Leading the sale was “Ombelles Jaunes” by Bernard Buffet (French, 1928-1999), oil on canvas, signed and dated, 25½ by 21¼ inches, which came with an accompanying book about Buffet by Maurice Druon; the lot bloomed to $138,600, heading overseas ($70/90,000).
Review by Kiersten Busch
ROCKVILLE, MD. — On October 18, Weschler’s Auctioneers & Appraisers conducted its Important Works of Art, Furnishings & Decorations auction, which offered 232 lots of fine art, Asian art and antiques, furniture, decorative art, collectibles and firearms, among others. The sale finished with a total of just over $630,000.
Interestingly enough, “There was no in-person bidding for this auction,” shared Allison Mullholland, marketing coordinator at Weschler’s. “There were some phones, but the majority was internet bidding.”
Leading the sale at $138,600, exceeding its $70/90,000 estimate, was an oil on canvas by Bernard Buffet titled “Ombelles Jaunes.” The painting was signed and dated “’65” and measured 25½ by 21¼ inches. The lot was also accompanied by Bernard Buffet, a book by Maurice Duron (Paris: Hachette, 1964), and a Christmas card from Findlay Galleries, to which the painting had provenance in December of 1965. Additional provenance included the Galerie David & Garnier, Paris, in July of 1965 and a Chevy, Md., trust, from which it was consigned. Mullholland explained that the work was a fresh-to-the-market piece from the family of the original owner. There was phone and internet bidding; it eventually sold on the internet to an overseas buyer.
Untitled (Faces) by Kusama Affandi (Indonesian, 1907-1990), oil on canvas, 39 by 46 inches, signed with artist’s monogram, inscribed “Coll. Raka Sumichan” verso, sold on the phone to a buyer in Asia for $34,720, the second highest price of the sale ($20/40,000).
Oil on canvas paintings did well in the sale, with three additional works in the medium finishing near the top. Untitled (Faces) by Kusama Affandi, with provenance to the collection of Raka Sumichan and the estate of P.D.W. Clark, earned the second-highest total of the day, $34,720, while Sally Michel Avery’s “Sunday Reader” sat at $27,360, and “Early Fall” by Birger Sandzén shed its leaves for $17,360.
The “best story of the auction!” according to Mullholland, was that of Burhan Dogançay’s untitled gouache on paper, which landed a $20,640 finish thanks to a US phone buyer. “The owner purchased it at a thrift store for $30! He was cleaning out his apartment and a friend suggested he get rid of it because it was ugly. He did some internet research on his own and then decided to contact us.”
A team effort was put forth in the acrylic on canvas “Popsicle,” which was created together by artists Gene Davis, Douglas Davis, Ed McGowin and Michael Clark and was a unique variant from an edition of 50. This example was inscribed “For Give Away Event, May 22, 1969/ Grand Ballroom, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC” on its reverse. Consigned from a Washington, DC, collector, the painting was originally obtained at the “Give Away Event” mentioned in its inscription: the Gene Davis Give Away Event, which, according to catalog notes was, “The brainchild of sculptor Ed McGowin and the art critic/artist Douglas Davis,” which “was equal parts collaborative happening, art market critique and joke.” The painting landed within its $12/18,000 estimate to achieve $12,400.
“Popsicle” by Gene Davis (American, 1920-1985), Douglas Davis, Ed McGowin and Michael Clark, 1969, acrylic on canvas, 68¼ by 67¼ inches, was a unique variant of 50 and sold for $12,400 on the internet to a US buyer ($12/18,000).
Asian art was led by an Eighteenth or Nineteenth Century Chinese Doucai Dragon and Phoenix wash basin, which flew to great heights, surpassing its $800-$1,200 estimate more than 25 times to achieve the third-highest price of the sale: $29,760. The basin had “lots of interest before the sale,” according to Mullholland. “The competition was all on the phone. It sold to an overseas buyer. Great provenance from the Schemerhorn family, in very good condition, also a unique shape.” The basin was also documented at Eastover Estate in Lenox, Mass., by American photographer Robert W. Tebbs (1875-1945) circa 1922.
Weschler’s will hold its Capital Collections Auction, which includes the property from the estate of Alice Denney, on December 13. Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For more information, 202-628-1281 or www.weschlers.com.
