Auction Gallery of Palm Beaches – Rare American Bronzes at Auction
Sat May 25 at 1pm
1696 Okeechobee Rd 1-B, West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Agopb.com

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Two rare and important American bronzes will cross the block on Saturday, May 25, at the Auction Gallery of the Palm Beaches’ (AGOPB) May estates auction, “The Indian Hunter” by John Quincy Adams Ward (1830-1910) and “The Hiker” by Allen George Newman (1875-1940). The bronze sculptures have never been offered for sale and are in the possession of a descendant of the Newman family for the past 130 years.

AGOPB said it is thrilled to be offering the collectors and institutions an opportunity to buy these rare and important American bronzes. Brian Kogan, the auction manager said, “Once in a blue moon, when pieces like these are discovered, the excitement about the sale is expected.” The auction begins at 1 pm and the bidding is at LiveAuctioneers or Invaluable, or on the gallery’s website at www.agopb.com.

John Q.A. Ward’s “Indian Hunter” is Central Park’s first American erected monument in the park. It was dedicated in 1869 and is located at mid-park at 66th Street. The large-scale public monument was heralded for its naturalistic approach in sculpting, as opposed to the more idealized classical tradition that was in fashion. Ward has four additional sculptures in the park, including “The Pilgrim,” Seventh Regiment Memorial, and “William Shakespeare,” and many more monuments on the East Coast. Ward was the founder of the National Sculpture Society (1893-1905) and president of the National Academy of Design in 1874.

The original smaller scale model of the “Indian Hunter” was first sculpted by Ward in 1860. Fewer than 20 castings are believed to be known, with several in major institutions like Smithsonian, the Met, Amon Carter Museum, Denver Art Museum and LA County Museum. The bronze is signed and dated 1860 and the foundry casting was done by Henry Bonnard Bronze Co. in 1894. The sculpture has been passed down from the Allen George Newman descendants to the consignor. The bronze was exhibited at the 1928 Amsterdam Summer Olympics and bears the original exhibition tag on the underside. The auction estimate is $40/60,000.

“The Hiker” by Allen George Newman is the artist’s most recognized sculpture. Created in 1907, the statue honored the American soldiers who fought in the steamy jungles during the Spanish-American and the Philippine-American wars of the early Twentieth Century. The sculpture is widely known as the “best bronze soldier in America,” with many public monuments around the United States. Newman was the son-in-law to John Q.A. Ward and was trained by him. He had a very successful career and completed many public monuments, including the “Triumph of Peace” in Atlanta, “General Sheridan” in Scranton and the façade to the entrance of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. The sculpture measures 28½ inches high. The auction estimate is $10/15,000.

AGOPB is at 1696 Old Okeechobee Road. For information, 561-805-7115.

John Quincy Adams Ward (1830-1910) Indian Hunter, Signed, 15 1/2″ h. Cast by the Henry Bennard Bronze Co.,
New York 1894. Exhibited in 1928 Amsterdam Summer Olympics
Allen George Newman (1875-1940) The Hiker, 28 ½” h. Provenance: Newman Family Descendant
Franz Anton Maulbertsch (1724-1796), The Anointing of Maria Theresa in Presburg, 19 3/8″ X 34″
Auction Gallery Palm Beaches • 561-805-7115
Online Bidding: Liveauctioneers & Invaluable