Views of America

Iconic subjects and locations were the stars of Christie’s 19th-century American art sale in January By Michael Clawson

THudson River, cranberry pickers, sheepherders—classic American subjects rose to the top of Christie’s 19th Century American and Western Art sale on January 23 in New York City. The auction realized more than $8.2 million in sales, with an 89 percent sell-through rate.

Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823-1880), Sunset Over the Palisades on the Hudson, 1879. Oil on canvas, 18 x 34¼ in. Estimate: $1.2/1.8 million SOLD: $2,881,000

The top lot was Sanford Robinson Gifford’s Hudson River painting Sunset Over the Palisades on the Hudson. The painting features a gorgeous sky that is mirrored in the glass-like reflection of the water as sailboats can be seen across the horizon line. The 1879 painting had a high estimate of $1.8 million, which it easily beat on its way to $2.8 million. Another Gifford painting, Highlands on the Hudson (est. $40/60,000), also beat its estimates when it sold for $76,000 five lots earlier.

Winslow Homer (1836-1910), The Flock of Sheep, Houghton Farm, 1878. Watercolor, gouache and pencil on paper, 8¾ x 11¼ in. Estimate: $400/600,000 SOLD: $825,500

Winslow Homer’s The Flock of Sheep, Houghton Farm, painted in 1878, sold for $825,000, surpassing a high estimate of $600,000. The work, with its light touch of watercolor and gouache on paper, was a favorite during previews. At just 11 inches wide, the small painting offered a charming scene with children and a dog in an outdoor setting.

Eastman Johnson’s Cranberry Pickers, painted in the 1870s, achieved a price of $635,000, just clearing its high estimate of $600,000. Another piece that surpassed estimates was Henry Ossawa Tanner’s Home of Joan of Arc (est. $200/300,000) that sold for $368,000.

Eastman Johnson (1824-1906), Cranberry Pickers, ca. 1876-1879. Oil on board, 22½ x 26½ in. Estimate: $400/600,000 SOLD: $635,000

The sleeper hit of the sale was Thomas Moran’s Venice, a roughly 5-by-8-inch oil from 1894. The classic Moran subject had a high estimate of $50,000, but competitive bidding kept it open until it sold at $254,000, more than five times over its high estimate.

Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937), Home of Joan of Arc, 1918. Oil on panel, 20 x 24 in. Estimate: $200/300,000 SOLD: $368,300

Other artists that closed with strong results included Robert Seldon Duncanson, Jasper Francis Cropsey, John Singer Sargent, Grandma Moses, Eanger Irving Couse, John Sloan, Charles Schreyvogel and Charles M. Russell, who had a small watercolor portrait sell for $101,000, more than double its high estimate.

Top 10 LOTS
Christie’s 19th Century American and Western Art, January 23, 2026 (including Buyer’s Premium)
Artist Title Low/High ESt. SOLD
Sanford Robinson Gifford Sunset Over the Palisades on the Hudson $1.2/1.8 million $2,881,000
Winslow Homer The Flock of Sheep, Houghton Farm $400/600,000 $825,500
Eastman Johnson Cranberry Pickers $400/600,000 $635,000
Henry Ossawa Tanner Home of Joan of Arc $200/300,000 $368,300
Robert Seldon Duncanson Canadian Landscape $150/250,000 $355,600
Thomas Moran Venice $30/50,000 $254,000
Jasper Francis Cropsey The Old Home, Warwick, New York $150/250,000 $203,200
John Singer Sargent Woman with Cattleya Orchid $80/120,000 $203,200
Grandma Moses The Spotted Horses $60/180,000 $165,100
Eanger Irving Couse Taos Pueblo Family Bakers $30/50,000 $139,700