Competitive Bidding
Bonhams’ American Art sale
The top lot of Bonhams’ recent American Art auction was Albert Bierstadt’s Entrance to Golden Gate, which fell right in the center of its $200,000 to $300,000 estimate, selling for $250,313. Overall, the November 24 sale in New York achieved 72.7% sold by lot and 88.9% sold by value, raking in a total of $1.12 million.
Entrance to Golden Gate, a calm scene of the San Francisco shore, demonstrates a period of the artist’s life in which he spent much of his time in California recording the topography of the Golden State, from the coast to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
A world auction record was set when Evening Encampment by Wolf Kahn, achieved $162,813, after competitive bidding against a pre-sale estimate of $30,000 to $50,000.“Evening Encampment is a superb example of Kahn’s mastery of style and his ability to portray the atmospheric conditions of the landscape around him with vibrant intensity,” says Bonhams American art specialist
Aaron Anderson. “We were saddened to learn of the artist’s passing earlier this year and were honored to have the opportunity to offer such a significant work by him.the sale results demonstrate that Kahn’s legacy thrives and collectors’
enthusiasm for his work is stronger than ever.” Additional top selling lots in the auction include the sculpture Enthroned by Bessie Potter Vonnoh, a distinguished work in the artist’s oeuvre, depicting a mother seated with her children around her.the bronze, cast in 1907, more than tripled its high estimate of $18,000 when it sold for $60,313. Fruit Bowl, painted by Milton Avery in 1957, bested its $30,000 high estimate when it hammered at $31,563. Neil Welliver’s Woodland Terry shattered its high estimate of $8,000, selling for nearly six times that amount at $45,313. The painting depicts a nude woman partially submerged in a body of water and is a superb example of the artist’s figurative works and signature style.■