: The August Maine auction season just would not be complete
without an extended visit to the Samoset Resort for James Julia's
three-day extravaganza.
Close to 2,000 lots, grossing $2.1 million, ranging from early
American to Victoriana crossed the auction block from Wednesday
afternoon, August 25, to Friday evening, August 27, and as
always, there are quite a few "pleasant surprises."
This auction has become a cornerstone of the season in
mid-coastal Maine, and with four other major auctions and one
show in the area, it brings people from near and far. Bill Gage,
Julia's Americana expert, stated, "Overall I was very pleased
with the sale. Paintings did quite well, although there was some
spottiness here and there in other areas."
In fact, the prime selection of paintings offered dominated the
auction with the top lot of the sale coming early during the
final session on Friday morning as a California Impressionist
painting by Granville Seymour Redmond was sold. The painting,
titled "Wild Flower Hillside," measured 20 by 30 inches and was
signed "Granville Redmond." Housed in a period Arts and Crafts
frame and estimated at $40/60,000, the rare painting opened for
bidding at $39,000.
A bid of $40,000 came from a client in the doorway on the side of
the auction room, it was countered immediately at $41,000 by the
phones. The bidder in the doorway, with a cell phone pressed to
his ear, held his bid card high in the air and never flinched
despite the rapid responses from the telephones till the lot hit
$75,000.
For James Julia, bidding was spirited throughout the day.
The next bids came at a tempered rate, as did the telephones
till it looked as if the buyer in the room would buy the lot at
$83,000. At the hammer, the phone bidder countered, only to have
the lot hit again by the buyer in the room who claimed it for
$97,750, including premium.
The successful bidder, Scottsdale dealer Steve Brennen of The
Brennen Collection, stated that he was representing a client.
"It's by a very important California painter," he said. "It's a
beautiful painting and it brought a decent price." When asked
about the client, Brennen would only comment that the "painting
is going back to California."
The first session of this year's sale, Wednesday, was devoted
entirely to art with 246 pieces offered ranging from French
Impressionist works to British portraits, and a smattering of
Russian works.
Highlighting the session was an unassuming Russian painting, the
last of a group of four to be sold. The still life depicted a
table setting with fruit basket and a bottle of wine and carried
a presale estimate of $2/4,000. The painting had been obtained
from the artist by the consignor's family and received scant
attention prior to the sale with only a small photograph
illustrating the lot. Bids were brisk on the entire group of
paintings with the first by Tchelitchew selling at $5,865,
another by the same artist realized $4,830, and a Terechkovitch
tabletop still life brought $1,322.
The fourth painting of the group, however, by David Petrovich
Sterenberg, sparked a great deal of interest with it selling at
$43,700.
A French oil by Jean Puy, measuring 32 by 253/4 inches, depicting
a woman in a fancy white dress and hat strolling with her dog
along a path through the woods also did well. The early painting,
signed "J Puy" was said to be from Puy's "finest time period."
Bidding on the lot opened to the floor at $10,000 and moved
quickly with it selling for $34,500. A French painting by
Maximilien Luce depicting an early morning street scene also did
well at $11,500.
A Jules Rene Herve painting titled "Temps Gris A Langres" sold
between estimates at $27,025, while an elegant British portrait
by George Romney of Lady Robinson sold well above estimates at
$31,625.
Thursday's session featured Americana and it got off to a brisk
start with a swing handled basket falling under the hammer rather
quickly for $258. Julia warned the crowd to bid quick and
proceeded to establish a blistering pace.
An Ogden Pleissner watercolor hammered at $40,250.
A couple of rare Maine redware pieces were offered with an
unglazed pot marked by Maine maker "Benjamin Dodge, Portland"
selling at $1,897, while a rare unglazed butter churn of Maine
origin with impressed decoration brought $2,587.
It was not long before the first of the lots took off; roughly
ten lots into the sale a rare pair of Ruth Henshaw Bascom folk
art cutout silhouette and colored portraits on a blue background
was offered. The lot carried a presale estimate of $2/5,000 and
opened to the floor at $1,000. The lot advanced back and forth
between a bidder in the rear row of the gallery and a phone
bidder in $1,000 increments to $14,000, where the bid was split
to $500s. The lot still marched on with the same two players
hitting the lot until it hammered to the phone bidder at $26,450.
A Prior-Hamblin school portrait of a woman with a bow exceeded
estimates at $6,670, while a portrait of a gentleman in a grained
frame brought $3,795.
Furniture in the sale included a Queen Anne highboy of North
Shore origin in a nice old finish that sold at $20,125. A set of
six Hitchcock Sheraton side chairs with horizontal slat backs did
well. Decorated with landscapes and sailing ship scenes that were
attributed to Salem, Mass., painter Samuel Bartol, they sold just
above estimates at $9,200.
An unusual cupboard in red paint with grained sides and reeded
raised panels attracted quite a bit of attention. With a large
hood extending over arched doors and sitting on a canted base,
the piece, originally picked in Maine, was thought by several to
be of Canadian origin. Bidding on the lot was quick paced with it
selling at $5,750.
A small Maine paint decorated taper leg stand also did well with
the piece selling well above estimates at $2,300.
Continental furniture included a Louis XV provincial elm wood
commode in a serpentine bombe form with a provenance of the
Woolworth collection also did well selling at $9,200.
Several paintings were included in the session with an Antonio
Jacobsen ship portrait of the three-master The Laomene
selling at $23,000, a view of "Little Falls on the Mohawk River"
by Henry Ferguson at $11,500, and a portrait of the schooner
Ontario by Petrus Weyts bringing $9,487.
Smalls included an unassuming small silver covered pitcher by
Boston maker A&G Wells, circa 1800-1810, marked with the
eagle touchmark and having a grasshopper finial. The rare
pitcher, estimated at $½ ,000, took off with a lady seated in the
front row battling with John Trace to a final price of $15,237. A
detailed ships diorama sold at $11,500, while a long folky hooked
runner brought $5,750.
A four-piece rosewood parlor suite attributed to New York City
cabinetmaker Charles Boudoine sold for $29,300.
The final session of the auction, Friday, August 27, featured
many of the sales better paintings. Aside from the Redmond, other
top lots included a large A.T. Bricher coastal scene with a
lighthouse, steamer and a sailing ship. The attractive painting saw
spirited bidding with it selling at $46,000.
An Ogden Pleissner watercolor, titled "Winter Shoot," depicted a
snow-covered country landscape with a gunner taking aim at a
grouse. The large piece, also with Woolworth provenance, opened
for bidding at $35,000 and hammered at $40,250.
Other top lots included a Francis Silva luminous harbor scene at
$25,300, a William Trost Richards watercolor seascape at $17,250,
a Edmund Greacen portrait of a young girl at $16,675, and a
Charles Woodbury seascape oil at $17,825.
Furniture in the session included a four-piece laminated and
carved rosewood parlor suite attributed to New York City
cabinetmaker Charles Boudoine that sold at $29,300, a marquetry
inlaid and ebonized rosewood chest with tall mirrored back
attributed to Herter Brothers at $8,050, and an inlaid marble-top
center table also thought to be by Herter Brothers, sold at
$6,900.
Other items of interest included a life-size zinc garden statue
of a reclining pointer by James Kirtland selling reasonably at
$11,500, a set of 11 Tiffany sterling and Lenox handled cups,
$10,062, and an unusual pottery camel-form cigar holder and
tobacco box in a blue-green majolica type glaze selling at double
the estimates at $4,830.
Prices include the 15 percent buyer's premium.
