Paint and Stone

A diverse selection of artwork performs strong at Santa Fe Art Auction’s Signature Summer Sale

Featuring materials as diverse as pueblo carvings, turquoise jewelry, woodblock prints and oil paintings, Santa Fe Art Auction’s Signature Summer Sale saw exceptional sales results amid high bidding in the June 24 and 25 sale.

Emil Bisttram (1895-1976), Man the Unknown, 1961. Oil on canvas, 48 x 32 in. Estimate: $100/200,000 SOLD: $91,500

The sale featured a number of quintessential examples by modernist painter Emil Bisttram, whose 1961 oil piece Man the Unknown (est. $100/200,000) sold for $91,500. The work is a fascinating example of the artist’s work as a member of the Transcendental Painting Group, which valued pure abstracted form above all else.

Susan Hertel (1930-1992), Horses in the Garden. Oil on canvas, 45 x 62 in. Estimate: $25/35,000 SOLD: $61,000

The Santa Fe Art Auction has had a number of stunning Gustave Baumann works available at auctions from throughout the last year, and the June sale was no different with several really strong Baumann woodblock prints. The top Baumann was the 1930 print Bound for Taos, which had a high estimate of $12,000, and yet closed at more than double that at $24,400.

Gustave Baumann (1881-1971), Bound for Taos, 1930. Color woodcut, ed. 57 of 125, 9½ x 111/8 in. Estimate: $8/12,000 SOLD: $24,400

Louis Ribak (1902-1979), Night on White Mountain, 1954. Oil on panel, 30 x 48 in. Estimate: $3/5,000 SOLD: $6,710

Susan Hertel was represented in the sale with Horses in the Garden, showing two women sitting on a bench near a cat and two horses. The oil piece has a high estimate of $35,000, but shot right past that before closing at $61,000.

Other top-selling works include pieces by T.C. Cannon, Carl Redin, Olive Rush, Luis Jimenez, Edward S. Curtis, David Bradley, Louis Ribak, Fritz Scholder, Freemont Ellis and Raymond Jonson.

Charles Loloma (1921-1991), Inlaid Mosaic Cuff Bracelet, ca. 1980-1985. 14k gold, turquoise, coral and lapis, 2 x 2 7/8 x 1¼ in. Estimate: $20/30,000 SOLD: $97,600

The two top lots of the sale were not paintings at all, but Native American jewelry from Hopi designer Charles Loloma. An inlaid mosaic cuff bracelet with gold, turquoise, coral and lapis and an ironwood cuff bracelet sold separately at $97,600 each. Loloma, who died in 1991 and was known for his stone inlay and modern interpretations of Native American jewelry, had much of his personal collection of artwork in the sale after his wife passed away. Although he worked in numerous mediums, including drawing and painting, Loloma was collected at the highest level because of his exquisite jewelry design.