The French/Russian artist Marc Chagall’s (1887-1985) signed 1980 tempera on Masonite painting, titled “Peintre, Ange et Amoreaux” (Painter, Angel and Lover) was the auction’s top lot at $199,700.
ATLANTA, GA. — A signed 1980 tempera on Masonite painting by Marc Chagall soared to $199,700, a 1929 gouache and watercolor on Arches paper signed by Raoul Dufy realized $78,700, and an oil on canvas laid to board signed by Ludwig Bemelmans finished at $57,500 at an auction of the Bridget and Jerome Dobson collection, conducted May 16 by Ahlers & Ogletree, online and live in the Atlanta gallery.
In addition to Chagall, Dufy and Bemelmans, the Dobson collection featured many other luminaries in the fine art world, names like David Hockney, Pablo Picasso, Carlos Nadal and Georges Braque. The auction attracted around 30 people to the event, as well as 29 phone bidders who placed 88 phone bids. Other items in addition to the artwork were offered, but the paintings were the undisputed headliners.
Since the 1970s, the duo of Bridget and Jerome Dobson had written award-winning episodes of several iconic daytime TV soap operas, including General Hospital, Guiding Light, As the World Turns and Santa Barbara. Between writing sessions, the couple collected rare art on their travels around the world. It all came up for bid in the May 16 auction. In all, the art and other items totaled 201 lots.
The several paintings in the sale by Raoul Dufy (French, 1877-1953) included this gouache and watercolor on paper titled “Cheveaux de Courses” (Racing Horses), titled and signed, sold for $78,700.
As expected, it was the French/Russian artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985) who sat atop the list of top achievers. His 1980 tempera on Masonite titled “Peintre, Ange et Amoreaux” (Painter, Angel and Lover) carried a lofty estimate and bidders responded in kind. The Dobsons purchased the work at a Sotheby’s auction in 1998. It came with a COA from Jean-Louis Prat, an agent of the Comité Marc Chagall.
One artist whose name was chanted more than once was Raoul Dufy (French, 1877-1953). His 1929 gouache and watercolor on Arches paper titled “Chevaux de Courses” (Racing Horses), signed and dated lower corner and framed, was the top earner, while another gouache and watercolor on Arches paper, this one titled “La Plage d’Etretat” (Etretat Beach), titled lower center and artist signed lower right, rose to $57,500. Both paintings easily surpassed their estimates of $20/30,000.
Oil on canvas laid to board by Ludwig Bemelmans (Austrian/American, 1898-1962), titled “Puppet Show.” It was one of three Belemans in the auction, all of which bested high estimates ($57,500).
There were three paintings in the sale by Ludwig Bemelmans (Austrian/American, 1898-1962). In 1953, Aristotle Onassis commissioned him to paint 15 mural panels for the playroom on his yacht The Christina, named for his daughter. These were after illustrations that appeared in several of the Madeline books, adaptations from originals in Madeline’s Rescue and Madeline and the Bad Hat.
The three Bemelmans in the auction included an oil on canvas laid to board titled “Puppet Show,” which was signed lower right and unframed ($57,500, against an estimate of $15/25,000); an oil on canvas laid to board titled “Oh, Genevieve, Where Can You Be?” unframed and unsigned ($36,300); and an oil on canvas laid to board titled “Madeline and the Bad Hat,” artist signed and unframed ($39,300).
Oil on canvas painting by Carlos Nadal (French, 1917-1998), titled “Salon Rojo,” signed lower left and titled, signed and dated to verso, realized $9,075, one of several works by Nadal in the auction.
Prices given include the buyer’s premium as stated by the auction house. Next up for Ahlers & Ogletree is an online-only books and documents auction on June 20; a Modern and Design + Outsider Art auction on June 26; an online-only Asian arts and antiques auction on July 18; and an auction featuring the estate of Greg Crawford on September 12. For information, www.aandoauctions.com.
