Lot 71,
"Florida Lemons," by William J. McCloskey, oil on canvas, 11 by 24
inches, 1889
Lot
71 is a good fruit still life with wrapping tissue by William J.
McCloskey (1859-1941). Entitled "Florida Lemons," it is an
oil on canvas that measures 11 by 24 inches and was painted in
1889. It has an estimate of $85,000 to $120,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 24, "The
Lotus Screen, S. S. S.," by Edward Steichen, oil on canvas, 24 inches
square, 1909
Edward Steichn (1879-1973)
iswidely regarded as one of America's greatest photographers but he was
also a very good painter whose works usually were lyrical and misty.
Lot 24 , "The Lotus Screen S.S.S." is an oil on canvas by him
that is 24 inches square. It is dated 1909. The
painting depicts Selma Stieglitz Schubart, the youngest sister of
Alfred Steiglitz, the great photographer who also ran an art gallery
called 291 where this work was exhibited. According to the
catalogue's entry, "critics reacted positively to the painting's
Matisse-like palette and the direct intensity of the
subject's gaze....Steichen reproduced the painting as a gravure in
1913, and it appeared in the June issue of Camera Work, the
photographic journal edited and published by Steiglitz. The
lot has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $167,000.
Lot
76, "Woman Seated at a Dressing Table," by Richard Edward Miller, oil
on canvas, 34 by 36 inches, circa 1925
Perhaps the best
painting in the auction is Lot 76, "Woman Seated at a Dressng Table,"
by Richard Edward Miller (1875-1943). An oil on canvas, it
measures 34 by 36 inches and was painted circa 1925. The
catalogue entry notes that the artist used the skirt shown in the
panting in several other pictures.
Detail of Lot 75
The lot was an
estimate of $250,000 to $350,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 22,
"Study for 'Hot Still-Scape,'" by Stuart Davis, oil on canvas, 9 by 12
inches, 1940
Lot 22 is a oil on canvas
study by Stuart Davis (1892-1964) for "Hot Still-Scape." It
measures 9 by 12 inches and was painted in 1940. It
is property from the Museum of Modern Art in New York and is being sold
to benefit the acquisitiions fund. It has been exhibited and
published extensively. It has an estimate of
$600,000 to $800,000. It sold for $605,000.
Lot
27, "Dancing Trees," by Milton Avery, oil on canvas, 32 by 48 inches,
1953
Lot
27 is a great oil on canvas by Milton Avery (1885-1965) entitled
"Dancing Trees." An oil on canvas, it measures 32 by 48
inches and was painted in 1953. The catalogue entry notes that after a
heart attack in 1949, Avery concentrated more on "the harmony of the
whole" replacing "the contrasting color areas typical of his work of
the preceeding decades." This work has a very refined and lovely
palette and the "dancing trees" are delightfully calligraphic.
It has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $1,025,000.
Lot 12,
"March and Sally Outdoors," by Milton Avery, oil on canvas, 30
by 40 inches, 1950
Lot
12 is the back-cover illustration of the catalogue and a poor example
of Avery's "contrasting color areas." Entitled "March and
Sally Outdoors," it is an oil on canvas that was painted in 1950.
It measures 30 by 40 inches. The figures are his
wife and daughter. It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to
$3,000,000 and sold for
$5,653.000, an auction record for the artist, even though it is about five times worse than Lot 27.
Lot
9, "Ringed Sun," by Milton Avery, oil on paper, 17 by 22 inches, 1960
Lot 9 is another Avery that
is entitled "Ringed Sun." An oil on paper, it
measures about 17 by 22 inches and was painted in 1960. It
has an estimate of
$150,000 to $200,000. It
sold for $269,000.
Lot 17,
"After the Prom," by Norman Rockwell, oil on canvas, 31 1/8 by 29 1/8
inches, 1957
Lot
17 is an oil on canvas by Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) entitled "After
the Prom." It measures 31 1/8 by 29 1/8 inches and was
painted in 1957 when it was a cover illustration for the Saturday Evening Post.
It has an estimate of $8,000,000 to $12,000,000. It sold for $9,125,000.
Lot 49, "The
Botanist," by Maxfield Parrish, ink and oil on paper cut out
and mounted on panel, 18 3/4 by 12 3/4 inches, 1908
Lot
49 is an amusting work by Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) entitled "The
Botanist." It is an ink and oil on paper cut out
and mounted on panel. It measures 18 3/4 by 12 3/4
inches and was painted in 1908. It has been widely exhibited
and published It has a modest estimate of $80,000 to
$120.000. It
sold for $161,000.
