The Legacy Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
April 8-9
Thomas Moran, Solitude, Coconino Forest, Arizona, oil, 20 x 30. Estimate: $400,000-$600,000.
The month of April brings warm weather to Scottsdale, along with some of the hottest and most sought-after western artworks. The annual Scottsdale Art Auction is one of the largest, best-attended, and most prestigious western art events in the world. It all started back in 2005, when three esteemed gallery owners—Brad Richardson of The Legacy Gallery; Michael Frost, formerly of J.N. Bartfield Galleries; and Jack A. Morris Jr. of Morris & Whiteside Galleries—partnered to create greater value and market share for historical and contemporary western, wildlife, and sporting art.
Attending the live auction as a first-time buyer could be intimidating, but that’s not the case here thanks to the partners’ commitment to education. “We get a lot of first-timers, and we’re always happy to answer any questions they have,” says the semi-retired Frost, who now deals privately after 50 illustrious years in the gallery realm. “For a new buyer to be comfortable with what they’re buying, they should be as inquisitive as they can be, whether it’s about the history of an artist, how an artist sells in today’s market, what makes a particular painting by a particular artist the right one to buy, the period of the piece, or the condition of the work.”
- John Coleman, He Who Jumps Over Everyone, bronze, 23 x 15 x 12. Estimate: $14,000-$18,000.
- Gaspard de Latoix, Pueblo Traders, oil, 14 x 18. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000.
- Kyle Polzin, Weathered Traveler, oil, 46 x 42. Estimate: $65,000-$85,000.
This year’s auction features more than 450 lots in two sessions, with approximately 200 items up for auction on Friday, April 8, and the additional 250 or so lots on the block on Saturday, April 9. Sessions begin at 11 a.m. daily in the expansive showroom above The Legacy Gallery’s Main Street location. Like last year, seating is limited to accommodate social distancing. For those unable to attend, absentee and telephone bidding is available, as well as live online viewing and bidding through the auction’s digital platform.
Paintings and sculptures by past masters such as E.I. Couse, Frank Tenney Johnson, William Robinson Leigh, Thomas Moran, Charles M. Russell, and Henry Schrady are on the docket, as are works from renowned contemporary artists, including Bill Anton, John Coleman, Logan Maxwell Hagege, G. Harvey, Martin Grelle, Kyle Polzin, and Howard Terpning, among others.
- E.I. Couse, Moonlight, Pueblo de Taos, oil, 30 x 36. Estimate: $150,000-$250,000.
- Howard Terpning, The Shaman and His Magic Feathers, oil, 4 x 6 feet. Estimate: $750,000-$1,250,000.
- Frank Tenney Johnson, Packing In, oil, 24 x 18. Estimate: $250,000-$350,000.
One of the works that Frost is particularly enthusiastic about is Couse’s MOONLIGHT, PUEBLO DE TAOS. “I was taken aback when I first saw it in person, as photos don’t do it justice,” Frost says admiringly. “It’s a very detailed painting, and the moonlight is just beautiful.” He’s also drawn to PACKING IN, one of five Johnson paintings in the auction. “It’s magnificent, and it’s got an impeccable provenance,” Frost says. He acquired it years ago from one of Johnson’s admirers who lived on the same street as the California-based artist. Another painting with an indisputable origin is Thomas Moran’s SOLITUDE, COCONINO FOREST, ARIZONA. “The gentleman who originally purchased the glowing landscape was good friends with Moran, and the painting had been hanging in the family home ever since,” Frost says.
This leads to one of Frost’s sagest pieces of advice for both the first-timer and the seasoned collector: “Buy what you like, not what’s in vogue,” he says, “because you’re the one who will be living with it.” —Beth Williams
contact information
480.945.0225
www.scottsdaleartauction.com
This story appeared in the April/May 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.