Building on Strength
Bonhams hosts its first standalone Western art auction on February 26.
With several strong single-owner Western art sales under their belts—brinkman, Basha and Barron Hilton, to name three—bonhams has decided to increase its presence in the market by separating its traditional California & Western Art sale into two entities. The first of which, the Western Art auction, will happen on February 26 at 1 p.m., while the California Art sale will take place in April.
Leading this segment is Bonhams’ new Western art specialist Katherine Halligan, who is excited to kick off the first auction. The sale put an emphasis on the dynamic market with works from historic and contemporary artists hitting the auction block.
The major highlight of the sale thus far is Walter Ufer’s Isleta, New Mexico, a commanding 30-by-25-inch painting that has the hallmarks of the artist’s style. “The Walter Ufer is leading in terms of price point. It’s a wonderful example that’s unique in a lot of ways,” says Halligan. “It is depicting women in their daily life. The way he has done the coloring is fabulous, with the punch of reds in the three central figures’ outfits and the muted background of the Pueblo colors. It’s quite dynamic in person.” The work has an estimate of $125,000 to $175,000.
Oscar E. Berninghaus is also represented in the auction with Sagebrush in December (The Rabbit Hunt, Taos Valley), which is anticipated to sell between $35,000 and $50,000. “It has the typical Berninghaus tight, quick brushwork and a hunting group of Indians set against this beautiful depiction of Taos Valley,” Halligan describes.
A strong example of regionalist New Mexico artwork is Peter Hurd’s Antelope Hunter, an egg tempera on Masonite estimated at $50,000 to $70,000. Halligan explains, “It’s a really dynamic composition with a single rider on horseback coming to an abrupt halt. There are beautiful layers and patterns of the tempera medium. He was a master at that.”
Chicago-based artist Harold Harrington Betts, who often made trips to the West and is known for his paintings of Pueblo Indians and the Grand Canyon, will be represented in the auction by Gov’ of War (est. $5/7,000). The work, as Halligan notes, is “just about color, and the personality of the sitter is wonderful.”
William Herbert “Buck” Dunton’s Blackfeet Indians Moving to the Buffalo Range (est.
$60/80,000) also arrives to the market. The piece was painted in the pastel palette the artist frequently used and this work “reflects how bright the sunlit day was.” According to Halligan the work “tells a great story and especially considering that he was really focused on trying to record a vanishing way of life. The details on the central figures and horses showcase Dunton at his best.”
The inaugural sale will also include works by Cyrus Edwin Dallin, Edward Borein, Olaf Carl Seltzer and more. Check the Bonhams website for complete updates on how to participate in the sale.