Auguste Rodin, “Petite Ombre de la Porte de l’Enfer,” circa 1906-11, bronze, height: 12¼ inches, sold for $112,500.
BOSTON, MASS. — Grogan & Company, Fine Art and Jewelry Auctioneers, concluded the excitement of their spring auction season with its Fine Art Auction on May 10.
The auction achieved strong results across all collecting categories, with a 92 percent sell-through rate and total sales exceeding $1.4 million. Thirty-eight percent of lots exceeded their estimates, underscoring the continued strength and depth of Grogan & Company’s fine art department. From fresh-to-market Nineteenth Century landscapes to appealing modern pieces, the sale drew competitive bidding from a global audience and a robust turnout of private collectors bidding both over the phone and in person.
Leading the day was “Petite Ombre de la Porte de l’Enfer” by Auguste Rodin, a striking bronze with exceptional provenance, that achieved $112,500 following strong international interest. Maritime scenes and American landscapes also performed well, with “The Start of the Great 1866 Transatlantic Yacht Race” by James Edward Buttersworth selling for $81,250, and a Frank Henry Shapleigh scene titled “Mote Mountain from the Barn in Conway, NH” realizing $34,375. Additional highlights included Carroll Sargent Tyson, Jr’s, complete set of “Twenty Birds of Mount Desert Island,” which brought $50,000, and vibrant works by Milton Avery, Jane Peterson and Charles Ephraim Burchfield. A standout group of Holy Land landscapes from the collection of art historian Efrat Adler Porat, painted by American artists who brought a unique perspective to a storied landscape, drew international bidding and achieved a 100 percent sell-through rate across the collection.
James Edward Buttersworth, “The Start of the Great 1866 Transatlantic Yacht Race,” oil on canvas, 24 by 32¼ inches, sold for $81,250.
Grogan & Company’s spring season saw exceptional results across jewelry and fine art, including a white glove single-owner auction to benefit the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The May 10 auction once again demonstrated the firm’s ability to bring fresh, high-quality material to market, achieving strong prices and attracting serious interest from collectors worldwide. With many works placed directly into private collections, the sale reaffirms the strength of both the strength of the market and Grogan & Company’s ability to reach keen buyers.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For additional information, 617-720-2020 or www.groganco.com.
