823-1900). Fawns Leap, 1857, oil on artists board, by John Frederick Kensett (1816-1872),
hangs above an early-19th-century American side chair. On the rear wall are, top to bottom, Sandy
Beach, Mount Desert Island, Maine, 1844, oil on canvas, by Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and Autumnal
Landscape, circa 1876-1877, oil on canvas, by William Mason Brown (1828-1898).

56

This home features important artwork that reflects


the collectors shared optimistic philosophy

Inspired by Elegance
By John OHern Photography by Francis Smith

57

he word philosophy comes


from the Greek, meaning
love of wisdom. It was a
shared philosophy that brought our
collectors together. They had begun
collecting early in their life together,
their selections based more on our
philosophy than anything else, she
explains. We select works that express
optimism, human achievement and the
life of the mind. An exhibition at the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in the
mid-80s gave them their focus.
The exhibition was The Bostonians,
Painters of an Elegant Age, 1870-1930.
Toward the end of the show, she
recalls, there was a drawing by Lilian
Westcott Hale (1881-1963). Her
technical skill is off the scale and her
snow scenes are out of this world.
Her landscapes are all very luminous,
full of optimism for the future, where
everything is glowing. Here was a

Above the sideboard in the dining room is Summer Afternoon, Manchester-by-the-Sea, 1887,
oil on canvas by Alfred Thompson Bricher (1837-1908). Above the cherry American Federal period
card table, to the right, is On the Unadilla at New Berlin, Chenango County, N.Y., 1855, oil on canvas,
by David Johnson (1827-1908). Several pieces of 19th-century Chinese export porcelain are
displayed on the sideboard.

Daydreams, 1911, oil on canvas, by Lilian Westcott Hale (18811963), hangs above a mahogany American Federal period chest in the dining room.
On the chest is a Chinese export porcelain bowl. Above the staircase are, from left to right, Cavalier with a Pipe, pencil on paper, by George Sloane (18641942) and Wissahickon Creek, 1870, pencil on paper, by William Trost Richards (1833-1905). Above the fireplace in the living room is Autumn River Scene,
1871, oil on canvas, by Jasper Francis Cropsey (1823-1900).

58

Hanging on the left in the front hall is The Japanese Vase, 1877, oil on wood panel, by Charles Sprague Pearce (1851-1914). On the sideboard is
The Concord Minuteman, bronze, by Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), and a piece of mid-19th-century Chinese export porcelain. Above them is
Yosemite Valley, circa 1863-1872, oil on paper mounted on canvas, by Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902).

young woman coming into the life of


the mind.
No one was using the charcoal
technique she used, he observes. Her
work stands out when you walk into a
room.You can pick it out in an instant.
Her charcoal work isnt like a pencil
drawing with outlines and shading. She
has a different way of doing it.
Lilian could represent anything with
vertical lines, she adds. Her portrait of
Harriet Blake shows a young girl so full
of intention. I would love to know her.
They werent the only ones struck
by the quality of Hales drawings. About
75 years earlier, her mentor, Edmund
C. Tarbell (1862-1938), wrote, Your
drawings are perfectly beautifulas
fine as anything could be. They belong
with our old friends Leonardo, Holbein
and Ingres, and are to me the finest
modern drawings I have ever seen.
Taken by their discovery of Hale, the
couple set out to find more of her work.
We figured here was a woman artist

who was most likely underappreciated


and underpriced. We thought that if
we went to galleries and asked if they
had any Hales, theyd know we werent
looking for high priced work and they
wouldnt bombard us with things we
couldnt afford. We bought two of her
works and one by her husband, Philip
Hale, and began to buy other artists of
the Boston School.
She has an interest in American
history and took a course at the then
Society for the Preservation of New
England Antiquities where she became
attracted to 19th-century American
furniture. I love this furniture and have
a great interest in how these things
were made, she says. We needed
furniture, he recalls, and my wife
convinced me in the mid-70s that
antique furniture was less expensive
than new. We began frequenting
antique shops and fairs in Western
Massachusetts. For the most part, the art
and the furniture came together.

I remarked that their home on the


West Coast looks as if it could be on
Beacon Hill in Boston or Society Hill
in Philadelphia.
We moved West in 1991, she
explains, and we moved to a larger
house. He recalls that when they
first moved in, they laid out all their
paintings and they only filled one
room. We worked for a company
that was doing very well at that time,
she continues, so we had some
discretionary income. They then began
collecting in earnest.
We liked the artists of the Hudson
River School, she says, and we met
the dealer Allan Kollar who specializes
in 19th- and early-20th-century
paintings. He has since become a dear
friend. He told us he would put us
in touch with the Alfred Thompson
Bricher scholar Jeffrey Brown to help
us find a Bricher (1837-1908).
We were at an auction bidding on
a painting by Jasper Francis Cropsey
59

(1823-1900), but we didnt get it,


she continues. A man farther down
the row got our attention and said he
knew of a similar Cropsey, and if we
were interested in it, he could arrange
for us to see it. He introduced himself
as Jeffrey Brown! The Cropsey he
recommended now hangs in their
living room.
Another fortuitous event helped
them add to their collection. She
says, We had seen a Worthington
Whittredge (1820-1910) at auction
but we couldnt afford it. We were in a
gallery years later and there it was in a
viewing room. The owner had brought
it to the gallery and the gallery had
shown it a potential buyer who didnt
take it. We bought it.
The couple attended an exhibition
of the watercolors of Winslow Homer
and John Singer Sargent at the
Brooklyn Museum. A scholar there

recommended that they look at another


less appreciated artist whose work
was nearly as good.
They discovered William Trost
Richards (1833-1905). Many of his
watercolors have faded over time
but they found out how good his
watercolors can be when theyre not.
Richards painted in extraordinary detail
following the precepts of the English
aesthete, critic and painter, John Ruskin
who said, If you can paint one leaf,
you can paint the world. Richards
could paint a leaf but soon found that
seascapes were more profitable that
woodland scenes.
The collection contains a significant
number of his watercolor seascapes as
well as graphite drawings. We like the
light, the tranquility and the optimism,
she says.
Our first Richards was almost an
accident, he says. There was a large

seascape at auction. It looked like an


oil because at the time he was painting
with thick, opaque watercolor. We also
thought it was an American scene. We
looked at it at the preview and at the
auction no one bid on it. His wife
explains, So we stuck our paddle up
and got it for a very nice price. He
explains, Richards would paint tiny,
3-by-5-inch watercolor coupons he
would send to his friends as well as
to his patron in Philadelphia, George
Whitney. Whitney called them
little gems and would let Richards
know which paintings he wanted
him to execute in a larger scale. The
collector continues, William Vareika
in Newport, Rhode Island, showed us
a catalog of the coupons and we found
one we could identify as our painting
Kynance Cove, Cornwall.
She explains, We have never
sought a particular piece. We go to

To the left in the library is A Sketch on the Nile, 1869, oil on canvas, by Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823-1880). Above the mantel is Evening in Gloucester
Harbor, 1871, oil on canvas, by Francis Augustus Silva (1835-1886). To the right above the mahogany American Federal period side table is Newburyport
Meadows, 1876-1882, oil on canvas, by Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904). Joseph Anthony McDonnells bronze, Observer, 2011, is on the coffee table.

60

Stalking Panther, 1891-1892, a bronze by Alexander Phimister Proctor (1860-1950), sits on a mahogany American Federal period chest in the living room.
Above it are three watercolors by William Trost Richards (1833-1905): top, Beach with Lighthouse, Atlantic City,1872; bottom left, Gull Rock, Newport,
Rhode Island, 1876; and Fishermen Mending Nets, Twilight, New Jersey. To the left of the doorway is a charcoal on paper, Harriet Blake #2, by Lilian
Westcott Hale (1881-1963). On the table beneath it is Stepping Stones, 1923, bronze, by Philip Sears (1867-1953). Hanging above the mahogany American
Federal period desk on the right is Kynance Cove, Cornwall, 1878, a watercolor by Richards. To the right is Hales Interior, oil on canvas. In front of the
desk is an American Centennial chair.

Still Life, 1887, oil on canvas, by John Frederick Peto (1854-1907), hangs in
the den. A 16th-century Dutch candlestick is on the shelf.

Still Life with Oranges, Grapes and Coconut, 1880, oil on canvas, by William
Michael Harnett (1848-1892) hangs above a mahogany American
Centennial chair in the master bedroom.

61

Window Garden, charcoal and pastel on paper, by Lilian Westcott Hale (1881-1963), hangs above a mahogany American Centennial love seat in
the master bedroom. On the mantel, obscured by the bedpost is Waterlilies, etching, by John Henry Hill (18391922). Scene on the Chagres River,
1869, oil on canvas, by Norton Bush (1834-1894), is above the fireplace. To the left of the doorway is Hales, On Christmas Day in the Morning (The
Wreath), charcoal and colored pencil on paper. Above the mahogany American Federal Period chest is The Pink Ruff, circa 1905, oil on canvas, by
William McGregor Paxton (1869-1941).

galleries and auctions to see what


they have. We might be looking for
something luminous but we might buy
something else. Today were looking
at still lifesnot traditional still lifes
of fruits and flowers but paintings that
have intellectual content and show the
hand of man. The Peto in the den, for
instance, has a very early clarinet in it.
The life of the mind and the
ingenuity of man are components
of many works in their collection. A
large oil portrait by Hale, Song of the
Spheres, depicts a woman reading to
her daughter and standing in front of
a piano with an Old Master painting,
a celestial sphere and a terrestrial
sphere behindthe elements of an
enlightened life.
62

They remark on the luminosity of


William Bradfords At Sunrise in the Bay
of Fundy, one of his principal qualities.
Bradford (1823-1892) made several
expeditions to the arctic to study
glaciers and icebergs and, in 1869, took
along two professional photographers
to document the voyage.
We try to go beyond the surface
of a painting, he explains. We want
to know the context in which people
painted. Who else was painting at that
time and why did they paint what they
painted. Most of the artists had optimism
but some were not optimistic. There was
angst among the artists and among the
people about the loss of the wilderness.
They wanted images of a time when
nature was unspoiled. The nature scenes

depict unlimited potential.


Both share an optimistic philosophy
of life, one they have shared for over 40
years. A philosophy guides the choices
we make, she comments. Either you
know what your philosophy is or you
dont. But you have one.
She endorses the tried and true
statement Buy what you love, adding
And trust your own judgment.
Theres nothing more wonderful
than coming home and seeing these
beautiful things. He comments,
Sometimes you stop noticing pieces
in your collection and something
makes you stop and linger and look
again. Then they hit you and make you
recall why you fell in love with them
in the first place.

Gallery Shows
Previews of upcoming shows of historic American art at galleries across the country.

William Sommer (1867-1949), The Fruit Jug (detail), 1929. Watercolor on paper, 11 x 14 in. Available at Kraushaar Galleries.

PREVIEWS

64

Painting in an
American Rhythm

78

Intimate Spaces

80

Stories and Discoveries

82

Breaking the Mold

D. Wigmore Fine Art mounts exhibition focusing


on the evolution of Charles Green Shaws style
from the early 1930s to mid-1940s

68

Modernism
Without Apologies
Hirschl & Adler Galleries presents 20 figure
paintings and landscapes by Everett Gee Jackson
from his years in Texas, Mexico and San Diego

72

Windows on the Soul

76

Continued and Noticed

New exhibition at Kraushaar Galleries features


around a dozen early- to mid-20th-century
artworks of interior scenes

Meredith Ward Gallery provides a glimpse of


Steve Wheelers previously unseen artwork

Addison Rowe Gallery exhibits works of Beatrice


Mandelman and Florence Miller Pierce, two
contributors to abstract art in New Mexico

New exhibition at A.J. Kollar Fine Paintings features


powerful portraits by major American artists

Through November 18 Francis M. Naumann


Fine Art in New York City exhibits paintings,
photographs and more by Man Ray

63

GALLERY PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

Painting in an American Rhythm


D.Wigmore Fine Art mounts exhibition focusing on the evolution of Charles Green
Shaws style from the early 1930s to mid-1940s
November 16February 24, 2017
D. Wigmore Fine Art, Inc.
730 5th Avenue, Suite 602
New York, NY 10019
t: (212) 581-1657
www.dwigmore.com

by Emily Lenz, director,


D.Wigmore Fine Art, Inc.

harles Green Shaw (1892-1974)


contributed to the development
of American abstraction in
the 1930s and 1940s through his own
work and his involvement in three
important New York art circles. He is
most associated with the Park Avenue

Cubists, a group of wealthy artists who


provided connections between New York
and Paris during the Great Depression.
Shaw was in fact not as wealthy as his
fellow Park Avenue Cubists A.E. Gallatin
(1881-1952), George L.K. Morris
(1905-1975), and Suzy Frelinghuysen
(1911-1988). This freed him from social
and family responsibilities, allowing Shaw
to spend more time in his studio and
develop friendships with a broad group
of abstract artists. Shaw was a founding
member of the American Abstract Artists
(AAA) group, established in 1936 when
40 artists banded together to promote
abstraction through annual exhibitions
open to the public. In the AAAs early
years, Shaw worked to find gallery space
and sponsors for their exhibitions. Shaw
was also part of the circle around Hilla
Rebay, curator of the Museum of NonObjective Painting (now the Solomon
R. Guggenheim Museum). When the
museum opened in 1939, Rebay included
Shaw in a number of group exhibitions
and gave Shaw solo exhibitions in 1940
and 1941. Additionally Shaw advanced
abstraction through his advisory board
position at the Museum of Modern Art
(1936-1941) and his illustrated childrens
books intended to introduce abstraction
to younger generations.
Many of Charles Green Shaws
choices in early life laid the foundation
for his later interest in abstraction. He
took a general science degree at Yale
University that mixed science, math and
the liberal arts, graduating in 1914. He
began a graduate degree in architecture
at Columbia University that was cut
short when Shaw enlisted in World War
Charles Green Shaw (1892-1974),
Chrysalis, 1935. Oil on board, 16 x 12 in.,
estate stamped verso.

64

Charles Green Shaw (1892-1974), Three Pear Composition, 1934. Oil on canvasboard, 12 x 16 in., signed lower right.

I, serving in the Armys Air Service. His


keen sense of observation was first applied
to journalism, writing for The New Yorker,
Smart Set, and Vanity Fair through the 1920s.
Shaw began art lessons in 1926, studying
briefly with Thomas Hart Benton (18891975) at the Art Students League then more
extensively with George Luks (1867-1933).
Shaw set out for Paris in 1929 and stayed
in Europe through 1933. There, Shaws
eyes were opened to abstraction through
the Cubist work of Pablo Picasso (18811973), Georges Braque (1882-1963) and
Juan Gris (1887-1927). From 1930 to 1935,
Shaw worked through Cubism to find an
American version that was simplified and
more geometric. This is seen in Three Pear
Composition, 1935, which has a Cubist still
life composition and faux bois elements, but
Shaw treats the pears as biomorphic forms
and replaces the tabletop with a mass of

Charles Green Shaw (1892-1974), Refraction, 1940. Oil on canvasboard, 12 x 16 in. signed and
dated verso.

65

projecting geometric shapes.


In the early 1930s, Shaw worked
alone developing his abstract vocabulary.
When he returned to New York in
1933, he knew no other abstract artists
working in the city. That changed in
the spring of 1935 when Shaw met
A. E. Gallatin, a wealthy collector who
opened his collection of European
Modernism to the public as The Gallery
of Living Art on NYU campus. The
gallery was the earliest public institution
to show abstraction. After Gallatins
first visit to Shaws studio, he returned
with George L.K. Morris, who acted
as curator for the Gallery of Living Art.
The two purchased a painting for the
gallerys collection and selected eight of

Shaws paintings for a solo exhibition,


breaking the museums protocol of group
exhibitions only. In the summer of 1935,
Shaw traveled to Paris with Gallatin
and Morris who provided introductions
to many great painters. Conversant in
both French and German, Shaw had no
problem communicating with the array
of European artists working in Paris at
the time. In 1936 in response to Alfred
Barr excluding Americans from his two
major exhibitions Cubism and Abstract Art
and Fantastic Art, Dada, and Surrealism,
Gallatin, Morris, and Shaw organized
an exhibition called Five Contemporary
American Concretionists at the Reinhardt
Gallery that included Shaw, Morris, John
Ferren (1905-1970), Alexander Calder

Charles Green Shaw (1892-1974), Day and Night Polygon, 1936. Painted wood relief,
123/8 x 95/8 in., signed and dated verso.

66

(1898-1976), and Charles Biederman


(1906-2004). The exhibition traveled to
Paris at the Galerie Pierre and to London
at the Mayor Gallery with Gallatin
replacing Calder as the fifth artist.
The exhibition at D. Wigmore
considers the evolution of Charles Green
Shaws style from the early 1930s through
the mid-1940s as Shaw works his way
through Cubism and Surrealism to find
his own American voice. The dynamic
energy of New York became Shaws
source for an American abstraction. Shaw
noted the broken patterns of the modern
city where rhythmic movement was seen
in every direction, from the geometry
of sidewalks repaired and repaved to
an ever-changing skyline as more
skyscrapers were built. Shaw created
abstractions based on his observations
of the city. Shaw first evokes the
citys skyline with his Plastic Polygons
constructions as seen in Day and Night
Polygon, 1936, then in more nuanced
ways in paintings of pure geometry.
Shaws evolution from the 1930s to
the 1940s can be demonstrated with
comparisons of paintings from the
D. Wigmore exhibition.
Shaws use of Cubism and his

Charles Green Shaw (1892-1974), Self-Portrait,


1935. Pencil and charcoal on paper, 11 x 8 in.

Charles Green Shaw (1892-1974), Divided Planes, 1943. Oil on board, 12 x 157/8 in., signed and dated verso.

evolution toward pure geometry is


shown when Chrysalis, 1935, and Divided
Planes, 1943, are placed side-by-side. In
Chrysalis, one sees Shaws debt to Picasso
as a teacher. The sculptural form suggests
a Picasso-like bust floating against a blue
ground. Shaw rounds the forms with
modeling to convey depth and volume.
A black semi-circle stands in for an
eye, suggesting both a womans profile
and a point of access into the overall
form. With Chrysalis next to Divided
Planes, one sees not only a shared
palette but also how Shaw flattened the
biomorphic forms from Chrysalis into
pure geometry in Divided Planes. Shaw
creates depth in Divided Planes through
layering of planes, achieved through a
mix of stippling to imply transparency
and overlapping of single colors. In place
of an eye, Shaw uses a three-sided line to
imply an opening into the composition
of Divided Planes. The comparison of
the two demonstrates how Shaw moved

away from French abstraction into a


streamlined geometry that may suggest
horizons and vistas but is strictly nonobjective.
Shaws distinct abstract voice has a
playful side and an interest in breaking
forms down into geometric shapes.
This can been seen in a comparison
of the drawing Self-Portrait, 1935,
and the painting Refraction, 1940.
In the 1935 drawing, Shaw depicts
himself in hat, glasses and tie with
a spare use of line and shapes. The
verticality of the portrait connects to
his first Manhattan skyline paintings.
The thick black band on his hat gives
solidity to the composition and the
elegant arrangement of circles and
triangles in place of his eyes and nose
its focal point. Already we see Shaws
economy of line and paring down of
the human figure into an arrangement
of geometric shapes. Refraction, 1940,
is a different type of portrait with the

letters of Shaws last name appearing


in the composition. The coiled black
lines convey the springing motion that
seems to have circulated the artists
name around the canvas. In Refraction,
Shaw has found a personal American
abstractiondirect, streamlined and
witty. Refraction is forward looking with
a proto-Pop sensibility. Its mixture
of punchy design, self-reference, and
primary colors are all elements that
appear in Jasper Johnss work two
decades later.
In a 1968 oral history for the
Archives of American Art, Shaw spoke
of solidity, impact, balance and tension
as defining principles of his abstractions.
Throughout his career, Shaws paintings
reflect modern awareness of space,
speed and a shift from classic symmetry
to dynamic movement in order to
capture the energy of 20th-century life.
As a result, Shaw achieved a distinctly
American abstraction.
GALLERY PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

67

GALLERY PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

Modernism Without Apologies


Hirschl & Adler Galleries presents 20 figure paintings and
landscapes by Everett Gee Jackson from his years in Texas,
Mexico and San Diego
Through November 19
Hirschl & Adler Galleries
The Crown Building
730 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10019
t: (212) 535-8810
www.hirschlandadler.com

verett Gee Jackson (1900-1995)


was born on a ranch in the East
Texas oil town of Mexia. He
attended the Art Institute of Chicago that,
at that time, was teaching the technique
of impressionism. After graduating, he and
his friend Lowell Houser (1902-1971)
went to Mexico to paint and to loaf.
The duo led a peripatetic lifestyle,
living and painting in villages and
eventually working their way down
to Mexico City. Jackson recalled, Mr.
Houser and I were living in a village
and we had not seen much work by the
Mexicans. I think we developed our
rather unusual way of painting simply
because of what we were looking
at. I dont think we were very much
influenced by the Mexicans.
The first time I went to Mexico
City, after having lived in the villages
for quite a while, I saw Diego Riveras
work and I didnt like it, he said. Mr.
Houser liked it. Then a year or so later
when I went back I found that I did like
it. I dont know what had happened to
change my taste.
The influence of Mexico was
immediate but the influence of the great

Mexican painters Diego Rivera (18861957), Jos Clemente Orozco (18831949), David Siqueiros (1896-1974) and
other artists of the Syndicate of Technical
Workers, Painters and Sculptors, was more
gradual and more profound.
In 1930, having married and moved
to San Diego, he began working at San
Diego State College (now San Diego
State University), eventually becoming
chair of the art department. That same
year he wrote a short treatise on modern
art titled Modernism Without Apologies.
He wrote, Form is the material of
modernistsIt is the contention of
the modernist that, by the arrangement
of forms, colors and lines considered
abstractly, one may possibly express
objectively his emotional reaction to
experiences with nature.
Hirschl & Adler Galleries in New
York has assembled an exhibition of 20
figure paintings and landscapes from
Jacksons years in Texas, Mexico and San
Diego. The exhibition, Everett Gee Jackson:
Modernism Without Apologies, runs through
November 19.
The gallery notes, Under the influence
of the Mexican muralists, Jacksons
paintings quickly broke free from the
constraints of decorative impressionism
and morphed into sculptural
dimensionality. Jacksons figures suddenly
had tangible form, the same rounded
solidity seen in Rivera and Siqueiros. His
best figure paintings, such as the brilliant
Tehuantepec Women, 1927clearly show
Jacksons indebtedness to the Syndicate
muralists. The rounded figures of three

Everett Gee Jackson (1900-1995), Tehuantepec Women, 1927. Oil on canvas,


32 x 32 in., signed and dated lower right: EVERETT GEE JACKSON / 1927.

68

69

Everett Gee Jackson (1900-1995), Women with Cactus, ca. 1928. Oil on canvas, 45 x 36 in., signed lower left: Everett Gee Jackson.

70

indigenous women are contrasted by


flat, fluted patterns flowing against a
golden background of tropical foliage.
Mural-like in its effect, Tehuantepec
Women is a capstone to Jacksons careeraltering years in Mexico.
Jackson brought the ideas and
influence of the Mexican muralists
to the U.S. where their influence was
substantial. Jacksons influence was
less so and his importance is only
slowly being recognized. In San Diego,
however, he and his wife, Eileen
(1906-1996), a renowned journalist
and critic, were roundly admired.
In 1984, San Diego Museum of Art
mounted an exhibition, Everett Gee
Jackson: Dean of San Diego Painters.
In 2008, the museum expanded the
exhibition in Everett Gee Jackson: San
Diego Modern.

Everett Gee Jackson


(1900-1995), The
Fishing Barge, ca.
1933. Oil on canvas,
37 x 44 in., signed
lower left: Everett
Gee Jackson.

Everett Gee Jackson


(1900-1995), Big
Jim, ca. 1927. Oil on
canvas, 23 x 23 in.,
sighed lower right:
Everett Gee Jackson.
GALLERY PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

71

GALLERY PREVIEW: SEATTLE, WA

Windows on the Soul


New exhibition at A.J. Kollar Fine Paintings features
powerful portraits by major American artists
November 10-December 10
A.J. Kollar Fine Paintings
1421 E. Aloha Street
Seattle, WA 98112
t: (206) 323-2156
www.ajkollar.com

by Melanie Enderle, Ph.D.

uccessful portraits not only


present a likeness, but reveal
character, and the best portraits
also capture something of a persons
essential being. Now on view at A.J.
Kollar Fine Paintings, Windows on
the Soul: an Intimate Look at American
Portraiture features paintings by some of
Americas major artists at the turn of
the 20th century. This collection presents
subjects that look back at the viewer,
making direct eye contact, and allowing

a glimpse into their personalities and


emotions.
Without exception, these American
artists admired and borrowed freely
from European Baroque painters such
as Frans Hals, Rembrandt van Rijn and
Diego Velzquez, and from the realist
douard Manet. In their psychologically
astute portraits, the Americans adapted
the shorthand-like technique of
painterly brushwork, thick application
of paint and dramatic chiaroscuro lighting
that allowed figures to emerge from
dark, empty backgrounds. Elaborate
furniture, rich fabrics or other
decorative accessories are absent from
their compositions, thereby removing
any distractions and directing the
viewers focus entirely on the sitter.
Forsaking the more lucrative portrait
commissions fervently pursued by other
artists, Robert Henri (1865-1929)
chose unorthodox subjects such as

ordinary, lower-class children painted


in the manner of the dynamic Dutch
Old Masters. Little Girl in Red Stripes
presents a startling realness echoing
the wise innocence of childhood.
The composition and naturalism of
the rosy-cheeked girl who he met
when traveling in Haarlem, Holland,
is repeated in a number of small-scale
portraits that Henri painted of other
Dutch children, and of youngsters
living in Irish seaside villages, and of
young American immigrants in New
York City.
The unusually direct gaze, and
unguarded, somber stare of the lighthaired Little Girl, belies her comfortable
seated position, and poised body under
her red-striped smock, whose wrinkles
Henri described as full of the history
of the day. Painted in loose and rapid
bravura brushstrokes, the child projects
a wary, spirited alertness and lively
Far left: Robert Henri
(1865-1929), Little Girl
in Red Stripes. Oil on
canvas, 241/8 x 20 in.,
signed lower left:
Robert Henri;
inscribed on stretcher
edge: Stripes; signed
and inscribed with
title verso.
Left: Sidney
Dickinson (18901980), Portrait of
the Artist Edwin
Dickinson. Oil on
canvas, 40 x 30 in.,
signed and dated
lower right: Sidney E.
Dickinson 1917.

72

John Singer Sargent


(1856-1925), A Lady,
1880. Oil on wood
panel, 14 x 11 in.,
inscribed lower right:
To My Friend Ben /
John S. Sargent 1880;
inscribed verso.

character. Henri approached his series


of informal portraits of children with a
respect that encapsulated their impish
individuality, although their names were
left unrecorded. However, in his notes,
Henri wrote of two Dutch girls, Martche
and Cori Peterson, that he painted over
and over again. He described Cori as
a little roistering white-headed, redcheeked broad-faced girl.

As one of Americas leading progressive


artists, influential teachers and the
nominative leader of the Ashcan
School, Henri espoused art for lifes
sake. He encouraged painting that
reflected the life experiences of the
artist. His many images of urchins led
critics to call Henri and those painters
he mentored apostles of ugliness.
Although influenced by the realism

of the elder Thomas Eakins (18441916), Henri did not cast such a strong
and unflattering light on his subjects
as did Eakins, a teacher who, either
directly or indirectly, influenced the
art of the succeeding generation of
American artists. Eakins paintings,
especially those of women, present
straightforward, unapologetic honesty.
Never praised for their prettiness, his
73

Right: William
McGregor Paxton
(1869-1941), Woman
with Red Hair, 1922.
Oil on canvas,
30 x 25 in., signed
on verso stretcher
bar lower right:
PAXTON; titled on
verso stretcher bar
upper.
Far right: Thomas
Eakins (1844-1916),
Portrait of Lucy
Langdon Williams
Wilson, 1908. Oil on
canvas, 20 x 16 in.

portraits are harshly real to the point


where they can prove unsettling.
Rather than compliment his sitters,
Eakins seemed to examine and record
them as objects of frank, intense
scrutiny. One of his subjects, Helen
Parker (18851975), who posed for
Eakins wearing her grandmothers
gown, later referred to the painting as
her Ugly Duckling portrait.
The penetrating gaze of the wellknown educator and feminist in Eakins
Portrait of Lucy Langdon Williams Wilson,
painted within the narrowed parameters
of bust-portraiture, demands attention.
Kind, composed and serious, Lucy
Wilson (1864-1937) wrote elementary
school books on science and history.
Painted to express her character, the
artist downplayed her femininity; she
is uncompromisingly portrayed and
devoid of idealization. Eakins did not
hide her blemishes nor smooth her
wrinkles. Wilson wears no fashionable
hat or jewelry. Her hair is pulled back
in a sensible, unfussy style, without
flair and light hits the side of her face
and forehead, literally illuminating
her intelligence. She is clothed in a
garment that hangs off her shoulders in
heavy folds that add bulk to her body,
making her upper torso seem massive
and powerful. With glasses perched
on her nose, she stares out directly at
the viewer. The spectacles could have
74

easily been omitted for the sake of


vanity or beauty, but instead reinforce
the impression of an authentic, logical
and sensible woman. Given that many
of Eakins depictions of women make
them appear frail, the fact that he
painted Wilson in a masculine manner
might indicate his admiration for
this particular female subject. Lucy
Wilsons strong intellect is her essential
being, and is portrayed without any
unnecessary gestures or pretense.
Presented to her as a gift she
may not necessarily have treasured,
the portrait remained in the Wilson
family for more than ninety years.
Lucy Wilson later explained to Lloyd
Goodrich, respected art historian and
director of the Whitney, that Eakins
used vulgar language while painting
this and another portrait of her, in 1908
and 1909. She speculated the colorful
language was for shock value, and not
for seduction.
Labeled by The New York Times
in 1913 as the foremost American
portrait painter, William Merritt
Chase (1849-1916), another of the
periods leading artists and celebrated
instructors, rendered Portrait of Louis
Betts with expressive brushstrokes of
subdued tones. The engaging portrait
features a closely cropped figure
against a neutral background in the
manner of the European Masters, save

for the one white patch of an artists


canvas that occupies nearly a quarter
of the background. This detail places
the location in an art studio, and also
cleverly displays the signature of the
painter.
Focus is placed on the approachable
face and upper body of Louis Betts
(1873-1961), one of Chases art
students at the Pennsylvania Academy
of the Fine Arts. Most likely completed
as a teaching canvas for a classroom
demonstration, the studious Betts, who
later became a well-regarded painter
in the American impressionist style,
which he learned from Chase, looks
at the audience from behind a pair of
rimless glasses. Rather than a frontal
confrontation, Betts face and body
is at a three-quarter angle, suggesting
movement and a sense of vitality, similar
to an alert self-portrait of Velzquez
that Chase copied sometime between
1872 and 1879, and that is now in the
collection of the Smithsonian American
Art Museum.
A leading member of the Boston
Art School and best known for his
sensitive attention to detail in genre
scenes and portraits of the leisure class,
William McGregor Paxtons (18691941) Woman with Red Hair presents
the sitter in a serene yet dramatic
pose. Perhaps caught by surprise,
the auburn-haired beauty turns her

porcelain-complexioned face toward


the paintings admirer with a sideglance, wearing an expression that is
ambiguous, yet seems to reveal an alert
curiosity.
Attention is given almost equally
to her face and her left hand, and the
two are connected by the long goldchain necklace she absent-mindedly
twists. This simple gesture energizes the
painting, while the less distinct detail
of her shadowed right hand, placed
confidently on her hip in a pose of
power and authority, further ignites
Paxtons portrait. The contrasting
placement and activity of her hands
seem to present a duality of the
genders. Although painted nearly 100
years ago, she appears animated and
looks as if she is about to speak.
John Singer Sargents (1856-1925)
A Lady, painted at the start of his
professional career, seems to possess
an inner spirit. This early, close-up
portrait stands apart from his later
paintings of gilded-age high society,
on which he made his reputation and
career. Her large, sad, heavily lidded
eyes and candid expression enhance an
introspective quality to a mesmerizing
degree. Although painted with somber
realism, Sargents portrayal of the
young woman projects gentleness
and invites the viewer to share in an
intimate, pensive moment. Completed
very quickly and in alla prima (wet
paint on a wet ground), Sargent
captured a sense of immediacy and
a kind of freshness more commonly
found in sketches.
Created while Sargent was in Spain,
and given as a giftthe painting
bears the inscription, To my friend
Benwith A Lady, the artist did not
announce who she was or to which
social class she belonged. Details such as
furnishings, dcor and elaborate dress,
which could help identify the figure are
omitted. Instead, the simple addition
of a blue bow in her hair and white
ruffled collar enhance her femininity,
and her dangling earrings charge the

work with life as they reflect the light


and mirror the twinkle in her eyes.
Leaning forward, she appears on the
verge of speaking, and seems to have
quite a secret to divulge.
In contrast, the blunt sensitivity
of Sidney Dickinsons (1890-1980)
revealing portrait of his cousin does
not need to speakhis look and
demeanor say it all. Portrait of the Artist
Edwin Dickinson is surprising in what
it exposes. With head lowered and eyes
raised in an intense stare out at the
viewer, the fashionably mustached artist
leans slightly forward as if unstable on
his feet. Edwin Dickinsons (18911978) stance and overall disheveled
appearance, including a loosened tie
around his neck, and the cigarette he
holds unlit in his hand, all hint at the
after-effects of a long, hard night.
Known to complete portraits in
one sitting of three to four hours, with
limited detail and quick brushwork,

Sidney Dickinson took on the modern


idea that had been championed by
Henri of painting real people and
genuine experiences. He offered an
uneasy portrayal of his hung-over, yet
successful and creative cousin who was
also a portraitist. Building on a tradition
of realism in American portraiture,
Dickinson sought to depict not only
the image of his cousin, but to bare
a raw, brutally honest glimpse of the
human condition.
Portraits can be powerful devices
for conveying a likeness, documenting
appearance and uncovering a persons
character or mood. They are able to
capture a specific moment in time, and
lend a glimpse of ones inner self, and
Windows on the Soul brings together
an incredible collection of compelling,
penetrating and informative images
of some of the people that touched
the lives of some of Americas most
significant and important portraitists.

William Merritt Chase (1849-1916), Portrait


of Louis Betts. Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 in., signed
lower center: Chase.
GALLERY PREVIEW: SEATTLE, WA

75

GALLERY PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

Continued and Noticed


Through November 18 Francis M. Naumann Fine Art in New York City exhibits
paintings, photographs and more by Man Ray
Through November 18
Francis M. Naumann Fine Art
24 W. 57th Street, Suite 305
New York, NY 10019
t: (212) 582-3201
www.francisnaumann.com

an Ray (1890-1976) was


known internationally as a
photographer. He had taught
himself photography primarily to copy
his own paintings and mixed media
works. He moved to Paris in 1921 and
made surrealist photograms, camera-less
photographs he called Rayographs.
He also made films, and after moving to
Los Angeles, he continued making them
as well as works in other media. In the

1940s he complained to a New York


dealer, Out here they are twenty years
behind N.Y., just as N.Y. is twenty years
behind Europe.
In 1948, a retrospective exhibition of
sorts was staged at the Copley Galleries
in Beverly Hills, California, titled To Be
Continued Unnoticed, in effect proclaiming
he was not gone, but forgotten.
An exhibition at Francis M.
Naumann Fine Art in New York
proclaims that he may now be gone,
but is emphatically not forgotten. Man
Ray: Continued and Noticed continues
through November 18.
In his essay for the exhibition
catalog, Naumann writes, The present
exhibitionis intended to demonstrate
that Man Rays work not only
continues to be of interest, but that it is
also still noticed and, with the passage of

Man Ray (1890-1976), Self Portrait with Half


Beard, 1943. Gelatin silver print, 7 x 5 in. 2016
Man Ray Trust / ADAGP, Paris / Artists Rights
Society (ARS), New York.

Man Ray (1890-1976), War, 1915. Ink on linen paper, 5 x 1038 in. 2016 Man Ray Trust / ADAGP, Paris / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

76

time, better understood and appreciated


(although that may never have been
his intent). Moreover, it is hoped that
Man Ray will no longer be viewed
exclusively as a photographer (a goal
he clearly shared), but as the protean,
multimedia, and multidisciplinary artist
that he was. He was a skilled draftsman,
a painter, object-maker, photographer,
filmmaker, and author. By the time he
moved to California in 1940, he had
spent some 20 years working in Paris as
a professional photographer and, in the
process, became internationally known
for his talents behind the camera and
for his experiments in the darkroom
(especially for his inventive use of
new techniques: the rayograph and
solarization).
He continues, At this point in his
life (when his show was held at the
Copley Galleries Man Ray was 58 years
old), he realized that his reputation
as a photographer had overshadowed
his creative output in all other media,
a misconception that he made every
effort to correct. Above all, Man Ray
wanted people to understand that he
was a thinker who employed whatever
means necessary to best express an
idea, whether that be through drawing,
painting, combining objects, or, in

Man Ray (1890-1976), Flying Dutchman, 1920. Oil on board, 19 x 25 in. 2016 Man Ray Trust /
ADAGP, Paris / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

select circumstances, even photography.


Deeply affected by the outbreak of
World War I, he painted War (A.D.
MCMXIV) in 1914. The following
year he produced a book of poems and
prose writings by his wife, Adon Lacroix
(1887-1975), a Belgian poet and painter.
In it, he reproduced an engraving he had
done after the painting, also titled War.

Man Ray (1890-1976), Moving Sculpture, 1920. Gelatin silver print, 6 x 8 in. 2016 Man Ray Trust /
ADAGP, Paris / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Naumann describes the soldiers in the


painting as depicting a cluster of robotic
figures engaged in mortal combat.
In the book, the engraving preceded
Lacroixs poem War, which describes
soldiers as mindless combatants blindly
following orders issued by their
commanders, he observes.
Ray was born Emmanuel Radnitzky
in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He was known as Manny as a boy and
gradually began to shorten his name to
Man. When he married Lacroix (the
pen name of Donna Lecoeur) he began
using the name Man Ray.
He called painting my first passion.
Sometimes his photographed subjects
turned up in his paintings. The
photograph, Moving Sculpture, 1920,
becomes Flying Dutchman later that
year. Man Ray was an ardent music
lover. Naumann suggests, In having
called the finished painting Flying
Dutchman, Man Ray clearly refers to
Wagners famous opera of the same
title, where a ghost ship was doomed to
sail the oceans forever, its sails tattered
by the winds.
The artist wrote, My works were
designed to amuse, annoy, bewilder,
mystify and inspire reflection. They did
then, and they do now.
77

GALLERY PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

Intimate Spaces
New exhibition at Kraushaar Galleries features around a dozen
early- to mid-20th-century artworks of interior scenes
November 3-December 16
Kraushaar Galleries
15 E. 71st Street, Suite 2B
New York, NY 10021
t: (212) 288-2558
www.kraushaargalleries.com

Guy Pne du Bois (1884-1958), Music Lovers,


1922. Watercolor and ink on paper, 1958 x 15 in.

hen artists paint interior


scenes, they are oftentimes
depicting settings from
their personal lives and experiences,
providing the viewer glimpses
of intimate moments and spaces.
November 3 through December 16,
Kraushaar Galleries in New York City
will present Interior Views, an exhibition
focusing on early- to mid-20th-century
paintings and works on paper of this
genre. Of deciding on the direction
for this exhibition, gallery director
and partner Katherine Degn says, We
looked at some of our new inventory

78

Gifford Beal (1879-1956), In the Wings, 1930. Oil on canvas, 30 x 24 in.

and found there were a number of


interiors, and some made interesting
comparisons and contrasts.
One of the works from the show
is Gifford Beals In the Wings, a 1930
painting of a circus performer standing
backstage awaiting her time in the
spotlight. According the gallery, Beal
often painted places, such as the

circus, that showed the more festive


and exuberant side of life. Beals son
had even noted that circuses gave his
father free access backstage. This work
correlates with several other circusthemed pieces by Beal, including
another backstage view titled Spotlight
that is in the Art Institute of Chicago
collection and The Roman Standing

Race, circa 1930, from the artists estate,


where the figure in In the Wings relates to
one of two bareback riders depicted.
Also in the exhibition will be Guy
Pne du Bois watercolor Music Lovers that
reflects the artists interest in showing the
relationships and interactions of men and
women. It also touches on his influences
from his teacher Robert Henri, who
encouraged his students to observe and
paint the world around them. From 1905
to 1906, du Bois lived and worked in Paris
where he would paint his observations of
operas, cafes, public gardens and more.
Music Lovers, 1922, reflects these art
historical references both in subject and
in style, the gallery explains. The scene
of a seated man and woman, ostensibly
at a concert or musical performance,
demonstrates du Bois attraction to the
leisure activities of the upper classes and
their interactions in social settings. Lacking
personal details on the figures, du Bois still
conveys the air of sophistication and social
atmosphere through the ambiance of the
venue and overall design.
There also will be figureless interiors
represented in the show, such as William
Sommers The Fruit Jug. Painted in 1929,
the work is in the artists more mature
style where he captures and releases
the realities of nature, the gallery notes.
His subject matter of the time depicted
the things more familiar in his life, such
as objects on his studio table, horses,
cows, trees, the neighbors children and
his wife, Martha. Sommer uses line and
color to create a dynamic of change and
show the process of drawing rather than
a static finished look. In this effort, he
was striving to capture the essential spirit
of his subjects rather than their physical
reality, an attitude especially apparent in
The Fruit Jug.
In all, there will be approximately 12
pieces on view in the exhibition, including
works by Marguerite Zorach, Romare
Bearden, Alfred Maurer, William Glackens,
George Ault and Walt Kuhn. [Exhibitions
like this] provide another approach to
considering artworks and putting them
in different context and juxtapositions,
says Degn. Its always exciting to see new
things in new ways and familiar pieces in
new ways.

Marguerite Zorach (1887-1968), Bea Ault, 1925. Oil on canvas, 44 x 30 in.

William Sommer (1867-1949), The Fruit Jug, 1929. Watercolor on paper, 11 x 14 in.

79

GALLERY PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

Stories and Discoveries


Meredith Ward Fine Art provides a glimpse of Steve Wheelers previously unseen artwork
November 11-December 23
Meredith Ward Fine Art

44 E. 74th Street, Suite G


New York, NY 10021
t: (212) 744-7306
www.meredithwardfineart.com

teve Wheeler put on his last solo


show in 1951, but he didnt stop
creating art. This past summer,
Meredith Ward Fine Art began their
representation of the Wheeler estate,
and their exhibition of his works will
begin on November 11.
The show, which focuses on his later
works of the late 50s and early 60s,
will present many works that have never
been seen before. The new images,
which were found in his studio at the
time of his death, are a continuation
on the themes of his earlier works and
are mainly black-and-white drawings
on canvas. They continue to explore

Steve Wheeler(1912-1992), Untitled, ca. 1960s. Oil and ink on canvas, 30 x 331/8 in.

Steve Wheeler(1912-1992), Untitled, ca. 1960s.


Oil and ink on canvas, 27 x 30 in.

80

shape, form and space, and they will


be supplemented by some of Wheelers
earlier, previously seen pieces.
Wheeler was born in 1912, the same
year as Jackson Pollock, and according
to gallery owner Meredith Ward, The
two artists have roots that are grounded
in the same soil, in surrealism and in
exploration of space. Where Pollocks
work is sweeping, Wheelers work is
incredibly complex and compressed.
One of the images on display is an
untitled black-and-white line drawing,
with a blue transparent overlay. The
intricate piece projects strength and

power, and invites the viewer to ask


questions about the story behind the
art and make discoveries based on the
clues hidden in the imagery.
Titles like The Fox Went Out and
Presenting Miss America can point
viewers in the right direction, but many
of the images that were discovered
posthumously remain untitled, meaning
viewers have to depend exclusively
on the visuals to interpret the image.
Ward says, That process of discovery
and finding forms, and exploring the
landscape with the artist, is what draws
people to Wheelers work.

Steve Wheeler(1912-1992), Untitled 1, ca. 1960s. Oil and ink on canvas, 23 x 16 in. Images courtesy Meredith Ward Fine Art.

81

GALLERY PREVIEW: SANTA FE, NM

Breaking the Mold


Addison Rowe Gallery exhibits works of Beatrice Mandelman and
Florence Miller Pierce, two contributors to abstract art in New Mexico
Through December 16
Addison Rowe Gallery
229 E. Marcy Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501
t: (505) 982-1533
www.addisonrowe.com

he history of women in the


development of modern and
contemporary art in Northern
New Mexico is a rich one. The
visionary Mabel Dodge Luhan (18791962) had held salons in Florence and
Greenwich Village and brought many
of the artistic and literary luminaries
of the time to her home in Taos.
After forming art schools in Paris and
Washington, D.C., Catherine Carter
Critcher (1868-1964) moved to
Taos and became the only woman in
the Taos Society of Artists. Georgia
OKeeffe (1887-1986) arrived a
little later and set out to discover the
essential forms of nature. Agnes Martin
(1912-2004) has been referred to as
the artist mystic who disappeared into
the desert where she created works
she said were about merging, about
formlessnessA world without objects,
without interruption.
Beatrice Mandelman (1912-1998)
and Florence Miller Pierce (1918-2007)
brought different experiences and
belonged to two different influential
art groups. Pierce was the youngest
member and only one of two women
in the Transcendental Painting Group.
Mandelman and her husband, Louis
Ribak (1902-1979), founded the Taos
Valley Art School and were key to the
organization of a collective known
as the Taos Moderns. Pierce moved

82

Florence Miller Pierce (1918-2007), Untitled, ca. 1986. Resin relief, 32 x 62 in.

Beatrice Mandelman (1912-1998), Greece No. 12, ca. 1965. Watercolor with collage on paper,
18 x 193/8 in., signed lower right.

Beatrice Mandelman (1912-1998), Things That Happen at Night, 1955. Casein with collage on cardboard, 28 x 40 in., signed lower right.

in and out of her painting career and


Mandelman remained devoted to hers
from the age of 12.
Their work is the subject of an
exhibition From the Transcendental Painting
Group to the Taos Moderns: Florence Miller
Pierce and Beatrice Mandelman, at Addison
Rowe Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico,
through December 16.
Raymond Jonson (1891-1982) and
Emil Bisttram (1895-1976) founded the
Transcendental Painting Group in 1938
to carry painting beyond the appearance
of the physical world, through new

concepts of space, color, light, and


design. Pierce commented that Jonson
not only promoted abstraction, but was
continuously working toward finding
his own inner self in his painting.
Jonsons and Bisttrams teachings
followed her throughout her career and
manifested in different ways. Bisttrams
basics geometric shapes began to
reappear in her later work and in her
resin on mirror paintings. She remarked,
This is about as pure Florence as I can
get. I was so pure, so naive then. I try
to approach art again from that same

mysterious source.
She had accidentally spilled resin
on a sheet of aluminum and was
fascinated by how it was translucent,
sitting above the shiny metal surface.
She began experimenting with resin
on mirrors capturing shifting, ethereal
light emanating from behind their
minimalist surface.
Mandelman began painting abstractly
in the 50s. She and the other artists of
the Taos Moderns ruffled the feathers
of the followers of the earlier and more
traditional Taos Society. She had been
83

Beatrice Mandelman
(1912-1998), Sky,
ca. 1970s.Oil on
canvas panel,
8 x 10 in., signed
lower right.

a social realist and figurative painter.


She commented on her and Ribaks
move to the Southwest, We had
to get acquainted with the forms, the
light, the meaning, the whole sense of
being here in the West. The experience
changed their work dramatically.
The gallery notes the Taos Valley
Art School attracted many Abstract
Expressionist artists from both the East
and West Coast and served as a meeting
place for many of the artists who would
become part of the Taos Moderns;
eventually this group would include
Mandelman, Ribak, Ed Corbett,
Andrew Dasburg, Agnes Martin, Oli
Sihvonen, Clay Spohn, John Depuy,
Cady Wells, Thomas Benrimo, Ted Egri,
and Louise Ganthiers.
Pierce and Mandelman were
essential in creating a foundation for
abstract artists to flourish in New
Mexico. Without their contributions,
the past seven decades of art would
look very different.
Florence Miller Pierce (1918-2007), Untitled 652 (Red), 2004. Resin relief, 16 x 16 in.,
signed, titled and dated verso.

84

Events & Fairs


Coverage of all the major art fairs and events taking place across the country.

William Stanley Haseltine (1835-1900), Sunrise at Narragansett, Rhode Island (detail), 1863. Oil on canvas, 18 x 31 in. Courtesy Godel & Co. Available at The American Art Fair.

PREVIEWS

86

An Art Destination
Hundreds of American 19th- and 20th-century
works from 17 dealers will be on display at
The American Art Fair

90

An Opportunity
for Discovery
New Yorks galleries open their doors to collectors
and curators during American Art Week

85

EVENT PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

An Art Destination
Hundreds of American 19th- and 20th-century works from 17 dealers
will be on display at The American Art Fair
November 18-21
The American Art Fair
Bohemian National Hall
321 E. 73rd Street
New York, NY 10021
www.theamericanfair.com

his years American Art Fair aims


to make American art great
again, according to the fairs
founder Thomas Colville, who also
owns Thomas Colville Fine Art. The
event was pushed back this year in order
to avoid the frenzy of the presidential
election and so patrons will be able to
give the art their full attention. The

fair will run from November 18 to 21


and feature hundreds of works from 17
leading specialists.
In its ninth year, it is the only fair
that specialized in 18th- and 19th-century
American art. When the fair started,
All the other fairs, like the Armory
Show, were basically contemporary, so
we wanted to put our best foot forward
for American art from its earliest
periods to today, Colville says. The
fair has recently begun to add some
contemporary offerings, but with the
caveat that the artist must not be alive.
For collectors, curators and museum
directors, The American Art Fair is one
convenient place to see as much art as
they can, as quickly as possible. It is the
most efficient means for collectors of

American art to see the best offerings


available...and without having to run
all around town, says Hirschl & Adlers
director of American paintings and
sculpture Eric Baumgartner.
The fair has begun to attract
younger people who are just beginning
their art collections, but for the most
part the visitors are people who are
active in the art field. The expertise of
the patrons is a draw for the exhibitors.
It is refreshing to enter into a
conversation with someone about
a work of art at a higher level, says
Baumgartner. We dont need to explain
who William Glackens was, for instance,
but can instead discuss what makes our
Glackens significant and special.
New to the fair this year are

George Henry Durrie (1820-1863), At the Mill, Winter, 1853. Oil on canvas, 26 x 36 in. Courtesy Menconi & Schoelkopf.

86

John Frederick Kensett (1816-1872), New England Sunrise. Oil on canvas, 181/8 x 30 in. Courtesy Questroyal Fine Art, LLC.

Frederic Remington (1861-1909),


The Cheyenne. Bronze, 20 in.
Courtesy J.N. Bartfield Galleries.

Charles Ephraim Burchfield (1893-1967), Butterfly Festival,


1949-56. Watercolor, gouache, and pencil on paper,
37 x 25 in. Courtesy Debra Force Fine Art, Inc.

87

Edmund C. Tarbell (1862-1938), Mary Josephine, 1934. Oil on canvas,


211/8 x 171/8 in. Courtesy Godel & Co. Fine Art, Inc.

Frederick
Carl Frieseke
(1874-1939),
Women with
Parasols (Pollard
Willows), 1921.
Oil on canvas,
25 x 31 in.
Courtesy
Hirschl & Adler
Galleries, Inc.

88

Lydia Field Emmet (1866-1952), The Grandchild, 1895. Pastel on paper,


24 x 20 in. Courtesy Taylor | Graham.

Irving Ramsey
Wiles (1861-1948),
Scallop Boats,
Peconic Bay,
ca. 1915. Oil on
panel, 10 x 14 in.
Courtesy Thomas
Colville Fine Art.

A.E. Gallatin (1881-1952), No. 52., 194243. Oil on canvas, 30 x 20 in. Courtesy
James Reinish & Associates, Inc.

Stuart Davis (1892-1964), Roses, 1927. Watercolor,


gouache and graphite on paper, 13 x 13 in.
Courtesy Jonathan Boos.

D. Wigmore, specializing in modern


abstract art; J.N. Bartfield Galleries, the
oldest gallery in the U.S. for American
Western art; and Taylor|Graham,
which will exhibit 19th- and 20thcentury American sculpture.
Questroyal Fine Art will be bringing
works from different artistic movements,
including Hudson River School, tonalism
and impressionism, as examples of their

inventory, and of the fair, co-owner Brent


Salerno says, It is nice to see our existing
clients in an environment that displays
some of the very best American paintings
on the market.
We want to make the fair a
destination, says Colville, and in
addition to the exhibitors, The American
Art Fair will feature two special lectures.
Kathleen A. Foster, the Robert L.

John Wood Dodge (1807-1893), George


Washington, 1864, Ink, watercolor and gouache,
heightened with gum arabic on paperboard,
13 x 10 in. Courtesy Driscoll Babcock Galleries.

McNeil, Jr., Senior Curator of American


Art, and Director of the Center for
American Art at the Philadelphia
Museum of Art, will preview the
exhibition Inside the American Watercolor
Movement on Friday, November 18, and
art historian and critic Karen Wilkin
will present a talk on Stuart Davis on
Saturday, November 19. Both lectures
are complimentary and begin at 2 p.m.
EVENT PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

89

EVENT PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

An Opportunity for Discovery


New Yorks galleries open their doors to collectors and curators during American Art Week
November 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Just Off Madison

Between 67 & 79 streets and


Fifth & Park avenues
New York, NY
www.justoffmadison.com
th

th

he collectors and curators who


flock to New York during
American Art Week will have a
unique opportunity to see all the art
that 13 of New Yorks dealers have to
offer with the Just Off Madison event.
The participating galleries will feature a
diverse selection of paintings, sculptures

Marvin Cone (1891-1964), Rubber Plant, ca. 1930s. Oil on canvas, 20 x 18 in.
Courtesy Debra Force Fine Art, Inc.

90

and other works from the 19th century


to the mid-20th century.
Having an open house during
American Art Week gives people an
opportunity to visit our gallery in a
relaxed atmosphere and gives us the
chance to greet old friends and meet
new collectors, says Meredith Ward
of Meredith Ward Fine Art, which will
showcase paintings and drawings by
Steve Wheeler during Just Off Madison.
There isnt the type of pressure of
an art fair or an auction, says Betty
Krulik, organizer of the event and
proprietor of Betty Krulik Fine Art,
Ltd.Visitors can enjoy the galleries
at their own pace, and when they are
ready to make the jump on a particular
piece, they know where to go.
Though the event mainly attracts
out of town dealers and curators,
it also serves as an opportunity for
people who are looking to start an
art collection. The truth is auctions
are becoming more selective and high
end, says Krulik. During Just Off
Madison, people with more modest
budgets can see what dealers have and
see that theyre not priced out of the
art market.
Katherine Degn of Kraushaar
Galleries looks forward to the wide
range of visitors that come into
the gallery as a result of the event.
Many curious people are not always
comfortable ringing the doorbell of
a not-street floor gallery, Degn says.
The walk enables us to showcase our
wares and expertise in a forum that is
comfortable for any kind of visitor.
With the advent of the internet,
many look at art exclusively online,
but Just Off Madison offers a more
comprehensive experience. People
do a lot of armchair surfing, but not

HOW TO FIND US
1. TAYLOR |
GRAHAM: 32 E. 67th
Street, New York,
NY 10065

2. Debra Force Fine


Art, Inc.: 13 E. 69th
Street, Suite 4F,
New York, NY 10021
Menconi +
Schoelkopf: 13 E.
69th Street, Suite 2F
New York, NY 10021
David Tunick, Inc.:
13 E. 69th Street, New
York, NY 10021
3. Lois Wagner Fine
Arts, Inc.: 15 E. 71st
Street, Suite 2A,
New York, NY 10021
Kraushaar Galleries:
15 E. 71st Street,
Suite 2B, New York,
NY 10021
4. Betty Krulik
Fine Art, Ltd.: 50 E.
72nd Street, Suite 2A,
New York, NY, 10021

7
6
Alice Pike Barney (1857-1931), The Gold Chair, ca. 1900-11. Pastel
on canvas, 51 x 32 in., signed and inscribed: Alice Barney/Paris.
Courtesy Lois Wagner Fine Arts, Inc.

Avery Galleries:
50 E. 72nd Street,
Apt. 2A, New York,
NY 10021
5. James Reinish
& Associates:
25 E. 73rd Street,
2nd Floor, New York,
NY 10021
6. Meredith Ward
Fine Art: 44 E. 74th
Street, Suite G,
New York, NY 10021
7. Conner
Rosenkranz, LLC:
19 E. 74th Street,
New York, NY 10021
8. MME Fine Art,
LLC: 74 E. 79th Street,
PH 18B, New York,
NY 10075

9. Jonathan Boos:
321 E. 73rd Street,
New York, NY 10021

Frederic Remington (1861-1909), Bronco Buster, No. 110, 1911.


Bronze, 23 x 15 x 73/8 in., inscribed on base: copyright by Frederic
Remington; stamped on base: Roman Bronze Works N-Y-; inscribed
beneath: N-110. Courtesy Jonathan Boos.

91

Allen Dean Cochran (1888-1971), The Beeches, 1913. Oil on canvas, 32 x 39 in., signed lower right: Allen D. Cochran. Courtesy MME Fine Art.

John B. Flannagan(18951942), BEGINNING, 1941. Bronze,


17 x 19 x 7 in. Courtesy Conner Rosenkranz, LLC.

everything is available online, says


Krulik. Its a good opportunity for
people who are serious about collecting
to see everything before they make
their decision.
Gallery owners find that customers
treasure the experience of being in a
gallery compared to shopping in front
of a screen. Solitary internet browsing
only goes so far, Ward says, and clients
92

Steve Wheeler (1912-1992), Untitled


1, ca. 1960s. Oil and ink on canvas,
23 x 16 in. Courtesy Meredith Ward
Fine Art.

enjoy discovering unique works for


themselves.
In the past, Just Off Madison has
taken place in the evening, but in
the past year they have moved to the
daytime in order to avoid conflicting
with American Art Weeks auctions. It
allows people the opportunity to visit
more dealers, says Krulik.
The change of time slot was

John White Alexander (1856-1915),


Silhouette of a Young Girl. Charcoal on
paper, 14 x 10 in., signed lower left:
J.W. Alexander. Courtesy Avery Galleries.

successful last season and we hope


to continue the tradition, says Mark
Ostrander of Conner Rosenkranz,
which will be exhibiting two recently
acquired works by John B. Flanagan
during the event.
Just Off Madison will take place on
Monday, November 21, and the 13
participating galleries will open their
doors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Museum Exhibitions
Insights from top curators about the major exhibitions of historic American art
being organized at key American museums.

Philo B. Ruggles (1906-1988) and John Ruggles (1907-1991), Steel Workers (detail), 1939, sketch for mural (unrealized), Post Office,
Bridgeport, Ohio. Gouache, watercolor and graphite on thick cardboard. On view at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College.

94

A Unique Vision

98

Celebrating Heroes

The Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibits nearly


40 works by Max Beckmann through February 20

102

Extraordinary Return
A stunning John Singer Sargent portrait stars
in a focus exhibition now on view at the Jewish
Museum in New York City

New exhibition at the Frances Lehman Loeb


Art Center at Vassar College presents 47 mural
studies from the 1930s and 1940s

93

MUSEUM PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

A Unique Vision
The Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibits nearly 40 works
by Max Beckmann through February 20
Through February 20, 2017
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028
t: (212) 535-7710
www.metmuseum.org

by James D. Balestrieri

trictly speaking, Max Beckmann is


not an American painter. But after
a life filled with strife, Beckmann
made his way here, painting, teaching
and exhibiting his work, first in St. Louis
and then in New York, where he passed
away in 1950, on the corner of 61st and

Central Park West, while on his way


to take a look at one of his paintings,
Self-Portrait in Blue Jacket, which had
only just been hung on the walls of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Beckmanns American paintings
especially his late self-portraits, city
scenes and triptychscapped an
extraordinary life and career. His
work influenced on artists like Philip
Guston and collectors like Morton D.
May, so it is no accident that American
institutional holdings of his work are
both broad and deep.
Max Beckmann in New York, at the
Met, is only the latest in a string of
solo exhibitions of the artists work
stretching from St. Louis to Frankfurt.

Born in Leipzig, Germany, in 1884,


Beckmann began his career as figure
painter in the academic tradition
though with a visionary slantcounting
Grunewald, Blake and Van Gogh among
those whose work influenced his. But
after serving as a medical orderly in
World War I, where he witnessed the
horrors of war firsthand, he entirely
rejected both the classical European
tradition in art, and what he saw as the
failed philosophy that had led to the
tragic conflict.
Unlike the vast majority of his
contemporaries, however, Beckmann
also rejected nonobjective painting,
aligning himself in some measure
though he never seems to have

Max Beckmann (1884-1950), Beginning (triptych), 1949. Oil on canvas, 69 x 125 in. overall. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Miss Adelaide
Milton de Groot (1876-1967), 1967, 67.187.53a-c. 2016 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.
Opposite page: Max Beckmann (18841950), Self-Portrait in Blue Jacket, 1950. Oil on canvas, 551/8 36 in. Saint Louis Art Museum,
Bequest of Morton D. May, SL.9.2016.24.1. 2016 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

94

PHOTO COURTESY OF NAME

95

Max Beckmann
(18841950),
Falling Man, 1950.
Oil on canvas,
55 x 35 in.
National Gallery of
Art, Washington,
Gift of Mrs. Max
Beckmann,
SL.9.2016.13.1.
2016 Artists
Rights Society
(ARS), New York
/ VG Bild-Kunst,
Bonn.

96

Max Beckmann (18841950), Self-Portrait with a Cigarette, 1923. Oil on


canvas, 23 x 157/8 in. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Dr. and
Mrs. F. H. Hirschland, 1956, SL.9.2016.18.1 2016 Artists Rights Society (ARS),
New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

Max Beckmann (18841950), Quappi in Grey, 1948. Oil on canvas,


42 x 311/8 in. Private Collection, New York, SL.9.2016.8.3. 2016
Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

adopted the tenets of any school


wholeheartedlywith the
New Objectivity movement
that sprang from German
Expressionism.
Instead, he looked back to
the masters he revered and
transformed figure painting,
bringing it into post-World War
I Europe via a series of vigorous
self-portraits through which he
exposes the rawness of his own
psyche and the instability that lies
at the heart of the individual soul.
The heavy black outlines and
planes that mark his maturing
style are akin to the lead came
that divides the colored panes of
stained glass windows.
Look at any of the selfportraits long enough and you
begin to feel that you are looking
through them, looking for the
light that shines through the glass
darkly, brilliantly, translucently,
from the other side. In Beckmann,
the self, whether it is confident
(and it never is, not completely)
or riddled with doubt or
somewhere in between (as it
mostly is), is nonetheless an aspect
of divinity worthy of scrutiny.
During the cabaret years of
the Weimar Republic, Beckmann
became something of a celebrity
and secured an excellent position
on the faculty of the Academy
of Fine Art in Frankfurt. But, in
1933, the cabaret closed when
Adolf Hitler rose to power,
declaring Beckmann and many
other once and future luminaries
of modern art degenerates.
The Nazi Party mounted a
Degenerate Art Exhibition
in 1937 to demonstrate what
they saw as the emptiness of
avant-garde modernism and

the unfitness of modern artists,


not only to paint in the Reich,
which required that art serve the
propagandistic interests of the
state, but to go on living at all.
The day after the Hitler spoke
in public against the avant-garde,
Beckmann and his wife boarded
a train for Amsterdam where
Beckmann would paint and watch
his health begin to failhe was
a heavy smokeras they waited
out what was, for the artist, truly a
Second World War.
In 1946, Beckmann crossed
the ocean, finding his first home
in St. Louis and a patron and
friend in prominent collector
and fellow artist Morton D. May.
Three years later, Beckmann
moved to New York where he
taught and painted until his
untimely death.
Beckmanns New York works,
apart from the self-portraits,
paintings like The Town (City
Night), Falling Man and the
triptych Beginning, have roots in
myths and legends that highlight
the folly and vanity of human
longing and ambition. In these
works, Icarus falls, the Frog
Prince hoards his gold and War
rides a hobbyhorse. Even at the
end of his life, when ease and a
measure of fame seemed in reach,
Beckmann didnt fully believe
in them. He had seen and been
through too much.
Wherever they live and
work, artists are both always and
never at home. Restlessness is
one of the tolls that creativity
demands. Max Beckmann in New
York might as readily be Max
Beckmann, New Yorker, or, better
still, Max Beckmann, Painter.
MUSEUM PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

97

MUSEUM PREVIEW: POUGHKEEPSIE, NY

Celebrating Heroes
New exhibition at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College
presents 47 mural studies from the 1930s and 1940s
Through December 18
The Frances Lehman Loeb
Art Center
Vassar College
124 Raymond Avenue
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
t: (845) 437-5632
www.fllac.vassar.edu

nton Refregier (1905-1979)


immigrated to the U.S. from
Russia in 1920. A painter
and muralist, he was eligible for
employment by the Federal Art Project
of the WPA. He won a competition to
paint a mural of 27 panels, The History
of San Francisco, in what is now the
citys Rincon Center. Painting in a
social realist style between 1940 and
1948, Refregier didnt shy away from
difficult moments in Californias history
such as strikes and riots. Representatives
of both ends of the political spectrum
sought to have the murals covered
because they believed the murals
slandered Californian pioneers and
promoted the precepts of Communism.
Fortunately, the murals survived.
A scene about the building of
the continental railroad showed
what some thought to be too many
Chinese workers despite the fact that
the Chinese played a major role in its
construction. The hysteria extended
to Refregiers use of red paint, which
was thought to be a veiled promotion
of Communism.
A tempera, watercolor and graphite
study for the mural Building the Union
Pacific is included in the exhibition
Celebrating Heroes: Mural Studies of
the 1930s and 1940s from the Steven
and Susan Hirsch Collection at Vassar

98

Edward Chvez (1917-1995), Panorma of the Plains, 1942, color sketch for mural, Fort Warren,
Wyoming. Tempera, graphite and black ink on illustration board.

99

Anton Refregier (1905-1979), Building the Union Pacific, study for mural, Rincon Annex Post Office,
San Francisco, California. Tempera, watercolor and graphite on Masonite.

College, Poughkeepsie, New York.


The exhibition in the Frances Lehman
Loeb Art Center features 47 paintings
and drawings from the golden age for
murals in the United States, when the
everyday worker rose to hero status in
these works. The exhibition continues
through December 18.

Patricia Phagan, the Philip and Lynn


Straus Curator of Prints and Drawings
at the Art Center, observes, The story
of their making lies in the sketches
made by artists vying in regional
or national competitions or given
commissions directly.
She explains, These projects

stemmed from a government-led push


to put artists to work just like other
citizensArtists felt as never before a
kinship with the everyday worker, and
they felt for the first time that they were
a part of the social fabric of society.
In an oral history interview with
the Archives of American Art of the

Andre Ruellan (1905-2006), Farm at Harvesting Time, 1939, sketch for mural (unrealized) for Post Office, Delhi, New York. Oil over graphite on thick board.

100

Philo B. Ruggles (1906-1988) and John Ruggles (1907-1991), Miners, 1939, sketch for mural (unrealized),
Post Office, Yerington, Nevada. Gouache, oil and gesso on paperboard.

Smithsonian Institution, Refregier


recalled the criteria for gaining WPA
support, You had to be on relief.
In other words, you had to be in a
position not to be able to pay your rent,
not to be able to buy a loaf of bread,
and of course that already takes for
granted that you dont have 15 cents to

go to a movie.
Phagan comments, Refregiers
mural studies on the history of
the city of San Francisco open the
exhibition and encapsulate several
of the heroic subjects in the mural
sketches by other artists. His themes
on Native Americans, settlers, the
history of the city, farming, industry
and opposition to forces undermining
a free society are all topics in the
other works on view, and those
themes guide the exhibition.
Andre Ruellans 1939 sketch for
a bucolic mural for a post office in

Delhi, New York, was never executed.


Ruellan (1905-2006) was born in New
York of French parents and spent her
early years in New York and Paris. Her
parents were ardent socialists. She was
recognized as a child prodigy and, at
the age of 9 exhibited next to Robert
Henri and George Bellows. In the
1940s she wrote, What moves me most
is that in spite of poverty and constant
struggle for existence, so much kindness
and sturdy courage remain. Naturally
I want to paint well designed pictures
but I also wish to convey these warmer
human emotions.

Philo B. Ruggles (1906-1988) and John Ruggles (1907-1991), Steel Workers, 1939, sketch for mural
(unrealized), Post Office, Bridgeport, Ohio. Gouache, watercolor and graphite on thick cardboard.
Images courtesy The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College.

MUSEUM PREVIEW: POUGHKEEPSIE, NY

101

MUSEUM PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

Extraordinary Return
A stunning John Singer Sargent portrait stars in a focus exhibition
now on view at the Jewish Museum in New York City
Through February 5, 2017
The Jewish Museum
1109 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10128
t: (212) 423-3271
www.thejewishmuseum.org

or the first time in a decade, John


Singer Sargents stunning portrait
Mrs. Carl Meyer and her Children
will return to the United States for a
special focus exhibition at the Jewish
Museum in New York City.
John Singer Sargents Mrs. Carl Meyer
and Her Children opened in September
at the museum, and alongside the
famous painting are an assortment of
supporting materials that help tell the
story of one of Sargents most famous
portraits. The show was organized by

Norman Kleeblatt, the Susan and Elihu


Rose Chief Curator at the museum,
along with curatorial assistant Lucy
Partman. Kleeblatt says he was excited
to organize a show that was laserfocused on one specific masterwork.
When the possibility arose that the
Sargent might be borrowed from the
Tate Britain, the curator knew it would
make the perfect subject.
Its such a splendid work, and after
a similar exhibition in 1999 to 2000,
I knew the terrain quite well. Everyone
jumped on board and we started
making arrangements, Kleeblatt says.
Borrowing works is often a procedural
complexity, but the Tate Britain was
incredibly generous. They put me in
touch with the great-granddaughter of
Mrs. Meyer. We met last December and
began looking through memorabilia
and photo albums. It was a remarkable
story that we wanted to tell.

Sargent painted Adle Meyer and


her two children, Elsie Charlotte and
Frank Cecil, in London in 1896. At
the time he was the most soughtafter society portrait artist on both
sides of the Atlantic. Within several
years of completing the piece, it was
widely considered one of Sargents
masterworks, and eventually went on
to be shown in a number of prominent
exhibitions.
One of the remarkable aspects of the
painting, Kleeblatt says, is the posing of
the figures. Much discussion was made
at the time that it appears Mrs. Meyer
is slipping off the sofa shes sitting on.
One item in the exhibition is a cartoon

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), Elsie Meyer,


1908. Charcoal on paper, 24 x 18 in. Private
collection, Georgia. Photo by David Heald.

The dining room at Shortgrove with Sargents portrait Mrs. Carl Meyer and her Children above the
mantel. Photograph reproduced in the Shortgrove sale catalog, July 28, 1924, Knight Frank and Rutley.

102

Opposite page: John Singer Sargent (18561925), Mrs. Carl Meyer and her Children, 1896.
Oil on canvas, 79 x 53 in. Tate Britain,
bequeathed by Adle, Lady Meyer 1930, with
a life interest for her son and grandson and
presented in 2005 in celebration of the lives
of Sir Anthony and Lady Barbadee Meyer,
accessioned in 2009, T 12988.

103

Photograph of Adle Meyer. Private collection,


United Kingdom. Image provided by Cultural
Heritage Digitisation Ltd.

lampooning the painting that depicts


the children desperately trying to
save their mother before she falls. The
curator has a more likely explanation:
Sargent painted the work to be looked
at from below, which is how it was
presented in Shortgrove, the Meyers
magnificent English residence. Kleeblatt
also sees other elements at play in the
poses Sargent rendered.
What Sargent shared with Adle
Meyer and her children was that they
were all thespian in nature. The Meyers
loved theater, opera, music and were
quite performative, so the piece was
really a mutual endeavor, he says. It
was a fusion of artist and sitters, and
the staging was performed to create a
riveting piece of painting.
Much was also made at the time
of Adle Meyer, who was a vivacious
hostess, and who championed
philanthropic work in areas such as
womens suffrage, the conditions for
female factory workers and the support
of underprivileged families. In 1883,
she married banker Carl Ferdinand
Meyer who would hold a number of
104

Herbert von Herkomer (1849-1914), Carl Meyer, 1908. Oil on canvas, 56 x 44 in. Private collection,
United Kingdom.

high-profile and important positions


that would give him access to many
interesting people. And because of this,
Adle was also an active socialite, whose
friends and acquaintances included
prominent figures in British society. One
friend had called her a pocket Venus,
due to her tiny figure and unmatched
beauty. The friend was Oscar Wilde.
As for Sargent, he was a hard worker
and consummate professional, according
to Adles writing of the painting. His
portrait of the family, while receiving a
rapturous welcome back in 1896, is still to
this day regarded as one of Sargents most
important works. Supporting materials in
the exhibition show the piece hanging
in Shortgrove and also appearing in the

background of Carl Meyers own portrait


by Herbert von Herkomer. Other
materials include Sargents charcoal works
of Adle, photographs of the family and
Carl Meyers pendant with a photograph
of Adle inside.
At a reception during the
exhibitions opening, Kleeblatt
pondered what the Meyers would have
thought of the painting in America.
Despite all her travels, Adle Meyer
never visited New York. Appropriately,
she and her family will be in residence
in the former dining room of the Felix
and Frieda Schiff Warburg mansion [for
the show], he told guests. I wonder
what Adle would think of our city and
its residents.

Auctions
Major works coming up for sale at the most important auction houses dealing in historic American art.

Georgia OKeeffe (1887-1986), Sand Hill, Alcade, 1930. Oil on canvas, 16 x 30 in. Estimate $1.2/1.8 million Available at Christies American Art sale November 22. Image courtesy Christies Images Ltd. 2016.

PREVIEWS

106
110
114
118

Icons of Impressionism

122

Christies American paintings sale to focus on


American impressionism during November 22
sale in New York

Dynamic Offerings
Sothebys American Art sale on November 21 to
feature an array of major works in landscape,
impressionism and modernism

Well-balanced Selection
Approximately 100 lots of fine American
paintings and sculpture will cross during
Bonhams November 22 sale

American Views
Works from around the country available
in Freemans American Art & Pennsylvania
Impressionist sale on December 4

126
130

Fresh Masterworks
Heritage Auctions November 12 sale of American
art features important examples across all
collecting categories

Exceptional Examples
Important paintings by leaders in Western and
wildlife art available at Santa Fe Art Auction

Joint Auction Previews

REPORT

132

Joint Auction Reports

105

AUCTION PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

Icons of Impressionism
Christies to focus on American impressionism during November 22
American paintings sale in New York
November 22, 10 a.m.
Christies

20 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020
t: (212) 636-2000
www.christies.com

lizabeth Beaman, head of the


American art department at
Christies, knew something was
different about this years American
paintings sale as she watched piece
after piece come in, each one better
than the one before it, all American
impressionist works from masters.
Its a rare occasion to see this many
works of this quality. Weve had smaller
selections of American impressionism,
but as a whole we havent seen a

great deal on the market for whatever


reason, she says, adding that this years
quality and quantity were hard to miss.
It will certainly make the sale more
exciting, and it creates a moment of
opportunity for bidders.
Highlights from this years show,
many of them from the same collector,
include pieces related to Ironbound
Island, Maine, which was once owned
by the Blaney Family, who would invite
artists and friends out to stay and enjoy
the beautiful views. One artist was
John Singer Sargent, who painted The
Piazza; On the Verandah for Dwight
Blaney, who owned the island with
his wife, Edith. The piece, estimated
at $700,000 to $1 million, shows the
Blaneys and their two daughters on the
porch enjoying the weather.
Other Ironbound works in the sale
include John Leslie Brecks Garden,

Ironbound Island, Maine, estimated at


$700,000 to $1 million, and Childe
Hassams Sunset: Ironbound, Mt. Desert,
Maine, estimated at $1.5 million to
$2.5 million. The Breck has an
explosion of color that you can see
from a mile away. Its incredibly striking
and vibrant, everything you would
want in this scene. It also has a rich
surface with incredible impasto and in
great condition, Beaman says, adding
that Hassams Sunset is exquisite and
stunning. Hassam has several pieces
in the sale, including In the Doorway
(est. $800/1,200,000) and Bastille
Day, Boulevard Rochechouart, Paris (est.
$600/800,000).
Another important piece is
Frederick Carl Friesekes The Garden
(est. $1.5/2.5 million), a 1913 oil on
canvas depicting a woman holding a
white parasol standing in front of a
small pond in an elaborate garden. If
The Garden sells on the upper end of
its estimates, it will be within reach of
Friesekes auction record, which was set
by Christies in 2006 with a piece that
depicts the same subject matter. It sold
for more than $2.3 million.
Other works include Richard
Edward Millers Tea-Time (est.
$600/800,000) and William Merritt
Chases Shinnecock (est. $400/600,000).
The piece that could be the top lot
is Frank Weston Bensons The Reader,
a 1906 oil on canvas that has been
estimated at $2.5 million to $3.5
million. The piece has a quintessential
American impressionist look to it:
soft light, a female figure casually
enjoying a garden and a parasol. It has
Frederick Carl Frieseke (1874-1939), The Garden,
1913. Oil on canvas, 25 x 32 in., signed lower
left: F.C. Frieseke. Estimate: $1.5/2.5 million

106

Frank Weston Benson


(1862-1951), The Reader, 1906.
Oil on canvas, 24 x 29 in.,
signed lower left: F.W. Benson.
Estimate: $2.5/3.5 million

John Leslie Breck (1860-1899),


Garden, Ironbound Island, Maine.
Oil on canvas, 28 x 48 in.,
signed lower right: J. Breck.
Estimate: $700/1,000,000

107

incredible dappled sunlight, Beaman


says. Here. Benson is just playing with
the effects of light, both on her and the
surrounding landscapeThere hasnt
really been a major Benson like this on
the market in quite some time.
Christies will also offer Norman
Rockwells The Lighthouse Keepers
Daughter (est. $400/600,000) and
Edward Morans Commerce of Nations
Rendering Homage to Liberty (est.
$700/1,000,000), which shows a flotilla
of small boats gathered to celebrate
the Statue of Liberty in New York
Harbor. Curiously, the painting was
created in 1876, a full decade before
the completion of the Statue of Liberty.
Beaman says the Moran painting was

a commission from Frdric Auguste


Bartholdi,the statues designer. It was
a vision of what Bartholdi had intended
to build and, as you can see, its pretty
much how the statue looks except for
changes made to the base, Beaman
says, adding that the current owners
grandmother modeled for the piece
and can be seen as one of the figures in
the lower right.
The sale will also feature a number
of important Western works, including
pieces by William R. Leigh, Charles
M. Russell, E. Martin Hennings,
and Georgia OKeeffe, who will
be represented by Sand Hill, Alcade,
estimated at $1.2 million to $1.8 million,
which was created only a year after

OKeeffe went to New Mexico and fell


in love with the magnificence of the
desert. She was really drawn to New
Mexicos vastness and its stark beauty.
Sand Hill, Alcade is stark, but its crisp
and elegant and poetic. Its very much
an OKeeffe painting, says Tylee Abbott,
specialist and associate vice president
of American art at Christies. There
is tremendous interest in American
modernism, in female artists and in the
Southwest, from all types of collectors,
including on the international stage.
Another important Western work,
and another potential record breaker,
is N.C. Wyeths Hands Up! (Holdup
in the Canyon), which was originally
painted for McClures magazine in 1906.

Childe Hassam (1859-1935), Sunset: Ironbound, Mt. Desert, Maine, 1896. Oil on canvas, 26 x 30 in., signed and dated with artists crescent device lower
left: Childe Hassam 1986; signed again with initials and dated verso. Estimate: $1.5/2.5 million

108

Edward Moran (1829-1901), Commerce of Nations Rendering Homage


to Liberty, 1876. Oil on canvas, 90 x 70 in., signed and dated lower left:
Edward Moran 1876. Estimate: $700/1,000,000

It is estimated at $1.5 million to $2.5


million. Wyeth is widely known for his
paintings of the knights of Camelot,
swashbuckling pirates, and illustrations
from cherished books such as Treasure
Island, Robin Hood and Robinson Crusoe,
but he was first known as a Western
painter, and rose to prominence after
the success of his cowboy and Native
American imagery. He eventually
ventured West at the behest of
illustrator Howard Pyle, and returned
with iconic Western imagery. Abbott
calls it a tour de force, with everything
you want in a Wyeth painting.
Beaman says shes looking forward
to the sale, particularly because of the
strength of the works. People are
recognizing a moment of opportunity,
and I think they wont show any
hesitation with these pieces, she says.
Its a smaller sale, but also more tightly
curated. Were already seeing lots of
interest.

Milton Avery (1885-1965), Anemones, 1945. Oil and pencil on canvas,


36 x 281/8 in., signed and dated lower right: Milton Avery/1945.
Estimate: $400/600,000

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), The Piazza; On the Verandah, ca. 1921-22. Watercolor and pencil
on paper, 1558 x 21 in., signed and inscribed lower left: To my friend Dwight Blaney John S. Sargent.
Estimate: $700/1,000,000 Images courtesy Christies Images Ltd. 2016.

AUCTION PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

109

AUCTION PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

Dynamic Offerings
Sothebys American Art sale on November 21 to feature an array of major works
in landscape, impressionism and modernism
November 21, 4 p.m.
Sothebys
1334 York Avenue
New York, NY 10021
t: (212) 606-7000
www.sothebys.com

mportant works from a variety of


mediums and categories will cross
the auction block November 21
during Sothebys American Art sale in
New York. Noteworthy pieces include
examples of folk art, modernism,

illustration, American impressionism


and several top-quality landscapes.
Highlights include works by Albert
Bierstadt and Thomas Moran, vital
figures in not only the Hudson River
School movement but also American
landscape painting. A standout piece is
Bierstadts Sunset in California,Yosemite, a
stunning luminist work that exemplifies
the aspects that Bierstadt is recognized
for, particularly sunlight. The piece,
like many of Bierstadts works, rewards
detailed viewing with hidden treasures,
from the soft golden light on the
horizon to the twisted and imposing
array of branches on the central tree to

the sitting deer that rests in the shadows.


Bierstadt based the work, which is
estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million,
on sketches taken during his trips to
the West, particularly one trip in 1863
to Yosemite Valley that inspired him to
write to a friend: We are now here
in the garden of Eden as I call it. The
most magnificent place I was ever in.
Another Bierstadt available to bidders
is A Western Waterfall, estimated at
$250,000 to $350,000.
These pieces are fantastic examples
of Bierstadts works and his fascinaiton
with the West. The quality of the
light and detail are really great in
person, says Liz Sterling, senior vice
president and head of the American art
department at Sothebys. Yosemite is
one of his most popular subjects, so its
great to have these works in the sale.
Also at the sale, and featuring
Yosemite, will be Morans Cascade Falls,
Yosemite, which has been estimated at
$800,000 to $1.2 million. The piece
was produced following a 1904 trip
to Yosemite Valley. Moran and his
daughter, Ruth, toured the valley on
horseback and devoted much time to
sketching the natural beauty they saw.
He was no stranger to the area, having
first traveled to Yosemite in 1871 on a
commission from Scribners magazine.
The Bierstadt pieces and the Moran
Opposite page: Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902),
Sunset in California, Yosemite. Oil on canvas,
28 x 22 in., signed with artists monogrammed
signature in lower left: ABierstadt.
Estimate: $1/1.5 million
Left: Milton Avery (1885-1965), Woman and
Orange Mandolin. Oil on canvas 30 x 34 in.,
signed and dated lower left: Milton Avery
1947; inscribed verso: Woman and Orange
Mandolin/Milton Avery/30 x 34/1947.
Estimate: $800/1,200,000

110

111

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), Settling an


Argument (Two Men Consulting the Globe),
1922. Oil on canvas, 24 x 21 in., signed and
inscribed lower left: Norman Rockwell .
Estimate: $150/250,000

112

Thomas Moran (1837-1926), Cascade Falls, Yosemite. Oil on canvas, 30 x 20 in., signed with artists
monogrammed signature and dated lower right: T Moran, 1905; inscribed verso: Cascade Falls,
Yosemite V./T. Moran 1906/for JC Moulton. Estimate: $800/1,200,000

Anna Mary Robertson (Grandma) Moses


(1860-1961), Checkered Home, 1943. Oil on
canvas, 36 x 45 in., signed lower right: Moses.
Estimate: $300/500,000

are being sold to benefit the Edward


M. Snider Youth Hockey Supporting
Organization. Snider, who passed
away in April, was the owner of the
Philadelphia Flyers hockey team and a
devoted collector of American art.
Other important highlights from the
sale include Milton Averys Woman and
Orange Mandolin, with its striking white
figure arranged in a careful balance of
shapes and colors. This is a sensational

1943, which depicts a lively country


scene with many small figures and
horses that dot the painting and bring it
to life. Its estimated to sell for $300,000
to $500,000.
Also available will be Henry Merwin
Shradys bronze George Washington at Valley
Forge (est. $40/60,000), Clyfford Stills oil
Untitled (Grand Coulee Dam,Washington)
(est. $200/300,000), and Edward Willis
Redfields Spring Planting on the Delaware

example of Avery and, at 1947, its


a great date for artist, Sterling says.
With his use of color, hes looking at
Matisse, and hes committed to remove
any extraneous detail from the image.
It has both figure and still life elements,
and it is quintessentially Avery. The
piece is expected to sell between
$800,000 and $1.2 million.
Representing folk art will be
Grandma Moses Checkered House, from

(est. $250/350,000). Norman Rockwell,


always an auction favorite at American
art sales, will be represented by Settling an
Argument (Two Men Consulting the Globe),
estimated to hammer between $150,000
and $250,000.
Additional works include
watercolors by Moran and Charles
M. Russell, an 1853 piece by Frederic
E. Church, as well as pieces by
Arthur Dove, Oscar Bluemner and
an important piece by Marsden
Hartley that was sent from Europe
back to the United States. The current
owner acquired the work from his
grandfather, who was part a syndicate
that sent Hartley to Europe to paint.
The artist would frequently send
pictures back to pay his way, Sterling
explains, adding that the piece involves
ivy and is atypical of the work Hartley
was doing at the time.
Sterling says that many buyers and
sellers are expressing optimism in the
coming months, particularly after the
election ends. I think there is a certain
relief that will be felt when the election
is over, and it will give everyone a
chance to refocus, Sterling says. Were
expecting a lot of enthusiasm, which
is why we decided to move the sale
deep into November. Its now during
The American Art Fair, which will give
collectors so much to look forward to
when they come to town. Were very
excited to move forward.

Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), A Western


Waterfall, ca. 1875. Oil on paper
mounted on canvas, 151/8 x 111/8 in.,
signed with initials in lower right: AB.
Estimate: $250/350,000

Edward Willis Redfield (1869-1965),


Spring Planting on the Delaware. Oil on
canvas, 38 x 50 in., signed and dated
lower right: E W Redfield, May 5, 26.
Estimate: $250/350,000
AUCTION PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

113

AUCTION PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

Well-balanced Selection
Approximately 100 lots of fine American paintings and sculpture
will cross during Bonhams November 22 sale
November 22, 2 p.m.
Bonhams
580 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022
t: (212) 644-9001, www.bonhams.com

onhams November 22 auction of


American art will feature around 100
lots of paintings and sculpture that
spans from the early 19th century to late 20th
century. The sale is pretty well-balanced across
genres, says Kayla Carlsen, director of American
art at Bonhams. Were covering a pretty
wide amount of ground. I think each category,
including Hudson River School paintings,
impressionism, Ashcan paintings, modernism,
illustration, are all represented.
One particular category in the sale, however,
has more prominence than normal: American
bronze and sculpture. The top lot being Paul
Howard Manships Diana, which is estimated to
achieve $400,000 to $600,000.
This piece in particular of Diana is really
special because it incorporates all the hallmarks
that youd expect to see from Manship, but this
piece has silver plate on select areas, which weve
never seen before on an example of Diana. So,
we expect that it may be one-of-a-kind in that
case, says Carlsen. The silver plate was largely
protected because for years it was tarnished; no
one knew it was underneath the tarnished layer.
Its very well intact considering
the age. It covers the hair of
the figure, the drapery, the neck
and tail of the dog, and the bow
and sachet of arrows on her back. Its really a
spectacular thing.
There will be another Manship in the sale,
Spear Thrower, which was originally cast in an
edition of 12. Several of these exist in American
institutions and none have been in auction
before, Carlsen explains of the 1921 bronze,
which is estimated at $20,000 to $35,000.

114

Paul Howard
Manship (18851966), Diana. Bronze
with brownish-green
patina and select
areas of silver plate,
38 in. high on 1
in. marble base.,
inscribed on base:
Paul Manship /
1912, Valsuani
Foundeur.
Estimate:
$400/600,000

Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904), Seascape at Sunset, ca. 1876-83. Oil on canvas, 10 x 20 in., signed lower right: M.J. Heade. Estimate: $120/180,000

Thats one to watch I think because


its a really elegant bronze. It comes
from a private collection, and its
been with the family as long as the
consigners can remember.
Recognized for his oils of cowboys
and Native Americans, Charles
Schreyvogel will be represented in
this sale by his bronze The Last Drop.
Estimated at $40,000 to $60,000,
Carlsen says this is one of the most
beloved of his bronzes and comes to
market from a private collection. There
also will be bronzes available from
Betsy Palmer, Edmonia Lewis, Edith
Parsons, Anna Hyatt Huntington, and
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth.
Among the paintings is a stunning
Ashcan School portrait by Robert
Henri that was painted in New York
in 1910. Titled Betalo, The Dancer, the
work has exhibition history dating
back to the year it was painted and has
been shown in New York, Texas and
Philadelphia. It is estimated at $80,000
to $120,000.
The surface of the work is
beautifully painted. It has a lovely
texture, describes Carlsen, who also
points out the expression of Henris

William Glackens (1870-1938), Harbor Scene, Gloucester, Massachusetts, ca. 1918. Oil on canvas,
18 x 24 in., signed lower left: W Glackens. Estimate: $80/120,000

sitter, and the mimicked color between


her cheeks and shoulder of the dress.
Its a slightly larger scale than you
see of the three-fourths portrait. Its
obviously not full length, but a slightly
larger example.

Martin Johnson Heades Seascape at


Sunset (est. $120/180,000) also arrives
to market, coming from a private
collection in the Midwest. [W]hat
I think really makes it a standout piece
is the coloring, the sunset, Carlsen
115

Robert Henri (1865-1929), Betalo, The Dancer, 1910. Oil on canvas, 32 x 26 in., signed lower right: Robert Henri; signed and inscribed verso: Robert
Henri / 65 / F. Estimate: $80/120,000

116

Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), The Golden


Age. Mixed media on paper, 187/8 x 131/8 in.,
signed dated, numbered and inscribed verso:
No. 214. / Maxfield Parrish / The Oaks /
Windsor: Vermont: / March of 1899.
Estimate: $25/35,000

shares. Weve had other Heade marsh


scenes, but the sunset in this one is
really, truly remarkable. From the same
collection, will also be a Glocuester
work by Childe Hassam that carries
a presale estimate of $80,000 to
$120,000.
Another Gloucester painting is
William Glackens Harbor Scene, Gloucester,
Massachusetts (est. $80/120,000), from
circa 1918. The color and light in this
picture is lovely, Carlsen remarks. Its
everything you want from a Gloucester
by Glackens. He painted many areas and
this seems to be one of his that is soughtafter. Also available will be Girl Throwing
Stones, Gloucester (est. $30/50,000) by
John Sloan, which was painted in 1915.
The piece is from a family who has had
the work in their collection for the past
75 years.
Maxfield Parrishs The Golden Age
(est. $25/35,000) is also a notable lot.
The piece is from the title pages of The
Bodley Head edition of the childrens
book The Golden Age. Its passed
through at least three generations and
we believe it was probably with the
family as early as it was rendered
after it was used as an illustration,
says Carlsen. Whats fascinating about
this work is you can see a little about

Charles Schreyvogel
(1816-1912), The Last Drop.
Bronze with dark brown
patina, 12 in. high.,
inscribed on base:
Copyright 1903 by /
Chas Schreyvogel;
stamped along base:
ROMAN BRONZE
WORKS N-Y-;
numbered
underneath:
No 124.
Estimate:
$40/60,000

Parrishs process. He uses collage


elements to render the castle in the
background, and theres watercolor and
oil pigment. Hes really using a lot of
different [mediums]Id even call it
a mixed media piece. He has so many
different types of media on the surface.
The day prior to the American
Art sale in New York City, Bonhams
will host its West Coast California and
Western Paintings & Sculpture sale in Los
Angeles. Catalogs for both auctions are
available together.
AUCTION PREVIEW: NEW YORK, NY

117

AUCTION PREVIEW: PHILADELPHIA, PA

American Views
Works from around the country available in Freemans American Art
& Pennsylvania Impressionists sale on December 4
December 4, 2 p.m.
Freemans
1808 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
t: (215) 563-9275
www.freemansauction.com

ncredible views from coast to coast,


some created by top American
artists, will be available to bidders
at Freemans annual American Art &
Pennsylvania Impressionists auction on
December 4 in Philadelphia.
Alasdair Nichol, vice chairman at
Freemans, says hes excited to show
this years lots, particularly because
they represent such a large chunk of
American art, from the Southwest to
coastal New England scenes to imagery
from Pennsylvania, which is always a

strong subject matter at the annual sale.


Some of our sellers are tightening
their estates, others are moving
locations, but weve noticed that
everyone feels the market is going in
a good direction, Nichol says, adding
that buyers who were holding their
breath until after the election are ready
to exhale and buy art again.
Highlights from the sale include
four pieces from the Wyeth family,
including an N.C. Wyeth work, and
three Andrew Wyeth watercolors from
three different collections. The N.C.
Wyeth piece is The Departure of the
Rose (The Mother of the Hero) and it is
estimated at $100,000 to $150,000. In
the late 90s, Freemans sold a number
of N.C.s works, including two that set
world records. Back then they were
going for less, and the auction house
helped build interest in the artists
works. N.C. has such a dedicated

following, and weve traditionally


done very well with him, Nichol
says. Theres a lot of excitement for
this piece.
The Andrew Wyeth pieces, all
watercolors, are Hickory Smoked
(est. $80/120,000), Bartlett Pear (est.
$70/100,000) and From a Cushing
Window (est. $80/120,000). Each is very
different, offering unique glimpses into
Andrews works, Nichol says, adding
that Hickory Smoked is a bit unusual,
but fascinating.
These pieces also show the
wonderful technician that Andrew
was. Not to detract from the artistry,
but he was very good as a crasftsman,
he says, and his market is very solid
right now.
Another standout lot is a triptych
by German-American painter Winold
Reiss. The pieces are Mike Little
Dog, Bob Riding Horse and Chief Shot

Winold Reiss (1886-1953), Mike Little Dog; Bob Riding Horse and Chief Shot Both Sides; Chief Buffalo Hide (triptych). Gouache on illustration board,
303/8 x 23 in. (left), 305/16 x 28 in. (center), 305/16 x 23 in. (right). Estimate: $70/100,000

118

N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945), The Departure of the Rose (The Mother of the Hero). Oil on canvas, 40 x 30 in., signed bottom right: N.C. Wyeth; artist and
title on label verso. Estimate: $100/150,000

119

Fern Isabel Coppedge


(1883-1951), Evening Glow.
Oil on canvas, 181/8 x 201/8 in.,
signed bottom center:
Fern I. Coppedge.
Estimate: $40/60,000

Edward Willis Redfield


(1869-1965), Road to the River.
Oil on canvas, 32 x 40 in.,
signed on bottom left:
E.W. Redfield; inscribed with
title on stretcher verso.
Estimate: $150/250,000

120

Edward Dufner (1872-1957),


Afternoon in Summer. Oil on canvas,
24 x 30 in., signed bottom right: Edward
Dufner A.N.A. Estimate: $20/30,000

Both Sides and Chief Buffalo


Hide, and they depict four
Native American figures amid
a grouping of teepees. It really
speaks to the German mania
for all things Native American,
which still endures today. Theyve
always had a fascination with
this subject, Nichol says. Its a
compelling piece.
Adding to Reiss work is its
interesting history: the triptych
was originally conceived as
part of a mural for the Chrysler
Building in New York City, but
before it could be sold the Great
Depression kicked into full gear
and the sale was never carried
out. Reiss retained the works,
and later used them to settle a
restaurant and bar bill. He must
have been very thirsty, Nichol
jokes, adding that the story adds
to the wonderful history of
the work.
Other pieces in the sale
include Edward Willis Redfields
landscape Road to the River (est.
$150/250,000), Fern Isabel
Coppedges winter scene Evening
Glow (est. $40/60,000), Jessie
Willcox Smiths Young Girl Seated
Reading a Book (est. $25/40,000),
and Edward Dufners Afternoon in
Summer (est. $20/30,000).

Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), From a


Cushing Window. Watercolor on paper,
295/8 x 215/8 in., signed top right:
Andrew Wyeth. Estimate: $80/120,000
AUCTION PREVIEW: PHILADELPHIA, PA

121

AUCTION PREVIEW: DALLAS, TX

Fresh Masterworks
Heritage Auctions November 12 sale of American art features
important examples across all collecting categories
November 12, 11 a.m.
Heritage Auctions
Design District Annex
1518 Slocum Street,
Dallas, TX 75207
t: (877) 437-4824
www.ha.com

n November 12, Heritage


Auctions will feature 150 lots
of standout works of art for
its American Art Signature Auction. Taking
place in Dallas, the comprehensive
sale spans the gamut of the market

with strong examples found in every


collecting category.
I must admit, its a very wellcurated, well-edited auction. We,
thankfully, because weve had so much
success and auction records, we can
be more selective in what we choose.
As a result, we have great quality
across all American categories, says
Aviva Lehmann, Heritages director
of American art in New York. She
adds, We have really good quality
items from $5,000 up to a halfmillion dollars. Its from mostly private
consigners, really fresh to the market
with great provenance.
One of the major highlights from

the sale comes from the American


impressionist category. We have a
museum-quality work by Theodore
RobinsonHe worked in Giverny,
and Monet commented in his lifetime
that [Robinson] was a great American
impressionist, says Lehmann.
The painting, Normandy Mother
and Child (Marie Trognon and her baby,
Giverny), is dated 1892 and is from
what Lehmann calls the artists
best period. In the catalog for the
sale, Heritage notes, Considered
among Robinsons finest efforts, this
painting was chosen by the prominent
art dealer William MacBeth to be
included Robinsons first one-man

George Inness (1825-1894), Evening Glow, 1883. Oil on canvas, 22 x 36 in., signed and dated lower right: G. Inness 1883. Estimate: $120/180,000

122

Theodore Robinson (1852-1896), Normandy Mother and Child (Marie Trognon and her baby, Giverny), 1892. Oil on canvas, 22 x 18 in.,
signed lower left: Theo Robinson. Estimate: $300/500,000

123

Joseph Christian Leyendecker (1874-1951), To the Vanquished, Saturday


Evening Post cover, March 10, 1934. Oil on canvas, 32 x 24 in., signed lower
left: JCLeyendecker. Estimate: $100/150,000

Frederick Carl
Frieseke (18741939), Winter
Morning/Winter
Sunrise, 1931.
Oil on canvas,
25 x 31 in.,
signed and
dated lower left:
F. C. Frieseke
31. Estimate:
$70/100,000

124

Frederic Remington (1861-1909), The Broncho Buster #17, cast ca. 1902.
Bronze with dark brown patina, 23 in. high, inscribed on base: Frederic
Remington / Copyright by / Frederic Remington 1895; stamped seal on
base: Roman Bronze Works / NY / Cire Perdue Cast; stamped on base: 17;
inscribed on underside: 17. Estimate: $200/300,000

exhibition in New York in 1895, after


his return to the States. The piece is
estimated at $300,000 to $500,000.
Also in the category is Frederick
Carl Friesekes Winter Morning/Winter
Sunrise (est. $70/100,000), which
arrives at market from a collector in
Houston. Frieseke is a recognized
American impressionist for his sundappled Giverny garden scenes; this
piece, however, shows the sun beating
against a snow-covered landscape.
This is a rare winter scene for the
artist, Lehmann says, It has fabulous
provenance and great exhibition
history.
As Lehmann explains, the auction
house has always performed strong
with Western and illustration artwork.
We are market leaders in both of
those categories, and definitely dont
disappoint [in this sale], she adds.
Featured in the Western segment of
the sale is the cover lot, Walter Ufers
A Ride in Autumn (est. $300/500,000).
Also coming from a prominent
collection in Texas, it is in beautiful
condition, has great colors and
great composition. Its an Indian on
horseback staring right back at you.
Its beautiful, Lehmann describes.
There also will be an important
bronze by Frederic Remington
crossing the block, The Broncho Buster
#17, from a private collector in
California. Lehmann notes that the
work is an early, lifetime cast by the
artist. It estimates for $200,000 to
$300,000.
To the Vanquished by Joseph Christian
Leyendecker is one of the leading lots
in the illustration category. The work
first appeared on the cover for the
Saturday Evening Post on March 10,
1934, and has been in the same family
for more than 50 years. It is estimated
at $100,000 to $150,000.
We dominate the market for
Leyendecker, says Lehmann. We hold
his auction record, and sold one last
May for over $300,000.
Also arriving at auction will be
Steven Dohanos The Vacationers, a
Saturday Evening Post cover from August
25, 1951, that depicts a couple browsing
for souvenirs in a gift shop. It carries a

Walter Ufer (1876-1936), A Ride in Autumn, oil on canvas, 20 x 25 in., signed lower right: W Ufer.
Estimate: $300/500,000

presale estimate of $50,000 to $70,000.


Notable in the modernism category
is the 1957 painting Green Meadow
by Milton Avery, which is estimated
at $80,000 to $120,000. Its on the
modern end of the spectrum and
could be great crossover to post-war
collectors, says Lehmann. The piece,
arriving from a private collector in
New York, is described in the catalog as,
executed during a time of transition
in Milton Averys career. Indeed, Averys
work from the 1950s and later has
the distinctive character of simplified
forms and blocks of color that we have
come to associate with the artists most
notable works.
Another in the category is Morton
Livingston Schambergs Untitled,
from the Machine Series, 1916. Whats
very exciting about this one is hes a
rare artist with 35 records in the past
years, says Lehmann. The piece is
estimated at $40,000 to $60,000.
The sale will also include an
important Hudson River School piece
by George Inness titled Evening Glow
(est. $120/180,000), which depicts

a man with a cane walking across a


wheat field and is illuminated by the
orange glow of sunset. From 1883,
the work falls in arguably the artists
best and most important period,
says Lehmann. She adds, It was a
showstopper in its time. In 1904,
when it sold, it created sensation in
the news.
Other pieces available in the sale
include Frank Tenney Johnsons The
Forest Ranger, Alhambra, California
(est. $80/120,000) and Joseph Henry
Sharps Painting His Face for the Dance
(est. $100/150,000), as well as works by
Thomas Hart Benton, Edward Willis
Redfield, Paul Manship, John Ford
Clymer, William Wendt, Millard Sheets
and many more.
Im very excited for this sale
because weve been selling American
art so extremely well in the past few
seasons, says Lehmann. Considering
these are fresh to market, great
examples of each artist and estimated
well, I predict this will be another
gangbuster sale for us. Im expecting
to set some records again.
AUCTION PREVIEW: DALLAS, TX

125

AUCTION PREVIEW: SANTA FE, NM

Exceptional Examples
Important paintings by leaders in Western and wildlife art available at Santa Fe Art Auction
December 3-4, 1:30 p.m.
Santa Fe Art Auction
1011 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501
t: (505) 954-5771
www.santafeartauction.com

his December the Santa Fe Art


Auction will bring to market a
number of standout examples
from all corners of the American art
market. Of particular note will be
wildlife art and works from the Taos
Society of Artists, the Santa Fe Art
Colony and Los Cincos Pintores. Unlike
in previous seasons, this auction will be
a two-day eventDecember 3 and 4
featuring approximately 400 to 450 lots.
Our goal here is to align with what

we expect for the auction to what the


market demands and what our collectors
demand, says Adam Veil, executive
director of the auction. If thats more of
a breadth of American art, from classic to
contemporary or traditional to emerging
artists, were going to certainly tailor our
sales to that.
There will be a number of wildlife
works in the sale coming from a private
collector in Alaska, including Bob
Kuhns Shore Patrol (est. $80/120,000).
They are a result of a longstanding
friendship with our client and those
artists, says Veil of the grouping. He
adds, These are all fresh to the market
works that were presented in many
cases as gifts, and I think for that
reason we see a quality in them that
is unsurpassed.You can tell they were
painted with a certain affection or
fondness of the recipient.

Another wildlife piece will be William


Duntons Autumn (Mule Deer), which
carries a presale estimate of $500,000 to
$750,000. Like many artists of his time,
Dunton first came out West in 1896 to
Montana, and for around 15 years, he
spent every summer traveling out West
sketching and painting, doing illustration
work and works that would later be
fleshed out into oil paintings, says Veil.
He also notes that Dunton eventually
moved to Taos in 1913, and spent the rest
of his life there. It was from that point
on, and the fact of being in Taos, that
he essentially changed gears. He painted
cowboys on horseback, Native life, sort
of chronicling or documenting the
sort of customs and appearances of the
Westsomething that was very quickly
disappearing, even before his eyes.
Of Autumn (Mule Deer),Veil explains,
Its typical in the sense in subjects of
Western wildlife are fairly frequent across
Duntons career, but views of mule deer
are fairly atypical and isnt something
weve encountered at auction.
John Marin was another artist
who spent some time in Taos, having
summered in the city twice. When we
think of John Marin, we think of New
York City, we think of the Maine coast,
we think of eastern cities, generally, says
Veil. But Marin went to Taos in 1929,
then again in 1930, for two summers,
and while he was there he did almost
100 watercolors of the New Mexico
landscape in and around Taos. One
such example is his Region of Taos, New
Mexico, which arrives at auction during
the sale. The work is estimated to fetch
between $250,000 and $400,000.
Frank Tenney Johnson (1874-1939), Mountain
Meadows, 1929. Oil on canvas, 45 x 56 in.
Estimate: $750/1,500,000

126

John Marin (1870-1953), Region of Taos, New Mexico. Watercolor on paper, 15 x 20 in. Estimate: $250/400,000

William Dunton (1878-1936), Autumn (Mule Deer). Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 in.


Estimate: $500/750,000

Willard Nash (1898-1942), Still Life with Guitar. Oil on


canvas, 31 x 22 in. Estimate: $25/45,000

127

E. Martin Hennings (1886-1956), Pueblo Village. Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 in. Estimate: $500/700,000

Still Life with Guitar (est. $25/45,000)


by Willard Nash is another attentiongrabbing piece. As Veil explains, Nash
was notably called the American
Czanne and was a member of the Los
Cincos Pintores. He was an artist who
was very much steeped in the traditions
of the Ashcan School artists like Robert
Henridrawing on and skewing
this academic style of painting of his
training. What we have here [in Still
Life with Guitar] is very Czanne-like,
128

with abstracted forms and independent


geometries to fill out a composition
of still life quite recognizably. The
interesting thing about Nash is he
didnt have one style. He would range
from portraiture to landscapes of New
MexicoSanta Fe in particularto
increasingly abstracted to completely
abstracted pieces.
Also a standout in the auction is
Leon Gaspard, who is represented by
five oil paintings, including the triptych

The Musicians (est. $150/250,000) and


Russian Peasants, Mountains and Snow (est.
$400/600,000). Gaspard was born in
Russia in 1882, but moved to the United
States and eventually settled in Taos in
1918 where he lived until his death in
1964. The latter work, painted circa 1935
to 1945, measures a large 55 by 42
inches and, as Veil explains, is timehonored subject matter for Gaspard.
Rounding out the auction will
be a hallmark work by Frank Tenney

Leon Gaspard (1882-1964), Russian Peasants, Mountains and Snow, ca. 1935-45. Oil on board, 54 x 42 in. Estimate: $400/600,000

Johnson titled Mountain Meadows, which


is estimated at $750,000 to $1.5 million.
This was an important painting for
Frank Tenney Johnson. One of his
professional pursuits was to become a
member of the National Academy of
Design, a full member, I should say,
explains Veil. He had always exhibited
there from the mid-teens onward until
he died in 1939. In 1929, the year of
this painting, he was elected to the
associate division of the academyjust

below a full member of the National


Academy. So, in a way, in an effort to
sort of make the transition from associate
to full member, and to have his career
repavedthe crowning achievement
of his career to datehe submitted in
1929, Mountain Meadows for the National
Academy of Design exhibition.
Veil adds that this was for all intents
and purposes, Johnsons demonstration
piece. This was what he believed to be
his strongest work, in a way to support

his standing in the recent election


as an associate member [of National
Academy of Design]. The work was
widely exhibited after the National
Academy of Design show and it became
a common subject for the artist.Veil
notes, [T]his, though a subject that
Johnson would return to frequently, is
the original to the many iterations and
smaller sketches that followed.
Santa Fe Art Auction begins at 1:30
p.m. on both days of the sale.
AUCTION PREVIEW: SANTA FE, NM

129

AUCTION PREVIEW: HILLSBOROUGH, LOS ANGELES,


NEW ORLEANS, NEW YORK, OAKLAND, PHILADELPHIA, SANTA FE

NEW YORK, NY
SWANN AUCTION
GALLERIES
NOVEMBER 3
Old Master Through Modern
Prints

On November 3, Swann
Auction Galleries will host its
biannual Old Master Through
Modern Prints sale, with a
special section Featuring
Camille Pissarro, Impressionist
Icon that includes more than
60 etchings, aquatints and
lithographs from a private
collection. The majority of the
items are lifetime impressions
that are signed and annotated
by the artist.
Early works by 20thcentury American printmakers
are also standouts, including
two color woodblocks by
Gustave Baumann: Summer
Rain, 1926, which is estimated
at $8,000 to $12,000, and
the 1924 piece Cholla and
Sahuaro (est. $10/15,000). Last
spring the auction house set
a record for the artist with
his woodcut Summer Shadows,
1917, at $42,000. There
also will be Martin Lewis
drypoint Rain on Murray Hill
(est. $15/20,000) and Childe
Hassams 1915 etching Reading
in Bed (est. $5/8,000) that has
not been seen at auction in
the past 30 years.

Jasper Francis Cropsey (1823-1900),


Greenwood Lake, New Jersey, 1874.
Oil on canvas, 12 x 20 in. Courtesy
Clars Auction Gallery. Estimate:
$80/120,000

130

Gustave Baumann (1881-1971), Summer Rain, 1926. Color woodcut. Courtesy Swann
Auction Galleries. Estimate: $8/12,000

OAKLAND, CA
CLARS AUCTION
GALLERY
NOVEMBER 13
Fine Art Auction

Two Hudson River School


paintings will be brought to
market during Clars Auction
Gallerys November 13 sale
of fine art. Included will be
Jasper Francis Cropseys 1874
painting Greenwood Lake,
New Jersey (est. $80/120,000),
which depicts what is
considered one of the artists
favorite places to paint. The
other work crossing the block
is Kaatskill (Catskill) Creek by
Worthington T. Whittredge,
which is also estimated at
$80,000 to $120,000.
The time has come for
collectors to take a serious
look at this spectacular and
historic purely American
artistic movement that once
again deserves our respect,
says Rick Unruh, vice
president and director of fine
art at Clars. The Hudson
River School was once the

preeminent artwork that


was most sought after in late
19th and early 20th centuries.
Clars is very fortunate to be
offering two of the finest
works of this genre.

E. Charlton Fortune (1885-1969),


Monterey Vista. Oil on canvas,
26 x 36 in. Courtesy Bonhams.
Estimate: $500/700,000

LOS ANGELES, CA
BONHAMS
NOVEMBER 21
California and Western
Paintings & Sculpture

Bonhams will commence


its next California and
Western Paintings & Sculpture
auction on November 21
in Los Angeles. Available
will be approximately 150

lots, primarily consisting of


Western art, California art and
Hawaiian scenes.
Spotlighting the California
lots is a 26-by-34-inch
painting by E. Charlton
Fortune titled Monterey Vista,
which has a presale estimate
of $500,000 to $700,000. It
is really saturated with color,
says Aaron Bastian, director of
paintings at Bonhams, of the
painting. She did a number
of views of Monterey, but
they very rarely come to
auction.
In the Western segment
is a canyon landscape by
Edgar Payne titled Riders
passing through the canyon (est.
$150/250,000). [The work
shows] his grandiose vision of
the landscape. The figures are
just for scale, Bastian explains.
He adds, That is sort of one
of the bells of the ball in the
Western section. Rounding
out the category will be two
pieces by Frank McCarthy
including The Rehearsal (est.
$30/50,000), a 1990 painting
of Native Americans rushing
through the desert terrain on
horseback.

SANTA FE, NM
ALTERMANN GALLERIES
& AUCTIONEERS
DECEMBER 2-3
Santa Fe Sale

Available during Altermann


Galleries & Auctioneers
two-day sale in Santa Fe
will be 600 works of art.
Held December 2 and 3,
the auction will emphasize
Western, wildlife and
figurative art, as well as
include a segment devoted to
prints by Rembrandt, Renoir,
Chagall, Picasso, Tamayo and
Whistler.

Martha Walter (1875-1976), Ladies and their Children at the Beach. Oil on canvas
board, 18 x 25 in. Courtesy Altermann Galleries & Auctioneers.
Estimate: $30/40,000

One of notable works that


will cross the block is Birger
Sandzns In the Mountains,
Colorado (Rocky Mountain
National Park), a 25-by30-inch oil on panel that
is estimated at $35,000 to
$45,000. The painting shows
a small alcove of water below
the mountainous terrain
dotted with lush, green
grass. Another highlight is
Martha Walters Ladies and
their Children at the Beach (est.
$30/40,000) that shows one
of the artists time-honored
subjects.

HILLSBOROUGH, NC
LELAND LITTLE
AUCTIONS
DECEMBER 2-3
The Winter Auction

December 2 and 3, Leland


Little Auctions will host
its annual Winter Auction

featuring fine and decorative


arts. Among the lots coming
to market is a watercolor by
Andrew Wyeth titled Deep
Woods (est. $80/120,000)
that will be included in
the upcoming catalogue
raisonn by the artists
wife Betsy James Wyeth.
A 28-inch bronze by
James Lippitt Clark titled
African Black Rhino with
Tick Birds (also known as
The Battleship of the Plains)
will also be available in the
sale. Estimated at $20,000
to $40,000, two casts of this
piece are found in notable
institutions: the National
Museum of Wildlife Art in
Jackson, Wyoming, and at
Sagamore Hill, Theodore
Roosevelts home in Oyster
Bay, New York.

to 1792, is of Daniel William


Coxe, an important figure in
early American history, and
arrives by direct descent in
the family of the sitter. As the
auction house explains, works
by the artist offer a rare
look at the material culture
of Colonial Louisiana.
The piece is estimated to
fetch between $100,000 and
$150,000.
Carrying the same presale
estimate is Woodwards
On Chartres Street (Rue de
Chartres), which the auction
house believes will garner
great interest with buyers.
Neal Auction Company
also notes that Woodward
is considered the most
important painter working in
New Orleans during the early
part of the 20th century.

PHILADELPHIA, PA
FREEMANS
DECEMBER 6
Modern & Contemporary Art

Three sculptures by Harry


Bertoia are among the
highlights during Freemans
December 6 Modern &
Contemporary Art auction.
The works arrive to market
from a private Philadelphia
collection where they have
resided for many years.
According to department
head Dunham Townend,

NEW ORLEANS, LA
NEAL AUCTION
COMPANY
DECEMBER 2-4
Louisiana Purchase Auction

Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), Deep


Woods. Watercolor, 21 x 29 in.
Courtesy Leland Little Auctions.
Estimate: $80/120,000

December 2 through 4, Neal


Auction Company will host
its annual Louisiana Purchase
Auction featuring a rare
18th-century portray by Jos
Francisco Xavier de Salazar
y Mendoza and an important
1905 painting by William
Woodward.
The Salazar piece, dating

Jos Francisco Xavier de Salazar y


Mendoza (1750-1802), Portrait of Daniel
William Coxe, 1792. Oil on canvas,
38 x 30 in. (framed), signed, dated
and inscribed. Courtesy Neal Auction
Company. Estimate: $100/150,000

They each represent three


distinct areas of exploration
for the artist and its exciting
to have these three distinct
forms offered for sale at the
same time.

Harry Bertoia (1915-1978), Willow


Tree, ca. 1960. Stainless steel spray
sculpture on steel base, 72 x 60 x 14 in.
Estimate: $18/25,000; Harry Bertoia
(1915-1978), Sea Anemone, ca. 1970.
Bronze welded branches on bronze
base, 21 x 19 in. Estimate: $50/80,000;
and Harry Bertoia (1915-1978), Untitled
(Sonambient), ca. 1970. Beryllium copper
silvered to brass base, 17 x 6 x 33/8 in.
Estimate: $18/25,000.
Courtesy Freemans.

Included are Willow


Tree (est. $18/25,000), Sea
Anemone (est. $50/80,000)
and Untitled (Sonambient) (est.
$18/25,000). The latter two
sculptures are representative
of two of the artists most
enduring themes, the bush
form and the sounding
sculpture, respectively.
Also available in the sale
will be three prints of Mick
Jagger by Andy Warhol,
that are each estimated at
$25,000 to $40,000; Roy
Lichtensteins Reflections
on Conversation from
the Reflections Series (est.
$60/100,000); and an untitled
acrylic on canvas by Edna
Andrade that is estimated at
$8,000 to $12,000.

131

JOINT AUCTION REPORTS: ASHEVILLE, EAST DENNIS,


FAIRFIELD, GENESEO, JACKSON, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK,
OAKLAND, SANTA FE, THOMASTON
Albertus Benekers Gray
Day in Provincetown, which
brought $15,600; and Louis
Kronbergs Ballet Girl Pink
(est. $1/2,000), which sold for
$7,800.

LOS ANGELES, CA

BONHAMS
AUGUST 2
California and Western
Paintings & Sculpture
$3.3 million
Bonhams California and
Western Paintings & Sculpture
sale on August 2 saw robust
results throughout the day as
more than 180 lots crossed the
block. The success started the
moment the auction kicked
off with Thomas Hills Riders
leaving the Yosemite Valley with
El Captain Bridalveil (est.
$8/12,000), which sold for
$16,250.
Starting off with the very
first lot, which had multiple
bids on it, it looked like it was
going to be a strong sale, says
Scot Levitt,Vice President
and Director of Fine Arts
at Bonhams in Los Angeles.
He adds, We set a couple of
records and a lot of things
I thought did strong.
The top lot of the sale was
Edgar Paynes Monument Valley,
Riverbed (est. $140/180,000)
that more than doubled its
low estimate when it brought
$323,000. The secondhighest earner was John

SANTA FE, NM

ALTERMANN
GALLERIES &
AUCTIONEERS
AUGUST 12-13
Santa Fe Sale
$1.5 million

Edgar Payne (1883-1947), Monument Valley, Riverbed. Oil on canvas,


25 x 30 in., signed lower left: Edgar Payne; titled on stretcher bar. Courtesy
Bonhams. Estimate: $140/180,000 SOLD: $323,000

Mashall Gambles Poppies


and lupine, Santa Barbara (est.
$150/250,000), which was a
new world auction record for
the artist at $269,000.
Other notable lots included
Victor Higgins Woman
gathering water in the placita (est.
$120/180,000) at $209,000;
William Wendts Lupine
patch (est. $120/180,000)
that achieved $233,000;
and Theodore Wores Lotus
Pond, Shiba Tokyo (est.
$100/150,000) at $257,000.
In all, the auction saw $3.3
million in sales.

by Cahoon, estimated at
$20,000 to $30,000, brought
$31,200. The Stuart, titled
Portrait of Mary Binney Sargent
(est. $20/30,000), was being
offered for the first time
publically. It yielded $25,200.
Also performing well
during the sale were C.H.
Giffords Clearing Storm, Grand
Manan at $24,000; Gerrit

More than $1.5 million was


achieved during Altermann
Galleries & Auctioneers
August 12 and 13 sale in Santa
Fe, New Mexico. Two of the
top five lots were works by
Clark Hulings, including Old
Town (est. $70/90,000) that
became the highest earner of
the sale at $96,000. The sale
also had notable records, such
as Duchoiselles sculpture
Native American Hunter, which
set an artist world auction
record when it sold for
$48,000, well over its $25,000
to $35,000 estimate. Not
much is known about the

EAST DENNIS, MA

ELDREDS
AUGUST 3-5
Summer Americana and
Paintings Auction

Victor Higgins (1884-1949), Woman


gathering water in the placita. Oil on
canvas, 16 x 20 in., signed lower right:
Victor Higgins. Courtesy Bonhams.
Estimate: $120/180,000
SOLD: $209,000

132

Taking the top two lots


during Eldreds threeday Summer Americana and
Paintings Auction were a
Ralph E. Cahoon Jr. seaside
picnic scene and a portrait
by Gilbert Stuart. The work

Ralph E. Cahoon Jr. (1910-1982), A Seaside Picnic. Oil on Masonite,


18 x 22 in. Courtesy Eldreds. Estimate: $20/30,000 SOLD: $31,200

William Trost Richards sold


for $24,885.
Day two saw success for
maritime pieces, such as
Robert Salmons Outward
Bound, Long Island Head,
Boston Harbor, which sold for
more than four times its low
estimate at $82,950; and three
pieces by James Buttersworth.
The leader of the group was
Yachting in New York Harbor,
which sold for $41,475.
Duchoiselle (19th century), Native American Hunter. Bronze, 24 x 42 x 11 in.,
signed along edge: Duchoiselle. Artist World Auction Record. Courtesy Altermann
Galleries & Auctioneers. Estimate: $25/35,000 SOLD: $48,000

19th-century artist, other than


he crated ceiling reliefs in
Paris for both the Louvre and
Garniers Opera in 1882.
Other standouts included
Gordon Sindows The Happy
Hour (est. $35/45,000) at
$60,000; two Frank McCarthy
works: Pushed Hard (est.
$30/40,000) at $32,400
and The Braves Return (est.
$16/19,000) at $31,250; and
Melvin Warrens Saddling the
Blue Roan, which achieved
$26,400, landing just above
its low presale estimate of
$25,000.

FAIRFIELD, ME

JAMES D. JULIA
AUGUST 2426
Fine Art, Asian
& Antiques Auction
$5 million
More than $5 million in sales
was achieved during James.
D. Julias three-day Fine Art,
Asian & Antiques Auction, held
August 24 to 26. The sale,
which featured nearly 1,900
lots, saw three items break the
six-figure mark. Included in
the three were two important
American art items: Edward
Willis Redfields River
Decorations, which sold for
$148,125, and a Fitz Henry
Lane painting of New
Bedford Harbor that brought
$296,250.

During the first day of


the sale over 600 lots of
paintings and fine art were
brought to market. Notable
were two by Andrew
Wyeth: River Greys, which
brought $66,953, and By
The Lower Dam, which sold
for nearly four times its
low estimate at $79,988.
Abbott Fuller Graves A
Hot Shoe also performed
well, selling for $41,475, as
did three pieces by Emile
Albert Gruppe. Included
were the artists Gloucester
Sunlit Cove Rocky Neck at
$22,515, Mending the Nets
at $20,145, and Morning
Gloucester at $20,738.
Kenneth Nunamakers Plum
Blossoms brought $23,700,
while Crashing Waves by

THOMASTON, ME

THOMASTON PLACE
AUCTION GALLERIES
AUGUST 2729
Summer Feature Auction
$4 million
Maritime artwork was among
the strongest categories
during Thomaston Place
Auction Galleries threeday Summer Feature Auction,
held August 27 to 29, with
highlights including works
by Alfred Thompson Bricher,
William Trost Richards,
James Edward Buttersworth
and more. Thomaston Place
owner and auctioneer Kaja
Veilleux says, We represented
an exciting catalog of fresh,
unreserved material that
attracted bidders from all over
the world. The result was the
most intense bidding weve
seen in several years.
Topping the sale was a

Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), Sunrise.


Oil on canvas on stretcher with
mahogany backboards, 25 x 38 in.,
signed lower right; Vose Galleries
of Boston label verso. Courtesy
Thomaston Place Auction Galleries.
Estimate: $250/350,000
SOLD: $386,100

detailed luminist painting


by Alfred Bierstadt titled
Sunrise (est. $250/350,000)
that sold for $386,100. There
also was interest in Brichers
Near Cape Elizabeth, Portland,
Maine (est. $200/300,000),
which brought $175,500;
Francis Augustus Silvas On
the Hudson Near Tappan Zee
(est. $40/60,000) at $163,800;
and Richards Conanicut
Island, Rhode Island, which
sold for $117,000 against a
presale estimate of $50,000
to $70,000. Buttersworths
The Start of the 1866 Great
Transatlantic Yacht Race was
another solid performer,
selling for $117,000, nearly
doubling its low estimate of
$60,000.
At the close of the three
days, the sale achieved nearly
$4 million.

ASHEVILLE, NC

BRUNK AUCTIONS
SEPTEMBER 1517
September Sale
$1.92 million

Fitz Henry Lane (1804-1865), New Bedford Harbor. Oil on canvas, 20 x 29 in.
Courtesy James D. Julia. Estimate $300/500,000 SOLD: $296,250

Brunk Auctions three-day


catalog sale, held September
15 to 17, achieved a total
of $1.92 million. Highlights
included American and
European paintings, such as
Italian artist Arturo Riccis
The Reception, which was the

133

Eanger Irving Couse (1866-1936), The Hunters Return. Oil on canvas,


24 x 291/8 in., signed lower left: E.I. Couse. Courtesy Brunk Auctions.
Estimate: $40/60,000 SOLD: $72,000

top-selling lot at $96,000. In


the American art category,
The Hunters Return by Taos
School of Artists member
Eanger Irving Couse was
the standout. The work,
which had a presale estimate
of $40,000 to $60,000,
sold for $72,000. The piece
was formerly held in the
collection of the Valley
National Bank in Arizona.
Another highlight was
Percival Rosseaus The Cooling
Stream (est. $50/70,000) that

descended through the family


of Samuel G. Allen after being
commissioned in 1919. The
work, which was a portrait of
four dogs, sold for $59,000.
Other notable sales included
Ernest Lawsons landscape
The Forest Pool Summer (est.
$20/30,000) at $16,800 and
the marble sculpture Mending
the Nets by Chauncey Ives that
sold for $22,800, coming in
just above its low estimate of
$20,000.

JACKSON, WY

JACKSON HOLE ART


AUCTION
SEPTEMBER 16-17
$8.3 million

Dean Cornwell (1892-1960), Portrait,


1929. Oil on canvas, 30 x 24 in. Artist
World Auction Record. Courtesy
Jackson Hole Art Auction.
Estimate: $40/60,000
SOLD: $245,700

134

The 10th annual Jackson


Hole Art Auction was held
September 16 and 17 with
more than 380 lots crossing
the block over the two days.
In total, the auction realized
$8.3 million in sales and saw
20 works achieve new world
auction records.
There was enthusiastic
bidding throughout the sale,
which all told was reflected
in an 83 percent sell-through
rate, says Roxanne Hofmann,
partner of the auction.
Although the Center of the

Arts was filled with what has


become destination buyers
from around the world who
look forward to attending the
sale every year during the Fall
Arts Festival, we have noticed
an uptick in internet bidding
across all price points.
The top lot of the auction
was N.C. Wyeths He Rode
Away Following a Dim
Trail Among the Sage (est.
$500/700,000) at $585,000.
Rounding out the top three
was the cover lot Buffalo
Hunting (est. $500/750,000)
by Charles M. Russell
that sold for $450,000 and
Maynard Dixons Cattle Drive
(est. $500/800,000) that
achieved $409,500.
Among the record setters
was a 30-by-24-inch portrait
by past master Dean Cornwell
that was estimated to sell for
$40,000 to $60,000 that after
very spirited bidding sold in
the room for $245,700, says
Hofmann.

NEW YORK, NY

CHRISTIES
SEPTEMBER 16-22
American Art
Midseason Online
$2.31 million
During Christies American
Art Midseason Online sale,
bidders from 35 states and
five countries vied for
important works of art
across a number of collecting
categories. Of those
registered buyers, 48 percent
were brand-new visitors to
Christies who helped raise
the sales total to more than
$2.31 million.
Leading the sale was Alfred
Jacob Millers Wind River
Mountains Indians Chasing
Deer (est. $100/150,000) that
achieved a robust $185,000,
while Aiden Lassell Ripleys
Getting Ready (est. $8/12,000)
was the most competitive with

eight bidders from six states


raising the price to $37,500.
Other notable sales
included Carroll Cloars
Howes Cash Grocery (est.
$15/25,000), which became a
new world auction record for
the artist at $52,500; Pirates
Chest by Andrew Wyeth that
achieved $112,500 over a
presale estimate of $60,000
to $80,000; and Milton
Averys Dune Bushes (est.
$40/60,000) that more than
doubled its low estimate
when it sold for $81,250.

OAKLAND, CA

CLARS AUCTION
GALLERY
SEPTEMBER 17-18
September Sale
$2.1 million
On the second day of Clars
Auction Gallerys September
sale an array of fine art was
brought to market, including
post-war and contemporary
works that saw strong results.
In total, more than $2.1
million in sales was achieved.
Rick Unruh, vice president
and director of fine art, says,
We were quite pleased
with the results from the
exceptional works that were
featured from some very
important San Francisco Bay
area collectors, such as the late
Allan Stone and Allen Singer,

Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874), Wind


River Mountains Indians Chasing
Deer, 1853. Oil on canvas, 17 x 24 in.
Courtesy Christies Images Ltd. 2016.
Estimate: $100/150,000
SOLD: $185,000

Gordon Onslow Ford (1912-2003),


Escape, 1939. Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in.,
signed upper right: G. Onslow-Ford
10-39; titled with artist label verso.
Courtesy Clars Auction Gallery.
Estimate: $65/85,000 SOLD: $78,650

as well as Halsey Minor.


Topping the category
and the sale as a wholewas
Gordon Onslow Fords Escape,
1939, from the estate of
Allen Singer, a San Francisco
attorney who was not only
an avid collector of art but
legal counsel and good friend
of Fords. According to the
auction house, the provenance
made the painting a must
have. The work sold for
$78,650, coming within
its estimate of $65,000 to
$85,000.

NEW YORK, NY

SWANN AUCTION
GALLERIES
SEPTEMBER 22
19th & 20th Century
Prints & Drawings
$2.56 million
Launching Swann Auction
Galleries fall auction
season was the successful
19th & 20th Century Prints &
Drawings sale on September
22. Yielding $2,559,287
in sales, the auction was
highlighted by works
from notable American
and European artists.
This sale saw increasingly
competitive bidding for
original works by influential
printmakers, ranging from
Camille Pissarro and Paul
Signac to Salvador Dal and

George Grosz, underscoring


consistently strong results
for important prints, says
Todd Weyman of the auction
house.
Fernand Lgers La Lecture,
1924, sold for $125,000 to
become the top lot of the
auction, while Martin Lewis
drypoint Relics (Speakeasy
Corner) was the days No. 2
lot at $52,500 over a presale
estimate of $30,000 to
$50,000. Swann is a leader in
works by Lewis, as they set
the auction record for a print
by the artist in November
2015 with Wet Night, Route 6,
drypoint, at $72,500.

was an early-20th-century
Tiffany Studios New York
apple blossom lamp (est.
$15/25,000) that sold for
$35,650.
Other standout lots from
the sale included William
Aiken Walkers Seated Mammy
with Vegetables (est. $8/12,000)
that sold for $10,350; Antonio
Jacobsens Steamship Bengal
(est. $8/12,000) that achieved
$10,005; and Emile Albert
Gruppes Early Snow Vermont
(est. $5/8,000), which brought
in $5,175.

GENESEO, NY

COTTONE AUCTIONS
SEPTEMBER 23-24
Fine Art & Antique Auction
$2.1 million
More than 700 lots of fine
art, decorative arts and
jewelry came to market
during Cottone Auctions
September 23 and 24 Fine
Art & Antique Auction. Among
the noteworthy highlights
were two lamps from Tiffany
Studios. One example was
a rare Tiffany Studios New
York leaded glass geranium
lamp that brought $52,325,
coming in just above the
presale estimate of $30,000
to $50,000. There also

Rare Tiffany Studios New York leaded


glass geranium lamp, 20 in. high
and 14 in. diameter, shade signed:
Tiffany Studios New York; base
signed: Tiffany Studios New York 580.
Courtesy Cottone Auctions. Estimate:
$30/50,000 SOLD: $52,325

Galleries illustration art


specialist, when the auction
closed. We really want to
stay in the foreground of the
illustration art market and
yesterdays sale announced
the seriousness of our
commitment to do so.
A 1927 Vogue cover by
Georges Lepape titled Le
Miroir was the top lot of the
day at $52,500, and set an
auction record for the artist.
The second highest earning
lot, Erts La Cage Improvise
at $45,000, set another
auction record. Several artists
in the sale saw 100 percent
of their works offered find
buyers, including Charles
Addams, whose leading lot
was This is your room. If you
should need anything, just
scream. The piece, depicting
characters from The Addams
Family, sold for $20,000.
There also was success
for a Joseph Christian
Leyendecker advertisement
illustration for Arrow Collars.
The Portrait of Charles Beach as
the Arrow Collar Man, which
was estimated at $15,000
to $25,000, realized its low
estimate.

NEW YORK, NY

SWANN AUCTION
GALLERIES
SEPTEMBER 29
Illustration Art
$650,333

Martin Lewis (1881-1962), Relics


(Speakeasy Corner), 1928. Drypoint, ed.
of 111, 117/8 x 97/8 in., signed in pencil
lower right. Courtesy Swann Auction
Galleries. Estimate: $30/50,000
SOLD: $52,500

Five auction records were


set during Swann Auction
Galleries September 29
Illustration Art salethe first
of the category they have
held in the fall season. [T]he
second sale was an important
addition to the schedule as
it allowed us to keep up the
momentum of our successful
January event, said Christine
von der Linn, Swann Auction

Joseph Christian Leyendecker (18741951), Portrait of Charles Beach as the


Arrow Collar Man, 1920 illustration
for Arrow Collars advertisement.
Oil on canvas, 7 x 5 in. Courtesy
Swann Auction Galleries. Estimate:
$15/25,000 SOLD: $25,000
AUCTION REPORTS

135

Index
Artists in this issue
Alexander, John White

92

Dickinson, Edwin

40

Inness, George

Anderson, Troy

34

Dickinson, Sidney

72

Jackson, Everett Gee

109, 110

Dodge, John Wood

89

Johnson, Frank Tenney

126

Barney, Alice Pike

91

Du Bois, Guy Pne

78

Kensett, John Frederick

87

Remington, Frederic

87, 91, 124

Baumann, Gustave

130

Avery, Milton

122
68

Redfield, Edward Willis

113, 120

Refregier, Anton

100

Reiss, Winold

118

Duchoiselle

133

Lane, Fitz Henry

133

Robinson, Theodore

123

Beal, Gifford

78

Dufner, Edward

121

Lawrence, Jacob

37

Rockwell, Norman

112

Beckmann, Max

94

Dunton, William Herbert 30, 127

Lewis, Martin

Ruellan, Andre

100

Leyendecker,
Joseph Christian

Ruggles, John

101

Ruggles, Philo B.

101

Benson, Frank Weston

107

Durrie, George Henry

86

Bertoia, Harry

131

Eakins, Thomas

74

Bierstadt, Albert 30, 111, 113, 133

Emmet, Lydia Field

88

Blakelock, Ralph Albert

Flannagan, John B.

Breck, John Leslie

50

92

107

Ford, Gordon Onslow

135

Burchfield, Charles E.

87

Fortune, E. Charlton

130

Cahoon, Ralph E. Jr.

132

Chase, William Merritt

75

Chvez, Edward

99

Cochran, Allen Dean

92

Cone, Marvin

90

Coppedge, Fern Isabel

120

Cornwell, Dean

134

Couse, Eanger Irving

134

Cropsey, Jasper Francis

130

Davis, Stuart
De Salazar y Mendoza,
Jos Francisco Xavier

89
131

Frieseke,
Frederick Carl

135
124, 135

Mandelman, Beatrice

82

Manship, Paul Howard

114

Sargent,
John Singer

Marin, John

127

Schreyvogel, Charles

117

Miller, Alfred Jacob

134

Shaw, Charles Green

64

Sommer, William

79

Moore, Henry Spencer

32

46, 73, 102, 109

88, 106, 124

Moran, Edward

109

Tarbell, Edmund C.

Gallatin, A.E.

89

Moran, Thomas

112

Ufer, Walter

125

Gaspard, Leon

129

104

115

Moses, Anna Mary Robertson


(Grandma)
112

Von Herkomer, Herbert

Glackens, William

131

Hartley, Marsden

36

Nash, Willard

Walter, Martha
Wheeler, Steve

80, 92

Hassam, Childe

108

Heade, Martin Johnson

115

Hennings, E. Martin

128

Henri, Robert

32, 72, 116

Higgins,Victor

132

Homer, Winslow

34

127

OKeeffe, Georgia

39, 44

Parrish, Maxfield

117

Paxton, William McGregor


Payne, Edgar

74
132

88

Wiles, Irving Ramsey


Wyeth, Andrew

89
37, 121, 131

Wyeth, N.C.

119

Zorach, Marguerite

79

New York Art, Antique


& Jewelry Show (New York, NY)

35

Palm Beach Jewelry, Antiques


& Design Show (Palm Beach, FL)

49

Pierce, Florence Miller

82

Ray, Man

76

Advertisers in this issue


Addison Rowe Fine Art (Santa Fe, NM)

27

Dallas Auction Gallery (Dallas, TX)

23

American Art Fair, The (New York, NY)

Debra Force Fine Art, Inc. (New York, NY)

19

Avery Galleries (Bryn Mawr, PA)

20
1

Delaware Antiques Show (Wilmington, DE) 22

Cover 4
Cover 3

Dirk Soulis Auctions (Lone Jack, MO)

Bonhams (New York, NY)

Freemans (Philadelphia, PA)

11

Santa Fe Art Auction (Santa Fe, NM)

Christies Fine Art Auctions (New York, NY) 3

Godel & Co. (New York, NY)

21

Scottsdale Art Auction (Scottsdale, AZ)

Christopher Cardozo Fine Art


(Minneapolis, MN)

Heritage Auctions (New York, NY)

8
16

Coeur dAlene Art Auction, The (Reno, NV) 29

Questroyal Fine Art, LLC


(New York, NY)

Betty Krulik Fine Art, Ltd. (New York, NY) 16

Clars Auction Gallery (Oakland, CA)

136

D. Wigmore Fine Art, Inc. (New York, NY)

A.J. Kollar Fine Paintings, LLC (Seattle, WA) 25

Sothebys (New York, NY)

LA Art Show (Los Angeles, CA)

24

Teaching Company, The (Chantilly,VA)

Miami Project (Miami Beach, FL)

31

Vose Galleries, LLC (Boston, MA)

Michael Altman Fine Art &


Advisory Services, LLC (New York, NY) 12-13

2
17
18
Cover 2

LIVE AUCTION DECEMBER 3- 4, 2016


SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3RD, 1:30 PM MST | SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4TH, 1:30 PM MST
1011 PASEO DE PERALTA, SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO 87501

Frederic Remington (1861-1909), The Sergeant


bronze, 10 x 5 x 5 inches, $20,000-$30,000

Charles Schreyvogel (1861-1912), The Scalp


oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches, $150,000-$250,000

Gerard Curtis Delano (1890-1972), Land of the Dineh


oil on canvas, 20 x 24 inches, $50,000-$80,000

Frederick William MacMonnies (1863-1937), Kit Carson


bronze, 24 x 18 x 8 inches, $100,000-$150,000

William R. Leigh (1866-1955), Blind Hopi Girl Returning from a Desert Watering Hole
oil on canvas, 11 x 16 inches, $100,000-$150,000

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT ADAM H. VEIL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR


CALL: 505 954-5771 | EMAIL: CURATOR@SANTAFEARTAUCTION.COM | VISIT: SANTAFEARTAUCTION.COM
VIEW 2016 HIGHLIGHTS & REGISTER TO BID OR ATTEND THE AUCTION AT WWW.SANTAFEARTAUCTION.COM
*estimates and cataloguing information subject to change

SANTA FE ART AUCTION, LLC | 927 PASEO DE PERALTA, SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, 87501
TELEPHONE: 505 954-5771 | FAX: 505 954-5785 | FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

& INSTAGRAM

The Blakelock You Dont Know


The greatest Blakelock exhibition and sale in history
125 paintings, all for sale

Ralph Albert Blakelock (18471919) Illusion and Delusion, oil on board, 117/8 x 12 1/16 inches

Ralph Albert Blakelock The Great Mad Genius Returns


November 11 December 10, 2 016

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