The West Rises

Christie’s brings in more than $20 million on the T. Boone Pickens sale of iconic Western works

On October 28, Christie’s kicked off its spring American art sales by offering a single-owner collection of materials related to the American West. The sale, The Legend of the West: Iconic Works from the T. Boone Pickens Collection, would go on to eclipse the full American art sale nearly seven times over.

The 79-lot sale realized $20.4 million and set a few world records as well. “It was a phenomenal sale,” says Tylee Abbott, Western specialist at Christie’s. “Obviously this has been a unique year, but this would be considered a strong sale even in a normal year. Everyone is really thrilled with the results.”Frederic Remington (1861-1909), The Buffalo Signal (If Skulls Could Speak), 1900. Oil on canvas, 40 x 27 in., signed and dated lower right: ‘Frederic Remington-/1900/Copyright 1903 by Frederic Remington’. Estimate: $3/5 million SOLD: $2,910,000

N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945), Indian Love Call, 1927. Oil on canvas, 46 x 69 ¼ in., signed lower right: ‘N.C. Wyeth’. Estimate: $2/3 million SOLD: $3,510,000

Not only did the sale top $20 million, but it also had a 92 percent sell-through rate and achieved several notable auction records. The top lot was N.C. Wyeth’s Indian Love Call, which sold for more than $3.5 million, clearing well over its $3 million high estimate. The work—large and vibrant, with a magnificent scene with trees and a gentle river—generated lots of interest before the sale and received energetic bidding. Not far behind it was Frederic Remington’s The Buffalo Signal (If Skulls Could Speak), which sold for $2.9 million, just missing its $3 million low estimate. Oscar E. Berninghaus (1874-1952), Overland Mail, 1946. Oil on canvas, 35 x 40 in., signed and dated lower left: ‘O.E. Berninghaus/-46’. Estimate: $250/350,000 SOLD: $300,000

One of the stars of the sale was the late painter G. Harvey, whose works, nine in all, realized more than $3.3 million. Boomtown Drifters, an iconic scene showing many of the artist’s most famous trademarks, sold for $1.2 million, shattering its $300,000 high estimate, and also crushing his previous world record of $516,500, set in 2018. Fifteen lots later, another Harvey, Rawhide & Thunder, sold for $750,000, more than doubling its $350,000 high estimate.

Another record breaker was Herman Hansen’s Attack on the Stagecoach (est. $80/120,000), which sold for $125,000. Hansen’s previous world record, $81,250, was set by the same piece in 2001.Herman Hansen (1854-1924), Attack on the Stagecoach, 1908. Oil on canvas laid down on board, 36 x 50 in., signed and dated lower left: ‘H·W·Hansen–08/copyright’. Artist World Auction Record. Estimate: $80/120,000 SOLD: $125,000

Thomas Moran (1837-1926), Index Peak, Yellowstone, Wyoming, 1913. Oil on canvas, 19¾ x 29¾ in., signed with initials in monogram and dated lower left: ‘TMoran. 1913.’ Estimate: $700/1,000,000 SOLD: $1,350,000

Elsewhere in the sale was Thomas Moran’s Index Peak, Yellowstone, Wyoming (est. $700/1,000,000) that sold for $1.3 million; Remington’s bronze of Broncho Buster (est. $300/500,000) that sold for $562,500; Frank Tenney Johnson’s Wyoming Cattlemen (est. $250/350,000) at $625,000; and Olaf Weighorst’s Opening of the Cherokee Strip (est. $200/300,000), which achieved $225,000. Howard Terpning, the famous illustrator turned Western artist who still paints today, also produced fantastic numbers, with four pieces all selling above $350,000. The top Terpning was Flags on the Frontier, which sold at $990,000, just barely missing its $1 million high estimate.

Also selling were stunning pieces from Bob Kuhn, Guy Carlton Wiggins, Thomas Hill, Charles M. Russell, John Clymer, Tom Lovell and a magnificent Peter Hurd painting, The Baptising, which sold for over estimate for $81,250. —

Top 10 Sales
Christie’s, T. Boone Pickens sale, October 28, 2020 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low/High Est. SOLD
N.C. Wyeth Indian Love Call $2/3 million $3,510,000
Frederic Remington The Buffalo Signal $3/5 million $2,910,000
Thomas Moran Index Peak, Yellowstone, Wyoming $700/1,000,000 $1,350,000
G. Harvey Boomtown Drifters $300/500,000 $1,230,000
Howard Terpning Flags on the Frontier $700/1,000,000 $990,000
G. Harvey Rawhide & Thunder $250/350,000 $750,000
Charles M. Russell Roping a Wolf $700/1,000,000 $625,000
Frederic Remington The Broncho Buster $300/500,000 $562,500
Frank Tenney Johnson Wyoming Cattlemen $250/350,000 $550,000
G. Harvey Cowboy’s Dream $100/150,000 $500,000