Rising to the Occasion

Christie’s first 19th-century American art sale during Americana Week in New York City yields impressive result

In November, Christie’s took a new strategy for the traditional American Art sale, deciding to dedicate one auction to primarily modernist works in November and a second on January 19 to its 19th-Century American Art artwork. The January sale paid off, as its placement around New York City’s Americana Week drew interest from new buyers and others of complementary collecting categories.Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), In the Yosemite. Oil on paper laid down on canvas, 19 x 26 in., signed with conjoined initials lower left: ‘ABierstadt’. Estimate: $300/500,000 SOLD $786,00

“We were absolutely thrilled with results of the January auction,” says the auction house’s junior specialist Caroline Seabold. “I think the numbers of the sale sort of speak for themselves. The sale was 90 percent sold by lot, and if you look, we’ve been doing some comparisons of 19th-century market over the past few years and the average sell-through rate since 2019 is about 71 percent. We’re about 18 points higher than the average across the market in the past two years.”

The auction sold 134 percent by value with 51 percent of the lots reaching their high estimate or above. Seabold adds, “We really felt like we gave this market a much-needed jolt and were thrilled by the participation not only from our traditional American art client base, but also engaged quite a number of new clients, younger clients.”Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), On Route to Yellowstone Park, Company A’s Camp of the 86th U.S. Army, ca. 1881. Oil on paper laid down on canvas, 14 x 19 in., signed with conjoined initials lower right: ‘ABierstadt’. Estimate: $120/180,000 SOLD: $400,000

David Johnson (1827-1908), Mount Lafayette from Franconia, New Hampshire, 1874-75. Oil on canvas, 30 x 50 in., signed with initials in monogram and dated lower left: ‘DJ 1875’. Estimate: $100/150,000 SOLD: $350,000

Leading the day were two works by perennial favorite Albert Bierstadt that showed important sides of his oeuvre. In theYosemite, an iconic work of one of his most famous subjects, achieved $786,000 to top its estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. The painting On Route to Yellowstone Park, Company A’s Camp of the 86th U.S. Army has a historical aspect to it with the artist focusing on his campsite while traveling west. It achieved $400,000 against an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000.

David Johnson’s Mount Lafayette from Franconia, New Hampshire (est. $100/150,000) doubled its high estimate when it sold for $300,000. “That was a certainly large-scale, best-of-type work by the artist,” says Seabold. “Typically his works come up on a smaller scale, and with the New Hampshire imagery you can pinpoint near exactly what this scene depicted. That attracts a very specific audience for clients who collect the New Hampshire scenes.”William Michael Hartnett (1848-1892), Eleme Figs and Newspaper, 1876. Oil on canvas, 20 x 28 in., signed with initials in monogram and dated lower right: ‘WM Harnett/1876’. Estimate: $60/80,000 SOLD: $93,750William Michael Harnett’s still life Eleme Figs and Newspaper (est. $60/80,000) achieved $93,750 in the auction. The painting, as Seabold explains, “had wonderful texture and demonstrated his mastery of the Trompe l’Oeil process…it was the cornerstone of our still life offerings. I was happy to see the market respond with competitive bidding.”Charles Schreyvogel (1861-1912), The Last Drop, modeled in 1903, cast ca. 1904. Bronze with golden brown patina, 12 in. high, inscribed on top of base: ‘Copyrighted 1903 by/Chas. Schreyvogel’; inscribed along base: ‘ROMAN BRONZE WORKS N.Y.’; inscribed beneath base: ‘No 15.’. Estimate: $40/60,000 SOLD: $275,000

Charles Schreyvogel’s bronze The Last Drop saw some competitive bidding during the sale, selling for $275,000 to best its estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. Another notable lot of the day was John Martin Tracy’s Hunter and Two Dogs (est. $15/25,000), which soared over presale estimates to $125,000. “He’s not an artist that we have the opportunity to sell with so much frequency,” Seabold shares. “It was really all about the estimate, and the animal and hunting imagery certainly contributed to the price.” —

Top 10 sales: Christie’s, 19th Century American Art, January 19, 2022 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low/High ESt. SOLD
Albert Bierstadt In the Yosemite $300/500,000 $786,000
Albert Bierstadt On Route to Yellowstone Park… $120/180,000 $400,000
David Johnson Mount Lafayette from Franconia, New Hampshire $100/150,000 $350,000
Charles Schreyvogel The Last Drop $40/60,000 $275,000
Winslow Homer Startled $200/300,000 $187,500
Frederic E. Church Winter Scene in Hartford $200/300,000 $175,000
John Frederick Kensett Lake Erie $120/180,000 $150,000
George Inness Moonrise $50/70,000 $150,000
Sanford Robinson Gifford Indians at Sunset (Sunset at Wilderness) $120/180,000 $125,000
John Martin Tracy Hunter and Two Dogs $15/25,000 $125,000