Leading day three, and the sale as a whole, was this ink and wash on paper by a follower of Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669) from the Eighteenth or Nineteenth Century. The 7-by-6-inch illustration was unframed and sold for $32,500 ($1/1,500).
Review by Kiersten Busch
BOONTON, N.J. — Biannually, Millea Bros conducts a three day Select auction: one of the firm’s two flagship sales. The December iteration, spanning from December 4-6, offered more than 1,000 lots. With an overall sell-through rate of 92 percent, the auction totaled $2,132,040.
“We were thrilled with the results,” shared co-owner Mark Millea in an email post-auction. “The auction performed exceptionally well with documented pieces from interiors designed by contemporary designers, as well as classic Twentieth Century designers such as Billy Baldwin and Mark Hampton. Notably, we may have set a record for a pair of Billy Baldwin ‘Cole Porter’ étagères. There was also strong competition for classic English furniture, which was encouraging to see, with a number of pieces exceeding their estimates.”
Millea continued, “Unsurprisingly, lots sold to benefit museums (Newark and Minneapolis) also performed exceptionally well. In today’s internet-driven market, where an overwhelming amount of merchandise is readily available online, strong provenance is more critical than ever. Distinguishing yourself is essential when auctions are happening virtually every hour of every day.”
Day one, Modernism and Contemporary Art & Design, consisted of 384 lots. Leading the day was “Romana,” a verdigris patinated cast bronze sculpture by Daisy Youngblood. Made between 1987-88, the work was crafted at the Empire Bronze Art Foundry and had provenance to an important private collection in New York City. It stood at $28,750, far surpassing its $3/5,000 estimate.
Leading day one was “Romana” by Daisy Youngblood (American, b 1945), 1987-88, verdigris patinated cast bronze, 21 inches high, signed and numbered “1/3” to underside; it earned $28,750 ($3/5,000).
Lighting excelled on the first day, with a pair of large lamps after Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann from the first half of the Twentieth Century selling for the third-highest price. Hailing from France, the lamps were made from silvered bronze, with beaded crystals dangling over their frosted dome shades. A nearly identical example was sold at Christie’s, New York in a June 2005 sale. This pair illuminated at $15,000.
Day two, Asian Art, American and British Art & Antiques and Silver, which offered 368 lots, was led by “Office Girls” by Isaac Soyer, a 1939 painting with provenance to The Saul Rosen Foundation collections. Also with exhibition history to the ACA Galleries’ 50th Anniversary Exhibition in 1981, the painting earned $27,500. “This one was surprising,” explained Millea. “We’ve sold our share of both Moses and Raphael Soyer works before but not anything by Isaac. I suppose that points to its rarity.”
Day three, Continental Art & Antiques, Carpets, Antiquities and Tribal Art, offered 336 lots. An untitled ink wash on paper illustrated by a follower of Rembrandt van Rijn made $32,500, the highest price of the three-day sale. “This one was a bit of a wildcard and we were pleasantly surprised with the result. It went to a European buyer,” shared Millea. Unofficially titled “Study of a Seated Scholar,” the work, which dated to the Eighteenth or Nineteenth Century, also featured an incomplete figural sketch containing indistinct markings on its reverse.
“The Last Soiree of Charles II at Whitehall” by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (German-American, 1816-1868), 1856, 62 by 90 inches framed, signed and dated lower right, had extensive provenance, which helped it climb to $20,000 ($2/3,000).
At $20,000 was “The Last Soiree of Charles II at Whitehall,” a painting by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze. Completed in 1856, the work was one of several deaccessioned pieces in the sale benefiting the Newark Museum of Art, and had extensive provenance, including to a Christie’s, London, sale and the Pennsylvania collection of the supposed grandson of Oswald Achenbach.
Of the overall bidding pool for the sale, Millea commented, “15 percent of the bids came from international buyers, while the remaining 85 percent were predominantly from buyers in the tri-state area. Among the lots that sold for $10,000 or more, 30 percent were purchased by international bidders, with half of these bidders participating through online bidding. Additionally, 30 percent of these high value lots were acquired by trade buyers, while the remaining 70 percent went to private collectors.”
Millea Bros’ next auction is scheduled for late February and will be a one-day post-war and Contemporary art sale. Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 973-377-1500 or www.milleabros.com.
