Modern and Contemporary art will headline the auction, with fresh-to-the-market works by American Modernists. A George Tooker painting titled The Watchers depicts three figures staring wide-eyed and with their mouths agape. Other figures are visible around them. The group must surely be observing a suspenseful scene evidenced in their expression. Dated circa 1962, this rare, museum-quality work is expected to realize $250,000-$350,000.
Following the previous seasons successful sale of a Lynne Drexler oil painting for $450,000, Shannons will offer four works on paper by the artist. Each watercolor is vibrantly colored and dated 1962. The works will be sold individually and estimated at $30,000-$50,000 each. A fourth work is more experimental, composed of a wax resist with a colored ink wash. This work should bring $20,000-$30,000.
In addition to Drexler, a painting by another Hans Hofmann alum, Michael Goldberg will be featured in the sale. The painting, dated 1959, is oil on paper mounted to canvas. Measuring 11 inches by 14 inches, it is being offered with an estimate of $40,000-$60,000.
Other Contemporary paintings in the auction include a large Paul Wonner still-life measuring an impressive 72 inches by 48 inches (est. $30,000-$50,000); a rare, 48-inch-tall bronze by Latin-American artist Angel Botello titled Coquette (est. $25,000-$35,000); and four paintings by New Haven outsider artist Winfred Rembert, each depicting scenes from the artists life and memory.
In the American Impressionist category, there is an exceptional 50 inch by 60 inch Richard Hayley Lever work titled View of the High Bridge Over Harlem River, circa 1913. This large canvas is elegantly housed in an impressive, custom Lowy frame. The package is ready to hang and is a show-stopper in the auction gallery. This fresh-to-the-market canvas is from a private Connecticut collection of American paintings and carries an estimate of $50,000-$75,000.
From the same collection, there is a landscape titled Summer in Connecticut – The Old Barn at Branchville, by J. Alden Weir. Weir lived in Branchville, and is famous for his Impressionist landscapes of rural Connecticut. He was also a founding member of the famed American Impressionist group The Ten. The painting is estimated at $12,000-$18,000. Other highlights from this Connecticut collection include another large Richard Hayley Lever work, Sunshine in the Hills, painted during the artists time in England. Its estimated at $60,000-$80,000. Also, an Ernest Lawson view of The Lock, New Hope is expected to achieve $5,000-$7,000.
A rare beach scene in Boston by American Post-Impressionist Maurice Prendergast is featured in the sale with a $100,000-$150,000 estimate. The busy scene depicts women and children walking along the esplanade. The work is painted in Prendergasts typical style, with broad brush strokes. Closely comparable to the work of French artist Georges Seurat, Prendergast was more interested in creating a mosaic effect rather than the science of color.
Continuing their success in offering quality Hudson River paintings, Shannons will feature several works from some of the best-known artists of this school. Jasper Francis Cropseys Bend in the River should reach $30,000-$50,000. The painting, exhibited at the National Academy of Design in 1892, depicts sheep grazing along a river bank. The Luminist sky and fall foliage are typical of Cropseys works. From the same collection, a charming Thomas Doughty, titled Promenade on the Hudson, from 1839, has an estimate of $25,000-$35,000. The painting depicts a couple walking along a path with the Hudson River and highlands in the distance.
In the 19th century American paintings category, a Martin Johnson Heade rendering titled Vase of Roses leads the still-life offerings at $80,000-$120,000. Other quality still lifes by John F. Francis, Levi Wells Prentice, and Abbott Thayer will be included in the auction.
Other notable American paintings in the auction include a large seascape by Alfred T. Bricher of the View at Grand Manan (est. $25,000-$35,000); a tender portrait of Bobbie by his father William Merritt Chase (est. $25,000-$35,000); a 1928 watercolor by Charles Burchfield titled November Plowing (est. $25,000-$35,000); a 30 inch by 40 inch barn scene by Regionalist artist Dale Nichols; and William James Glackenss Flowers on a Pink Table (est. $15,000-$25,000).
Bidding for the auction will take place by phone, absentee and live on shannons.com. The public preview opens on Monday, April 17th through Wednesday, April 26th, Monday through Friday from 11 am to 6 pm, and Saturday, April 22nd from 10 am to 3 pm. To order a catalog, schedule a preview appointment or register to bid, you may contact the gallery at 203-877-1711 or send an email to info ( @ ) shannons dot com. Updates will be posted often on www.shannons.com.
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