Leading the sale was “Bass” by Mary Ann Carroll (1940-2019), 39½ by 27½ framed. It exceeded estimates to earn $12,600 ($5/8,000).
Review by Carly Timpson
VERO BEACH, FLA. — The May 4 auction of Florida art and antiques, conducted by Vero Beach Auction, featured several Highwaymen paintings, jewelry, collectibles and silver. Owner and auctioneer David Kratzer reported that the firm successfully sold 87 percent of the 311 lots offered, which were predominantly sourced from local estates and collections. “Most of our consignments come from local estates and collectors. We travel all throughout Florida to get consignments. We had a few things from a private collector in North Carolina, some items from a Georgia estate and outside of the local area; we also received consignments from the West Coast of Florida and South Florida.”
Kratzer went on to share that for many of the top lots, works by Floridian artists, the buyers were mainly from Florida. However, he noted, “We had bidders registered from all over the world with some international buyers coming from Europe, Australia and China. The top lots sold mainly to collectors, but we also have a lot of dealers and galleries that purchase from us. We had a great mix of both repeat and new customers. We see such a variety of items here in Florida that it’s not uncommon to have a lot of new buyers from many different areas. We also find a lot of local buyers that are finding out about our auctions and the interesting items we sell, many with a fascinating history.”
One of those “interesting items” earned the sale’s highest price: an unusual commission by Florida Highwaymen artist, Mary Ann Carroll, which sold to a Florida-based phone bidder for $12,600. The work, titled “Bass,” came with a photocopied handwritten note from the artist that said, “This is the only one of these I’ve painted / by special order.” The painting depicted a large, open-mouthed bass leaping out of bright blue water with some vegetation around it. Speaking to the work’s uniqueness and value, Kratzer said, “This was a strong price by the only female artist of the 26 Florida Highwaymen artists. Most of these paintings by the Highwaymen were Florida landscapes but occasionally you will have something unusual, such as this one, that garners a lot of interest at auction. When our consignor met [the artist] at a show in 2011, she mentioned this was the only painting like this that she had done. She noted the difficulty in painting a scene like this and it being very time-consuming to get it right, which is why she didn’t paint scenes like this often. It could be the only fish painting she has ever done.”
Mary Ann Carroll’s (1940-2019) seaside poinciana tree painting, 40½ by 28½ inches framed, found a buyer for $9,600 ($8/12,000).
Another painting by Carroll — this one a seaside landscape featuring a large central poinciana tree — earned $9,600. As Kratzer said, “Who doesn’t love a vibrant, red poinciana tree? One of the most sought-after scenes from the Highwaymen, the bright red poinciana tree is always a big seller for Florida landscapes.” Carroll’s depiction showed fallen red leaves on the bright green grass around the base of the tree, tall palm trees, cloudy skies and sailboats in the background.
The second-highest price of the sale — $10,200 — was achieved by Harold Newton’s painting of a stormy ocean scene. Kratzer noted, “The Highwaymen artists produced a lot of ocean scenes, but this one draws your attention with the dramatic dark rain clouds and blue-green ocean.” One of the most sought-after of the Highwaymen artists, Newton was an important early figure in the Highwaymen’s history. Kratzer shared, “Interestingly, many Harold Newton paintings were unusual sizes. He didn’t want any material to go to waste so if they were cutting Masonite and cut it wrong, those pieces still were put to use in painting.” This one measured 39¼ by 20 inches and generated a lot of interest with many local collectors showing up to preview it before the auction.
Newton’s painting of a serene Florida inlet, completed in the late 1980s or early 1990s, was considered to be special because the artist “used a variety of vivid colors capturing an untouched backwoods Florida. The paintings of this era featuring a full color palette, such as this, are very sought-after by collectors.” As such, bidding took the work past its $6,000 estimate to finish at $7,800.
An island sunset scene on Upson board by Carnell “Pete” Smith (1950-2015), 37¼ by 25½ inches, made $6,600 ($2,5/4,000).
Another rare Highwaymen painting was Carnell Smith’s vibrant sunset scene, featuring a small island with palm trees. Kratzer informed us that Smith’s paintings are difficult to come by because, unlike many of the other Highwaymen, painting was not his main source of income for most of his life. The orange landscape was claimed above its $4,000 high estimate for $6,600.
Other works that saw success included Jamaican artist Albert Huie’s oil painting of a male swimmer sitting on a stool on the beach, drying his leg with a towel. With its Bolivar Gallery, Kingston, Jamaica, label affixed verso, a private collector whose family was from Jamaica won the work for $5,700. Also with connections to Jamaica was a 2013 painting by Charles “Chico” Wheeler. With pinkish clouds above dark blue water and bright green grass, this island scene was “influenced by A.E. ‘Beanie’ Backus (1906-1990) a Fort Pierce, Fla., landscape artist who also had a home in Jamaica,” according to Kratzer. The colorful painting was bid well above its $1,800 high estimate, crossing the block for $4,800.
The only non-painting lot in the top 20 or so lots was a ruby and pearl 18K necklace with provenance to the wife of an American ambassador who received the piece as a gift from the Maharaja of Mysore while visiting India in the 1950s. The regal Mughal necklace had more than 10 carats of rubies and weighed a total of nearly 110 grams. Despite missing a few small stones, it was bid to $9,000.
With a central medallion that measured 3¼ by 2¼ inches, this 16-inch-long necklace was set in 18K yellow gold and featured more than 10 carats of rubies, accented by pearls. Weighing more than 108 grams, the Mughal necklace was won for $9,000 ($3/5,000).
Kratzer reported several surprises outside of the top lots. “We had an usual Chinese Peach Bloom Beehive Water pot that sold for $1,920 on an estimate of $200/400. We also had an usual pair of Chinese hat stands that sold for $1,560 on an estimate of $500-$1,000. We do find the market for Chinese antiquities has remained strong.” Additionally, a 15½-inch-wide Wedgwood jasperware plaque sold for $1,200 against an $800 high estimate. Kratzer said, “It is rare to find the large plaques since a lot of them were damaged or cracked in the firing process. This led to Wedgwood creating not many examples, so they are sought-after by collectors. We had two local collectors bidding and driving this one up.”
All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.verobeachauction.com or 772-978-5955.
