THOMASTON, MAINE — A large marine oil painting by Russian artist Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817–1900) was the top selling item of the March 1–3 sale at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries. Signed in Cyrillic and dated 1853, titled “Sunset in Crimea,” the painting depicted two fully rigged sailing ships becalmed in a harbor and unloading freight with the assistance of men and horse-drawn wagons on the shore. The date shows that the scene is early in the Crimean War, which lasted from 1853–56.

It was a strong sale, with five-figure prices in several categories: American furniture, Asian items, Oriental rugs, a Winslow Homer graphite portrait, Tiffany lamps and more.

A full report will follow.