Past Auction

American Paintings & Prints

Tue, Nov 02, 2021 at 11am EDT |

New York

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1770 Engraving by Paul Revere Achieves a Record $429,000!

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Successful Auction of American Paintings & Prints on November 2, 2021
Paul Revere's 1770 Engraving of the Boston Massacre Achieves a Record $429,000 as the Sale Total Surpasses Expectations!
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NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle held a highly successful auction of American Paintings & Prints on November 2, 2021. Featured were 19th and 20th century paintings, including fine examples of portraiture; Hudson River, Western and regional landscapes; and still lifes, as well as Revere, Audubon, Currier & Ives and topographical prints. Special sections of the sale were devoted to Marine Paintings and Outsider Art.

With competitive bidding, the November 2 sale totaled an exceptional $1,384,891, far surpassing the pre-sale estimate of $619,800-953,250, with a robust 90% sold by lot and 99% sold by value.

Paul Revere, The Bloody Massacre -- A World Auction Record!

Highlighting the sale was Paul Revere's iconic 1770 engraving, The Bloody Massacre, which achieved $429,000 -- A World Auction Record for the Print. Property from the Collection of New York advertising executive Monroe F. Dreher, the hand-colored engraving is Revere’s most well-known and sought-after print. This powerful rendering of the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770, during which the British killed five Bostonians, is arguably the most famous propaganda image printed during the American Revolution. Immediately after the confrontation, Revere realized its significance at a time when tensions were high between England and the colonies, and he both sought to and succeeded in circulating a depiction that would further the patriots' cause. Read More

Fidelia Bridges -- A World Auction Record!

Determined bidders drove a lovely landscape by Fidelia Bridges (1834-1923) soaring over its estimate of $3,000-5,000 to a stunning $93,750 – A World Auction Record for the Artist. Small Bird with Flowering Ironweed reflects Bridge’s expertise in depictions of birds and flowers in natural settings. She began her career working in oil, as in this painting, later gaining a reputation for her works in watercolor.

Other Auction Highlights

Topping the section of the sale devoted to Marine Paintings was a masterful view of a Whaling Ship and Iceberg from 1880 by William Bradford (1823-1892) that realized $93,750, surpassing its estimate of $60,000-90,000. The work highlighted the group of marine paintings from a Prominent Corporate Collection. Read More about Marine Paintings

Audubon prints in the sale featured Fish Hawk, 1830, from The Birds of America, that flew past its estimate of $30,000-50,000 to realize $81,250, one of the strongest prices for the print in recent years.

Bill Traylor’s (1854-1947) watercolor and graphite depiction of a Black Panther highlighted the selection of Outsider Art offered in the sale. Property from the Estate of an Upper West Side Collector, the work surpassed its $25,000-35,000, selling for $40,950. Read More about Outsider Art

All prices include the Buyer's Premium.

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:
Paintings: Bill Fiddler, 212-427-4141, ext. 249, [email protected]
Prints: Cynthia Klein, 212-427-4141, ext. 246, [email protected]