On May 6, John Moran Auctioneers presented California and American Fine Art Sale, featuring nearly 200 lots by some of the most important painters of the 19th and 20th centuries culled from private collections across California, the Western states and beyond.
N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945), Rose of Torridge, ca 1920. Oil on canvas, 40½ x 30 in. Estimate: $100/200,000 SOLD: $114,300
Highlights of the sale included works by N.C. Wyeth, Maurice Braun, Edgar Payne, Albert Bierstadt, Emil Carlsen, Agnes Pelton, Sergei Bongart and television personality Bob Ross. Wyeth’s oil painting Rose of Torridge, executed around 1920, led the auction at $114,300, with Braun’s California Vista following at $76,200. Payne’s The Orange Sail (Concarneau, France) also had strong results, achieving $69,850, well above its presale high estimate of $40,000.
“Overall, we were very happy that the historic California Impressionism performed solidly,” says head of sale Katherine Halligan. “That market has been on the soft side so to see good prices across the board, and new buyers constituting almost 25 percent of the hammer sold in the auction and four of the top 10 prices, was really gratifying.”
Maurice Braun (1877-1941), California Vista. Oil on canvas laid to board, 34 x 34 in. Estimate: $30/50,000 SOLD: $76,200
Edgar Payne (1883-1947), The Orange Sail (Concarneau, France). Oil on canvas, 29 x 29 in. Estimate: $30/50,000 SOLD: $69,850
If there was a surprise in the category, it was the strong result for the Braun. “The painting is one of the largest examples by Braun to come to market in recent years and is a stunning sweeping summer San Diego landscape,” says Halligan. Another great result was the sale of an authenticated Ross landscape that sold for $44,950, just about three times its high estimate of $15,000. “It was a lot of fun to handle a Bob Ross original,” Halligan says. “As I mentioned to the consignor, this was probably the first time in my career as a fine art specialist, that we never really considered or discussed the artistic merits of the composition, the conversation was entirely around the celebrity of the artist and our anticipated thoughts on the type of collector who might be interested in an original Ross. In fact, we actually debated if the painting should have been sold in the context of an American art auction, or in a sale geared more to pop culture, but opted for keeping it in the fine art category. While most of our bidders were in fact, more pop-culture oriented, I think our traditional fine art audience enjoyed the conversations that this sparked!”
Emil Carlsen (1853-1932), Still Life with Black Jug, 1931. Oil on panel, 15 x 15 in. Estimate: $15/25,000 SOLD: $39,600
For John Moran Auctioneers, the sale results, particularly for the California plein air pieces, as well as etchings and woodcuts by California printmakers Armin Hansen and Frances Gearhart and others, indicate that new buyers are entering the market for this category. “Certainly, buyers are ever increasingly knowledgeable and sophisticated about quality thanks to the accessibility of information online, and look for fresh-to-market offerings, which most of this sale comprised, with many pieces coming from local estates. Fun and unexpected offerings like the Bob Ross also tend to drive new engagement,” notes Halligan. “That said, since this early May auction, our sales in different categories have continued to fare well, with strong sell-through rates and prices achieved…We are actively working on consignments for the fall auctions, and clients are consigning good things, which to me indicates stability and continued confidence in art markets and auction results.” —
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