American illustration, Hudson River School, cubism, surrealism, Western art, portraits and much more will be available at the November 22 American Art sale held by Sotheby’s in New York City. The auction, with more than 60 lots, will serve as a cross section for American art’s many wonderful periods and movements. Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000), The Family, 1964. Tempera on board, 24 x 20 in., signed and dated lower right: ‘Jacob Lawrence’ and ‘’64’. Estimate: $1.2/1.8 million

“The sale will be similar in size to our spring offerings, which brought in $15 million, not including a $12 million Childe Hassam from the Impressionist & Modern Evening Sale,” American art specialist Charlotte Mitchell says. “We’re looking forward to capitalizing on the appetite of the market, especially since collectors are approaching the fall season with reinvigorated senses.”

Mitchell adds that the pandemic and a general increase in comfort with technology has made internet bidding very popular. “We’re seeing continued growth with our online sales and with participation,” she says. “People are very comfortable bidding online. It will never replace an in-person auction, but it has made bidding much easier for many of our bidders.”Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), Portrait of Mrs. Clement B. Newbold, 1894-95. Oil on canvas, 32¼ x 26 in., signed lower right: ‘Mary Cassatt’. Estimate: $800/1,200,000

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), The Adventurers, 1928. Oil on panel, 193/8 x 28 in., signed lower right: ‘NORMAN / ROCKWELL’. Estimate: $1.5/2.5 million

Standout lots in the sale include Jacob Lawrence’s tempera work The Family, estimated at $1.2 million to $1.8 million. “High-quality works by this artist don’t come up very often, so we’re thrilled to be seeing it and it is most certainly a highlight of this sale. We expect to see interest because works by Black artists, Jacob Lawrence in particular, have done very strong,” says Mitchell. “Within the last year, we’ve set Lawrence records for tempera works and for works on paper, so there is definitely a strong demand for his work.”

The sale will also feature two exceptional Mary Cassatt paintings: Girl in a Hat with a Black Ribbon (est. $400/600,000) and Portrait of Mrs. Clement B. Newbold (est. $800/1,200,000). Girl in a Hat with a Black Ribbon comes from the collection of Jay I. Kislak and will be sold to benefit the Kislak Family Foundation. Mitchell notes that the painting of the young girl is one that must be seen in person—“A photo just doesn’t do it justice,” she says. “You can really see the nuance of the pastel medium, and also the precision with which she executes the girl’s face. The background is also very nice with these vivacious and loose strokes. The green background is incredibly rich in person, just truly beautiful.”Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), Tuolumne Meadows. Oil on canvas, 36½ x 525/8 in., signed lower right: ‘ABierstadt’. Estimate: $1.2/1.8 million

Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977), Hand and Tent, 1949. Oil on Masonite, 4½ x 6½ in., signed and dated lower right: ‘Abercrombie ’49’. Estimate: $50/70,000

In the area of American illustration, Norman Rockwell will be represented by a 1928 work that ended up on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. The Adventurers, estimated at $1.5 million to $2.5 million, shows two figures: an old man at a globe and a young sailor at a ship’s wheel. The work doesn’t resemble some of Rockwell’s later cover formats—some viewers may even mistake it for an N.C. Wyeth painting—but his attention to detail and the unique composition of the paired images will be familiar to Rockwell collectors and fans.

Other works include Gertrude Abercrombie’s surrealist 1949 oil Hand and Tent (est. $50/70,000); Theodore Roszak’s 1936 oil Study for “Forty-Second Street” (est. $40/60,000); and Henry Farny’s watercolor and gouache Nyutchi, The Old War Chief, Zuni (est. $30/50,000).Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), Girl in a Hat with a Black Ribbon, ca. 1901-02. Pastel on paper, 17¾ x 21½ in., signed lower right: ‘Mary Cassatt’. Estimate: $400/600,000

Two Albert Bierstadt pieces from opposite ends of the American West will also be available to bidders, one from California and another from Kansas. “Neither have been on the market before and they will appeal to different types of collectors,” Mitchell says. “We are absolutely thrilled to be presenting them.”

The California painting is Tuolumne Meadows, an oil on canvas measuring more than 52 inches wide. It was likely inspired by Bierstadt’s extensive travels in the early 1860s in Yosemite, where Tuolumne Meadows sits on the eastern side of the national park. The work is estimated at $1.2 million to $1.8 million, which could make the piece one of the most expensive Bierstadt’s to hit the market since 2017, when the artist had several $1-million-plus sales. “The scale on this painting is wonderful and it reads very nicely in person,” Mitchell says. “I work of this caliber hasn’t been offered in some time.”Theodore Roszak (1907-1981), Study for “Forty-Second Street”, 1936. Oil on Masonite, 8 x 4¾ in. Estimate: $40/60,000

Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), Early Settlers, 1861. Oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in., signed and dated lower right: ‘ABierstadt. ‘61’. Estimate: $500/700,000

The Kansas painting, Early Settlers, comes from 1861 and it shows several figures working outside a simple log cabin as they tend to livestock and a loaded wagon. The work is estimated at $500,000 to $700,000.

For the first time in more than a year at Sotheby’s, the sale will be held live with in-person bidders, as well as phone, internet and absentee bidding. Bidders are encouraged to follow along at Sotheby’s website to see updates prior to the sale. —

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