Surprising Results

A sculpture by Carl Milles leads Freeman’s sale of American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists

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With a high estimate of $400,000, a piece by Henry Koerner (1915-1991) was expected to lead Freeman’s American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists sale on December 3, 2023 but The Station as well as other lots bestowed with high hopes—including a portrait by Mary Cassatt and landscapes by Fern Isabel Coppedge and Martha Walters—did not land among the top 10.

Edmund Henry Osthaus (1858-1928) Pointer with Quail, 1890. Oil on canvas, 27 x 36 in., signed and dated bottom left: ‘Edm. H. Osthaus 1890’. Estimate: $60/100,000 SOLD: $126,000

“We obviously hoped better for [the Koerner],” says Freeman’s fine art specialist Raphaël Chatroux, adding that several collectors traveled to see the piece in person before the sale. “It was an important work by the artist that captured everyone’s attention. In the end however, we suspect its subject (a difficult one which sadly echoed the tragic events at the time) paired with the fact that the scene in fact took place in Vienna and not in America, deterred bidders from going for it.”

Nothing deterred bidders from vying for Pointer with Quail by renowned sporting artist Edmund Henry Osthaus (1858-1928). The 1890 oil painting surpassed its high estimate when it achieved $126,000 and became the top lot in the roughly $1.8 million sale. Osthaus’s highly detailed depictions of field dogs in action is on full display in the piece as his skillful treatment of the surrounding landscape.

The biggest surprise of the auction came in the form of a sculpture by Swedish-born Carl Milles (1875-1955), which triggered a bidding war between two collectors, yielding a new record price for that particular model of his Triton fountains when it sold just over its low estimate for $113,400.

Carl (Wilhelm Emile) Milles (1875-1955) Small Triton Fountain. Bronze with marble roundel, 42 x 22 in., signed ‘C – Milles’ at rear of triton. Estimate: $25/40,000 SOLD: $113,400

“Despite its very much ‘as is’ condition, the sculpture appealed to two very motivated bidders, one on the phone and the other online,” says Chatroux. “The fact that the sculpture was deaccessioned directly from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts…is not negligible. His work is rare, and the obvious museum quality to the piece further enhanced the collectors’ eagerness to go for it…The fact that the sculpture was made into a fountain, and could still operate as one, was also a big factor for both collectors.”

The sale of a family portrait by John Koch (1909-1978) brought another pleasant surprise when it topped out at $63,000, more than doubling its estimated value. Garbisch Family Portrait (Version I) is an excellent example of Koch’s unique portrayals of domestic life that blend an air of candidness and formality.

“Another nice moment was the cumulative $185,220 obtained for several works by Francis Speight, the top lot being a view of Manayunk, near Philadelphia,” Chatroux says. “The works received a lot of interest, up until the last minute as the last person to register, a few minutes before the sale, got away with several of the works.”

Francis Speight (1896-1989), Manayunk Bridge. Oil on canvas, 201⁄8 x 281⁄8 in., signed bottom right: ‘F. Speight’. Estimate: $12/18,000 SOLD: $63,000Some works did perform as anticipated including The Dancer by Emma Fordyce MacRae (1887-1974) which doubled its high estimate when it achieved $50,000. California impressionist Jessie Arms Botke (1883-1971) also landed among the top 10 lots when Datura with Peacocks, a favorite subject of the artist, fetched just over $60,000.

John Koch (1909-1978), Garbisch Family Portrait (Version I), 1955. Oil on canvas, 25 x 30 in., signed and dated bottom right: ‘Koch 1955’. Estimate: $15/25,000 SOLD: $63,000“As proven by successful results…works by female artists continue to soar and appeal to collectors,” says Chatroux. “What’s especially nice to see, as it proves that the market is healthy, is the number of new, private customers coming to us to bid on these works.”