If there was a theme for Sotheby’s fall American art sale in New York it would be “fresh to the market,” says American art specialist Charlotte Mitchell.

“We are very pleased with the early highlights from the sale,” she says. “We’re always striving to bring a well-rounded and tightly curated selection of American art to the market, and this season we are well on our way in doing that. It’s especially exciting this season because we have so many pieces that are fresh to the market and just really strong examples by the artists.”Milton Avery (1885-1965), Mender, 1960. Oil on canvas, 40 x 28¼ in., signed and dated lower right; also signed and dated again and titled on the reverse. Estimate: $800/1,200,000

One of the most buzzed-about early lots is certainly Milton Avery’s Mender, a 1960 oil from the collection of Ezra and Cecile Zilkha. Sotheby’s will be hosting a separate single-owner sale for the Zilkha’s collection, but pulled the Avery out for inclusion in the American sale due to its beautiful color and mesmerizing forms. “Mender has been in their collection since 1961. It was bought from Avery’s primary dealer and we are thrilled to be presenting it in the American sale,” says Mitchell. “The palette is exquisite and the scale is commanding in person. We’ve been very lucky to have been entrusted with some major works by the artist in recent sales, and they regularly perform well, which shows the demand for American modernism.” Mender is estimated at $800,000 to $1.2 million.

Winslow Homer (1836-1910), In the Rapids, 1895. Watercolor on paper, 14 x 20 in., signed and dated lower right: ‘Homer’ and ‘1895’. Estimate: $1/1.5 million

Also available will be Winslow Homer’s In the Rapids, a sporting scene showing several figures rowing a canoe into a tricky section of a river. The watercolor, painted in 1895, is estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million. “Here’s another work that is very fresh to the market,” Mitchell says. “It’s coming from a private collection and it’s been in that family for 50 years. It shows the Saguenay River in Quebec. Homer did a series of works while he was exploring the woods and landscapes of the region.”N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945), Slag was a Figure for Sculptors, 1918. Oil on canvas, 40 x 30 in., signed upper left: ‘N.C. WYETH’. Estimate: $400/600,000

Edward Willis Redfield (1869-1965), Garden, Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Oil on canvas, 21¼ x 26¼ in., signed lower right: ‘E.W.REDFIELD.’ Estimate: $200/300,000N.C. Wyeth, a regular at many of the fall New York sales, will be represented in the auction with Slag was a Figure for Sculptors (est. $400/600,000), a 1918 work painted for Everybody’s Magazine, for the January 1919 issue,” Mitchell explains. “It’s an incredibly dynamic composition, and it really embodies Wyeth’s aesthetic in how he infuses the painting with action and drama. We’ve seen a strong demand for illustration in recent seasons, from artists such as J.C. Leyendecker, Maxfield Parrish and N.C. Wyeth.”George Inness (1825-1894), Palisades on the Hudson, ca. 1866 or 1876. Oil on canvas, 30 x 451⁄8 in., signed lower right: ‘G Inness’. Estimate: $150/250,000

Other works available to bidders are Edward Willis Redfield’s oil Garden, Boothbay Harbor, Maine (est. $200/300,000), Fairfield Porter’s 1959 oil Still Life (est. $50/70,000), Western painter John Clymer’s Attack (est. $100/150,000), Nicolai Fechin’s Waste Land No. 6 (est. $120/180,000) and George Inness’ Palisades on the Hudson (est. $150/250,000), which shows a gorgeous view out over the Hudson River.

Fairfield Porter (1907-1975), Still Life, 1959. Oil on canvas, 32 x 22 in., signed and dated lower right: ‘Fairfield Porter’. Estimate: $50/70,000

The December 11 sale will begin at 10 a.m. and feature around 50 lots. Although the sale will be live, no in-person bidding will take place on the New York auction floor—telephone, absentee and online bidding only. The live sale will complement an online-only sale that will also run concurrently. Other works in the sales include pieces by Thomas Hart Benton, Oscar Bluemner, Daniel Garber and many others. —

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