The highest price of the sale went to Wifredo Lam’s (Cuban, 1902-1982) “Personnage N. 2,” 1939, oil on canvas, 37-1/5 by 24½ inches framed, signed and dated lower right “WiLam / 1939,” which surpassed its $100/150,000 estimate to achieve $266,700.
Review by Kiersten Busch, Assistant Editor
MILFORD, CONN. — On May 8, Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers offered 168 lots of paintings, drawings, sculpture, prints and mixed media works. After the dust was settled, the sale earned approximately $2.1 million. “We are very happy with the results of the sale,” reported Sandra Germain, the firm’s managing partner. “We had a lot of pre-sale activity during our preview and more online bidding than we have ever had. Our buyers are mostly private collectors, and we welcomed many new clients at this sale, which is encouraging for us, and the market in general.”
“Personnage N. 2” by Wifredo Lam led the sale, flying past its $100/150,000 estimate to achieve $266,700, selling to a prominent private collection of Latin American art. Lam, who was born in Cuba to a Chinese immigrant father, allowed “His blended cultural heritage combined with his extensive travels and interest in African art and culture [to inform] his artistic production,” according to catalog notes. The 1939 oil on canvas had publication history including Wifredo Lam by Max-Pol Fouchet (Barcelona, Spain: Ediciones Poligrafa, SA, 1984) and Wifredo Lam by Michael Leiris (Milan, Italy: Fratelli Fabbri Editori, 1970). Its extensive provenance included artist Bill Copely, Galleria Alexander Iolas (Milan), a private collection in Milan and a private collection in California.
“We were able to reach the buyers in India to compete on the telephone to become the successful buyer” said Sandra Germain of “Worshipper” by Bikash Bhattacharjee (Indian, 1940-2006), 1982, oil on canvas, 41¾ by 43¾ inches framed,which sold for $100,000 ($80/120,000).
The other two best-selling lots of the day were also portraits, with Bikash Bhattacharjee’s 1982 oil on canvas “Worshipper” earning the second-highest price of the sale at $100,000. A prominent Indian painter during his lifetime, Bhattacharjee was “renowned for his realistic and often haunting depictions of urban middle class life in Bengal” and his work often explored “themes of loneliness, alienation and the decay of traditional values in modern society.” This painting was no exception, depicting a woman bent over in prayer in the middle of train tracks. It had provenance to a private collection in New York and Gallery Chemould in Bombay, India; the painting was accompanied by a copy of a certificate from the gallery, which was dated November 19, 1982.
“Patience (Laughing Youngster)” by Robert Henri earned the third-highest price: $88,900, thanks to a private collector in Nebraska. The painting, which was completed in 1915, depicted a young Romani girl named Patience, who Henri had met the first summer after he and his wife, Linda, had moved to Ogunquit, Maine. According to catalog notes, he was documented in Valerie Ann Leeds’ My People: The Portraits of Robert Henri as having written of the painting, “It appears that after all our coming here will prove a rather good thing for I already have a few things that are very good. Particularly of a [Romani] child laughing — I think it is one of my very best in this type of work.” With extensive provenance, exhibition and publication history, the painting attracted much interest.
While portraits secured the top three lots, landscapes and cityscapes were also well represented, led by Jane Peterson’s “Campo Santa Margherita, Venice,” one of six paintings by the Illinois-born artist in the sale. The oil on canvas was signed “Jane Peterson” lower right and had provenance to a private collection in New York. The rest of Peterson’s works ranged in price from $8,125 for the oil and charcoal on canvas “French City Scene” to $27,500 for “Wooden Boats At A Wharf.” The latter, an oil on canvas painting, was inspired by Peterson’s time in Cape Ann, Mass., where “she was drawn to the dynamic energy of the waterfront, capturing scenes of boats, fishermen and the daily activities of the harbor,” according to catalog notes.
Jane Peterson’s (American, 1876-1965) “Campo Santa Margherita, Venice,” oil on canvas, 30 by 35½ inches framed, led the landscape paintings, floated to a private collector for $56,250 ($30/50,000).
Philadelphia native Laurence A. Campbell was also represented by two city landscapes, “The City In Winter (5th Avenue New York)” ($50,000) and “Lower Broadway, New York City” ($36,250). The former, which had provenance to both the artist and a private collection in New Jersey, depicted “a busy day on 5th Avenue where pedestrians stroll and flags wave, undeterred by the falling snow,” according to catalog notes. It was signed and titled on its stretcher and landed directly in the middle of its $40/60,000 estimate.
Rackstraw Downes, a plein-air artist born in England but residing in America, also had two works in the sale, both industrial panoramic landscapes, which he is best known for. The 1984 oil on canvas “Portland Water District Wastewater Treatment Plant” was the frontrunner of the two works, landing within its $30/50,000 estimate at $37,500. The painting depicted the largest water treatment plant in Maine, which opened in 1979 and processes “four million tons of waste water each year,” according to catalog notes. The notes also mention that “Downes was fascinated by the geodesic dome over the water treatment plant,” which inspired the work. It was published in Sanford Schwartz and Robert Storr’s book, Rackstraw Downes (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2005) and had provenance to multiple New York City galleries, a 1996 Christie’s, New York, sale and the consignor, a private collection in West Virginia. “Presidro-Beehives Off The Ruidosa Road,” the other Downes work in the sale, made $8,750.
“This Nantucket scene was a very popular painting in our sale, ultimately finding its new home in a private collection,” said Sandra Germain of this oil on canvas by Charles Wysocki (American, 1929-2002), “The Wharf Rats Club (Nantucket),” 33¼ by 37¼ inches framed, which sailed to $47,375 ($12/18,000).
Other landscapes that performed well included Charles Wysocki’s “The Wharf Rats Club (Nantucket)” ($47,375), “Rockport, Massachusetts” by Anthony Thieme ($31,750), William Trost Richards’ 1892 “Seascape” ($31,250), “May in the Garden” by Childe Hassam ($31,250), Maximilien Luce’s 1912 “Rolleboise, Bord De Riviere Sous Un Ciel Orgeux” ($28,625) and “Early Spring” by Hugh Bolton Jones ($25,000).
Still lifes were led by Vietnamese artist Le Pho’s “Floral Still Life,” which bloomed past its $20/30,000 estimate to achieve $47,375. The oil on canvas was signed by the artist to its lower right corner. It also had provenance to Wally Findlay Galleries in New York City, and a private collection in Connecticut. Another identically titled oil by Pho with identical provenance made $27,500, this one depicting bright yellow flowers in a wider blue and white vase.
Shannon’s will have an early summer online-only sale at the end of June, and a major catalog sale on October 30. Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house.
For information, 203-877-1711 or www.shannons.com.
