International Artwork Scores At Litchfield County Auctions June Sale
Litchfield, CT.
Like the World Cup Championship that has just passed, Litchfield County Auctions June sale was a showcase of stars from various continents and many countries, with the highest prices falling once again back to the Europeans. Though the stars in this case were artists, not athletes, their backgrounds ranged almost as widely: American, Australian, European & Asian. In addition to the artwork, some pieces of attractive furniture did quite well too, in spite of a generally soft “brown furniture” market. Several interesting mesh and beaded handbags sold well and sterling silver “shone” as the price of silver was at just about its ten year peak during the course of the auction.
The highest single selling item in the sale was the stunning “View of the City of Zaragoza, 1867”, a large canvas by the Belgian 19th Century master Francois Antoine Bossuet (1800-1889). The painting portrayed the evening light falling on the wall of the city with figures and horses on the shore and in the water in the foreground. In spite of a bit of restoration, it sold for $28,500 plus the buyers premium, taking it above its $20-30,000 estimate. Other European artists whose work sold well included Marc Chagall (Russian/ French) whose “Jerusalem Windows” lithograph made $7,750 on a $4000-6000 presale estimate; Joan Miro (Spanish) “Exposition XXIIe Salon de Mai, 1966” also a Litho, $7,250 on a $1500-2500 presale estimate. A strong price was attained for a somewhat lesser known artist, Andre Fougeron, French, 1913-1998, whose “Lady Peeling Apples, Sea & Sailboats” seemed like a blend of Picasso and Mattisse. Painted in 1947, it brought $2,850, over a pre-sale estimate of $1500-2500. And the zincograph by Paul Gauguin (also French, 1848-1903), “Les Drames De La Mer”, sold happily within its estimate in spite of some condition issues.
More surprisingly, perhaps, than these strong prices for traditionally well known artists, were the prices attained for a few up and coming Asian artists, whose work is not typically sold at auction in the US. However, given the reach of the internet site iGavel.com, where Litchfield County Auctions has been holding sales since the summer of 2003, the Regional auction house feels that they are able to attain strong prices even for pieces whose interest may come from outside of the local area. A group of 3 watercolors, for example, by the Chinese born artist Chen Chi set a world record selling for $16,100 plus buyers premium. Another lot of two watercolors by Chen Chi also did well, selling for $4600. One of the most exciting and interesting artists represented in the sale was the Japanese painter, performance artist and founder of the Gutai group, Jiro Yoshihara. The painting was an abstract blue composition, fairly small for the artist and sold well within its estimate of $10-20,000 bringing $15,500.
The star American in this auction was definitely Roy Lichtenstein, whose several Lithographs did extremely well, as usual. A print entitled “Lemon & Glass” (For Meyer Schapiro) sold well above its $4,000 - $6,000 presale estimate, finally landing at $9,250, while “Still Life with Pitcher & Flowers (from 6 Still Lifes), 1974” sold perfectly within estimate to close at $6,500. “Explosion” (from Portfolio 9) 1967 sold for its high estimate of $6,000, while the posters did considerably less, as one would expect. “Look Mickey” (a repro after the painting) sold for $300 and “This must be the place” failed to sell at its $450 reserve. One of the major question marks of the sale was a completely cut down version of “Sweet Dreams Baby” which would have been worth a lot of money had the signature not been cut off, the margins not been trimmed and the print not been glued down on paper. The print sold for $750 which may have been a steal of the sale or may have been a great achievement—equating value to damage is one of the trickiest problems in the art business.
Aside from fine art, furniture and decorative arts did quite well in the auction too. The most surprising lot of furniture was the set of Brown Jordan faux bamboo and rattan cast aluminum garden furniture. Typically an expensive retail item, but not a high seller in the secondary market, two bidders took the $500-800 set all the way up to $5,750. A French Directoire provincial mahogany commode, C. 1800 and estimated at $800-1200 sold for $2700 while a 20th Century Regency style mahogany 2-Pedestal dining table hit the top of its $1500-2500 estimate. Two decorative chests stood out amongst the crowd. The first, a 19th C. Federal mahogany bowfront with lovely flame mahogany fronted drawers sold $1999 on a $600-900 estimate. The second, a Charles X veneered chest of drawers, also 19th C., with a marble top just topped its $1000-1500, selling for $1505.
Decorative items continue to appeal to buyers. A pair of english silver plated wine cannons, made in Sheffield brought $1300, while a similar pair of silver plated wine barrels brought $1000. The very appealing Zuber Cie, French, 'Niagara Falls', panoramic block printed wallpaper panel sold for $3,450 while a 19th C. pair of gilt bronze & cut glass 5-Light candle sconces sold for $2350. A Georg Jensen copper & bronze cigar humidor, designed by Johan Rohde in 1916 sold for $1200 and a group of 4 Petitpoint Handbags, Late 19th - Mid 20th C. sold for $1940.
Sterling silver that did well included group lots, perhaps because of the strong price for silver, plus a Tiffany & Co. square footed sterling silver tray for $727, 43 Pieces of English Flatware, 18th/19th C. for $1489. And Porcelain that did well included two 20th century Canton platters that sold for $850 and a group of 12 Limoges monogrammed plates and 8 Hutschenreuther plates with gilt decoration that sold for $728 on a $200-300 estimate.
As in all auctions, there were certainly a few bargains to be had. Several early 20th century American paintings, for example, were bought well. A beautiful, early American Impressionist work by Elmer Livingston Macrae, estimated at $8000 – 12,000 sold for $6,400, while an attractive little Arthur Bowen Davies painting, $4000-6000, was iGaveled down at its opening bid of $2,400. A similarly strong “White Stallion” by Harry Leith Ross failed to make its reserve of $3600. Although some “brown furniture” broke the mold and did well, as mentioned above, over all it was still a tough sell. A good, 18th C. Federal carved mahogany fold over card table, $1500 – 2500, sold on an opening bid for $900 and a great French Miniature Marble Top Mahogany Secretaire-a-Abatant, 19th C. , $600- 900 was still a great purchase at $700.
Over all the sale did very well, selling for a total of almost exactly $400,000, including the tag sale. 311 out of 381 lots sold in the auction, for an 82% sell-through rate. The lots that sold in the auction had a combined presale estimate of about $250,000 - $400,000 and sold in the top of that estimate for a combined $365,811.