On January 18, Sotheby’s presented their Art of the Americas sale in New York City. The sale featured works from many categories, including major landscape pieces from some of the most iconic artists to paint in North America.
Of the 47 lots, 33 sold, topping out with John James Audubon’s (1785 – 1851) stunning piece White-Headed Eagle, which went to the highest bidder for $756,000, just shy of its upper estimate.
John James Audubon (1785-1851), White-Headed Eagle, ca. 1828. Oil on canvas laid down on Masonite, 26½ by 39½ in.Estimate: $600/$800,000 SOLD: $756,400
Audubon studied his subjects with the scrutinizing eye of a scientist and this attention to detail can be seen in the intricate feather-work and accurately rendered claws, but he also demonstrates his skills as a landscape painter. White-Headed Eagle was likely completed in 1828 and one of many paintings that Audubon showed to the American public in order to advertise his naturalist book, Birds of America. Until 2015, the piece remained within the same family
since 1840.
Asher B. Durand’s highly anticipated colossal landscape Lake Hamlet (Passing Showers) did not disappoint, achieving $491,400, smack dab in the middle of its estimate range. A friend and mentee of Thomas Cole, Durand was a prominent member of the second generation of Hudson River School artists and Lake Hamlet (Passing Shower) is a quintessential example of his atmospheric style and why he remains so highly sought after.
Asher Brown Durand (1796-1886), Lake Hamlet (Passing Shower), 1855. Oil on canvas, 40 x 60 in., signed and lower right: ‘ABDurand 1855’.Estimate: $400/600,000 SOLD: $491,400
Right on its heels were Frederic Remington’s Broncho Buster and Albert Bierstadt’s Mountain Out of the Mist, both of which sold within their estimated values at $428, 400.
Bronch Buster was Remington’s first sculpture. Based on one of the artist’s illustrations, the bronze depicts a cowboy taming a horse, and has earned a place as a true icon of Western art. Iterations can be found in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and other esteemed institutions.
Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), Mountain Out of the Mist, ca. 1889. Oil on canvas, 26¼ x 36 in., signed lower left: ‘Bierstadt’. Estimate: $300/$500,000 SOLD: $428,400
Mountain Out of the Mist is Bierstadt at his best, depicting the majesty of the Rocky Mountains enshrouded in wispy clouds, its commanding grandeur balanced by the peaceful river scene in the foreground. A tireless subject for Bierstadt and endless source of inspiration, the artists spent more than 30 years capturing the splendor of the Rockies, and its representation of the American West.
Frederic Remington (1861-1909), Broncho Buster, copyrighted 1895; cast ca. 1899. Bronze, 22 in., inscribed on the base: ‘Frederic Remington’; numbered within the first initial on the base: ‘49’; inscribed on the base: ‘The Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co Founders. NY. 1899’, inscribed along the base: ‘Copyrighted by / Frederic Remington 1895’; numbered beneath the base: ‘49’. Estimate: $300/$500,000 SOLD: $428,400
Other auction highlights include works by Francis Augustus Silva, Alfred Thompson Bricher and William Trost Richards, among many other works of historic American fine art.
Top 10 LOTS
Sotheby’s, Art of the Americas, January 18, 2023 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist • Title • Low/High ESt. • SOLD
John James Audubon • White-Headed Eagle • $600/800,000 • $756,000
Asher Brown Durand • Lake Hamlet (Passing Shower) • $400/600,000 • $491,400
Albert Bierstadt • Mountain Out of the Mist • $300/500,000 • $428,400
Frederic Remington • Broncho Buster • $400/600,000 • $428,400
Francis Augustus Silva • Bedloe’s Island, New York Harbor, Looking North • $200/300,000 • $226,800
Alfred Thompson Bricher • Mississippi River (Dubuque, Iowa) • $120/180,000 • $214,200
Maria Oakey Dewing • Rose Garden • $200/300,000 • $189,000
Cornelius Krieghoff • Horse Drawn Sleigh Passing a Cabin • $30/50,000 • $189,000
Tom Lovell • The Abandoned Dream • $100/150,000 • $126,800
William Trost Richards • New Jersey Coast • $100/150,000 • $113,400
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