fine american paintings, drawings and sculpture at christie’s new york september 27

8/4/2019 Fine American Paintings, Drawings And Sculpture At Christies New York September 27

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For Immediate Release

September 16, 2011

Contact: Erin McAndrew +1.212.636.2680 [email protected]

Melissa Abernathy +1.212.468.7155 [email protected]

FINE AMERICAN PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS AND SCULPTUREAT CHRISTIES NEW YORKSEPTEMBER 27

MILTON AVERYPorch View

Estimate: $60,000-80,000

JOHN MARINNew York Stock ExchangeEstimate: $70,000-100,000

NORMAN ROCKWELLGirl in Spanish Costume

Estimate: $80,000-120,000

Public Exhibition: September 2326, 2011Auction: Tuesday, September 27 at 10am

New YorkOn September 27, Christies will offer its mid-season sale ofFine American Paintings,

Drawings, and Sculpture, featuring an excellent selection of 19th and 20th century works at pricesranging from $2,000 to $120,000. Highlights include exceptional works by Norman Rockwell,

George Inness, John Marin and Samuel Johnson Woolf, as well as a rare group of bronze sculptures

from the Labor series by Max Kalish, consigned directly by the artists family. All genres of

American art are represented, including Hudson River School, Impressionism, Ashcan, Modernism,

Nave, Illustration and Western Art. The total sale of a little over 200 lots is expected to achieve in

excess of $3.1 million.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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New York State of Mind

Among the lead highlights of the sale isNew York Stock Exchange, 1924 (pictured page one, center,

estimate: $70,000-100,000) by John Marin (1870-1953). Created in the boom before the Crash of

1929, the work evokes a dynamic tension with strong, dark diagonal strokes in watercolor, crayonand pencil. In addition to this painting, a number of high-quality pictures from well-known artists

depict Manhattan and upstate New York across a wide range of periods and genres.

A selection of these works includes a Hopperesque view

of early 20th centuryGreenwich Village (pictured at right,

estimate: $60,000-80,000) by Samuel Halpert (1884-

1930), Landscape View near Catskill Mountain House, 1867

(estimate: $30,000-50,000) by Jasper Francis Cropsey

(1823-1900) and a painting by Nave artist Anna MaryGrandma Robertson Moses (1860-1961) titled The

Hurricane in Hoosick Falls, 1945 (estimate: $25,000-

30,000).

In keeping with the New York theme, the sale catalogues cover lot, Porch View, circa 1945(pictured

page one, left; estimate $60,000-80,000), by Milton Avery (1885-1965) depicts the Catskill

Mountains from Woodstock, N.Y. An important figure in the American Modernist movement,

Avery was largely self-taught and experimented with color planes and patterns, bridging the gap

between Matisses vivaciously outlined canvases and the American color field artists of the 1950s.The back cover of the catalogue is reserved for another New York painting, byGuy Wiggins (1883-

1962). New York, 1929 (estimate: $60,000-80,000), shows the great, gray bulk of the city looming

above a busy river plied by ferries, barges and tugs.

Another important work is Girl in Spanish Costume, circa 1930, (pictured

page one, right; estimate: $80,000-120,000) byNorman Rockwell (1894-

1978). Painted in Norman Rockwells signature descriptive style of finely

drawn, clear realism with a wealth of fascinating detail, this painting is

among the many artistic achievements that established Rockwell as one ofthe best-known American painters of all time. Many other widely

recognizable names in 20th century American art are represented here:

Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), Joseph Stella (1877-1946), and popular

childrens book artist and author, Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1963).

BemelmansJacket, Place de la Concorde, (pictured at left; estimate $60,000-

80,000) evokes memories of the beloved stories of Madeline, a schoolgirl


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who lived in an old house in Paris that was covered in vines.

Painted by 1956 when his third book, Madeline and the Bad Hat, was published, the present work

incorporates the entire splendor of the Madeline series in one illustration. The character of

Madeline, named for his wife and modeled after his daughter, was developed over the course ofthirty years and seven successful books, one of which was published posthumously. Bemelmans

oeuvreincludes over forty published books, countless illustrations and the wall murals of Bemelmans

Bar at The Carlyle, New York, named in the artists honor.

Beauty in Bronze

The work of American sculptor Max Kalish (1891-1945) is rarely

offered for sale. Last year, a number of Kalish works sold for nearly

four times their estimates. This year, several bronze statues,

including four workmen from his Labor series, are sure to be hotlots, as these have been consigned directly from the personal

collection of the artists family. Stoker (pictured at right; estimate

$15,000-20,000) illustrates what James Kalish meant when he

described his fathers work as hard and soft at the same time. A

rough workman in a ballerina pose. The beauty and reality of the

working man, not glamorized, romanticized or politicized.

Among other sculpture highlights in the sale is the

Art Deco-styleMeteor by Harriet WhitneyFrishmuth (1880-1980). Originally designed as a

hood ornament in 1923, the 4-in. bronze with

silvered patina is one of a series of 13 and has also

been known as Spirit of Speed (estimate: $15,000-

25,000). Western art bronzes include Chief Flat Iron, Ogalalla Sioux (estimate: $20,000-30,000) by

Adolph Alexander Weinman (1870-1952) a 9-in. bust that shows every line of the chiefs proud

face. Rounding out the group are two charming, small 1920s-era bronzes byAnna Vaughn Hyatt

Huntington (1876-1973), Yawning Tiger (pictured above; estimate: $6,000-8,000) and Descending

Panther(estimate: $6,000-8,000), respectively, which exemplify her predilection for animal studies, inwhich every muscle and tendon stands out, amplifyingthe animals motion.

A complete e-catalogue of this sale is viewable online athttp://www.christies.com/eCatalogues/index.aspx?saleid=23073

andvia Christies free app for theiPad and iPhone.
http://www.christies.com/eCatalogues/index.aspx?saleid=23073http://www.christies.com/eCatalogues/index.aspx?saleid=23073http://www.christies.com/eCatalogues/index.aspx?saleid=23073


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About Christies

Christies, the worlds leading art business, had global auction and private sales in the first half of 2011 that totaled 2.0billion/$3.2 billion. In 2010 it achieved global auction and private sales of 3.3 billion/$5.0 billion. Christies is a nameand place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Foundedin 1766 by James Christie, Christie s conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and todayremains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christies offers over 450 sales annually in o ver 80categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Pricesrange from $200 to over $100 million. Christies has 53 offices in 32 countries and 10 salerooms around the worldincluding in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai and Hong Kong. More recently, Christieshas led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new markets such as Russia, China, India and the UnitedArab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.

*Estimates do not include buyers premium

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Images available upon request

fine american paintings, drawings and sculpture at christie’s new york september 27

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