Past Timed Auction

American Paintings, Furniture & Decorative Arts

Soft close begins Tue, Apr 21, 2020 at 10am EDT
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Albert Bierstadt's 'Sunset Over the Trees' Achieves $106,250 - More than Double Its Estimate!

  • Online-Only Auction of American Paintings, Furniture & Decorative Arts on April 21, 2020
  • Albert Bierstadt's 'Sunset Over the Trees' Achieves $106,250 - More than Double Its Estimate!
  • We Invite You to Contact Us for a Complimentary Auction Appraisal of Your Collection

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NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's online-only auction of American Paintings, Furniture & Decorative Arts on April 21, 2020 saw strong prices for American paintings of the 19th and 20th centuries, including fine examples Hudson River, Western and regional landscapes and marine paintings. The American silver section of the sale also garnered exceptional results, led by 19th century Baltimore silver and iconic designs by Tiffany & Co.

With competitive bidding throughout the sale, the auction totaled a successful $863,781 against a pre-sale estimate of $637,100-977,750 with a strong 85% sold by lot and 100% by value.

Paintings

The top lot of the day was an oil sketch by Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) that soared past its estimate of $30,000-50,000 to achieve a remarkable $106,250. The German-born artist is best known for his marvelous landscape paintings that introduced the grandeur of the American Rockies and Sierra Nevada to 19th century audiences. Oil sketches like Sunset Over the Trees, done in preparation for larger canvases, highlight the artist's attention to color and confident brushwork. Read More

View on the Hudson, circa 1875-78, by George Inness (1825-18894) fetched many times its estimate of $6,000-8,000, realizing $34,375. Often called “the father of American landscape painting,” Inness was neither pure realist nor impressionist, as evidenced by this ethereal view.

Thomas Hill (1829-1908) studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and was associated with the artists George Inness and Albert Bierstadt. Hill moved to San Francisco and became known for his views of the Yosemite Valley, such as Nevada Falls, Yosemite, which sold for $23,750, exceeding its estimate of $12,000-18,000.

A dream-like view of New York harbor was painted in 1874 by Edward Moran sold for $16,250, surpassing its estimate of $10,000-15,000. Older brother to fellow artist Thomas Moran, Edward was widely considered one of the most significant 19th century maritime painters, and this crisp scene displays his masterful handling of the subject matter.

Strong prices were also achieved for works by Olaf Carl Seltzer, Ernest Lawson, Alexander Pope, Jr., and Edward Henry Potthast, among many others.

Silver

Bidding in the American silver section of the auction was equally competitive. Highlights included an elaborately decorated circa 1900 Baltimore punch set by Hennegan Bates Co. that realized $11,250, over its estimate of $7,000-10,000. This distinctly American silver is recognizable by its exuberant repoussé decoration (Read More).

Among the numerous flatware services were prime examples by Tiffany & Co. all of which sold strongly. Among these were a service in the Chrysanthemum pattern that surpassed its estimate of $5,000-7,000, selling for $11,875 (Read More) and a service in the Bamboo pattern that fetched $9,375 more than double its estimate of $3,000-4,000.

Decorative Arts

The decorative arts section of the sale was highlighted by a group of seven ceramic equestrian figures, circa 1945, by Kathleen Wheeler Crump (1884-1977) that sold for $9,375, doubling their estimate of $3,000-5,000. The British-born artist lived in Canada early in life, on a ranch, where she sketched horses and developed a keen knowledge of equestrian anatomy. She eventually settled in the Washington, DC, area and gained fame for her portraits of champion racehorses.

Property from the Estate of Arthur Gross

Doyle was pleased to auction property from the Estate of Arthur Gross. A true gentleman, Artie was much-loved by his peers in the American furniture and decorative arts trade. In the 1960s Artie owned Kaye & Gross, an antiques shop in Manhattan’s East 70s, when he met a young Bill Doyle, who had opened his own antiques store in the East 80s, which became Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers. Artie and Bill established a friendship through their shared passion for Americana. Artie had a deep, scholarly knowledge of American furniture, which he generously shared with collectors, curators and others in the trade.

An avid angler, Artie spent winters fishing in the Florida Keys and summers in the waters off Long Island. In retirement he moved with his wife, Maryjane, to Northport on Long Island’s North Shore, where he surrounded himself with his beloved family and his cherished collection. Property from the Estate of Arthur Gross comprised nineteen lots in the auction.

All prices include the Buyer's Premium.

A Deeper Dive

Read a group of scholarly essays profiling highlights of the American Paintings, Furniture & Decorative Arts auction.  Read A Deeper Dive


We Invite You to Auction!

Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. 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:
Furniture and Decorative Arts: David A. Gallager, 212-427-4141, ext. 271, or [email protected]
Paintings: Bill Fiddler, 212-427-4141, ext. 249, or [email protected]
Silver: Todd Sell, 212-427-4141, ext. 269, or [email protected]
Prints: Cynthia Klein, 212-427-4141, ext. 246, or [email protected]

Consignments are currently being accepted

To have your property evaluated for possible consignment in the next auction, please contact:

David A. Gallager
212-427-4141, ext 271
[email protected]

Bill Fiddler
212-427-4141, ext 249
[email protected]

Todd Sell
212-427-4141, ext 269
[email protected]

Cynthia L. Klein
212-427-4141, ext 246
[email protected]

Media Contact

Louis LeB. Webre
SVP, Marketing & Media
212-427-4141, ext 232
[email protected]

  • Collection of Frank and Claire Tracy Glaser
  • Estate of David C. Sawyer
  • Estate of Hattie Lynton
  • Estate of Julia Acton Forrest
  • Estate of Julia Acton Forrest
  • Estate of Laura M. Mako
  • Estate of Miriam K. Rothenberg
  • Estate of Pauline Ireland, Birmingham, Alabama
  • Estate of Percy Rivington and Evelyn Sloane Pyne
  • Estate of Richard and Carole Rifkind
  • Estate of Robin R. Henry
  • Estate of Steven R. Gross
  • Estate of Virginia Strub Kelly
  • Gift of J. Brooks Buxton, sold for the benefit of the Fleming Museum, University of Vermont
  • Peter J. & Mary Ann Ruda Brickfield Revocable Living Trust
  • Property from a New York Collection
  • Property from a Park Avenue Estate
  • Property from an Oyster Bay Estate
  • Property from the Estate of an Upper East Side Collector
  • Property from the Estate of Leonard and Elaine Silverstein, Bethesda, MD
  • Property of a Distinguished New York Collector
  • Property of a Morristown, NJ Private Collection
  • Property of a Park Avenue Lady
  • Property of a Private Collector, Greenwich, Connecticut
  • Property of a Private Collector, New York
  • Property of a Short Hills Private Collector
  • Property of a South Carolina Collector
  • Property of a Tudor City Lady
  • Property of a West Village Lady
  • Property of an Elegant Lady
  • Property of an International Collector
  • Property of an Upper East Side Collector
  • Property of the Estate of Arthur Gross
  • The Nelson Doubleday, Jr. Collection

A Selection of Auction Highlights