:A diminutive James McNeill Whistler seascape proved that good
things do indeed come in little packages as the painting ascended
to $1,001,000, including buyer's premium, at Cottone's fine art
and antiques auction on July 7, making it possibly the highest
grossing item at an auction in Upstate New York.
The oil on wood panel, "Violet and Blue Among the Rollers," in
its original frame, came from the Wadsworth family of local
prominence and had previously been exhibited at the Museum of
Fine Arts in Boston. The family had held onto the painting for a
long time and recently decided to sell it along with a handful of
other works that did not have local significance, said Matt
Cottone, a partner in the firm.
Presale interest was at an all-time high for the work that had
been appraised in the neighborhood of $300,000 while the auction
house expected it to easily surpass half a million dollars.
Putting 15 phone lines to work for this one item, excitement
among the 260 bidders in the gallery was palpable and the bidding
rocketed back and forth between several bidders until the price
hit $400,000. From then on, it was between the underbidder and
private art dealer Thomas Colville, who ultimately persevered.
Cottone said the bidding was basically nonstop between the two
phone bidders with no lags. "Both people knew what they were into
and it was bid by bid all the way up to $910,000. Then the other
guy was out and that was the end of it."
Members of the Wadsworth family were in attendance to see their
painting soar to new heights. "It was an exciting time for the
auction house and the consignors," Cottone said.
The 240-plus-lot sale realized a total of $2.5 million. A
complete review will follow in an upcoming issue.
-AVV
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