While Freeman’s | Hindman readies the Chicago showroom for its spring American Art sale; back in Philadelphia, the newly merged auction houses will be preparing for what has long been Freeman’s signature American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists auction.
Mahoni Mackintosh Young (1887-1957), The Boxers, 1926-31. Bronze with black patina, 23 in. Estimate: $40/60,000
“We are still very confident about the Pennsylvania Impressionist market, and investing in it more so than ever,” says Raphael Chatroux, vice president, head of American art Freeman’s Hindman. “Our sales will continue to have a strong section dedicated to this important school. With time, we also hope to be able to make those sales independent, with a focus on the Philadelphia Ten collective.
Freeman’s | Hindman’s June 2 sale will feature roughly 100 lots, among them a strong section of Pennsylvania Impressionists led by several oils by George Sotter (1879-1953). “The main highlight is Light in the Window, a large and important quintessential nocturne scene set in snowy Bucks County,” says Chatroux. “Executed in the mid-1960s, its format makes it quite impressive. We are able to easily identify it as a mature, polished work through the darker, almost purple-like, hues of the night sky.”
George Sotter (1879–1953), Light in the Window. Oil on canvas, 36 x 40 in. Estimate: $100/150,000
Additional works by the artist—including a Rockport Harbor scene and smaller oils—will also be on offer. The auction house is also anticipating examples by atmospheric impressionist landscape painter Kenneth Nunamaker (1890-1957), including one of his largest works, as well as pieces by Edward Willis Redfield, Fern Isabel Coppedge and Daniel Garber.
Other highlights include a series of works by Philadelphia Ten artist Emma Fordyce MacRae—for whom Freeman’s holds the world auction record—Hudson River School works by Alfred Thompson Bricher and Jasper Francis Cropsey, as well as several Ashcan examples by William Glackens and Guy Pène du Bois.
“This is indeed one of the highlights of the sale,” says Chatroux about a Pène du Bois portrait with a high estimate of $80,000. “Besides its alluring color palette and strong composition, the work is important as our June sale marks its first ever appearance on the market. The portrait depicts Mary Lightfoot Tarleton Knollenberg (1904-1992), an American sculptor who was romantically involved with Pène du Bois. Their relationship can be further studied through letters they sent to each other, and which are now accessible at the Smithsonian Archives. A few letters will also accompany this lot, which comes straight from Knollenberg’s descendants.”
Kenneth Nunamaker (1890-1957), Spring. Oil on Canvas, 40 x 40 in. Estimate: $40/60,000
In addition to the Sotter and the Pène du bois, Chatroux points to another painting of note by Milton Avery from the late 1930s that comes to the market for the first time. The piece sold directly from the artist’s studio in May 1940 to Valentine Gallery. “For us, it is quite an important painting as it directly relates to the eponymous subject in the Collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia,” shares Chatroux. “It not only shows Avery’s debt towards Matisse, but also his appreciation of the landscape, most likely in Connecticut, and his lonesome, and hardworking personality.”
The sale will also include a series of works deaccessioned by the Brandywine River Museum, a highlight of which is stunning bronze sculpture by Mahoni Makintosh Young (1877-1957). Given its prestigious provenance Boxers—one in a series Young did of fighters in the ring—is expected to fetch a handsome sum between $40,000 and $60,000.
Guy Pène du Bois (1884–1958), Portrait of Mary Lightfoot Tarleton Knollenberg. Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 in. Estimate: $50/80,000
As ever, Chatroux is excited to see how the five works by Fordyce MacRae perform, as her collector base has expanded and is eager for new works to enter the market.
Chatroux says the full impact of the Freeman’s | Hindman merger will likely be felt come fall, when their sale schedules officially collide. “We are planning for a major American art sale in Philadelphia in December,” he says, “And anticipate this next event to be a strong one, especially coming into this important electoral year.”
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