Past Auction

American Paintings, Furniture & Decorative Arts

Wed, Oct 07, 2015 at 10am EDT |

New York

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Portrait by Gilbert Stuart Consigned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art Achieves $40,625

Strong Prices For Paintings at Doyle's Auction of American Paintings, Furniture and Decorative Arts on October 7, 2015
Works by Gilbert Stuart, Jasper Francis Cropsey, Alexander Helwig Wyant, Severin Roesin, David Johnson, William Coventry Wall, William Sonntag, Jr. and Thomas Sully
Portrait by Gilbert Stuart Consigned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art Achieves $40,625

Doyle’s October 7, 2015 auction of American Paintings, Furniture and Decorative Arts showcased almost 120 lots of 19th and early 20th century American paintings. Also featured were American silver, furniture and decorative arts from the Colonial period through the Federal and Classical styles, including ceramics, mirrors, Chinese export porcelain, folk art, samplers and rugs. The prints section of the sale offered Audubon, Currier & Ives and topographical prints.

With competitive bidding from buyers in the salesroom, on the telephones and on the Internet, the sale totaled $824,131, at the high end of its pre-sale estimate of $560,600-861,200, with a strong 82% sold by lot and 93% sold by value.

American Paintings

Competitive bidding for American paintings drove strong prices and an exceptional rate of 89% sold. Landscapes, portraits and still life paintings all sold for multiple times their estimates.

Highlights included a group of works consigned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. A portrait of a gentleman of the Lee family by the illustrious master portraitist Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) achieved $40,625, far surpassing its estimate of $8,000-12,000. The portrait possibly depicted Charles Lee of Virginia, who served as the U.S. Attorney General during the administrations of George Washington and John Adams.

Also from the Museum’s collection was a circa 1794 portrait of Charles Wilkes estimated at $15,000-25,000 that fetched $34,375. The nephew of John Wilkes, Lord Mayor of London, Charles Wilkes (1764-1833) came to America toward the end of the Revolutionary War. He was a founder and president of the Bank of New York and the first treasurer of the New-York Historical Society.

From the Estate of Mary Gayle Kalt, In the Still Forest, by Alexander Helwig Wyant (1836-1892) is among the largest works created by the artist and is considered a masterpiece of his mature period in the 1880s. Once included in the permanent collection of the Worcester Art Museum, this piece soared high above its pre-sale estimate of $5,000-7,000, selling for $37,500, possibly the highest price achieved for a work from this phase of Wyant’s career.

Silver

Highlighting the silver in the sale was a circa 1793 French silver snuff/tobacco box engraved, Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Born in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1737, wealthy planter Charles Carroll of Carrollton served as a representative to Maryland's Committee of Correspondence beginning in 1774. In 1776 he was elected to the Continental Congress and was the only Catholic and last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. He returned to Maryland to assist with the creation of a state government in 1778 and later served as Maryland's first United States Senator.

Consigned by adescendant of Charles Carroll, the silver box was purchased by Homewood Museum in Baltimore for $11,250, far surpassing its estimate of $1,000-2,000. Now an historic house museum, Homewood was built in 1801 and was a wedding present from Charles Carroll to his only son, Charles Carroll, Jr. It is now owned by Johns Hopkins University, and together with Evergreen Museum & Library, they form the Johns Hopkins University Museums.

All prices include the buyer's premium.

Next Americana Auction: Spring 2016

Doyle's next auction of American Paintings, Furniture & Decorative Arts is scheduled for Spring 2016. Consignments are currently being accepted. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.

For information, please contact:

Anne DePietro, American Paintings, 212-427-4141, ext. 249, or [email protected]

David E. Gallager, American Furniture & Decorative Arts, 212-427-4141, ext. 271, or [email protected]