This oil-on-canvas view of Torre del Greco in Naples, Italy, by Franz Richard Unterberger (Austrian, 1838-1902), 42½ by 70¼ inches framed, led the auction at $24,570 ($25/35,000).
Review by Carly Timpson
SARASOTA, FLA. — Helmuth Stone Gallery’s March 8 auction featured 187 lots of paintings by artists across countries and movements, prints, sculpture, art glass, jewelry, silver, Chinese antiques and more. At the sale’s close, it realized $233,622. According to the firm’s gallery manager, the buyers were mostly from the US and UK and most bid through the available online platforms. Additionally, the firm reported that 90 percent of the buyers were private collectors.
A monumental painting by Franz Richard Unterberger (Austrian, 1838-1902) beat out the other lots to achieve the sale-high price of $24,570. The painting, an oil on canvas depicted a view of Torre del Greco in Naples, Italy. It was signed to the lower left and hung in a gilded frame bearing a plaque with the artist’s name.
Additional vibrance was added to the auction with two significant consignments of works by Peter Max (German-American, b 1937), totaling 11 lots on offer. Helmuth Stone reported, “All of the original acrylic paintings and sculptures came from the same collection. The mixed medias were from another collector. Most of them went to different buyers, but one collector out of the UK bought both of the large Statue of Liberty paintings.” One of those paintings, “Statue of Liberty Ver. VIII #138,” achieved the auction’s second-highest price: $17,030. Painted in Max’s vibrant, Neo-Fauvist style, the golden Lady Liberty was depicted standing alone against a multicolored background. Paired with a certificate of authenticity from Park West Gallery, Southfield, Mich., this 2017 work was guaranteed as a unique work, hand-signed in pigment by the artist.
Two acrylic-on-canvas Statue of Liberty paintings by Peter Max sold to the same UK collector. Left: “Statue of Liberty Ver. VIII #138,” 2017, 55½ by 44½ inches framed, earned $17,030 ($15/25,000). Right: “Statue of Liberty Ver. VIII #43,” 2016, 56 by 45 inches framed, finished for $13,755 ($15/30,000).
“Statue of Liberty Ver. VIII #43” was painted a year earlier than “#138” and in subtler tones. In this painting, Lady Liberty’s figure was done in green hues, resembling the patina on New York City’s statue, and she was painted against a predominantly blue background. Also authenticated by Park West, this work achieved $13,755.
According to a 2018 essay published by Park West, after completing a series of Liberty paintings for the White House, Max was instrumental in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, and she became a recurring subject for him. Another example was a sculptural work, “Statue of Liberty Ver I. #5.” The 2015 acrylic sculpture itself stood 22 inches tall and was on a clear, unpainted base.
As expected, works with well recorded provenance can soar past their inherent value, and George Morland’s “The Smugglers” fit the bill. Depicting travelers on the coast, the painting’s provenance included Lady Thomas of Boscombe, sold by Christie, Manson & Woods in 1927; Arthur Tooth & Sons, London; Mr Carl Eriksson of Columbus, Ohio; and, most recently, a private collection in Great Neck, N.Y. Estimated just $4/6,000, the work was pushed to $12,300. Austin Helmuth concurred, sharing, “I think that the provenance really drove the bidding for the Morland piece. That’s the highest result that the artist had brought for some time. There were a few UK bidders battling it out, and it will ultimately head that way to the buyer.”
“The Smugglers” by George Morland (English, 1763-1804), oil on canvas, 35 by 43 inches framed, more than doubled its high estimate to earn $12,300 ($4/6,000).
Another great improvement on an estimate was achieved by an untitled, unattributed American School landscape. Painted in the Nineteenth Century, the 19-by-27-inch oil on canvas was assigned and estimate range of $600-$1,200, but it rose to $6,615. Helmuth told us, “We are not sure what’s going on, what drove the price of that painting. I think bidders possibly thought that they might know who the artist was. I’m assuming a Hudson River artist, hard to tell because a lot of those artists were known for not signing their works. It was a nice work.”
An aquatint and drypoint print by Pablo Picasso, titled “Dans L’Atellier,” also found itself among the top results, bringing $5,355. The 1965 print, which depicts an artist and female model with a large canvas at center, was pencil signed and numbered “24/50” to the lower margin.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.helmuthstone.com or 941-260-9703.
