Slices of Life
Landscapes and daily scenes are among the highlights of John Moran Auctioneers’ California & American Fine Art sale
Since John Moran Auctioneers’ inception, the firm’s California & American Fine Art sale has been one of its staples.the next iteration will take place November 3 with approximately 125 works hitting the auction block.the sale, according to fine art director Morgana Blackwelder, “is a smaller and more curated sale to wow buyers.” Featured will be California Impressionist works and scenes of the East Coast by a number of artists.
Among the highlights of the sale is a mountain brook scene by Sanford Robinson Gifford that is estimated to sell between $30,000 and $40,000. “The Gifford is a striking fall mountain scene that takes you back to why people choose to live in [Massachusetts or New York],” says Blackwelder. “It’s because of the majesty of nature and the colors that present themselves when living in a place that has four seasons.” There also will be several images depicting rural America coming to market in the auction. Emil Kosa Jr.’s Farm Scene and The Farm in Autumn by Maurice Braun are among the highlights. Both pieces are notable for their color schemes: Kosa’s with its green and grays, and Braun’s highlighting the colors of fall. A scene from Bruce Crane depicting figures reaping hay is another of rural life
available.all three works have presale estimates of $7,000 to $9,000.
Two artists with ties to Claremont, California, will have pieces in the sale: Phil Latimer Dike and Millard Owen Sheets. Dike is represented by Balboa Pier and Fun Zone (est. $10/15,000), which shows one of the most recognized
Southern California land marks. according to Black weld er ,“this piece is quintessential of his work; not only based on his style, but it’s an iconic location.” Sheets’ painting Palm Sunday (est. $5/7,000) shows revelers celebrating the holy day.
Marion Kavanagh Wachtel’s watercolor Sunset is another favorite in the auction. The work, depicting a California sunset with an overgrown eucalyptus tree in the foreground, has an estimate of $20,000 to $25,000.“This is such an iconic style and subject matter for her, and she spent a lot of her career as a watercolorist and perfecting this ,” says Black weld er .“after her husband died, she changed to oils. It was later in her career because she didn’t want to compete with him.”
Another “wonderful and super iconic Southern California scene,” as Blackwelder
notes, is hanson du val put huff’ s Where Hill and Valley Meet
(est. $10/15,000). Puthuff was recognized for his plein air scenes with broad brushstrokes, with this one having a “sweeping mountain stream, with the diverse color and foliage.”
Also coming available in the sale will be pieces by Thomas Hill and Edgar Payne, including the latter artist’s Italian Cargo Boats (est. $10/15,000).“It’ll be a fun and diverse sale,” says Blackwelder, “but very carefully curated.”