Hitting the Mark
Several first-time offerings will be available during Sotheby’s November 19 American art sale
In discussing the upcoming Sotheby’s American Art sale on November 19, specialist Elizabeth Pisano hones in on one particular thread that ties together many of the lots: freshness. “a number of the works have been in private collections for many years and there are works that have never been at auction before, so we’re quite excited to present those works to collectors for the first time,” she says, adding that in the process of finding these quality examples the sale became more tightly edited and curated.
The sale reaches across multiple segments of the market to appeal to collectors of all interests. One of the major highlights of the auction is a 1952 painting by Milton Avery titled Porch Sitters that has an estimate of $2 million to $3 million. “it’s a classic
Avery subject of two figures relaxing and reading on a porch,” says Pisano. “Even though it’s from the 1950s, you still see his primary style from the 1940s present here because he’s broken down the composition into single color areas that seem to fit together like puzzle pieces. this one is brightly colored and appealing to Avery collectors and it has a large scale.” Available from Hudson River
School painter Frederic E. Church is South American Landscape, a fresh to the market work featuring one of his most recognized subjects. It is expected to sell between $1.5 million and $2.5
million. another romanticized landscape in the sale is Albert Bierstadt’s Estes Park, Colorado (est. $700/1,000,000), that dates to 1867—a year that Pisano says is in the artist’s “sweet spot of those idealized images of the American West.”
There will also be a section of illustrations coming to market that is led by Maxfield Parrish’s 1945 painting Mill Pond. “This classic rural, idealized scene of New England by Parrish is unbelievably detailed and predominantly features the Parrish blue that he’s associated with,” Pisano describes. “it’s a complex and ambitious composition. ”the painting hits the block with an estimate of $600,000 to $800,000.
“Modernism and American illustration remain quite popular, and particularly with illustration we’re seeing demand of artists of all kinds and price points,” Pisano shares. “new collectors are entering the market each season, and we just continue to see people really placing a premium on and actively seeking out and competing for very high-quality examples that are fresh to the market—and that’s throughout all genres.”
In the November 19 sale, Sotheby’s also will present a brand-new section called “Art of the Americas,” which will include works from American artists, Latin American artists and Canadian artists. “we’re trying to create a story across North and South America in regards to the modern paintings, and illustrating the levels of inspiration they drew from their place in time,” Pisano says.
Leading the segment is Canadian artist Emily Carr’s Skedans
from 1912. Carr was primarily recognized for painting Indigenous people and artifacts of her home country. this rare work has an estimate of $3 million to $5 million. Also in the section is a beautiful floral by Georgia O’keeffe from 1923 titled Anthurium, which features the red flowers against a white and green background. It looks to sell between $1.5 million and $2.5 million.the 1938 painting River Bend #4 by regionalist
Marvin Cone is another highlight, with an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000.