: - A Martin Johnson Heade landscape painting recently discovered
in the attic of a local home by auctioneer John McInnis hammered
down at more than $1 million during McInnis's December estates
auction this past Sunday, December 7.
"It was quite the theatrical auction," stated McInnis, who was
ecstatic that his gallery had not only eclipsed the $1 million
mark for a single item sold, but had done so during an auction
that was conducted in the middle of a blizzard.
"There were more than 140 registered phone bidders for the sale,
hundreds of absentee bids and we had an absolutely full house
despite the fact that there was two feet of snow on the ground
and it was still snowing like crazy," said the auctioneer.
The auction was filled to the brim with great estate merchandise,
but the Heade painting was one of the biggest draws of the sale.
The condition of the Heade was reported as being "so dirty, it
was literally black," after having spent at least the last 60
years in a dust riddled attic, and there was also paint loss
along the left side of the work.
Bidding opened on the Heade at $100,000 with 16 phone bidders
active and at least six bidders in the gallery pursuing the lot.
Bids advanced at a rapid pace with half of the phone bidders
dropping from the action as the lot neared the high estimate at
$400,000. The remainder of the phone bidders, however, plus two
persistent bidders in the gallery, pushed the price for the rare
painting onward. Eventually competition was narrowed to the two
bidders in the gallery with the lot finally selling to New York
City gallery owner Michael Altman at $1,006,250, including
premium. Altman was reportedly representing a client.
Film crews from the new PBS television series Find, which
stars the Keno brothers, Leigh and Leslie, as sleuths,
extensively documented the auction. The Kenos will be depicted in
a future television show making the attic discovery, having the
painting authenticated by Heade expert Theodore Stebbins, Jr, and
ultimately watching the painting sell at McInnis's gallery.
Other top lots included a Baltimore Classical paint decorated
game table that sold at $135,125 and an oil on canvas portrait of
the ship "Mary," by William York, which realized $67,850.
A complete review of the auction will appear in a future issue.
