Shannon’s Important Paintings, Drawings, Prints & Sculpture
October 28, 2021 | 6:00 pm ET
View the catalog and bid on shannons.com
October 1st. preview | register | bid
49 Research Drive, Milford, CT

MILFORD, CONN. — Two treasured family heirlooms by famed British Modernist Henry Moore are headed to auction this fall. “Mother and Child on Ladderback Rocking Chair,” a 8.2-inch-tall bronze sculpture, and “Rocking Chairs,” a colored mixed media composition on paper, were recently discovered in a Connecticut home. The sculpture is estimated to realize $400/600,000 and the drawing is estimated to realize between $100/200,000.

The bronze sculpture, “Mother and Child on Ladderback Rocking Chair,” is a rare example from an edition of only ten cast by the artist. The last one from this edition sold in 2015 for $773,000; none have been offered at auction in the six years since. Shannon’s owner and fine art expert Sandra Germain noted, “Moore created this sculpture in 1952 shortly after the birth of his daughter. The use of abstract forms, small-scale and rocking base make this a highly relatable work. It is filled with love, playfulness and tenderness, themes found across Henry Moore’s works that helped launch him to international fame.”

Both works come from the descendants of New York City socialite and philanthropist Vera List. List, an avid collector of Modernism, was an early patron of Henry Moore. Most famously, in 1961, List and her husband Albert sponsored the commission of a large-scale “Reclining Figure” that was installed in the reflecting pool of New York City’s Lincoln Center. The Lists purchased works directly from Curt Valentin (Moore’s New York City dealer) through his gallery, Buchholz. “Mother and Child On Ladderback Rocking Chair” was purchased from Buchholz in 1952.

The drawing, “Rocking Chairs,” was purchased at Buchholz in 1951 and is extensively documented in publications on Moore. Executed in 1948, four years before the bronze, “Mother and Child on Ladderback Rocking Chair,” is a rare glimpse into the artist’s creative process. In this drawing, Moore depicts five figure groups on rocking bases, with the mother figure holding the child in various positions. Each group is three-dimensional, indicating that the work was conceived of as a sculpture from the beginning.

Due to Moore’s international recognition, Shannon’s is expecting interest from all over the world. Germain added, “We are honored to celebrate the legacy of Mrs List and to have worked with her family and the Henry Moore Foundation to document the history of these works.”
In addition to the two works by Henry Moore, Shannon’s October 28 auction will also feature works by Roberto Matta, Charles Burchfield, Milton Avery, Thomas Hart Benton, Marc Chagall, Fidelia Bridges and more.
Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers is at 49 Research Drive. For information, 203-877-1711 or www.shannons.com.

In-person previews by appointment
October 18th-27th (weekdays from 11-5PM) or
Saturday, October 23rd (10-3PM, closed Sunday).
Virtual previews & additional photos are available by request.
GUY CARLETON WIGGINS American (1883-1962)
Roberto Matta
Charles Burchfield
Guy Carleton Wiggins
Isidor Kaufmann
Albert Bierstadt
William Bradford
Milton Avery
Serge Poliakoff
Charles Courtney Curran
Worthington Whittredge
William Trost Richards
Fidelia Bridges
Marc Chagall
George Inness
Felicie Waldo Howell
Eric Sloane
John George Brown
Henriette Ronner-Knip
Alfred Thompson Bricher
Susan Watkins
Julian Alden Weir
John Fabian Carlson
Abbott Fuller Graves
Hermann Herzog
John Williamson
Frederick Mulhaupt
Harry Aiken Vincent
Lemuel Everett Wilmarth
Jane Peterson
Eugene Galien-Laloue
Reynolds Beal
William Aiken Walker
Clyde Singer
John H. Twachtman
M. F. H. De Haas
William Louis Sonntag
and more…
VIEW THE CATALOG ONLINE AT SHANNONS.COM
AUCTION INFORMATION:
BID BY TELEPHONE, ABSENTEE AND LIVE ONLINE
THROUGH SHANNONS.COM
OTHER ARTISTS FEATURED IN THE SALE:
HENRY MOORE British (1898-1986)
THOMAS HART BENTON American (1889-1975)
JASPER FRANCIS CROPSEY American (1823-1900)
FIDELIA BRIDGES American (1834-1923)

Sandra Germain info@shannons.com
+1 203 877 1711
HENRY MOORE
THOMAS HART BENTON
WALTER LAUNT PALMER
Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers | 49 Research Drive | Milford, Connecticut | 06460
Roberto Matta, Charles Burchfield, Isidor Kaufmann, Jasper Francis Cropsey, Albert Bierstadt, William Bradford, Milton Avery, Serge Poliakoff, Charles Courtney Curran, Thomas Worthington Whittredge, Hermann Herzog, William Trost Richards, Fidelia Bridges, Marc Chagall, George Inness, Felicie Waldo Howell, Eric Sloane, John George Brown, Henriette Ronner-Knip, Alfred Thompson Bricher, Susan Watkins, Julian Alden Weir, John Fabian Carlson, Abbott Fuller Graves, John Williamson, Frederick Mulhaupt, John Falter, Harry Aiken Vincent, Lemuel Everett Wilmarth, Jane Peterson, Eugene Galien-Laloue, Reynolds Beal, William Aiken Walker, Clyde Singer, John Henry Twachtman, Levi Wells Prentice and more..