Leslie Hindman’s Arts of the American West
Western and wildlife artwork from three important collections will cross the block during Leslie Hindman’s Arts of the American West sale.
Denver, CO
Historic and contemporary Western and wildlife artwork arrives at auction during Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ Arts of the American West sale on November 9 and 10 in Denver. The auction will be highlighted by three important collections, allowing buyers the chance to purchase works that have never before been at auction or are arriving at auction for the first time in many years. These include property from the estate of Judge Thomas and Betty Phelps, property from the collection of M. Anthony Greene of Jackson, Wyoming, and property from the estate of Steve and Peggy Fossett.
“I think the great thing about the sale is it is a good balance of both historic and contemporary art,” says Katherine Harrington, Western art specialist at the auction house. “What we have found is because of the more contemporary works—especially in Native Art that we’ve been including from people such as Tony Abetya, John Nieto, Mateo Romero—it reaches out to younger collectors and piques interest in more collectors.”
Along with the three groupings, the standout of the sale is a bronze with brown patina measuring 24 inches high of Frederic Remington’s The Rattlesnake #69. Estimated at $100,000 to $200,000, “The Rattlesnake has been in private hands since it was purchased in the early 20th century,” Harrington explains.
In the collection from Judge Thomas and Betty Phelps will be a number of contemporary and historic works. Included is Taos Society of Artists member Oscar E. Berninghuas’ nocturne Night Visitors, Taos, depicting several horses grazing alongside an adobe home that is lit from within. The piece has a presale estimate of $12,000 to $18,000. Also from their collection is William Acheff’s work Harmonious Sounds (est. $15/25,000).
The Fossett collection will make up around 60 lots in the sale, with the focus being important Native American objects from their Beaver Creek, Colorado, home. Also offered is the Dave Mcgary bronze Four Bears, edition No. 35 of 75, which is expected to sell between $2,000 and $4,000. People will recognize Steve Fossett’s name as he was a businessman and modern-day
adventurer. In 2002 he became the first person to circumnavigate the world solo in a balloon without stopping or having to refuel, and has other records including as a balloonist, sailor and fixed-wing aircraft pilot.
Wildlife and Western pieces are the primary offerings from M. Anthony Greene, who served on the board of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson. “Some of the works that we’re featuring in the sale just show his passion for collecting wildlife art, and we’re thrilled to be handling some of the pieces from his collection,” says Harrington.
Included is cast No. 13 of 15 of Richard Loffler’s Buffalo Trail, which also has an edition in the National Museum of Wildlife Art holdings. There also will be two pieces by Ken Carlson—autumn Rivalry and Grizzly Crossing a River—that are expected to sell for $20,000 to $40,000 each. Clyde Aspevig’s Along the Rim, with an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000, is another standout of the collection.
Outside the collections, other highlights include E. William Gollings’ Herald of Trouble, circa 1911, which has an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000; Donna Howell-sickle’s mixed media What’s Brewing (est. $2/4,000) and Aspevig’s Morning at the Pinnacles (est. $2/4,000).