Classic met contemporary, or close to it, at auction this past week. Bucolic scenes were hung alongside Cubist and conceptual canvases, and decorative arts were in similar contrast. Baroque style pieces rarely have a right angle in sight, and one Midcentury sofa sold which was nothing but that. Read on for more contrasting catalogue finds.
Teatime At Eldred’s
EAST DENNIS, MASS. — The top lot in Eldred’s 380-lot August Market auction on August 30 was a Twentieth Century Reed & Barton sterling silver tea set that topped its $1,5/2,500 estimate to bring $3,456. Comprising a teapot on burner stand, coffee pot, cream pitcher and covered sugar bowl, the set was accompanied by a large two-handled silver-plated tray. For information, 508-385-3116 or www.eldreds.com.
Alberts’ Bathers Make Splash For Capsule
NEW YORK CITY — Capsule Auctions’ September 7 sale, which featured 229 lots of fashion, art and estate property, was led at $3,375 by Leonard Alberts (American, 1924-2010) untitled (Bathers) composition, which was executed in oil on canvas. With provenance to the estate of Olivia Koopalethes & Leonard Alberts, the 50-by-40-inch composition was one of three works by Alberts and sold to an online bidder on Capsule’s dedicated platform. For information, www.capsuleauctions.com or 212-353-2277.
Scholder’s ‘Adobe Image’ Heats Up At Cordier
HARRISBURG, PENN. — Approximately 300 lots were auctioned by Cordier Auctions & Appraisals on September 7, with top-lot honors going to “Adobe Image” by Fritz Scholder (American, 1937-2005). Painted in oil on canvas measuring 30 by 24 inches, the painting was accompanied by a letter of authentication from the artist and had provenance to a Gerrit Schipper of Frederick, Md. After heated bidding, “Adobe Image” found a new home for $48,360, a result a representative for Cordier said they were “very excited about.” For information, 717-731-8662 or www.cordierauction.com.
Peters Farmhouse Scene Heads Blackwood/March
ESSEX, MASS. — Nearly 200 lots of fine art were auctioned by Blackwood/March on September 9. Taking top-lot honors at $3,360 from a buyer outside of Massachusetts was Carl W. Peters’ (American, 1897-1980) oil on canvas farmhouse scene. Measuring 20 by 24 inches and bearing an estate stamp on the back, the painting had been described as being in “very good” condition and was estimated at $1/2,000. For information, www.blackwoodauction.com or 978-768-6943.
Normann Copenhagen Sofas Conquer Public Sale’s Cowork Modern Auction
HUDSON, N.Y. — Public Sale Auction House’s September 9 “Cowork Modern” auction was led by a six-piece blue velvet modular L-shaped sofa by Normann Copenhagen that finished at $15,000 against an estimate of $1/2,000. The sofa was consigned for auction from a business that closed after being open for just one year and it was one of five Normann Copenhagen modular sofas in the auction. All five sofas swept the top lots, and a representative for the auction house confirmed that all five were purchased by the same buyer, who had been bidding online. For information, 518-966-7253 or www.public-sale.com.
First-Class Cut Glass At Woody Auction
DOUGLAS, KAN. — On September 9, Woody Auction offered 377 lots of cut glass from the Nancy and Taylor Abernathy Collection of Tennessee, who were well-known and well-liked in the American Cut Glass Association. The no-reserve auction included ABCG, or American Brilliant Cut Glass, lots that included its highest-achieving piece, a signed, panel and pillar punchbowl from T.G. Hawkes. This extremely rare pattern was bought for $28,000 by an in-house bidder, one of many out-of-state collectors who participated and won many lots in the auction. For information, 316-747-2694 or www.woodyauction.com.
The Cows Come Home To Treasureseeker
PASADENA, CALIF. — Treasureseeker’s A September To Remember auction took place on September 10, offering almost 300 lots from a wide array of collections. Paintings from known artists occupied the top lots, with a circa 1890 pair of “huge” cow paintings by Henri Schouten (Belgian, 1857-1927) leading the sale at $24,000 ($8/12,000). Schouten was born in Belgium but spent most of his artistic career in France with animals as his muses. Both paintings were signed and housed in their original gilt frames, measuring 55 inches high altogether. For more information, 626-529-5775 or www.treasureseekerauction.com.
Baroque-Style Clock Chimes High At Bodnar’s Auctions
MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J. — A baroque-style boulle clock with bronze was a highlight in Bodnar’s Auctions’ August 30 sale. The timepiece came with a matching inlaid table and its works were signed Kienzle. Featuring a Westminster chime, the circa 1910-30 clock sold for $3,304 against an $800-$1,200 estimate. For information, 732-210-6388 or www.bodnarsauction.com.
Letter From Charlotte Brontë To Her Editor Leads PBA Galleries Sale
BERKELEY, CALIF. — An 1850 autograph letter from Charlotte Brontë to her editor William S. Williams, dated July 27, regarding a portrait she sat for, and various personal inquiries and thoughts, signed “C. Brontë,” led PBA Galleries’ September 7 sale, selling for $81,250. The sale featured 95 lots of rare and important literary, historical and visual materials, comprising landmark works of philosophy, science, religion, poetry, Americana, geographic discovery, cartography, artistry and more, from the Sixteenth through Twentieth Centuries. For information, www.pbagalleries.com or 415-989-2665.
