: "This is the first sale that we have devoted strictly to art,"
commented auctioneer Ron Clarke. "We have been selling art for
years, but it has always been mixed into general sales." Clarke,
who has a fondness for Twentieth Century American art and
Impressionism, was enthused by the size of the crowd that packed
into his gallery on the evening of October 18, and also the
number of absentee bids and the large volume of phone bidders
that had registered for the C&C auction.
Twelve percent of the auction sold online, boasted fellow C&C
auctioneer and gallery manager Diana Onyshewych. This was the
first time that they had offered bidding via eBay Live.
"I think we have found a nice niche here for good middle market
that the other art auctioneers have missed," stated the
auctioneer. With more than 200 lots offered throughout the night,
the vast majority of which consisted of paintings and works on
paper with a few pieces of sculpture thrown into the mix, it was
refreshing to see no more than a handful of lots passed.
The Guy Wiggins Bermuda street scene attracted lots of
attention with it selling at $23,000
A large crowd was on hand in the gallery and at times as many
as eight phones were active and enthusiastically bidding. The top
selling item of the evening auction came early as an Irish
Impressionist scene by Brian Bourke was offered within the first
few lots. Bidding on the painting, estimated at $15/25,000, opened
at $10,000 and with one bidder in the room battling with two phone
bidders.
The lot moved quickly in $500 increments until it hit $20,000,
where the bidder seated in the middle of the room hit it at
$21,000. The bidder in the room relented as the piece passed the
$25,000 with the two phones still going at it until a final price
of $33,350 was realized. The auction record for the artist is
foggy, but this is believed to be a record, according to the
auction gallery.
A lively Guy Wiggins oil on canvas scene of "Queen St Hamilton,
Bermuda" was another of the lots to do well. This painting also
attracted a great deal of attention with seven phone's pursuing
the lot. Bidding opened at $4,000 with an online bidder jumping
the bids to $6,250 and at $8,000 the bid was jumped to $10,000 by
a bidder standing in the rear of the room. Once again moving in
$500 increments the lot advanced quickly. The parties that
attempted to startle the crowd with the jumped bids failed as the
telephones took over and pushed the lot to a selling price of
$23,000.
The Leon Reiss painting "Going Home" doubled presale estimates
and established a record for the artist when it sold for
$20,700.
The painting that attracted the most attention in the auction
was an oil on canvas by Leon Reiss titled "Going Home." With a
strong Reginald Marsh style and a striking WPA look, the painting
depicted a large crowd making its way toward and ascending a
staircase to an urban upper-level train station platform. Perhaps
in need of a good cleaning, many of the subjects were in the
shadows rendering a dark appearance. A large Bloomingdale's sign
was looming in the background.
The painting had an exhibition label on the back from the
National Academy, a 1945 Associated American Artists label and a
Daytona label. Eight phone bidders were lined up as the lot
opened at $8,000, but they were entirely shut out of the action
as bids came from several determined want-to-be buyers in the
room kept the bids moving at a rapid pace. The lot was eventually
hammered down at $20,700 selling to a woman seated near the front
of the gallery.
Other lots of interest included a Johann Berthelsen snow scene of
Macy's in Manhattan that was hit by a once again loaded bank of
phone bidders. The lot almost hammered down at $19,000 until a
last second bid was executed by one of the phones, and once again
it was off and running. At $24,000 the lot appeared ready to be
hammered down to a telephone bidder, until an online bidder hit
the lot with an unanswered bid of $25,000, resulting in a final
price of $28,750.
Another Berthelson in the auction of a New York Central Park snow
scene also did well at $13,200. Two John Whorfe watercolors were
offered with "The Arrowhead Farm" selling at $5,175, while "Bear
Country" realized $5,405.
An unsigned oil on canvas of factory weavers, estimated at
$1/1,500, soared past estimates as it sold for $5,405, while an
unsigned garden scene by the same artist shot past the $600/900
estimates bringing $2,345.
Auctioneer Ron Clarke with the Leon Reiss and Guy Wiggins
paintings.
A painting by A.O. Kelly depicting a caravan scene, which had
minor paint loss and was estimated at $300/500, did well selling at
$4,140, an illustration art picture of Robinson Crusoe by Frank
Goodwin sold at more than ten times the low estimate bringing
$4,600, and an unsigned canal scene estimated at $800/1,200 brought
$8,337.
Among the numerous lots of works by Jewish artists was a
Modernist painting by Naphtali Bezem that sold for $3,910, while
another work by the same artist with a small tear brought $3,335.
Two Ira Monte large paintings of birds in trees were actively
pursued by several in the crowd with the first selling at $5,175,
while the second realized $5,290.
Sculpture offered included two Javier Marin bronzes that did
well, with a figure on horseback selling for $3,565 while a
bronze of an acrobat on a ball sold at $5,750.
Prices include the 15 percent buyer's premium charged. For
information contact Clarke Auction Gallery at 914-833-8336 or
view ccauctiongallery.com.
