Virginia and Stuart Peltz began collecting works by some of the most sought-after Pennsylvania Impressionists directly in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the late 1980s. The grouping is highly curated and features some of the greatest artists of the category. On December 5, paintings they masterfully collected will be available at Freeman’s in Philadelphia for the specially named American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists Featuring the Collection of Virginia and Stuart Peltz auction.Daniel Garber (1880-1958), Sycamores. Oil on canvas, 52 x 56 in., signed bottom right. Estimate: $300/500,000

“The Peltzes were quite well known, and they collected 16 works of leading Pennsylvania Impressionist artists,” says Raphaël Chatroux, Freeman’s department specialist and head of sale. “The collection is interesting and arguably important as well. It’s not just quintessential examples of the artists, but you have a level academism. They are beautiful pieces but tend to be important for the artist themselves, which conveys an aura to an overall collection. A lot of collectors have known the Peltz name.”William Zorach (1887-1966), Spirit of the Dance. Bronze with brown patina, 77 in., signed, copyrighted, dated and numbered on base: ‘Zorach © 1932 4/6’. Estimate: $100/150,000

When the pair began collecting Pennsylvania Impressionism in the 1980s “that market really hadn’t started to explode,” which happened around 2000, explains Chatroux. He adds, “What motivated them was the narrative of the painting and the backstory behind each. They started with several pieces and realized they were collecting art by members of the New Hope School, and they voluntarily decided to buy one example by each artist to show the best example.”

Included are two snow scenes by Coppedge; they are an early painting with recognizable “pastel-like tones and a later one using strong contrasts and much bolder colors in general,” says Chatroux. They are of known places in the area, such as Cartersville in December Afternoon (Cartersville), which has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. Edward Willis Redfield (1869-1965), Abandoned Road. Oil on canvas, 28 x 32 in., signed bottom: ‘E.W. REDFIELD’; titled and signed on upper stretcher verso. Estimate: $120/180,000

Artwork from the Collection of Virginia and Stuart Peltz. Clockwise from top: Morgan Colt (1876-1926), The Butcher Wagon, 1920. Oil on canvas, 30 x 36¼ in., signed bottom right. Estimate: $40/60,000; Kenneth R. Nunamaker (1890-1957), River Road at Centre Bridge, 1920. Oil on canvas, 44 x 50 in., signed bottom left. Estimate: $60/100,000; Fern Isabel Coppedge (1883-1951), December Afternoon (Carversville), ca. 1930. Oil on canvas, 30 x 30 in., signed bottom right. Estimate: $80/120,000; John Fulton Folinsbee (1892-1972), Mother and Daughter, 1917. Oil on canvas, 301/8 x 241/8 in., signed and dated bottom right. Estimate: $20/30,000

“Edward Willis Redfield is represented by a winter scene that uses the typical muted colors that are associated with his subject,” Chatroux shares. “There’s also a Daniel Garber, but it’s interesting because it’s rare in that it depicts a winter scene. Garber is known for depicting fall or spring, not so much winter.”

Three works by artists not often arriving at auction will be included in the offerings. One of two works by Kenneth R. Nunamaker is River Road at Centre Bridge (est. $60/100,000) and is a painting the Peltzes fell in love with after seeing it at the local Swan Hotel in Lambertville and later had the chance to buy. “Also included is an intimate portrait by John Fulton Folinsbee, who is mostly known for his landscapes,” says Chatroux. “It depicts his wife and daughter. Mrs. Peltz got it directly from the widow of the artist.” The portrait has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. Rounding out the three is The Butcher Wagon, by Morgan Colt, with an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. Chatroux explains, “Colt is one of the youngest artists associated with the group in the sense that he was at the beginning of it, but because he died early and after death a large number of his work was destroyed, he’s not that well represented on the market or in museums…[The Butcher Wagon] is the quintessential painting by him. It’s one of the strongest, if not the strongest available from him.”

Outside the Peltz collection, the sale will have several standout pieces including the top lot of the sale: Garber’s commanding painting Sycamores (est. $300/500,000), which measures more than 50 inches on either side and is housed in its original Harrer frame. Arriving to market from a private collection in Philadelphia, this is the first time the painting will be available at auction. “It’s a very large, decorative work that he was known for at the start of the career. Many of his friends and dealers considered those great canvases to be Garber’s best achievements,” Chatrox says. “This one in particular was well known in Garber’s time, because it won a medal at the Carnegie Institute in 1924, which was the first time it was granted to an American artist. That led to a series of exhibitions on the East Coast and Midwest, and that’s when it was bought by Albright-Knox and they later deaccessioned the painting.”Mary Elizabeth Price (1877-1965), Mallow and Lily. Oil with gold and silver leaf on Masonite, 44 x 421/8 in., signed bottom center right: “M. ELIZABETH PRICE’. Estimate: $60/100,000

Jamie Wyeth, Saltwater Ice. Oil on board, 36 x 30 in., signed bottom left. Estimate: $200/300,000

A small collection of approximately 10 Pennsylvania Impressionist works from one consignor will be available in the sale. The highlight is Redfield’s Abandoned Road, which features an explosion of color as winter beings to turn to springtime. It has a presale estimate of $120,000 to $180,000.

Another notable item is Jamie Wyeth’s Saltwater Ice, which Chatroux says shows the legacy of the Wyeth family. “It’s everything you want in a Wyeth. For Jamie, you’re close to the level of the ravens, and sharing the point of view. It channels much of [his father] Andrew Wyeth’s realism, but has the eeriness and daunting-ness that is unique to Jamie…[It also has his grandfather] N.C. Wyeth’s love of color.” This marks the first time the work is available at auction, and it has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000.

William Zorach’s life-size bronze Spirit of the Dance, edition 4 of 6, hits the market with an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000, while Mary Elizabeth Price’s Mallow and Lily (est. $60/100,000) highlights the artist’s signature use of silver and gold leaf. —

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