Fine art, furnishings of Hungarian nobility in Quinn's Feb. 7 auction Fine art and furnishings of a noble Hungarian family will be featured in Quinn’s Feb. 7 auction; an important Bert Geer Phillips (Taos school) painting of an Indian brave is an additional highlight.
Viennese firm that designed for Ostier, official jewelers to the Albanian royal court. It is estimated at $15,000-$25,000.
Several other carefully chosen items from additional consignors will join the Mikes/Teleki heirlooms on Feb. 7. A key lot is the Bert Geer Phillips (American, 1868-1956) oil-on-canvas painting of a Native-American brave titled Voices of the Woods. The artwork’s provenance includes having been exhibited in 1911 at the City Art Museum of St. Louis, at the 15th Annual Exhibition of the Society of Western Artists.
“Bert Phillips was a Taos artist of great importance and a founder of the Taos Artists Society. We’re very honored that Quinn’s was chosen to handle this painting,” said Quinn. Voices of the Woods is documented and referenced in the Taos Valley News of Nov. 25, 1911 in the column titled Artists Colony Corner. It states that the painting was sold to ‘Mr. Trewin of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.’” More correctly, the buyer was Senator James Henry Trewin. The Estate of Martha Trewin Sandy, Senator Trewin’s granddaughter, is the consignor of the 27-inch by 35-inch (35-inch by 48-inch framed) artwork, which carries an estimate of $300,000-$400,000. Its frame, which is compatible to the artwork but possibly not original, was made by Woolsey Brothers, who supplied hand-carved frames to artists in the Taos area during the second quarter of the 20th century.
Also coming from the Trewin Sandy estate is a grand mid-19th-century New Orleans four-poster mahogany bed of outstanding quality. Its smooth posts are accented by beveling and wrapped in flame mahogany. While there are no signature marks on the bed, its construction is impeccable and executed to a very high standard. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000.
“Everything in this sale is exceptional, and there’s an interesting variety with a few surprises,” said Quinn. “There’s even a 1940 Ford truck.”
Quinn’s Feb. 7 auction will take place at the company’s gallery located at 431 N. Maple Ave., Falls Church, Va. (suburban Washington, D.C.). All forms of bidding will be available including absentee, phone and live via the Internet. Preview information is available online. The printed catalog is available for $20 postpaid. View the entire fully illustrated catalog online at www.quinnsauction.com. Enquiries: Tel. 703-532-5632 or e-mail info@quinnsauction.com.
CAPTION FOR IMAGE AT TOP:
Voices of the Woods, 35-inch by 48-inch (framed) oil on canvas by noted Taos school painter Bert Geer Phillips (American, 1868-1956). Woolsey Brothers frame. Originally purchased from artist in 1911 by Iowa Senator James Henry Trewin. Estimate: $300,000-$400,000.
