This Fifteenth Century Sienna, Italy, portrait of the Madonna and child in gilt and tempera on wood panels created in the manner of Sano Di Pietro took top-lot honors. Measuring 27½ by 20 inches and featuring images of saints believed to be Paul and Peter, the portrait came from a private Connecticut collection and fetched $44,800 ($10/30,000).

Review by Jessica Kosinski; Photos Courtesy Eldred’s Auction Gallery

EAST DENNIS, MASS. — Joshua Eldred, president and head of the Fine Art Department presided over the Eldred’s Winter Painting Auction, which took place on Friday, January 26. Fine art from around the country and the globe was showcased. The 235-lot art auction brought in $397,184 and had a sell-through rate of more than 83 percent.

“We had about 1,100 bidders participating,” Eldred stated. Bids and most inquiries took place online or by phone, but approximately 60 interested bidders viewed items in person before the sale. Domestic private collectors and trade buyers purchased most of the top dozen lots, but one went to an international home.

The sale’s shining star was a Fifteenth Century Sienna, Italy, portrait of the Madonna and Child. Created in the style of Sano di Pietro (Italian, 1405-1481), the gilt and tempera portrait on wood panels came from a Connecticut home. The winner battled multiple competing bidders to take it home for $44,800.

Second was a signed oil on canvas painting of two young peasant women in a French landscape by Daniel Ridgway Knight (American/French, 1839-1924). After he moved to France, he became known for peasant woman portraits like the example at Eldred’s, which received more than 20 bids and sold for $30,720.

This framed oil on canvas work by Daniel Ridgway Knight depicts two young peasant women in a French landscape. Despite some light restoration, it exceeded its estimate and took second place at $30,720 ($15/20,000).

The first of five works by Massachusetts artists in the top dozen was “Cape Cod Creamery Co.” by Ralph Eugene Cahoon Jr (American, 1910-1982). Cahoon was a noted furniture decorator also known for his folk art and whimsical scenes like this one featuring mermaids and cows, which topped off at $19,200. Another local piece was “Marblehead” by Johan Selmer-Larsen (American /Norwegian, 1876-1969). The oil on board estimated at $400/700 achieved a stunning result of $7,680, going home with an East Coast buyer.

The other three local artists in the top 12 were Anthony Thieme (American, 1888-1954), Charles Herbert Woodbury (American, 1864-1940) and Geoffrey L. Smith (American, Twentieth/Twenty-First Century). Their paintings fetched $7,680, $5,120 and $4,800, respectively. Woodbury’s was an oil on board; the others were oil on canvas. Smith’s featured horses, while the other two depicted marine scenes. More than a dozen bids were received for each, but Eldred mentioned Thieme’s “The Surf” was the most popular with three phone bidders, several online bidders and some absentee bids.

“Marblehead” is a wintery scene by Johan Selmer-Larsen featuring buildings in Marblehead, Mass. Frame included, the oil on board measured 18½ by 15½ inches. It is somewhat uncharacteristic of the artist, who is better known for his sculpture work. Its unique nature may have contributed to it far surpassing its estimate and heading to an East Coast home for $7,680 ($400/700).

Another long bidding battle was fought over a Twentieth Century American School portrait of two young girls with their dog from a New York collector. They are believed to be Jackie and Lee Bouvier and their dog, King Phar. The Bouvier sisters later became Princess Lee Radziwill and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. According to Eldred, presale interest caused bidding on auction day to open at $1,500, above the $800-$1,200 estimate. The price soon skyrocketed to $14,080. Similarly, an oil on canvas portrait of an elegant lady by Jan Boleslaw Czedekowski (Austrian, 1885-1969) surpassed its $1/1,500 estimate selling for $4,160.

Completing the top dozen were a Jules Bastien-Lepage (French, 1848-1884) scene featuring a young woman carrying a bundle of sticks, a George Forster (American/German, 1817-1896) fruit still life, and a Benjamin Lander (American, 1842-1915) fox hunt scene. The three signed oil on canvas pieces respectively fetched $9,600, $7,040 and $6,400. The Lander piece received the most attention with 35 bids.

Eldred’s Auction Gallery’s Winter Marine Sale will take place February 27 and 28.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For more information, www.eldreds.com or 508-385-3116.