Sotheby’s American Art Sale
New York, NY
November 19, Sotheby’s will present its next American Art auction with everything from masterful modernist paintings to works featuring romanticized views of the West hitting the market. The sale is tightly curated to hone in on the quality that collectors continue to seek out. Elizabeth Pisano, an American art specialist at the auction house, says, “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 to collectors for the first time.”
Several strong examples of Western art will be offered this year, led by a nearly 20-inch wide landscape by Albert Bierstadt. The painting, Estes Park, Colorado, is typical of the artist’s oeuvre in that it offers a sweeping and otherworldly view of the terrain. “It dates to 1867, so it’s really right in his sweet spot of those idealized images of the American West,” explains Pisano. The work depicts a glimmering waterway with the artist’s signature golden light—one of many pieces that complements the artist’s own words about the West when he called it the “American Garden of Eden.” It has a presale estimate of $700,000 to $1 million.
Two Charles M. Russell grisaille oil paintings from 1897 will also be available during the
auction. The works, stripped down to the essentials, are defined by not only their monochromatic hues but also the imagery that is long-associated with the iconic Western painter. “[These works] really demonstrate what he can do in this very, very limited palette,” says Pisano. “[They are] beautifully detailed and capture the spirit of the West.”
Russell’s Lewis and Clark Meeting the Mandans (Lewis and Clark Expedition) is a scene featuring the duo recognized from American history coming upon the Great Plains Indians. The other work, Before the White Man Came (Indian Game Hunt), is a picture of Native Americans on horseback at the edge of a cliff scoping out the lands below. Both paintings have presale estimates of $600,000 to $800,000.
“New collectors are entering the market each season,” Pisano says, “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.”