PLAINVILLE, CONN. — A bidding battle created great excitement at Winter Associates’ auction on July 25 when an Irving Ramsey Wiles (American, 1861-1948) oil on canvas, caught the interest of two determined phone bidders. Consigned by a longtime Winter Associates customer, it was a handsome work depicting a young female sitting alone at a table in the midst of a lush green and garden-filled garden. Auctioneer Linda Stamm asked for an opening bid of $20,000, which the first bidder pounced on. From there it was 15 minutes of back-and-forth in $1,000 increments until the auctioneer’s gavel came down with a final sold at an astonishing $146,000, plus 20 percent buyer’s premium totaling $175,200. At the end of the bidding battle, the gallery audience erupted in applause.

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