Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), One More Week of School and Then..., 1919. Oil on canvas laid to board, 20¾ x 21 in., signed lower center: ‘Norman Rockwell’. From the collection of Joseph S. and Miriam T. Sample . Estimate: $300/500,000

One More Week of School and Then… was made for the June 14, 1919, cover of The Country Gentleman, an American agricultural magazine founded in Albany, New York, in 1852. Although the young Rockwell would go on to create covers for other renowned titles throughout his career, he only produced paintings for this publication from 1917 to 1922. With a low estimate of $300,000, One More Week of School and Then… was the 13th cover in his popular Cousin Reginald series about the misadventures of a city slicker youth repeatedly duped by his country cousins. Even though the title doesn’t actually include Reginald’s name and the central figure is missing his customary glasses, the characters are clearly city cousin Reginald Claude Fitzhugh and country cousins Rusty and Tubby Doolittle. The piece epitomizes Rockwell’s lighthearted and charming narrative style, as well as his talent in capturing America’s youth, which is likely to push its value far closer to its high estimate of $500,000 or beyond. “We are delighted to bring to market such a strong and representative example of Rockwell’s early work, with its expressive and rather painterly execution,” says American art specialist, Pauline Archambault. “Created when Rockwell was just 25 years old, it beautifully illustrates his meticulous technique and what made him among the most sought-after commercial artists of the 20th century.” 

Maurice Prendergast (1858–1924), Rocky Beach Cove, Marblehead, ca. 1920-23. Watercolor, graphite, gouache and pastel on paper 11¼ x 15½ in., signed lower left: ‘Prendergast’ with a beach scene sketch on verso. Estimate: $50/70,000

Additional auction highlights include a distinctive post-Impressionist piece by Maurice Prendergast (1858-1924) whose work often fetches six figures at auction. Born in Saint John’s, Newfoundland, Prendergast spent his childhood and young adulthood in Boston, where he discovered the rugged New England coastline and seashore. Prendergast didn’t study art formally until his early 30s when he attended the Académie Colarossi and the Académie Julian in Paris from 1891 to 1894. During this time, he discovered great avant-garde and post-Impressionist painters, but it was the works of Paul Cézanne that impacted him most significantly. Rocky Cove Beach, Marblehead, 1920 to 1923, was executed during the final years of his career and has an estimated value between $50,000 and $70,000. The scene depicts brightly clad, anonymous figures on a beach and reflects his many years observing the leisure class on holiday in New England and Europe. It is a fine example of his unique post-Impressionist style with its spontaneous brushstroke and bold color. 

John Marin (1870-1953), From New York Hospital (a double sided work), 1951. Watercolor and graphite on paper, 87/8 x 12 in., signed and dated lower right: ‘Marin’. Property from the collection of Jean Sulkes, Chicago, Illinois. Estimate: $8/12,000

Jane Peterson (1876-1965), A Busy Market, Venice. Gouache and charcoal on paper, 17½ x 16½ in., signed lower right: ‘Jane Peterson’. Property from the collection of Jean Sulkes, Chicago, Illinois. Estimate: $6/8,000

Orville Bulman (1904-1978) was a self-taught artist who worked as newspaper cartoonist in Chicago for a short time before returning to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to work for the family manufacturing business. Eventually he settled in Palm Beach, Florida, where he owned a gallery and became a prolific painter. In a recent auction a piece achieved more than four times its estimated value. His piece Quest-cet was painted in 1957 after Bulman was captivated by Haiti, its people—who he lived among for a time—and color. He dedicated the rest of his career to works inspired by the tropical island and Quest-cet, which has a high estimate of $15,000, is a wonderful example of the aesthetic. 

Orville Bulman (1904-1978), Quest-cet, 1957. Oil on canvas, 20¼ x 22¼ in., signed lower left: ‘Bulman’; signed, dated and titled on the reverse. From the collection of Joseph S. and Miriam T. Sample. Estimate: $10/15,000

De Scott Evans (1847-1898), Free Sample, Take One. Oil on canvas, 12 x 10 in., signed lower right: ‘S.S. David’. Estimate: $7/9,000

There has been a renewed interest in the works of Jane Peterson (1876-1965). Perhaps best known for her landscapes and town scenes in the United States and Europe, where she traveled extensively, Peterson also painted still lifes and portraiture in her unique blend of impressionism and expressionism. A Busy Market, Venice, topping out at an estimate of $8,000, is a lovely example of her European street scenes in which she often depicts the exchanges between vendors and townspeople. 

Another highly anticipated lot is John Marin’s (1870–1953) double-sided watercolor and pencil From New York Hospital, 1951. An early modernist artist associated with the Stieglitz circle, Marin is best known for his watercolors of coastal Maine and urban scenes, the piece depicts one of Marin’s most revisited subjects.

Bidding for the October 17th auction will begin at 10 a.m. Central Time, and will be available in-person at Hindman’s Chicago headquarters, and via absentee bid and telephone, and online via Hindman’s digital bid room.

Powered by Froala Editor