A Healthy Market

Freeman’s | Hindman’s American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists sale achieved $1.8 million in total sales

“I think our sale was a reflection of today’s market: reasonably healthy without much fuss,” says Raphael Chatroux, vice president and head of the American art department at Freeman’s | Hindman. The auction house hosted its American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists sale on June 2, totaling $1.8 million in sales across 82 lots with a sell-through rate of 79 percent.

Daniel Garber (1880-1958), The Blue House, 1938. Oil on canvas, 25 x 30 1⁄8 in., signed bottom left: ‘Daniel Garber’; also inscribed with title and artist’s name on upper and central stretcher bars on verso. Estimate: $150/200,000 SOLD: $152,400

“We noticed the same appeal for the Pennsylvania impressionists across the board (Redfield, Garber and Coppedge) and for fresh oils with longstanding provenance,” he continues.

The top lot in the sale was Daniel Garber’s illustrative oil painting of an idyllic blue house surrounded by trees and the quintessential white-picket fence. The Blue House just crossed the threshold of its $150,000 low estimate when it sold for a respectable $152,400. “Garber’s Blue House…came from a private estate in Pennsylvania, appearing fresh on the market for the first time. It was a colorful canvas for the artist, a very commercial scene which attracted some attention. In the end it went to a first-time private collector, bidding in the room against a telephone,” Chatroux says.

Edward Willis Redfield (1869-1965), Snug Harbor. Oil on canvas, 28¼ x 32 1⁄8 in., signed bottom left: ‘E.W. REDFIELD’; also titled, signed, dated ‘1924’ and carved ‘#15’ on upper stretcher bar on verso. Estimate: $80/120,000 SOLD: $127,000

“More modern works arguably struggled a bit more, which might be a result of a lack of novelty as most of those artists are heavily offered on the market, and buyers therefore tend to be picky,” he adds. “As ever, we notice a strong involvement of private collectors, but the trade doesn’t play the role it has in the past. We were also pleased to note a strong activity from museums, who don’t hesitate to participate when the pieces—and the price—are right.”

The auction specialist explains that passionate bidding teetered back and forth for William Glackens’ Soda Fountain study, with some people on the phone and online battling for it. In the end, it sold to the Reading Public Museum for $57,150.

Fern Isabel Coppedge (1883-1951), Winter in the Village, ca. 1941. Oil on canvas, 24 x 24 in., signed bottom right: ‘FERN I. Coppedge’; also pencil signed, titled and located ‘NEW HOPE, PA’ on upper stretcher on verso. Estimate: $60/100,000 SOLD: $114,300

“We are thrilled to be able to have acquired the William Glackens study for Soda Fountain, the final composition of which is also in Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. It’s terrific to have these works so close in geographical proximity,” says Scott Schweigert, curator of art at the Reading Public Museum.

George Sotter (1879-1953), A Light in the Window. Oil on canvas, 37¾ x 41 in., signed and dated bottom left: ‘Geo. W. Sotter/1934’. Estimate: $100/150,000 SOLD: $114,300

Additional highlights from the June 2 sale include another Garber piece titled Mary Maxwell’s House (est. $120/180,000), as well as Edward Willis Redfield’s Snug Harbor ($80/120,000), both of which sold for $127,000. “We were pleased to see the solid result for Snug Harbor, a very colorful and inviting summer scene (in time for the season), which came directly from the artist’s descendants,” says Chatroux. “That is exactly what spoke to our audience, always in search of fresh works that have never appeared on the open market before.”

Top 10 LOTS

Freeman’s | Hindman’s American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists sale on June 2, 2024 (including buyer’s premiums)

Artist | Title | Low/High ESt. | SOLD

Daniel Garber | The Blue House | $150/200,000 | $152,400

Daniel Garber | Mary Maxwell’s House | $120/180,000 | $127,000

Edward Willis Redfield | Snug Harbor | $80/120,000 | $127,000

George Sotter | A Light in the Window | $100/150,000 | $114,300

Fern Isabel Coppedge | Winter in the Village | $60/100,000 | $114,300

Edward Willis Redfield | The Old Bridge (Beaver Run Bridge) | $80/120,000 | $95,250

Guy Pène Du Bois | Portrait of Mary Lightfoot Tarleton Knollenberg | $50/80,000 | $63,500

William Glackens | Study for The Soda Fountain | $30/50,000 | $57,150

Robert Henri | Spanish Gypsy (Dolores) | $100/150,000 | $57,150