Milford, CT, USA, October 17, 2022 -- Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers will host their next fine art auction on Thursday, October 27th at 6 pm Eastern time. The extraordinary sale features numerous examples of quality, fresh-to-the-market American art, primarily from private collections and institutions. Bidding will be available live on shannons.com, by telephone or by absentee. The catalog is available online at shannons.com and a full-color printed auction catalog is available by contacting the gallery.
Folinsbee’s, Goat Hill, from 1923, traveled to the 1924 Texas State Fair as part of a loan exhibition of American paintings (est. $40,000-60,000). From another collection, an exceedingly rare, large New Hope school painting by New England artist William Lester Stevens of Point Pleasant on the Delaware River, from circa 1927-1929, measures 42 inches by 48 inches (est. $20,000-$30,000).
There are three works by members of the important American Ashcan group known as “The Eight.” The leading lot is a Maurice Prendergast, oil on panel, depicting a Beach Scene in Boston (est. $175,000-$275,000). From the same collection are a Robert Henri of Faith, an oil portrait of an Irish child (est. $100,000-$150,000), and a rare John Sloan oil, titled Croquet from circa 1908 (est. $25,000-$35,000). By Walt Kuhn, an American Modernist who painted with Sloan and Henri, Girl in Green, a portrait of a circus performer, is fresh-to-the-market measures 30 inches by 25 inches and is from a private mid-western collection (est. $80,000-$120,000).
A rare, monumental sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh, titled Life and Love Springs from the Sea, will be offered at $180,000-$220,000. Measuring over 9 feet tall, the bronze fountain was cast by Roman Bronze Works in New York as part of a private commission from the artist for an indoor pool house in Port Chester, N.Y.
Historical American paintings are led by a view of Venice by Thomas Moran from an important private collection. Venice became a favored subject for the artist after his first visit in 1886. Of the city, Moran said, “Venice is an inexhaustible mine of pictorial treasures for the artist and of dreamy remembrance to those who have been fortunate enough to visit it.” These sentiments still ring true for many American visitors. The 20 inch by 30 inch painting is estimated to bring $150,000-$250,000.
The modern and contemporary category will be led by modernist Lynne Mapp Drexler’s Untitled oil on canvas, from 1963 (est. $50,000-$75,000). Drexler’s prices have recently skyrocketed and it will be exciting to see the results of the Shannon’s sale. Similarly, Scott Kahn, a friend and contemporary of Matthew Wong, has achieved notable recent market success. Shannon’s will offer The Woods (2017) at an estimate of $80,000-$120,000. A whimsical Alice drawing by John Wesley will be offered (est. $10,000-$15,000) and a Bob Thompson colorful gouache, estimated at $30,000-$50,000. All the aforementioned works are coming to auction for the first time.
A recently rediscovered masterpiece by Alice Mattern will be featured in the sale. Abandon measures 40 inches by 40 inches and was included in the 1945 “Alice Mattern Memorial” at the Museum of Non-Objective Painting in New York City (est. $25,000-$35,000).
Another exciting fresh-to-the-market find is a Thomas Hart Benton, Study for Over the Mountains. The boldly colored, oil study closely resembles the composition of the finished mural panel at the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City (est. $40,000-$60,000).
In-person previews will be held by appointment October 17th-26th (weekdays from 11 am to 6 pm Eastern time) and Saturday, October 22nd, from 10 am to 3 pm, in Shannon’s gallery, located at 49 Research Drive in Milford. To schedule an appointment, call 203-877-1711, or, send an email to info@shannons.com.
To learn more about Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers and the fine art auction on Thursday, October 27th, please visit www.shannons.com.