Dallas, TX
Heritage Auctions, November 12
Joseph Henry Sharp, Painting His Face for the Dance, oil, 25 x 30. Estimate: $100,000-$150,000.
This story was featured in the November 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art November 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
Art auctions sometimes carry an air of exclusivity that may cause art lovers to shy away from great opportunities to behold rarely seen paintings, drawings, and sculptures. That is decidedly not the case, however, with Heritage Auctions, the world’s third-largest house, as evidenced by its latest American Art Signature Auction on November 12 starting at 11 a.m. in its Dallas Design District showroom. Not only are the approximately 150 works in the sale available for public viewing starting on November 10, but many of the highlights also are on display for art lovers to enjoy at two other Heritage locations: New York City, October 10-14, and San Francisco, October 25-29.
What a wealth of artworks they are, both figuratively and literally—and having them on view is a rare treat, notes Aviva Lehmann, Heritage’s director of American art, because “almost all come from private sources,” meaning they have seldom been seen before and are new to the art market. Lehmann is especially proud of this auction’s well-roundedness.
Among her favorites, she cites NORMANDY MOTHER AND CHILD (estimated to sell for $300,000 to $500,000), an “important museum-quality painting done at the height of his career” by American Impressionist Theodore Robinson, a close friend of Claude Monet and next-door neighbor to the great painter in Giverny, France. She also eagerly anticipates works by two Taos School artists: Walter Ufer’s A RIDE IN AUTUMN ($300,000 to $500,000) and Joseph Henry Sharp’s PAINTING HIS FACE FOR THE DANCE ($100,000 to $150,000). “We always have some gems in this category,” Lehmann adds. Among the handful of impressive bronzes on display are Frederic Remington’s energetic THE BRONCHO BUSTER #17 ($200,000 to $300,000).
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- Frederic Remington, The Broncho Buster #17, bronze, 24h. Estimate: $200,000-$300,000.
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- Joseph Christian Leyendecker, To the Vanquished, oil, 32 x 24. Estimate: $100,000-$150,000.
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- Theodore Robinson, Normandy Mother and Child, oil, 22 x 18. Estimate: $300,000-$500,000.
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- Walter Ufer, A Ride in Autumn, oil, 20 x 25. Estimate: $300,000-$500,000.
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- Frank Tenney Johnson, The Forest Ranger, Alhambra California, oil, 24 x 30. Estimate: $80,000-$120,000.
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- Frederick Carl Frieseke, Winter Morning/Winter Sunrise, oil, 26 x 32. Estimate: $70,000-$100,000.
Beyond such realist greats, the auction also presents pieces some viewers might find refreshingly different. Take, for example, the original artwork for what Lehmann considers “one of the best Saturday Evening Post covers to ever come to the auction block,” TO THE VANQUISHED ($100,000 to $150,000) by famed illustrator Joseph Christian Leyendecker. For those unaccustomed to thinking of the 1980s as “historical,” the 5-foot-tall oil LAUNCH OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA, APRIL 12, 1981 ($30,000 to $50,000) by Mort Künstler is a nice surprise. It’s the showpiece of a special single-owner collection of 18 works by the respected artist/illustrator that also includes sketches expected to sell for between $400 and $600, a perfect entry-level price range for beginning collectors.
Buyers of all experience levels find their participation in the auction made easier by the Heritage website, where they can preview, track, and even bid on works up to a month before the actual auction date, as well as live-stream the final sale activity and join in. “We have a very strong online platform,” Lehmann assures, “to complement our brick-and-mortar locations.” Which means that collectors and art enthusiasts of all stripes can find ample satisfaction come November 12. —Norman Kolpas
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www.ha.com
This story was featured in the November 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art November 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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