Bidding on the artist's
self/family portrait silenced phone lines as two determined
gallery participants took the competition to ten times presale
estimates.
A Drexel
Buys a Drexel for $225,000
DOWNINGTON, PENN. -- A "wonderful" artist's self portrait/family
portrait by Francis Martin Drexel, 1793-1863, became the top lot
at Pook & Pook this past Saturday, February 22, selling for a
world record price paid at auction of $225,000, including
premium.
"This was a record probably 100 times over," stated an
enthusiastic Ronald Pook after the auction. "This painting had
everything going for it, a self portrait by the artist with his
wife and daughter. It had the artist, the palate, canvas, even
the table with the pigments in the foreground. A self portrait of
an artist couldn't be any better."
Five-color pitcher and bowl, $28,875.
As the lot crossed the auction block bidding was fast and furious
with three phone bidders attempting to compete with two
determined bidders in the gallery. The price quickly passed the
$15/20,000 presale estimates, and following bid after bid from
the gallery all of the phone lines went silent as the piece was
hammered down at $200,000, plus 15/10 percent buyer's premium.
The successful bidder, as reported by the gallery, was a
representative of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Penn. The
artist was the father of Anthony Drexel, who founded Drexel
University in 1891.
Another top lot worthy of mention came from the spatter ware
collection of Dr Robert Schaeffer, Jr, as a rare vibrant
five-color pitcher and bowl set exceeded estimates by bringing
$25,875.
A complete review will appear in a future issue.
