: Christie's sale of important American paintings, drawings and
sculpture, led by Maxfield Parrish's iconic "Daybreak," one of
the most reproduced images in American history, totaled
$35,894,000, with 90 percent sold by value and 86 percent sold by
lot.
The sale also included another important Parrish work, a
previously unknown picture by Martin Johnson Heade, and property
from the estate of Joan B. Kroc, including a Frederick Carl
Frieseke masterpiece.
"Daybreak," the sale's top lot at $7,632,000, is Parrish's most
celebrated masterwork, and the price set a new world auction
record for the artist. A blazing commercial success, the oil on
board painting created in 1922 is a breathtaking panorama of
mythical beauty. The most popular American illustrator after
World War I, Parrish was commissioned to paint "Daybreak" by the
art publishing firm House of Art in August 1920.
The painting was his first work commissioned solely for the
purpose of reproduction as a color lithographic print to be
distributed to the American public - and it became one of the
most reproduced paintings in American history. At the height of
its popularity, it was estimated that one of every four
households had a copy, making it a national sensation and
cultural phenomenon.
Another Maxfield Parrish offering, "The Lantern Bearers,"
painted in 1908, sold for $4,272,000.
"Daybreak" seamlessly combines the diverse influences of
Parrish's early career with his fully developed technique and
vision. The work blends Pre-Raphaelite sentiment, Old Master
technique, a strict adherence to laws of proportion and commercial
sensitivity into an iconic work of astounding beauty.
The painting is a portal to an Arcadian fantasy that exudes
innocence and mystical beauty. The dazzling landscape, bathed in
dawn's rising sun, is testimony to the artist's mastery of light
and color.
Another important Parrish offering, "The Lantern Bearers," an oil
on canvas laid down on board, painted in 1908, sold for
$4,272,000. The fanciful subject matter is typical of Parrish's
work early in the Twentieth Century and was originally created
for a frontispiece for Collier's magazine's December 10,
1910, issue.
Four works from the estate of Joan B. Kroc, noted philanthropist
and collector, and wife of Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's,
were offered in the auction, including "Garden Pool," an oil on
canvas masterpiece of American Impressionism by Frederick Carl
Frieseke, which fetched $2,368,000, setting a new world auction
record for the artist.
"An Orchid with an Amethyst Woodstar" by Martin Johnson Heade
dating from 1874, a previously unrecorded and rediscovered
masterwork, achieved $1,360,000.
"Garden Pool," an oil on canvas masterpiece of American
Impressionism by Frederick Carl Frieseke, fetched $2,368,000,
setting a new world auction record for the artist.
Commented Eric Widing, senior vice president, specialist head
of the American paintings department, "This auction marked a return
to a level of saleroom exuberance we have not seen for several
years, with extraordinary prices and energy throughout. We are
delighted with our new world auction records for Maxfield Parrish
and Frederick Carl Frieseke - and for the overall health of the
American art market."
Rounding out the sale's top ten lots were Fitz Henry Lane,
"Rafe's Chasm, Gloucester, Massachusetts," oil on canvas, 1853,
$1,136,000; Norman Rockwell, "Boy with Two Dogs (Raleigh Rockwell
Travels)," oil on canvas, 1929, $800,000; Georgia O'Keeffe,
"Another Place Near Abiquiu," oil on canvas, 1930, $777,600;
Charles Caryl Coleman, "Twilight and Poppies," oil on canvas
tacked over board, 1898, $688,000; John Singer Sargent, "A
Sketch: Capri," oil on canvas, $688,000; and James Edward
Buttersworth, "Yacht Orion," oil on canvas, $542,400.
All sold prices include buyer's premium. For information,
www.Christies.com or 212-636-2000.
