“This is the first sale that we have devoted strictly to art,” commented auctioneer Ron Clarke. “We have been selling art for years, but it has always been mixed into general sales.” Clarke, who has a fondness for Twentieth Century American art and Impressionism, was enthused by the size of the crowd that packed into his gallery on the evening of October 18, and also the number of absentee bids and the large volume of phone bidders that had registered for the C&C auction. Twelve percent of the auction sold online, boasted fellow C&C auctioneer and gallery manager Diana Onyshewych. This was the first time that they had offered bidding via eBay Live. “I think we have found a nice niche here for good middle market that the other art auctioneers have missed,” stated the auctioneer. With more than 200 lots offered throughout the night, the vast majority of which consisted of paintings and works on paper with a few pieces of sculpture thrown into the mix, it was refreshing to see no more than a handful of lots passed. A large crowd was on hand in the gallery and at times as manyas eight phones were active and enthusiastically bidding. The topselling item of the evening auction came early as an IrishImpressionist scene by Brian Bourke was offered within the firstfew lots. Bidding on the painting, estimated at $15/25,000, openedat $10,000 and with one bidder in the room battling with two phonebidders. The lot moved quickly in $500 increments until it hit $20,000, where the bidder seated in the middle of the room hit it at $21,000. The bidder in the room relented as the piece passed the $25,000 with the two phones still going at it until a final price of $33,350 was realized. The auction record for the artist is foggy, but this is believed to be a record, according to the auction gallery. A lively Guy Wiggins oil on canvas scene of “Queen St Hamilton, Bermuda” was another of the lots to do well. This painting also attracted a great deal of attention with seven phone’s pursuing the lot. Bidding opened at $4,000 with an online bidder jumping the bids to $6,250 and at $8,000 the bid was jumped to $10,000 by a bidder standing in the rear of the room. Once again moving in $500 increments the lot advanced quickly. The parties that attempted to startle the crowd with the jumped bids failed as the telephones took over and pushed the lot to a selling price of $23,000. The painting that attracted the most attention in the auctionwas an oil on canvas by Leon Reiss titled “Going Home.” With astrong Reginald Marsh style and a striking WPA look, the paintingdepicted a large crowd making its way toward and ascending astaircase to an urban upper-level train station platform. Perhapsin need of a good cleaning, many of the subjects were in theshadows rendering a dark appearance. A large Bloomingdale’s signwas looming in the background. The painting had an exhibition label on the back from the National Academy, a 1945 Associated American Artists label and a Daytona label. Eight phone bidders were lined up as the lot opened at $8,000, but they were entirely shut out of the action as bids came from several determined want-to-be buyers in the room kept the bids moving at a rapid pace. The lot was eventually hammered down at $20,700 selling to a woman seated near the front of the gallery. Other lots of interest included a Johann Berthelsen snow scene of Macy’s in Manhattan that was hit by a once again loaded bank of phone bidders. The lot almost hammered down at $19,000 until a last second bid was executed by one of the phones, and once again it was off and running. At $24,000 the lot appeared ready to be hammered down to a telephone bidder, until an online bidder hit the lot with an unanswered bid of $25,000, resulting in a final price of $28,750. Another Berthelson in the auction of a New York Central Park snow scene also did well at $13,200. Two John Whorfe watercolors were offered with “The Arrowhead Farm” selling at $5,175, while “Bear Country” realized $5,405. An unsigned oil on canvas of factory weavers, estimated at $1/1,500, soared past estimates as it sold for $5,405, while an unsigned garden scene by the same artist shot past the $600/900 estimates bringing $2,345. A painting by A.O. Kelly depicting a caravan scene, which hadminor paint loss and was estimated at $300/500, did well selling at$4,140, an illustration art picture of Robinson Crusoe by FrankGoodwin sold at more than ten times the low estimate bringing$4,600, and an unsigned canal scene estimated at $800/1,200 brought$8,337. Among the numerous lots of works by Jewish artists was a Modernist painting by Naphtali Bezem that sold for $3,910, while another work by the same artist with a small tear brought $3,335. Two Ira Monte large paintings of birds in trees were actively pursued by several in the crowd with the first selling at $5,175, while the second realized $5,290. Sculpture offered included two Javier Marin bronzes that did well, with a figure on horseback selling for $3,565 while a bronze of an acrobat on a ball sold at $5,750. Prices include the 15 percent buyer’s premium charged. For information contact Clarke Auction Gallery at 914-833-8336 or view ccauctiongallery.com.
08 Nov 2005 / 0 Comment
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