The Western art market showed its extraordinary strength at the 19th annual Coeur d’Alene Art Auction of classic and contemporary Western, wildlife and sporting art. An overflow crowd of nearly 700 bidders and onlookers packed the salesroom of the Silver Legacy Resort as all but one of the 275 lots found buyers, for a staggering total of $21,125,440. Of that total, 60 percent of the lots exceeded the published high estimate, with 35 percent falling within estimate and 5 percent selling below the low estimate. In all, 15 world auction records were established for individual artists.

Highlighting the sale was the catalog cover lot, a 24-by-36-inch oil painting by Western master Charles M. Russell, “Piegans,” which distinguished itself by becoming one of the few major Russell oils to appear at auction. Carrying an impressive presale estimate of $3/5 million, the star lot drew a burst of applause as it appeared on the stage. The tension and excitement was at an all-time high as the bidding started at $2 million and moved steadily higher in $100,000 increments, until it was finally hammered down to a bidder in the salesroom for a world record $5.6 million.

Bidders dueled for Maynard Dixon’s “Story Tellers,” driving its price to $1,680,000. Painted in 1917 and commissioned by the Great Northern Railway, the 36-by-39-inch oil on canvas depicts Blackfeet Indians in a teepee during a beaver medicine ceremony.

An earlier bidding duel broke out when a 36-by-89-inch oilpainting by Maynard Dixon titled “Story Tellers” came up. Paintedin 1917, “Story Tellers” was thought to be one of the great lost”Montana” Dixon’s, commissioned by the Great Northern Railway anddepicting several Blackfoot Indians in a tepee during a beavermedicine ceremony. Bidders completely disregarded the presaleestimate of $600/800,000, taking “Story Tellers” into recordterritory and ultimately seeing it sell to an anonymous telephonebidder for $1.68 million.

Other notable lots included Benton Clark (1895-1964), “Morning Catch,” oil on canvas, 40 by 30 inches, $84,000; Sydney Laurence (1865-1940), “An August Afternoon, Mt McKinley,” oil on canvas, 30 by 40 inches, $224,000; Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), “Mountain Mother,” bronze 63/4 feet high $123,200; Winold Reiss (1886-1953), “The Drummers,” mixed media on board, 52 by 30 inches, $313,600; Frank Tenney Johnson (1874-1939), “Journey’s End,” oil on canvas, 401/2 by 501/2 inches, $392,000.

Also, Eanger Irving Couse (1866-1936), “Drinking,” oil on canvas board, 8 by 10 inches, $128,800. Victor Higgins (1884-1949), “Valley Town: View of Pueblo Town,” oil on board, 10 by 17 inches, $106,400; Joseph H. Sharp, “Jerry with Lover’s Flute, Taos,” oil on canvas, 20 by 16 inches, $179,200; and Frank Tenney Johnson, “Cowboy,” oil on canvas, 19 by 25 inches, $257,600.

Charles M. Russell, “Crow Scouts in Winter,” watercolor, 18 by 13 inches, $962,000.

Frederic Remington (1861-1909), “The Texas Type of Cowboy,”pen and ink on board, 12 by 6 inches, $67,200; Carl Rungins(1869-1959), “Antelope,” oil board, 10 by 8 inches, $89,600; EangerIrving Couse, “Indian Brave by a Campfire,” oil on canvas, 241/2 by29 inches, $201,600; Montague Dawson (1895-1873), “Grey Skies, TheFlying Cloud,” oil on canvas, 20 by 24 inches, $78,400; WilliamFrederick De Haas (1830-1880), “Evening Glow,” oil on canvas 17 by30 inches for $72,800; Oscar E. Berninghaus (1874-1952), “Stream inthe Desert,” oil on canvas board, 12 by 16 inches, $123,200.

Additionally, Oscar E. Berninghaus, “Indian and Taos Mountain,” oil on board, 9 by 13 inches, $89,600; Joseph H. Sharp, “Little Wolf, Cheyenne Chief,” oil on canvas, 18 by 12 inches, $179,200; Charles M. Russell “Crow Scouts in Winter,” watercolor, 18 by 13 inches, $962,000; Gerard Curtis Delano, “Sioux Indians Watching the Louis and Clark Expedition as it Ascended the Muddy Missouri in 1804 (The Long Knives),” oil on canvas, 22 by 40 inches, $201,600; and Leon Gaspard (1882-1964), “Walpi,” oil on canvas laid on board, 9 by 131/2 inches, $56,000.

All prices include a 12 percent buyer’s premium.

For information, www.cdaartauction.com or 208-772-9009.