High Into the West

Stunning Western works from the Knobloch Collection bring in more than $21 million during the May Christie’s sale

On May 17, Christie’s presented Stewards of the West: The Knobloch Collection, a 75-lot sale featuring major pieces of Western art from some of the top names in the category. Not only did the sale return huge numbers—$21.1 million in total—it also outperformed Christie’s previous single-owner Western sale, The Legend of the West: Iconic Works from the T. Boone Pickens Collection, which brought in $20.4 million in October 2020. The two sales have harmonized a theme: Don’t sleep on Western art. Thomas Moran (1837-1926), The Castle Rock, Green River, Wyoming, 1913. Oil on canvas, 25 x 30 in. Estimate: $2.5/3.5 million SOLD: $2,700,000

“We’re feeling really great, especially coming out with nearly $1 million more than the Pickens sale. Christie’s is really stepping up on these big Western sales,” says Tylee Abbott, the head of American art at the New York auction house. “The sale room was lively, bids were consistent and there was a healthy amount of bidding on the phone and internet.”

One of the stars of the sale was Thomas Moran, who had three major lots perform exceptionally well: The Castle Rock, Green River, Wyoming (est. $2.5/3.5 million) that sold for $2.7 million, Grand Canyon, Colorado River (est. $700/1,000,000) that sold for $2.34 million and A Passing Shower in the Yellowstone Cañon (est. $1.5/2.5 million) that finished at $1.74 million. Thomas Moran (1837-1926), Grand Canyon, Colorado River, 1915. Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 in. Estimate: $700/1,000,000 SOLD: $2,340,000

John Trumbull (1756-1843), George Washington, ca. 1793. Oil on canvas, 30 x 24 in. Estimate: $1/1.5 million SOLD: $1,620,000

Four Frederic Remington bronzes, all of them classic sculptures by the artist, outperformed their estimates, some by a huge margin. The bronzes were The Broncho Buster (est. $300/500,000) that sold for $655,000, The Rattlesnake (est. $200/300,000) that sold for $504,000, The Cheyenne (est. $250/350,000) that also sold for $504,000, and The Scalp (The Triumph) (est. $150/250,000) that sold for $378,000.

“It’s very exciting to see Western bronze doing so well. It’s been very good for the last five years or so, particularly because of some great bronze shows that have taken place at major museums,” Abbott says. “The bidding for these pieces was vigorous, with some clients coming in for all of them or some of them, and others bidding on a single piece. There was a great depth of bidding there for all of these works.”George Catlin (1796-1872), Buffalo Chase, A Surround by the Hidatsa, ca. 1832. Oil on canvas laid down on Masonite, 23 x 27¼ in. Estimate: $800/1,200,000 SOLD: $1,197,000

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975), Fishermen’s Camp, Buffalo River, 1968. Oil and casein on Masonite, 19 x 23½ in. Estimate: $700/1,000,000 SOLD: $1,380,000

Other top lots were George Catlin’s Buffalo Chase, A Surround by the Hidatsa (est. $800/1,200,000) that sold for nearly $1.2 million, John Mix Stanley’s The Deer-Slayers (est. $1/1.5 million) that sold for more than $1 million and Joseph Henry Sharp’s Indian Encampment (est. $250/350,000) that finished at $478,000.

Five major records were set for artists John Trumbull ($1.62 million), Richard Lorenz ($504,000), Frank Schoonover ($441,000) Edgar S. Paxson ($283,500) and A.D.M. Cooper ($40,320).

Prior to the Knobloch sale, Christie’s presented its American art sale, which had several highlights. One of them was Thomas Hart Benton’s Fishermen’s Camp, Buffalo River, a 1968 oil and casein on Masonite. The work, estimated at $700,000 to $1 million, sold for $1.38 million. —

Top 10 LOTS
Christie’s Stewards of the West: The Knobloch Collection, May 17, 2022 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low/High ESt. SOLD
Thomas Moran The Castle Rock, Green River… $2.5/3.5 million $2,700,000
Thomas Moran Grand Canyon, Colorado River $700/1,000,000 $2,340,000
John Trumbull George Washington $1/1.5 million $1,620,000
George Catlin Buffalo Chase… $800/1,200,000 $1,197,000
John Mix Stanley The Deer-Slayers $1/1.5 million $1,071,000
Frederic Remington The Broncho Buster $300/500,000 $655,200
Frederic Remington The Rattlesnake $200/300,000 $504,000
Richard Lorenz The Last Farewell $200/300,000 $504,000
Frederic Remington The Cheyenne $250/350,000 $504,000
Joseph Henry Sharp Indian Encampment $250/350,000 $478,800