| Press Contact: | Catherine Riedell | Colleene Fesko |
| Director of Marketing | Director of Paintings & Prints | |
| Skinner, Inc | Skinner, Inc | |
|
978-779-6341, x231 |
978-779-6241 x260 | |
MARINE PAINTINGS HIGHLIGHT SKINNER’S MAY 16TH PAINTNGS AUCTION
Material Deaccessioned from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Several Other Works with New England Provenance;
Cape Anne Artists and Fine Sculpture Abound
BOSTON, Mass. – May 5th, 2003 – www.skinnerinc.com - Skinner, Inc., one of the nation’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, will hold an auction of American and European Paintings and Prints on Friday May 16, 2003 at 6:00 p.m. in its downtown Boston gallery. The sale is rich in Marine themes, with several offerings from Cape Anne artists, and many lots have New England provenance. The top lot in the sale is Lot 246, by Childe Hassam (American, 1859-1935), a watercolor entitled Beal's Camp, Montauk. The painting was a gift from the artist to the family of the present owner. Beal's camp refers to the camp belonging to artists Gifford and Reynolds Beal, on Montauk Point, Long Island. The painting is estimated $50,000-75,000.
Marine Offerings
The sale includes a fine selection of marine offerings, priced for both beginning
and seasoned collectors, including:
· Lot No. 106: James Edward Buttersworth (British/American, 1817-1894). Schooner and Vessels Off the New England Coast with a Lighthouse in the Distance, Signed "J.E. Buttersworth", oil on canvas. Born into a family of English marine painters, James Buttersworth immigrated to America circa 1847. Not long after his arrival he settled in West Hoboken, New Jersey, where he maintained a residence for the remainder of his life. Buttersworth's style is derived from the traditions of British marine painting, but is subtly influenced by the Luminist painters of his adopted country. This is especially visible in the interaction of sky and water, as weather and reflection imbues his works with a sense of the changeability of nature. The view depicted in the work presented here may be that of the Isle of Shoals, which Buttersworth painted several times. Estimate: $40,000-60,000
· Lot No. 113: Francis A. Silva (American, 1835-1886) On the Coast, Signed and dated "F.A. Silva 1879", New York canvas stamp on the reverse, oil on canvas. Silva began painting when he was apprenticed to a sign painter in his native New York. Despite receiving no formal art education, he launched his fine art career in 1865 and by 1868 was included in the National Academy of Design's annual exhibition. Although Fitz Hugh Lane and Martin Johnson Heade are often heralded as the leaders of the Luminist movement, Silva has come to be recognized as a strong contributor, particularly through his coastal views, such as the one presented here. He traveled extensively up and down the Northeast coast, painting views of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts' North Shore, Narragansett Bay, and the Hudson River. Through careful manipulation of light and color Silva rendered these landscapes most thoughtfully, not only accurately translating the terrain before him, but also evoking the sentimentality of the natural American landscape. Perhaps the words of Silva himself best explain his approach to painting. Silva was recorded as stating "A picture must be more than a skillfully painted canvas; it must tell something...Some men can never paint from a memory or feeling - they give us only cold facts in the most mannered way...Many of our artists learn certain artist's tricks and then repeat them continually, with no idea of the deeper meaning of art, but only the outside of things, and very trivial things at that. All earnestness of purpose is lost, and with them art becomes a useless field of affectation where their tricks of color and handling are displayed." Estimate: $30,000-50,000.
· Lot No. 114: Mary Blood Mellen (American, b. 1817) Three Master in Rough Seas, unsigned, oil on canvas. Mary Blood was born in Sterling, Massachusetts, in 1817. Following her marriage to Rev. Charles Mellen in 1840, the couple moved to Gloucester. By the end of that decade, Mellen found herself working alongside famed artist Fitz Hugh Lane, as his student and assistant. In recent years, scholars have discovered that the relationship between Lane and Mellen, which has often been presented as one of master artist and student, was really more than that. Although Mellen's style is clearly a derivative of Lane's, she actually completed several copies of his work; it is now believed that the Lane and Mellen relationship was really much more of collaboration than was originally thought. In fact, scholars have noted that there are several canvases that without strong provenance to suggest that they were by Mellen, could have been easily ascribed to Lane himself. Estimate: $8,000-12,000
· Lot No. 293: Montague Dawson (British, 1895-1973) Coastal Craft on Rough Seas, signed "MONTAGUE DAWSON, watercolor and gouache on paper. Dawson was born the son and grandson of painters, and his father was an accomplished yachtsman. These family aspects influenced much of Dawson's career. He joined the Royal Navy during World War I, and regularly had naval illustrations published in The Sphere. Throughout his life, Dawson lived by the shore, where he further honed his knowledge of various vessels and the sea. Estimate: $3,000-5,000
Museum Material
The sale also includes a number of works deaccessioned from Boston’s Museum
of Fine Arts. These include works by two American painters, George Inness and
Charles Harold Davis, both of whom studied and painted in New England :
· Lot No. 79: George Inness (American, 1825-1894) Fishing. Signed and dated "G Inness 1867", identified "...gift of John R. Hall" on label from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, on the reverse, and partial Paris stencil on the reverse. Oil on board. Exhibitions of this painting include Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts, 1937. This work will also be included in Michael Quick's forthcoming catalogue raisonne. George Inness was born to a large family in Newburgh, New York, the son of a grocer. He showed interest in drawing from an early age, and was encouraged by local teachers in the Newark area, where the family moved in 1829 or 1830. Thwarted in pursuing an art career by his family and recurring bouts of epilepsy, Inness moved to New York City in 1841. He took a position as a map engraver with the firm of Sherman and Smith, teaching himself to paint during his off hours. At this time he also studied briefly with the French immigrant painter Regis Francois Gignoux. At the age of 19, Inness exhibited his first canvas at the National Academy. A trip to France in the mid 1850s was extremely influential, as he became enamored with the style of the painters of the Barbizon School. In 1860 he settled in Medfield, Massachusetts, while maintaining his New York studio. This period coincides with a more mature self-assured style and his burgeoning critical success. He remained in Massachusetts for only four years, before moving to Eagleswood, New Jersey, but the influence of the Medfield years is reflected throughout the remainder of his career. In his book Inness, Genius of American Art, Elliott Daingerfield points out that during periods of stress and difficulty Inness would often retire to the country to recuperate in the presence of nature. Estimate: $30,000-50,000.
· Lot No. 80: Charles Harold Davis (American, 1856-1933) Gray Twilight, signed "C.H. Davis-", identified and inscribed "...bequest of E.W. Longfellow" on the stretcher, labels from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts affixed to the frame, oil on canvas. Charles Harold Davis was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts. He studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and subsequently trained and worked in Paris throughout much of the 1880s. Upon his return to the United States, Davis settled in Mystic, Connecticut, where he worked and lived until his death in 1933. Estimate: $10,000-15,000.
Cape Anne Artists
Skinner paintings sales are also often rich with works by Cape Anne artists,
and this sale is no exception. Two of the best of these include Lot 236 and
171:
· Lot No. 236: Aldro Thompson Hibbard (American, 1886-1972), Lake Louise, signed "A.T.Hibbard", oil on canvas. This work was purchased from the artist's estate. Hibbard, a well-known Cape Ann artist, traveled to Lake Louise on his honeymoon. This painting was one of several Lake Louise views painted on that trip, circa 1926. Estimate: $12,000-15,000.
· Lot No. 171: Laura Coombs Hills (American, 1859-1952) Daffodils, signed "Laura Hills", label from Doll & Richards, Boston, on the reverse. This painting came from a private New England collection and is estimated $10,000-15,000.
Sporting & Wildlife Scenes
Sporting and wildlife paintings are also plentiful in the auction. Featured
lots include both British and American artists:
· Lot No. 124: Fannie Moody (British, b. 1861), Scotland, England and Ireland, signed "Fannie Moody", oil on board. The composition features 3 terriers: a Scottish, an English Bull, and an Irish. Estimate: $5,000-7,000.
· Lot No. 127: Charles Copeland (American, 1858-1945) The Hunter, signed and dated "CHARLES COPELAND 07", label from the Boston Art Club on the reverse, oil on canvas. Estimate: $4,000-6,000.
· Lot No. 134: Robert Verity Clem (American, 20th Century), Black Bellied Plovers, signed and dated "Robert Verity Clem 1967", Gouache on paper. Estimate: $5,000-7,000.
· Lot No. 136: also by Robert Verity Clem, Flock of Eiders, signed and dated "Robert Verity Clem 1971", watercolor and gouache on paper. Estimate: $5,000-7,000.
Harlem Renaissance
Lot No. 360 is a unique offering: a fine oil on canvas board by Harlem Renaissance artist Ronald Joseph (American, 20th Century). Entitled Peeling Green Apples, it is signed or inscribed "...Ronald Joseph" on the reverse, and is estimated $6,000-8,000. Born in the British West Indies, Ronald Joseph moved to New York at the age of thirteen. During the 1930s he studied printmaking along with Robert Blackburn under Riva Helfond at the Harlem Art Center, where Joseph later taught. He worked in the mural section of the WPA and was a representative of the Harlem Artists' Guild to the New York World's Fair (1939-1940). By 1943, prominent art critic James Porter considered him the "foremost Negro abstractionist painter" in New York.
Sculpture
Several fine works of sculpture are also to be auctioned, including several
works by women sculptors. These lots include:
· Lot No. 131: Philip Shelton Sears (American, 1867-1953) Pumunangwet /He Who Shoots the Stars, signed and dated "Philip Sears 1929" on the base. The sculpture is a miniature replica to a larger than life bronze at the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts. The Bronze with brown patina is estimated $500-700.
· Lot No. 368: Louise Nevelson (American, 1900-1988) Primitive carved wooden figure with incised signature "NEVELSON" on the reverse, presented on an acrylic base. The lot is accompanied by a copy of a letter from Mike Nevelson, the artist's son, in which he notes that this piece was carved in 1936. At that time, the artist became very interested in African sculpture and that influence is clearly at work here. Included also is a letter discussing the work from Pace Galleries, New York. The piece is estimated $5,000-7,000.
· Lot No. 167: Frederick William MacMonnies (American, 1863-1937) Pan of Rohallion, a bronze garden fountain sculpture signed, dated and inscribed "MAC MONNIES 1890 COPYRIGHT 1894" on the reverse, and stamped "ROMAN BRONZE WORKS N-Y" on the base and "RB..." on the underside. The piece comes from a private New England collection and is estimated $12,000-18,000.
· Lot No. 156: Anna Coleman Ladd (American, 1878-1939) Serbia Surrenders Only to God, a Bronze medallion with brown patina, signed "AC LADD". Estimate: $1,000-1,500.
· Lot No. 158: Malvina Cornell Hoffman (American, 1887-1966), The Cap, a bronze with green patina, signed "M.HOFFMAN" on the edge. Estimate: $1,500-2,000.
Other Offerings
Other fine offerings include works by European painters, as well as contemporary
and outsider artists. Interesting lots include:
· Lot No. 23: Francisco Miralles y Galup (Spanish, 1848-1901). Woman in White, signed and dated "F. MIRALLES 1877", oil on canvas. Estimate: $8,000-12,000.
· Lot No. 26: Evert Pieters (Dutch, 1856-1932), Peeling Potatoes, signed "E. Pieters", oil on canvas. Estimate: $4,000-6,000.
· Lot No. 372: Richard Pousette-Dart (American, 1916-1992), Yellow Center, signed and dated "Pousette-Dart 67" with artist's stamp and label, and a label from Obelisk Gallery, Boston, on the reverse, oil on canvas. In their book on Richard Pousette-Dart, curators Robert Hobbs and Joanne Kuebler note that the artist "probes the temporal and spatial boundaries of human experience in his search for the transcendent. Guided by highly individual sensibility, he has remained unswayed by "isms," movements, or art historical fads. He strives to convey spiritually through the materiality of paint..." The lot is accompanied by a copy of the aforementioned book, and is estimated $10,000-15,000.
Firewall Gallery
The sale also features works from Skinner’s Firewall Gallery. The Firewall Gallery
is a selection of contemporary artwork by a recognized faculty artist from a
New England College or institution. Proceeds from the sale of these pieces will
benefit the artist and affiliated institution. These lots include:
· Lot No. 364: Kata Hull (American, 20th Century) Midsummer, signed, titled and dated "Kata Hull...1999" on the reverse. The oil on board estimated $1,000-1,500. Kata Hull is a contemporary Boston artist who works in various painting media. Her work has been shown extensively throughout the Boston area, where she keeps a studio. She teaches at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
· Lot No. 365: Also by Kata Hull, In Her Element, signed and titled "Kata Hull..." on the reverse. The work, a mixed media with oil on board, is estimated $1,000-1,500.
Previews, Website and Catalogues
Auctions previews will be held Wednesday, May 14, 12-5 p.m., Thursday, May 15, 12-7 p.m., and Friday, May 16, 12-4:30 p.m. Buyers interested in previewing the sale online can view every lot in color with full lot descriptions and estimates on Skinner’s web site at www.skinnerinc.com. Skinner’s newly revamped site also enables customers to order catalogues, leave bids and check prices realized in real-time during the sale. Illustrated catalog #2194 is available for $29 ($32 for foreign requests) from the subscription department at Skinner/Bolton (978-779-6241 ext. 240.) For more information, call 978-779-6241, fax 978-779-5144, or visit www.skinnerinc.com.
Note to Editors: Photos available upon request. Contact Catherine Riedel at 978-779-6241 x 231.
About Skinner:With galleries in Boston and Bolton, Mass., Skinner is a full-service auctioneer and appraiser of antiques and fine art. Regularly seen on the PBS series, Antiques Roadshow, Skinner is one of the nation’s leading auction houses. Skinner conducts auctions year-round and has received world-record prices for many pieces sold at auction. Departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, Paintings & Prints, English & Continental Furniture & Decorations, Fine Ceramics, Jewelry, Couture, 20th Century Furniture & Decorative Arts, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Art, Fine Judaica, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, Science & Technology, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, American Indian & Ethnographica, and Discovery. For more information on upcoming auctions, visit Skinner’s web site www.skinnerinc.com.