Completed in 1972, American artist George Rodrigue’s “The Class Of Marie Courregé” is said to be the painting that put the artist on the map. In 1974, at the urging of his friend and French artist Jean Pierre Serrier, Rodrigue submitted his work to the Salon at the Grand Palais on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, where it was selected for exhibition and awarded an honorable mention. The French newspaper Le Figaro called Rodrigue “America’s Rousseau.” The painting was inspired by a family photograph of his mother’s graduating class from Mount Carmel Academy in New Iberia, La., in 1924. Of the painting, Rodrigue wrote, “I show her with her school class to show the unity of the Cajuns, their determination to go forward, their desire to embrace the flag of America. It shows the unity a school class has, just as the Cajuns have unity. The class is a family, just as the Cajuns were a family who had the common bond of speaking French. Different shapes of a class show different things. This class has a very solid shape, a very sound and determined shape…” Billed as the artist’s most significant painting to come to auction to date, the painting approaches the block at Neal Auction Company and joins other top lots from around the United States in this week’s picks.
NEAL AUCTION GALLERY
Sale Date: April 13–14, 2019
Lot 190
George Rodrigue (American/Louisiana, 1944–2013)
“The Class of Marie Courregé,” 1971, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left.
Estimate: $80/120,000
SKINNER
Sale Date: April 12, 2019
Lot 404
John Heilig Brass Surveyor’s Compass
Circa 1800, Germantown, Penn., 7-inch silvered dial engraved with a fleur-de-lis representing north, raised brass center boss engraved “John Heilig. Germantown,” outer scale divided in four quadrants, blued-steel needle with needle lifter on underside, circular-cased level, one arm engraved with the letter “N,” and vernier knob on underside.
Estimate: $3/5,000
COPAKE
Sale Date: April 13, 2019
Lot 114A
Narragansett Exercise Bicycle
Circa 1885, scarce and in good condition.
Estimate: $800-1,200
HARGESHEIMER
Sale Date: April 12–13, 2019
Lot 493
Icon Showing St Spyridon of Corfu
Theodore Poulakis (1622–1692), circa 1700, tempera on wood panel. Executed in bright colors on a gold ground, 30 by 22 inches.
Estimate: $20/40,000
MORPHY
Sale Date: April 12, 2019
Lot 1373
1881 Doc Holliday And Morgan Earp “Picnic” Tintype Photograph
Early tintype showing Doc Holliday and Morgan Earp with family and a group of people, with good clarity and uncommon large size. The upper right of the photograph’s back side is very faintly marked 4/24/81, which, if not added at a later date by coincidence, would give cause for the pictured gathering being April 24th, Morgan Earp’s birthday.
Estimate: $10/15,000
RAGO
Sale Date: April 13–14, 2019
Lot 1109
Nino Caffé (Italian, 1908–1975)
“Apocalisse,” oil on canvas laid to board, signed, 27 by 53¼ inches framed.
Estimate: $4/6,000
CARLSEN GALLERY
Sale Date: April 14, 2019
Lot 37
Nineteenth Century Banner Weathervane
Iron and copper, standing 7 feet 3 inches high.
Estimate: $500-1,500
WHITE’S
Sale Date: April 14, 2019
Lot 8
Early Nineteenth Century American School Folk Art Painting Of A Young Girl
Circa 1820s/40s, oil on board. Portrait of young blonde little girl sitting in a green-painted chair, white dress with blue ribbons and holding a book, 14 by 9½ inches sight in original frame.
Estimate: $800-1,200
TREMONT AUCTIONS
Sale Date: April 14, 2019
Lot 312C
Jade Carving
China, Nineteenth Century, grey and russet stone carved as Ling Chih, 2¼ inches long and mounted as a lamp finial.
Estimate: $100-200
