HUDSON, N.Y. – A mixed-media painting by Jamie Wyeth that depicted deflated jack-o-lanterns lit up Stair Galleries’ March 23 sale of the Ligonier, Penn., estate of Richard P. Mellon. According to Stair’s director of fine arts, Lisa Thomas, the quality of the work, titled “After Halloween,” was “extraordinary” and attracted interest from a combination of both private and trade bidders who battled it out on eight phone lines. In the end, a trade buyer won the lot for $86,100, well ahead of its $20/40,000 estimate. It was the highest price achieved in the 342-lot sale, which was more than 98 percent sold by the time the gavel came down on the final lot.

Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium; an extensive recap will appear in a future issue.