Daniel Huntington (American, 1816-1906), “The Counterfeit Note,” 1858, oil on canvas, 301⁄8 by 251⁄8 inches, signed D. Huntington and dated 1858, sold for $406,000 (world auction record for the artist).
NEW YORK CITY — Highlighting Doyle’s October 5 sale of American paintings, furniture and decorative arts was a painting by Daniel Huntington (1816-1906) titled “The Counterfeit Note,” which attracted a great deal of attention from collectors, institutions and trade alike. With spirited competition from determined bidders on the telephones and the internet, the painting soared past its estimate of $35/55,000 to achieve a stunning $406,000, including premium, a world auction record for the artist. The work was acquired by a major American art collection. The record price more than doubled the prior auction record of $159,200 set in 2003 and far surpassed the next highest price of $65,000 set just last year.
One of two genre scenes executed by Huntington during a trip to Europe in 1857-58, “The Counterfeit Note” was exhibited to acclaim at London’s Royal Academy. The work depicts a sharp-eyed stranger attempting to pass a counterfeit bill in payment for a purchase at a variety store, while a lovely young woman – the type known as a “true English Rose” – examines a bolt of fabric in the foreground. A rediscovery, the painting remained in the family of the artist for many years and only recently came to light.
Watch for a further report on the auction in an upcoming edition.
