Beginning September 26 and continuing through October 7, Bonhams Skinner will host an online American art sale featuring a diverse selection of material representing centuries of American art history.
“Our American art auction celebrates the nation’s rich artistic legacy, spanning centuries and genres—from idyllic 19th-century pastoral scenes to atmospheric 20th-century seascapes,” the auction house notes. “With a special focus on New England artists, this sale highlights paintings that evoke a profound sense of place, shaped by the land and rooted in enduring traditions.”
Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), John McCoy Painting, 1942. Watercolor and pencil on paper, 13¾ x 18¾ in., signed lower left: ‘AW’; signed lower right: ‘Andrew Wyeth’; inscribed in pencil on reverse: ‘John McCoy Painting by Andrew Wyeth’; inscribed in pencil on label affixed to backing paper: ‘This picture belongs to Anna Bradford McCoy / 1954’. Estimate: $60/80,000
The New England focus on the sale will be evident in works by Levi Wells Prentice, Arthur Clifton Goodwin and Robert Reid, whose painting Stony Pasture from before 1910 will be offered with estimates of $20,000 to $30,000. Also from the region is Andrew Wyeth, whose watercolor and pencil work on paper, John McCoy Painting, will be offered with estimates of $60,000 to $80,000. The work is loosely painted and depicts a figure in an outdoor setting. “These works are not only love letters to New England’s natural splendor but also reflections on the industrial and socioeconomic transformations that began in the 19th century and continue to influence the region today,” the auction house says.
John George Brown (1831-1913), I Don’t Believe a Word of It, 1869. Oil on canvas, 30 x 201/8 in., signed and dated in lower left: ‘J.G. Brown / N.Y. 1869’; with labels from W. Schaus, New York and Willoughby-Toschi, San Francisco affixed to the stretcher. Estimate: $40/70,000
Other works in the sale are John George Brown’s playfully titled I Don’t Believe a Word of It, showing a young couple on a forest path. The male figure seems to be whispering something into the woman’s ear. The viewer is left to wonder who or what the title is referring to. The painting, which originated in 1869, is estimated at $40,000 to $70,000.
Robert Reid (1862-1929), Stony Pasture, prior to 1910. Oil on canvas, 25¾ x 29 in., signed lower left: ‘Robert Reid’. Estimate: $20/30,000
A work by George Browne, not to be confused with the other Brown, will be offered with estimates of $15,000 to $25,000. That painting, Spring on Northern Lake, shows three Canada geese descending toward a snow-filled valley in a wintertime setting.
Jane Peterson (1876-1965), Flowering Carob Tree, San Giorgio Maggiore Island, Venice, ca. 1914. Oil on canvas, 24¼ x 18¼ in., signed lower right: ‘JANE PETERSON’ and identified on two handwritten labels affixed to the stretcher. Estimate: $10/14,000
Other works include Jane Peterson’s Flowering Carob Tree, San Giorgio Maggiore Island, Venice (est. $10/14,000) and Jasper Francis Cropsey’s 1871 oil North Conway, New Hampshire (est. $8/12,000).
The sale will take place entirely online. —
Powered by Froala Editor
