This oil on board painting, “Chinese Lily” by Harry Crowley, signed “H. Crowley” lower right and dated “1940” on reverse, earned $1,625.
Review by Andrea Valluzzo
BEACON, N.Y. — Summer tends to be quiet for auctions with many people on vacation, so Hudson Valley Auctioneers spent the last few months hunting goods and picking area estates to kick off the fall season with its September 14 sale. The result was a multi-estate auction of more than 500 lots ranging from fine art and Asian arts to art glass, porcelains and Midcentury Modern furniture, a category that is always popular with Hudson Valley bidders.
“It was our first sale after the summertime, so we were kind of laying low during July and August because it’s traditionally a slow time and people have other priorities,” said manager Theo de Haas. “But for our first sale back, it was pretty good. Brown furniture is still a struggle but Midcentury did all right. We had a couple of surprises.”
Leading those surprises was a pair of wood decoy ducks that, despite missing a few glass eyes (both in one duck and one in its mate), surpassed estimate to bring $13,125. Also hitting five figures was a large Nineteenth Century oak country counter with paneled front and sides sold for $10,000. De Haas’ partner, Neil Vaughn, picked up the counter from the hardware store in nearby Highland Falls, N.Y., where it had been used. “Those were the two top lots, but the rest performed admirably,” De Haas added.
The top lot was this pair of wood decoy ducks that, despite missing a few glass eyes (both in one duck and one in its mate), surpassed its estimate to bring $13,125.
Among the categories impressing De Haas with their performance, he noted, “We had a great collection of Midcentury Japanese woodblocks that did pretty well at the end. And then we also had this, which I thought was interesting: a collection of Abstract Expressionist art from the early 1940s by Harry Crowley that did quite well. It was interesting art that hadn’t hit the market in a long time.”
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. Hudson Valley Auctioneers’ next sale will be October 19. For information, www.hudsonvalleyauctioneers.com or 845-831-6800.
