By Carter B. Horsley After several quite successful American paintings auctions, Phillips de Pury & Luxembourg did not hold one in the spring of 2003, but it is back with an early fall auction that is highlighted by several lovely Hudson River School landscapes, a strong, small winter scene by Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919), and very good still lifes by Joseph Decker (1853-1924) and George Forster (1817-1896). Although it does not contain any blockbusters, the offering is of generally high quality. Lot 9, "Near Sunset," for example, is a very fine small oil by John Frederick Kensett (1816-1870). The work was executed circa 1850s and is on artist's board. It measures 9 ¼ by 14 inches, and is a classic lake scene with a beautiful, Luminist handling of light. It has a modest estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It failed to sell and was passed at $38,000. The sale was a major disappointment with less than 54 percent of the offered lots selling.
Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823-1880) is another major Hudson River School painter who is valued highly for his luminist works. Lot 21, "A Sketch of Manchester, Mass.," is a fine oil on canvas that measures 8 7/8 by 18 5/8 inches. Dated 1865, it is one of 10 oil sketches, according to Ila Weiss, that "Gifford in the company of James Suydam and Worthington Whittredge painted along the Massachusetts coast during July and August, 1865." The catalogue notes that "Although Gifford described Manchester's scenery as 'simple, without being monotonous,' his innate Luminist sensibilities enabled him to transcend this straightforward description. It has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It failed to sell and was passed at $85,000.
James Augustus Suydam (1819-1865) has in recent years been revalued as an excellent Luminist painter. Lot 33, "Conway Meadows," is a very nice oil on canvas that measures 11 by 20 inches and was exhibited at the National Academy of Design's Annual Exhibition in 1858, Boston Atheneaeum in 1858 and the Washington D.C. Art Association in 1859. It has an estimate of $150,000 to $250,000. It sold for $174,500 including the buyer's premium. The catalogue provides the following commentary: "Conway Meadows is almost certainly a scene of the North Conway Meadows in New Hampshire, with the Presidential range including Mount Washington in the far distance, and the Saco River in the foreground. Compared to what had already become the more familiar scenery of the area, such as Mount Chocorua and Moat Mountain, Suyden's expansive sunstruck meadow belies the height of the distant mountains, and emphasizes instead the pastoral qualities of the landscape and the brilliant light of a late summer day. By placing the viewer at grounjd level, Suydam also resists the easy temptation of a symbolic 'prospect,' first enclosing us with golden-hued trees, quietly rippling waters, and long, cooling shadows, before we discover the majestic vista beyond. The empty rowboat on the riverbank seems to invite the conclusion that it is we who have just disembarked to enjoy both the warmth and the scenery, and to meditate upon the simple gifts of natural beauty that our travels with the artist have afforded us."
Asher B. Durand (1796-1886) is one of the principal painters of the Hudson River School, which was founded by Thomas Cole. Lot 18, "Hill, Dale and Bracken," is a pleasant Durand landscape. It is an oil on canvas laid down on masonite. It measures 20 by 30 1/3 inches and has a very modest estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It sold for $13,145.
David Johnson (1847-1908) is best known for his small and highly detailed landscapes. Lot 19, "Ossipee Lake, N.H., is a very nice oil on panel that measures 7 ½ by 12 ½ inches. Dated 1872, it has a modest estimate of $15,000 to $25,000. It sold for $19,120.
Less well known than Johnson is Hermann Fueschel (1833-1915). Lot 14, "Log Cabin along the Hudson," is a very handsome and colorful oil on canvas by him that measures 20 by 36 inches. It has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It failed to sell and was passed at $11,000.
There were many very competent landscape painters whose works remain relatively obscure. Lot 2, for example, is a very good oval oil on canvas by Walter Mason Oddie (1808-1865). Entitled "Autumn afternoon," it measures 25 by 29 ¾ inches and is dated 1851. It has a modest estimate of $8,000 to $12,000. The auction has some early landscapes.
Washington Allston (1779-1843) is one of America's first romantic painters and his works are very rare. Lot 1, "Landscape," is a charming small work by Allston that the catalogue notes "appears to be a variation of a similar larger work that is in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts. This oil on canvas measures 13 by 11 ¾ inches and was executed circa 1830. It has a very modest estimate of $7,000 to $10,000. It sold for $17,925.
William Henry Bartlett (1809-1854) is best known for his scenes of the Hudson River in the early 1840s. Although his style is not as precise as that of the members of the Hudson River School, his works are charming and were very popular. Lot 5, "View of Sing-Sing, Hudson River," is a typical example of his style. An oil on wood panel, it measures 10 ¾ by 13 ¾ inches and is dated 1843. It has a modest estimate of $6,000 to $8,000. It failed to sell. His works are similar to those by William Wall who was active in the 1820s. The auction also has several excellent genre lots.
Conrad Wise Chapman (1842-1913) is best known for his bright beach scenes. Lot 3 is a delightful pair of French scenes, one summer, at Trouville, and one winter, at the Bois de Boulogne. Both works are oil on palette and measure about 9 ½ by 6 ¾ inches. They were executed in 1880 and have a conservative estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It failed to sell.
Works by William Morris Hunt (1824-1879) do not appear often at auction and Lot 7 is a fine small work. Entitled "Young Girl at Table with Sculpture," it is an oil on canvas that measures 10 by 14 inches. It has a very conservative estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. It sold for $4,780.
The girl painted by Hunt in Lot 7 is similar to a degree to the lovely but older "Little Servant," painted by John George Brown (1831-1913) in Lot 45. Both are also similar to girls often painted by Winslow Homer. Brown was one of the most popular genre painters of the mid-19th Century and his most popular subject was shoeshine boys. This oil on canvas measures 30 ¼ by 25 3/8 inches. It has an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold for $65,725.
Among several fine still life paintings is Lot 31, "Grapes on a White Table Cloth," an exquisite oil on canvas by Joseph Decker (1853-1924). The painting was executed circa 1890-5 and measures 9 by 14 inches. It was exhibited in 1988 at the Coe Kerr Gallery's show on Decker. It has an estimate of $45,000 to $65,000. It failed to sell and was passed at $32,000.
Another excellent still-life is Lot 38, "Fruit Piece with Birds Nest and Lizard," by George Forster. This very lush and exotic still life is dated 1844. An oil on panel, it measures 10 ¼ by 7 ¾ inches. It has a modest estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It failed to sell and was passed at $17,000.
Lot 13, "Still Life with Fruit," is a lovely and excellent still life by Mary Jane Peale (1826-1902), a member of the very prodigious and artistic Peale family of Philadelphia. The oil on canvas measures 12 7/8 by 20 ¾ inches and is dated 1862. It has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It failed to sell and was passed at $68,000. Mary Jane Peale was a daughter of Rubens Peale, a son of Charles Wilson Peale.
Ralph Albert Blakelock was one of America's most poetic painters, although he was overshadowed by Albert Pinkham Ryder, whose works were both poetic and abstract. Blakelock is best known for his moonlit scenes with dark emerald-green silhouetted trees. He also did numerous very small paintings that are exceptionally painterly and with a richer, brighter and more colorful palette. Lot 27, "Winter Landscape," is a stunning albeit small oil on canvas that measures 4 by 6 ¾ inches. It has a very modest estimate of $5,000 to $7,000. It sold for $6,214.
William Bradford (1823-1893) is known for his Artic marine paintings, many of which are large and very dramatic. He also, however, produced some brilliant Luminist works as well as some small scenes that are strongly abstract, an excellent example of which is Lot 41, "Perce Rock, Gaspé, Quebec." An oil on paper laid down on board, it measures 9 ¾ by 10 7/8 inches. It has a modest estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It failed to sell and was passed at $10,000.
The poor results were difficult to explain as many of the earlier works in the beginning of the auction were quite nice and by and large not unreasonably estimated. The auction house was the subject of a long article in the November issue of Vanity Fair magazine that discussed some of its recent financial problems. The article, however, did not discuss in any detail the American Paintings Department at Phillips de Pury and Luxembourg, which up until this auction has been one of its few profitable departments and had held several excellent auctions.