Around 150 works of fine art will be sold at Shannon's on Thursday, April 26 Over 150 examples of high-quality fine American and European paintings, drawings, sculpture and prints will cross the block on Thursday, April 26, at Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers in Milford, Conn.
News-Antique.com - Apr 02,2012 - (MILFORD, Conn.) – Over 150 examples of high-quality fine American and European paintings, drawings, sculpture and prints will cross the block on Thursday, April 26, at Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers, in the firm's gallery located at 354 Woodmont Road in Milford. Internet bidding will be facilitated by www.ArtFact.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.
It will be the first auction of 2012 for Shannon’s, which conducts just two sales a year. The firm posted record numbers in 2011, with auctions in April and October combining for about $7.6 million. The top lot at the fall event was a Luminist view of the Hudson River by Jasper Cropsey that brought $252,000. The spring sale was hugely successful, grossing $5.1 million.
The upcoming sale is loaded with impressive, mainly American 19th and 20th century offerings. “We secured some great consignments early on, and they just kept pouring in,” said Gene Shannon, owner of Shannon's. He added, “The economy overall may still be fragile, but the market for high-end artworks remains strong.”
The auction catalog reads like a who's who in the world of fine art. The list of artists in the sale includes Thomas Cole, James McDougal Hart and Edward Moran (all 19th century); Walter Launt Palmer, Paul Cornoyer, Louis Ritman and William Glackens (all 20th century); and Rolph Scarlett, Franz Kline, Robert Smithson and Robert Indiana (all Modernist painters).
The auction's expected top lot should bring $150,000-$250,000. It is a fine Luminist work from the 1820s by Thomas Cole (1801-1848). Cole is generally acknowledged as the founder of the Hudson River School, a group of American landscape painters whose works were romantic and naturalistic. Cole's aesthetic vision influenced and entire generation of artists.
Two other 19th century works of note expected to do well are a brightly lit view of New York Harbor by Edward Moran (1829-1901), one of the most renowned American marine painters of his time (est. $80,000-$120,000). The other is a large Luminist view of the Adirondacks, done in 1864 by James McDougal Hart (1828-1901), an important artist of the Hudson River School, known for his landscape paintings (est. $30,000-$50,000).
Additional works by other prominent Hudson River School artists will also be offered. They include paintings by Jervis McEntee (1828-1891); Alexander Wyant (1836-1892); David Johnson (1827-1908); Worthington Whittredge (1820-1910); and Herman Fueschel (1833-1915). Other 19th century works will also cross the block.
The anticipated top lot of the 20th century group is a flower garden scene in Giverny, France by Louis Ritman (1889-1963), known for his sunny, Impressionist landscapes (est. $100,000-$150,000). Another star lot will be a museum-quality snow scene by Walter Launt Palmer (1854-1932), who had a prizewinning career (est. $70,000-$90,000).
Other 20th century paintings to watch will include a major work of carriages in New York City by Paul Cornoyer (1864-1923, est. $60,000-$80,000); a colorful scene of a harbor in Long Island by pioneer “Ashcan” painter William Glackens (1870-1939, est. $40,000-$60,000); and a monumental Eakins-influenced painting by Francis Luis Mora (1874-1940), exhibited at the
