Works by women artists once again yielded strong results in Freeman’s June 6 American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists auction. Garnering a total of $2.64 million, the auction’s top sale was Winter Decoration—a large-scale view of Lambertville, New Jersey, by Pennsylvania Impressionist Fern Isabel Coppedge (1883-1951)—which went for $252,800, more than double its estimated value of $100,000.
Fern Isabel Coppedge (1883-1951), Winter Decoration, ca. 1935. Oil on canvas, 38¼ x 40 in. Estimate: $100/150,000 SOLD: $252,000
New world auction records were set for Philadelphia illustrators Sarah S. Stilwell Weber (1878-1939) and Emma Fordyce MacRae (1887-1974).Weber’s Three of Us (Saturday Evening Post Cover) saw lively competitive bidding to reach $119,700 with an opening estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. MacRae’s portrait Melina in Green engendered a lengthy bidding war that culminated in a $63,000 sale, far above its $8,000 to $12,000 estimate.
Edward Willis Redfield (1869-1965), Road to the River, ca. 1920. Oil on canvas, 32 x 40 in. Estimate: $200/300,000 SOLD: $226,800
Willard LeRoy Metcalf (1858-1925), Garden of Dreams, 1908. Oil on canvas, 24 x 23 in. Estimate: $150/250,000 SOLD: $163,800
Other auction highlights from the Pennsylvania Impressionist category include Still Life with New York Tribune, Beer Stein, Pipe and Tobacco by William Michael Harnett (1848-1892) and Hermann Herzog’s (1832-1932) Near the Outlet of the Waccasassa River, Florida, which sold for $53,235 and $40,950, respectively.
Sarah S. Stilwell Weber (1878-1939), Three of Us (Saturday Evening Post Cover). Oil on canvas, 32 x 27 in. Estimate: $30/50,000 SOLD: $119,700
Freeman’s June 7 Collect: American Art Sale saw another world auction record for William Formby Halsall (1841-1919), whose piece Gay Head in Winter surpassed its $2,000 to $3,000 estimate, climbing up to sale price of $37,800. Manuel Azadigian (1901-1924) saw similar results for Spring in the Valley which sold for $15,120—over five times its presale low estimate.
George William Sotter (1879-1953), The Artist’s Studio, 1946. Oil on Masonite, 22 x 26 in. Estimate: $100/150,000 SOLD: $126,000
“These back-to-back sales once again proved our long-held belief that works most often sell best where they were made, and we are proud to extend the list of Philadelphia artists for whom we hold the auction record,” remarks chairman Alasdair Nichol. “Collectors’ tastes are diversifying, and we are excited by the continuing opportunity to usher formerly overlooked artists into the spotlight.”
Top 10 LOTS
Freeman’s American Art & Pennsylvania Impressionists, June 6, 2022 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist • Title • Low/High ESt. • SOLD
Fern Isabel Coppedge • Winter Decoration • $100/150,000 • $252,000
Edward Willis Redfield • Road to the River • $200/300,000 • $226,800
Willard LeRoy Metcalf • Garden of Dreams • $150/250,000 • $163,800
George William Sotter • The Artist’s Studio • $100/150,000 • $126,000
Sarah S. Stilwell Weber • Three of Us (Saturday Evening Post Cover) • $30/50,000 • $119,700
Guy Wiggins • Winter from the Plaza • $80/120,000 • $113,400
Fern Isabel Coppedge • Carversville Brook • $40/60,000 • $88,200
George William Sotter • Fishing Village at Moonlight • $25/40,000 • $78,750
Emma Fordyce MacRae • Melina in Green • $8/12,000 • $63,000
William Michael Harnett • Still Life with New York Tribune, Beer Stein, Pipe and Tobacco • $40/60,000 • $53,235
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