Art/Auctions: American Art at Sotheby's New York May 18, 2016

By Carter B. Horsley

The June 9, 2016 auction of American Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture at Sotheby's New York includes a great and very lovely and rare John White Alexander and very good works by Samuel Colman, William Trost Richards, Samuel Carr, John Neagle, Marsden Hartley, Jasper Francis Cropsey, William Mason Brown, John William Hill and John Henry Hill.

Of the 250 offered works, there were only a handful of passes as many paintings were offered "without reserve." The auction total was $4,013,691 as many lots sold below their low estimate even though the quality was generally high.

The auction's finest work is Lot 86, "Sunlight," a very poetic and large painting of a woman in a yellow dress seen from behind, by John White Alexander (1856-1915). An oil on canvas, it measures 82 1/2 by 56 1/2 inches and is being sold by the Art Institute of Chicago. It was included in the 1909-1910 Winter Exhibition at the National Academy of Design in New York and the 1910-1911 exhibition of "Oil Paintings by Contemporary American Artists" at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., and in the memorial exhibition on the artist at the Carnegie Institute of Art in 1916. It has been very widely published. It has a very modest estimate of $80,000 to $100,000. It sold for $68,750 including the buyer's premium.

Other fine paintings consigned to the auction by the Art Institute of Chicago include works by Samuel Colman (1780-1845), John Neagle (1796-1865) and George Inness (1825-1894). All of these "Institute" paintings are very worthy of a major museum and their consignment is hard to understand.

Lot 91, "Genesee Meadows," by Samuel Colman, oil on canvas, 12 by 22 inches

Lot 91, "Genesee Meadows," is a magnificent oil on canvas by Samuel Colman that measures 12 by 22 inches. It is unquestionably one of the artist's masterpieces. It has a very modest estimate of $15,000 to $25,000. It sold for $12,500.

Lot 90, "View on the Schuykill," by John Neagle, oil on canvas, 25 by 36 inches, 1827

Lot 90 is a very lovely and large "View on the Schuykill" by John Neagle that is an oil on canvas that measures 25 by 36 inches. It was painted in 1827. It was exhibited at the Pennyslvania Academy of the Arts in 1834, the Springfield Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of Art in the 1954 show "American Paintings from the 19th Century," and the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in the 1987 show "American Landscape Views Before 1830." It is notable for its charming depicton of a little girl in a bonnet with her dog and a broken tree trunk. It has a modest estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $15,000.

Lot 89, "Coast of Cornwall," by George Inness, oil on canvas, 32 by 42 inches, 1887

Lot 89 is a large and dramatic oil on canvas by George Inness entitled "Coast of Cornwall." It measures 32 by 42 inches and was painted in 1887. It was exhibited at M. Knoedler & Co., in 1917, the Cincinnati Art Museum in 1918, the "Exhibition of the Worchester Collection" in 1923 at The Art Institute of Chicago, the George Inness Centennial Exhibition at the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy in 1925 and "The Seashore Paintings of the 19th and 20th Centuries" exhibition in1965 at the Carnegie Institute of Art. It has a modest estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 108, "Cliffs and Waves," by William Trost Richards, oil on canvas, 28 by 44 inches, 1884

Lot 108 is a large, dramatic and impressive oil on canvas of "Cliffs and Waves" by William Trost Richards (1833-1905). It measures 28 by 44 inches and was painted in 1884. It has an estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold for $68,750.

Lot 159, "Hudson River," by William Mason Brown, oil on canvas, 33 by 50 1/4 inches, 1861

Lot 159 is a gorgeous and classic painting of the "Hudson River" by William Mason Brown (1828-1898) that measures 33 by 50 1/4 inches. It was painted in 1861 and is notable for its charming depiction of children playing by the river in the foreground and in the right background. It has a very modest estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It sold for $8,750.

Lot 48, "Country Bridge," by Martin Johnson Heade, oil on canvas, 11 1/2 by 18 inches, 1877

Lot 48 is a charming landscape by Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904) entitled "Country Bridge." An oil on canvas, it measures 11 1/2 by 18 inches and was painted in 1877, It has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It sold for $50,000.

Lot 82, "Late Fall," by Robert William Vonnoh, oil on canvas, 20 1/8 by 16 1/8 inches

Lot 82 is a lovely oil on canvas by Robert William Vonnoh (1858-1933) entitled "Late Fall." It measures 20 1/8 by 16 1/8 inches. It has a modest estimate of $7,000 to $10,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 158, "Bringing in The Hay," by William Louis Sonntag, oil on canvas, 27 1/2 by 36 3/8 inches

Lot 158 is a very fine large landscape oil on canvas by William Louis Sonntag (1822-1900) entitled "Bringing in The Hay." It measures 27 1/2 by 36 3/8 inches. It was exhibited at the Hickory (N.C.) Museum of Art show "Through Artists' Eyes: 19th Century American Selections from the Masco Collection" in 1993. It has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $13,750.

Lot 81, "November Morning," by William Leroy Metcalf, oil on canvas, 26 1/4 by 28 3/4 inches, 1924

Lot 81 is a fine landscape oil on canvas by William Leroy Metcalf (1858-1925). It measures 26 1/4 by 28 3/4 inches and was painted in 1924. It was included in the 1925 exhibition on the artist at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. It has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $40,000.

Lot 163, "Pastorial Landscape," by Charles W. Knapp, oil on canvas, 18 by 32 inches

Lot 163 is a lovely "Pastoral Landscape" by Charles W. Knapp that is an oil on canvas that measures 18 by 32 inches. It is being sold unframed. It has a very modest estimate of $700 to $900. It sold for $3,250.

Lot 173, "A Ship in the Fog," by Carl Philipp Weber, oil on canvas, 36 by 60 inches, 1883

Lot 173, "A Ship in the Fog," is a very beautiful and very dramatic oil on canvas by Carl Philipp Weber (1849-1920). It measures 36 by 69 inches and was once with the Alexander Gallery. The handling of light is reminiscent of Bierstadt. It has a very modest estimate of $2,000 to $4,000. It sold for $6,250.

Lot 42, "Pertaining to West New Jersey," by John Marin, oil on canvasboard, 12 by 16 inches, 1950

Lot 42 is an excellent oil on canvasboard by John Marin (1872-1953) entitled "Pertaining to West New Jersey." It measures 12 by 16 inches and was painted in 1950. classic marsh landscape by Martin Johnson Heade entitled "Sunet over Newburyport Meadows." An oil on canvas, it measures 13 by 26 inches. It was included in the artist's retrospective exhibition in 1963 at the Montclair Art Museum. It has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It sold for $52,500.

Lot 68, "Construction for the New York Telephone Company Headquarters Building at 140 West Street," by Reginald Marsh, watercolor and pencil on paper, 13 3/4 by 17 7/8 inches, 1924

Lot 68 is a very fine watercolor and pencil on paper by Reginald Marsh (1898-1954) of "Construction for the New York Telephone Company Headquarters Building at 140 West Street." In the background of the picture is the Municipal Building and the great Singer Building. It measures 13 3/4 by 17 7/8 inches and was painted in 1924. It has a modest estimate of $7,000 to $10,000. It sold for $6,250.

Lot 112, "Young Sailors on Coney Island," by Samuel Carr, oil on canvas, 18 by 30 inches

Lot 112 is an excellent beach scene by Samuel Carr (1837-1908). An oil on canvas, it measures 18 by 30 inches and is entitled "Young Sailors on Coney Island." It has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 101, Black Mantilla," by Richard Edward Miller, oil on canvas, 36 1/4 by 34 1/4 inches, circa 1910

Lot 101 is a very beautiful portrait of a lady wearing a "Black Mantilla" by Richard Edward Miller (1875-1943). An oil on canvas, it measures 36 1/4 by 34 1/4 inches and was painted circa 1910. It has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 12, "Clematis Montana and Tuberous Begonia," by Morris Graves, watercolor and tempera on paper, 36 by 26 inches, 1986

Lot 12 is a lovely floral painting by Morris Graves (1910-2001) entitled "Clematis Montana and Tuberous Begonia." It is a a watercolor and tempera on paper and measures 36 by 26 inches. It was painted in 1986 and is illustrated in "Morris Graves, Flower Paintings" by Theodore F. Wolff. It has an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. It sold for $52,500.

Lot 38, "Pink Hibiscus," by Marsden Hartley, oil on board, 16 by 12 inches, 1938

Lot 38 is a very strong small oil on board by Marsden Hartley (1877-1943) entitled "Pink Hibiscus." It measures 16 by 12 inches and was painted in 1938. It is the cover illustration of the auction catalogue. It was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1944-1945 in the exhibition "Lionel Feininger and Marsden Hartley." It has an estimate of $70,000 to $100,000. It sold for $93,750.

Lot 44, "Birch Tress," by Marsden Hartley, pastel on tinted paper, 18 1/4 by 12 1/4 inches, 1909

In contrast, a much softer and lovelier Hartley is Lot 44, "Birch Trees," a pastel on tinted paper from 1909. It measures 18 1/4 by 12 1/4 inches. It was once with Paul Rosenberg & Co., and the Babcock Gallery. It has an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000. It sold for $12,500.

Lot 199, "Brace of Ducks," by John William Hill, watercolor on paper laid down on paper board, 19 1/4 by 13 1/4 inches, 1867

Lot 199 is a colorful watercolor on paper laid down on paper board of a "Brace of Ducks" by John William Hill (1812-1879). It measures 19 1/7 by 13 1/4 inches. It was with Hirschl & Adler in 1979 and was shown in the exhibition "The New Path, Ruskin and American Pre-Raphaelites" in 1985 at the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. A label on the back indicated it was once in the Manoogian Collection. It has a very modest estimate of $700 to $900. It sold for $6,250.

Lot 179, Rapids above Great Falls, watercolor, by John Henry Hill

Lot 179 is a group of four pencil sketches and a watercolor of "Rapids above Great Falls" in Patterson, N.J. by John Henry Hill (1839-1922). The works was once with Berry-Hill Galleries. The lot has an estimate of $1,000 to $1,500. It was sold for $1,625 to me.

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