The highest-selling painting in the auction was “Idyllic” by Forrest Clemenger Bess (American 1911-1977), which made $44,100 ($8/12,000).

Review by Andrea Valluzzo

ROCKVILLE, MD. — Weschler’s Auctioneers & Appraisers’ Capital Collections auction on March 27 brought in just over a million dollars in sales, led by a 109-lot selection from a prominent Potomac collection that had a 100 percent sell-through rate.

“It was a great sale!” said Colette Chipman, Weschler’s fine art specialist, who noted the collection was a white-glove affair that resonated with buyers. “The Potomac collection was a thoughtfully curated local collection that highlighted the strengths of African-American artists in the region, particularly those with a connection to the modernist circles associated with Howard University, in addition to the Washington Color School and affiliated artists.”

The top lot indicated the continuing high market demand for silver and gold objects for both their intrinsic and artistic value, a trend which Weschler’s has seen firsthand. A French 18K yellow gold necessaire sold just over its high estimate at $52,700. The early Twentieth Century piece had a rectangular body with a central panel featuring chased floral rosettes framed in an engine-turned border.

Additionally, a significant selection of fine art crossed the block, led by a 1967 Forrest Clemenger Bess oil painting titled “Idyllic,” which sold for $44,100. There was much interest before the sale and, even though the artist was from Texas, the signed and dated painting went to a bidder overseas. “During this period, the artist was working largely in isolation in a fishing village in Texas and was very focused on recording the imagery he had in dreams. He thought they were visions,” Chipman said. “This is the first work by the artist from the 60s to be offered since 1994, so that likely contributed to the interest in this work.”

The top lot of the auction was this French 18K yellow gold necessaire, which sold just over its high estimate at $52,700 ($40/50,000).

The fine art offerings were diverse across the board, and another highlight was a Pop-style screenprint in colors from Andy Warhol. “Chicken ‘N Dumplings” from the artist’s Campbell’s Soup II portfolio (F & S II:58) attained $40,950, selling to an overseas bidder. The 1969 screenprint was signed in graphite and published by Factory Additions, New York City.

A signed and dated Kusama Affandi landscape, a 1966 oil on canvas, sold just over its high estimate for $37,200, and Richard William Dempsey’s oil on canvas “Blues for Pablo” earned $18,600. The latter painting was from the Potomac collection.

The parade of glittering fashions continued with an 18K yellow gold and white gold mesh evening bag from the early Twentieth Century exceeding its $15/25,000 estimate to bring $34,100, selling to an American buyer. The bag was impressed with a French-made export mark and its clasp was set with two high cabochon synthetic blue sapphires.

Jewelry offerings made a big splash, led at $29,760 by a platinum and diamond bracelet, measuring 7 inches long, that was set with 40 oval brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 21.5 carats ($25/30,000). Also performing well was a circa 1930 Art Deco platinum, blue sapphire and diamond bracelet, having 12 carats total weight of diamonds, which earned $23,560 ($10/15,000). It was centered with one round old European-cut diamond of about 1 carat and flanked by 71 round old European-cut diamonds alternating with French baguette-cut blue sapphires.

“Il Muro” by Mario Negri (Italian, 1916-1987), bronze, 30 inches tall, realized $27,280 ($5/7,000).

Leading a small but curated selection of sculptures was a Mario Negri bronze having a black patina, titled “Il Muro,” which realized $27,280. This signed work, numbered “1/3” on verso, was exhibited in the 30th Biennal Internazionale d’Arte di Venezia in 1960. Another sculpture that crossed the block was an unsigned 1899 May Howard Jackson (American 1877-1931) bronze “Slave Boy,” having a dark-brown patina on black marble base, which took $26,460 and came out of the Potomac collection ($3/5,000). This work was likely produced during Jackson’s time as a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1899, but this example is likely a posthumous cast, created when bronze editions were made from works in the Barnett-Aden Gallery by its director Adolphus Ealey. Another standout was Richmond Barthe’s (American 1901-1989) “Head of a Dancer (Harald Kreutzberg),” a dark-brown patina bronze mounted on a pink marble base, at $20,160 ($6/8,000).

Also exceeding estimates was a Russian (St Petersburg) silver and shaded cloisonne enamel triptych travel icon from the Nineteenth Century. In three panels depicting the Madonna and Child, the Resurrection of Christ and Christ Pantocrator, it bested its $5,000 high estimate to earn $20,160 from an American buyer.

A pair of Reed & Barton (Massachusetts) weighted sterling silver candelabra in the Francis I pattern quadrupled its high estimate to realize $16,120 from an American buyer.

Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.weschlers.com or 202-628-1281.