Jackson, WY
Center for the Arts, September 19
Oscar E. Berninghaus, The Lookout, oil, 24 x 30. Estimate: $125,000-$175,000.
This story was featured in the September 2020 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2020 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
IN ITS PAST 13 years, the Jackson Hole Art Auction has established itself as a leading sale of works succinctly summed up by its tagline: Masterworks of the American West. An astonishing 171 auction world records have already been set in that brief time, and the number is likely to rise at the 14th edition this month. Auctioneer Jason Brooks kicks things off at 12:30 p.m. Mountain time on Saturday, September 19, for about five hours of high-energy bidding.
This year’s auction differs from those past in one key aspect. “Though it will still take place live, for the first time we will be entirely virtual, live-streaming from the Center for the Arts in Jackson,” says auction director Madison Webb. “No bidders will be present in the room.” Instead, her team is prepared to take live bids over the phone and online, as well as absentee bids for those who can’t participate in real time. Nevertheless, prospective buyers have ample opportunity to preview the art, either by making an appointment to visit the auction’s offices on the second floor of Trailside Galleries in Jackson—where all the works are on display starting August 19—or online in the high-resolution digital catalog.
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- Thomas Moran, Cascade Falls, Yosemite, oil, 30 x 20. Estimate: $750,000-$1,250,000.
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- John Coleman, 1876—Gall, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, bronze, 55 x 96 x 36. Estimate: $80,000-$120,000.
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- Thomas Blackshear, Swan Song, oil, 28 x 50. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000.
Despite the necessary logistical changes, the quality remains exceptional, as shown by just a few highlights from the expected 250 lots. Among pieces by greats of the past, look to the stirring CASCADE FALLS, YOSEMITE, painted by Thomas Moran in 1905, a year after his summertime visit there (estimated selling price: $750,000 to $1,250,000). THE LOOKOUT by Oscar E. Berninghaus ($125,000 to $175,000), a member of the Taos Society of Artists, presents an idyllic scene of a cowboy on horseback as he watches over a herd. WYOMING ELK, painted around 1910 by Carl Rungius ($150,000 to $250,000), speaks to the many outstanding wildlife images in the auction. “We are one of the premier western and wildlife art auctions in the country,” notes Webb.
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- John Clymer, Hunting Country, oil, 10 x 20. Estimate: $60,000-$90,000.
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- Bob Kuhn, Red Fox Airborne, acrylic, 16 x 26. Estimate: $50,000-$75,000.
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- Gerard Curtis Delano, Navajo Rider, oil, 16 x 24. Estimate: $30,000-$50,000.
Numerous impressive artworks by living artists are also on offer. Among them are 18 bronzes by renowned sculptor John Coleman, coming available from a private collection for the first time and including the impressive life-size bronze entitled 1876—GALL, SITTING BULL, CRAZY HORSE ($80,000 to $120,000). It depicts the three Lakota leaders shortly before their people’s victory over Custer’s forces at Little Bighorn. The auction includes brand-new works, too, such as FAMILY REUNION ($18,000 to $24,000) by Bonnie Marris, a painter widely admired for her portrayals of wolves.
With such a wealth of quality art, Webb anticipates yet another year of successful results. “It’s really nice to be able to watch and bid from the comfort of your own home while seeing the artworks and the live auctioneer on your screen,” she says. “It’s the best of both worlds.” —Norman Kolpas
contact information
866.549.9278
www.jacksonholeartauction.com
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- Gordon Snidow, A Remnant of Another Time, oil, 48 x 36. Estimate: $40,000-$60,000.
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- William Gollings, Untitled (Cowboys and Horse Herd), oil, 18 x 24. Estimate: $40,000-$60,000.
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- Martin Grelle, Wedding Preparations, oil, 60 x 50. Estimate: $150,000-$250,000.
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- G. Harvey, Good Wage Wranglers, oil, 30 x 50. Estimate: $125,000-$175,000.
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- Howard Terpning, It’s Been a Long Day, oil, 24 x 34. Estimate: $200,000-$300,000.
This story was featured in the September 2020 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2020 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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