Found In A Closet, W.T. Richards Tops Shannon's Sale at $215,000

GREENWICH, CONN.

:Despite the fact that the two lots that were estimated the highest, each with $300,000-plus estimates, failed to find buyers, Shannon's Fine Art once again posted stellar results with the approximately 250 lots grossing an impressive $3.25 million. "It was a really good solid sale," stated Gene Shannon of the October 20 auction. "We were thrilled with the William Trost Richards and there were several other artists that also performed very well."

Interest in the auction was widespread with a large number of European bidders registered for the auction from 12 foreign countries, including one successful buyer from South Korea. There were also 34 states represented on the telephones. "We had 500 phone bidders on Wednesday night," commented Sandra Geramin; by sale time the next evening "we had more than 700 registered phone bidders."

Throughout the evening nine records prices at auction were established including a William Tolman Carlton at $47,800, easily eclipsing the previous record for the artist established by Christie's at $5,520, and also Blanche Lazzell at $31,070, surpassing her previous record at Swann's of $18,400. Interestingly there were seven artists that came close to establishing new records, although they had to settle for second place: Laurence Campbell, Edward Volkert, Henry Gasser, Walter Koeniger, Carl Wuermer, Ernest Albert and Luther Van Gorder. A third place was established for Moshe Castel and fourth place record for a watercolor by W.T. Richards.

The large William Trost Richards oil on canvas landscape became the top lot of the auction as it easily surpassed its $60/80,000 estimate. "We had a ton of people on that painting," said Shannon, with at least a dozen of the more than 20 available phone lines active for the lot. The painting, titled "Mountain Lake," had a provenance of a Pennsylvania private collection and by descent to a Connecticut private collection. Signed lower right and dated 1861, the painting measured 28 by 44 inches and was on canvas and backed with panel.

Bidding on the Richards opened at $40,000 and virtually all of the action remained in the room with three determined bidders hammering away from start to finish with it finally selling at $215,100.

Gene Shannon related that the Connecticut woman who consigned the Richards had just removed it from her mother's closet in Pennsylvania. '"You can have anything you find in there dear,' she was told by her mother," stated Shannon. "It was in a junky frame and she said, 'I don't think it's signed.'" Shannon immediately recognized the painting and he recalled that "I put a flashlight on it and wet my thumb and wiped the canvas in the lower right and there it was! 'W.T. Richards, 1861.'" According to the auctioneer, the junky frame is still available for purchase.

Two other Richards works were offered in the auction with a watercolor and gouache titled "View off the Rhode Island Coast" selling well above estimates at $52,580, while a similar scene titled "Rocky Shoreline, Rhode Island," sold between estimates at $28,680.

While not the top lot of the auction, the W. Herbert Dunton oil on canvas was the lot that created the most interest prior to the auction and the most conversation after. Executed by one of the founders of the Taos school, and an illustrator, virtually all of Dunton's works are known, well documented and housed in either institutions or private collections. "They are just not on the market," commented Shannon after the sale. "This one had been lost for a long time."

The painting, a simplistic Impressionistic Western oil depicting a cowboy on horseback, had 15 phone bidders lined up to do battle and a bunch of anxious buyers in the room. Bidding on the lot opened above the $20/30,000 presale estimates at $40,000 and it took off in $5,000 increments going back and forth between several in the room and the telephones. At $100,000 there were still at least ten people active on the lot with the phone quickly hitting it. The bid was countered from the room at $110,000, and a new phone bidder jumped into the fray at $120,000. It bounced around a little more before selling to the new telephone bidder for $179,250, more than five times the high estimate.

Attracting moderate interest was an Andrew Wyeth 21-by-29-inch watercolor and gouache that had been deaccessioned from a Midwestern institution. Titled "The Home of John Chads, 1943," the piece listed a provenance of both a Manhattan and Florida private collections and an exhibition history. It was also cataloged as scheduled to be included in Betsy James Wyeth's forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist's work. Estimated at $80/100,000, the watercolor and gouache opened for bidding at $40,000 and sold at the low estimate, bringing $95,600. An Eric Sloane oil on Masonite of "Cornwall Bridge, Conn." did well with the lot selling to a phone bidder for $33,460.

Hudson River school paintings included a small John Frederick Kensett landscape, a 9-by-12-inch oil on canvas that was monogrammed and dated "53." The work soared past presale estimates to bring $77,675. An Alfred Thompson Bricher coastal scene near Newport, 18 by 39 inches, listed a provenance of Kennedy Galleries and The Dime Savings Bank. The lot sold to the telephones going out just under estimates at $60,725. Also sold was a Jasper Cropsey landscape, a painting that was reputed to be the only extant painting executed by Cropsey during a stay in Scotland. The piece, scheduled to be included in a catalogue raisonné being prepared by the Newington-Cropsey Foundation, sold to a buyer in the room above estimates at $38,240.

Other top lots included a Theodore Earl Butler Impressionistic scene of "Giverny In Snow," a place the Ohio-born artist settled and remained for life, that sold for $50,190; a Fern Coppedge oil on canvas titled "The Red Roof" sold for $47,800; and a Frederick Carl Frieseke Impressionist painting titled "Portrait of Frances" sold just below estimates at $43,020.

Two Hayley Lever paintings were offered in the sale and despite Shannon's establishing a record price a couple sales ago for the artist, which was eclipsed during its last auction, one sold above the high estimates, the other just below. A fishing scene titled "Mackerel Fishing Boats" that depicted three boats under sail shot past estimates bringing $45,410, while "The Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor" brought $19,120.

Two paintings by Johann Berthelson did well with a snow scene titled "Times Square, New York City" selling at the high end of estimates at $31,070, and a scene titled "Brooklyn Bridge, Evening" went for $20,315.

A staple of Shannon's offerings is Mauritz F.H. De Haas and this auction featured three including "Along The Coast," an oil on canvas depicting a variety of vessels as viewed from the shore. Bidding on the lot was active with it selling to a buyer in the room for $26,290. An 18-by-30-inch coastal landscape titled "Rocky Coast, New England, sold for $11,352, while a more serene scene titled "A View of The Lighthouse" went to a buyer in the room for $19,120.

"Our breather did quite well," said Gene Shannon referring to the only living artist the auction gallery represents, Laurence A. Campbell. "Sunlight on 5th Avenue," an Impressionist scene with lots of flags painted in the manner of Guy Wiggins, did well selling at $33,460. "Snow Storm - Arch St, Philadelphia" didn't attract as much attention although it sold between estimates at $11,950.

The Johann Berthelson snow scene titled "Times Square, New York City" brought $31,070.

European paintings were actively sought after with a Eugene Carriere 15-by-36-inch oil on canvas depicting a reclining nude selling at $35,180, an Edouard Leon Cortes oil titled "Boulevard De La Madeleine" sold above estimates at $33,460, and a Dutch harbor scene by Paulus Petrus Van Der Velden with masted schooners in port brought a record price paid at auction of $31,070.

A painting by Israeli artist Moshe Castel titled "La Fontaine" shot past the $12/18,000 presale estimates on it way to a selling price of $59,750, and a painting by Canadian artist Arthur Lismer, deaccessioned by a Midwestern institution, doubled estimates at $31,070.

Works by Jane Peterson were popular with "Boats in Gloucester Harbor," an 18 by 24 oil on canva,s selling at $28,680, a gouache on paper titled "Colorful Sails in Venice" brought $26,290, and a gouache titled "Fishermen on the Docks" realized $20,315.

A strong price for a Blanche Lazzell color woodblock print was established when a buyer in the room paid a record price at auction of $31,070 for a 1928 impression of "The Blue Jug."

Several David Burliuk painting found their way across the block at Shannon's once again with "Flowers By The Sea" bringing $21,510, "Floral Still Life in a Costal Scene" sold for $9,560, and "Red Horse" went out at $7,170.

The two major lots that failed to find buyers included a Gari Melchers' painting titled "The Supper at Emmaus" that depicted two Nineteenth Century peasants seated at a table with, and breaking bread with Christ. The painting, estimated at $200/300,000, was passed at $120,000.

The cover lot, Karl Albert Buehr's vibrant "Young Woman with Parasol" was passed at $180,000 against a $250/350,000 estimate.

Prices include the 19.5 percent buyer's premium charged. For further information contact Shannon's, 354 Woodmont Road, Milford CT 06460; 203-877-1711 or www.Shannons.com.