Sept. 9 - 20th Century Art & Design Auction Post Press Release The draw toward the classic and sophisticated designs of Twentieth decorative art and furniture continues to attract avid buyers and collectors.
estimates.
The first, a bronze Tiffany box with carved and enameled geometric designs and original patina went for $4,750 (est. $1,000-1,500), with the second, a bronze Tiffany box with original gold doré patina and enamel accents, sold for $3,750 (est. 500-700).
The second session of the sale featured various paintings and prints by early to mid Twentieth-Century American and European artists.
A serenely beautiful oil on board landscape by the American painter, Theodore Clement Steele sold for $25,000 (est. $25,000-35,000).
As a painter of the American southwest, Audley Dean Nichols is often hailed for his ability to capture the surprising the depth of the dramatic western landscape. Treadway-Toomey painting expert, Alan Platt remarked that Nichols’ painting “Arizona Landscape” which sold for $14,000 (est. $7,000-9,000) was “an excellent example of his [Nichols] work.”
The “California Landscape” gouache by Edgar Alwin Payne reflected the artist’s admiration for the western wilderness. Selling for $7,000, the expansive landscape featuring a distant Sierra mountain range was estimated between $2,000 to $4,000.
A quiet interior setting entitled “Mission Oak” by the well-known Cincinnati painter, John Rettig features a young woman at a writing desk in her Arts & Crafts style home. Estimated between $3,500- 5,500, the oil on canvas sold for $3,750.
A beautiful photograph by Laura Gilpin of a Navajo craftswoman, “Navajo Silversmith” went for $2,800 (est. $1,500-2,000). Included in the lot was the accompanying text, “The Enduring Navajo” which features the image.
A Native of Illinois, the artist Jane Peterson’s “Florida landscape” exhibits the mysterious silhouettes of moss-laden trees with the setting sun reflected in the water. Estimated between $10,000 and 15,000, the oil on board landscape sold for $9,000.
On a patriotic note, John Stephens Coppin’s “Uncle Sam means Business” went for $4,500 (est. $4,000-5,000).
Two mid-century paintings by American artist, Henry Lawrence Faulkner exceeded their estimates. The first “House” sold for $5,500 (est. $1,000-2,000) and “Angel Playing a Horn” selling for $3,500 (est. $1,500-2,000).
Slightly more modern was a minimalist screenprint by Helen Frankenthaler, which sold for $3,000 (est. $3,000-5,000). A hand-colored etching by Cincinnati artist Jim Dine sold just under the estimated $3,000-4,000 range for $2,500.
An exhibition poster featuring the iconic image of Elizabeth Taylor signed by the equally iconic Pop artist Andy Warhol entitled “Liz” sold for an astonishing $20,000 (est. 3,000-4,000).
In the third session of the sale, featuring 1950’s Art Deco and Modern decorative arts and furnishings, a collection of Modern Clyde Burt stoneware attracted collectors. A Clyde Burt cylindrical covered jar with incised linear abstract designs went well above the $400-600 estimate, selling for $2,100. Another cylindrical lidded jar by Burt, decorated with yellow, rust, black, and white abstract patterning brought $2,400 (est. $600-800). Finally, an elongated and tightly tapered vase form with white glaze applied in a wax relief technique sold for $1,800 (est. $800-1,000).
There was strong interest in two Johnson Brothers items: A Renzo Rutili black and orange cabinet with gold leaf decoration manufactured by the Johnson Brothers sold for $2,600 (est. $3,000-4,000)
