“Nature Morte Devant la Fenetre (Still Life in front of a Window)” by Jean René Bazaine (French, 1904-2001), 1942, oil on canvas, 56¼ by 45½ inches framed was one of the sale’s greatest highlights; it sold to a phone bidder in France for $78,000 ($30/40,000).
Review by Carly Timpson
SARASOTA, FLA. — On June 2, Amero Auctions conducted its Sensational Summer sale with more than 400 lots, including abstract art, sketches, Old Master-style paintings, midcentury furniture, decorative objects, silver, militaria and Asian decorative objects. With a 92 percent sell-through rate, the auction realized $835,000. Christopher Ball, gallery manager, shared that phone bidding was strong in this sale and said, “There was lot of activity from Europe, especially with the artwork.” In fact, the majority of the top lots were by European artists and were sold to European buyers.
Capturing the interest of bidders and ultimately earning top honors was “Nature Morte Devant la Fenetre (Still Life in front of a Window)” by Jean René Bazaine. This abstract oil on canvas composition was done in 1942 with bold blues, reds and greens. In addition to being signed, dated and titled, the work also bore labels and inventory stickers from various museums and galleries. Some notable collections include Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Fribourg, Switzerland; the 1990 “Exhibition Jean Bazaine” at Galeries Nationales – Grand Palais, Paris; Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands; Galerie Louis Carre & Co., Paris; and Kestner Gesselschaft, Hanover, Germany. After competitive bidding, “Nature Morte Devant la Fenetre (Still Life in front of a Window)” was won by a phone bidder in France for $78,000 — just shy of doubling its high estimate.
Bazaine’s “Le Matin (The Morning),” another abstract oil painting also traded hands. This one, completed in 1951, was done in cooler tones than the other — shades of blue with yellow and white accents. The various exhibition and gallery labels affixed verso include Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland; Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands; Galerie Chappentier, Paris, 1956; and Galerie Max Kaganovitch, Paris. The painting was from the same collection as the top lot and was won by a European internet bidder for $23,750.
“Le Matin (The Morning)” by Jean René Bazaine (French, 1904-2001), 1951, oil on canvas, 46 by 38½ framed, realized $23,750 ($20/30,000).
Thomas Theodor Heine’s 1913 oil painting of a nude woman standing beside a large red dog generated substantial interest and was bid beyond its $25,000 high estimate to achieve $37,500. Consigned from a local collection, the painting will be going back to Europe. In the work, a nude woman, with her hair in a tight updo, leans against a floral-clothed table, upon which a large red dog with cropped ears is seated. In the background of this outdoor scene is a snow-covered landscape with trees and mountains. Completed on a square wooden panel, the surrealist painting was monogrammed and dated to the lower left.
A still life of poppies and other flowers in a pitcher or vase on a table against a white background was boldly signed “Bernard Buffet / 56” to the right side of the vase. The framed oil on canvas painting had remnants of an old label affixed to its backside and was from the Alexander Raydon Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City. With no inpaint or restoration observed under blacklight, the still life is heading back to Europe for $30,000.
Alternately titled “Angel” or “Archangel,” William Grosvenor Congdon’s 1969 abstract mixed media painting was signed, numbered, illegibly titled and dated verso. The dark atmospheric painting has provenance to Betty Parsons Gallery, New York City, and Duck & Dolphin Antiques, Key West, Fla. Despite some minor warping and a scratch to the surface, bidders took the work beyond its estimate, and it achieved $27,000.
“Cuadro 190” by Manolo Millares (Spanish/Canary Islands, 1926-1972), 1962, acrylic/paper on jute fabric, 36 by 25¾ inches, was bid to $27,000 ($4/6,000).
“Cuadro 190,” a 1962 abstract mixed media composition by Manolo Millares unexpectedly topped off at $27,000 against a high estimate of $6,000. The piece, which depicts an open-mouthed person in frantic black and white, was once in the Alexander Raydon Gallery.
A dark yet colorful abstract painting by Syd Solomon titled “Resurge” crossed the block at $18,720. With multiple labels attached to its reverse, including St Armands Gallery, Sarasota, and James David Gallery, Miami Beach, Fla., the 1961-62 painting had remained in the family of its original owner who bought it directly from the artist. Ball shared the piece’s unique story: “It came from a local collection — Syd Solomon himself actually delivered it to the original buyer. After they bought it from him, he delivered it to them in his convertible right here in Sarasota.”
“Nude Model in Japanese Robe,” painted by Philip Pearlstein in 1978, exceeded its $12,000 high estimate to finish at $14,400. Sitting sideways, with one leg up, in a chair, the woman’s flower- and bird-patterned robe is open to reveal her nude body. Beneath the chair is a colorful geometric rug. Signed and dated to the lower left, the watercolor and gouache painting was from the Alexander Raydon Gallery and was not examined outside of its frame, but it will be returning to New York.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. According to Ball, many more pieces from the Raydon Gallery and Duck & Dolphin will be offered in upcoming sales at Amero. For information, 941-330-1577 or www.ameroauctions.com.
