October was another great month for bidders and auctioneers on Artfact Live! Collectors snapped up vintage Matchbox cars at The Matchbox Forum’s October 7th auction with 71% of the lots selling online; Grogan & Company kicked off its 23rd anniversary with a spectacular October Auction that received over 54,000 online visits and generated almost $1 million dollars in online demand; and online sales at Shannon’s annual Fall Fine Art sale increased by over $100,000 compared to 2009.
Artfact continued to build momentum in the live auction arena by signing exclusive live auction agreements with Arcimboldo in the Cezch Republic, AuctionEvente and Le Brech & Associés in France, and Eskidji in Turkey in October. Hailing from three different countries, Artfact’s newest members further cement Artfact’s position as the leading global live auction marketplace.
Shannon’s, “Fine American & European Paintings” – October 28, 2010
Charles Courtney Curran (1861 – 1942), “Memories”
Price Realized: $44,280
Born in Kentucky, Charles Courtney Curran (1861 – 1942) moved with his family to Sandusky, Ohio in 1881 and was enrolled at the Cincinnati School of Design the following year. After a two-year stint at the Académie Julian in Paris, Curran settled in Cragsmoore, New York. An undisputed master of the Impressionist style, the artist infused his thoroughly American genre scenes with a refinement and delicacy learned from the best French masters. “Memories” is a classic Curran composition. Dated 1924, the work features an elegantly dressed female figure set among the muted pastel tones of an intimate interior scene. An elegant and serene composition, “Memories” sold online for $44,280 (including buyers premium)
http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/charles-courtney-curran,-american-1861-1942-,-m-45-c-431b171bf7
Grogan & Company, “October Auction” – October 24, 2010
Chinese “Gold Splash” Bronze Vase
Price Realized: $30,000
To kick off their 23rd year in business, Grogan & Company hosted their largest auction to date. With over 1,200 lots, the two-session “October Auction” featured a diverse mix of American and European Fine Art, Furniture and Decorative Arts plus specialist categories like Marine Paintings, Coins and Chinese Works of art. Though the catalog offered an exceptional mix of items, it was the Chinese works that attracted the most attention from online bidders. Estimated at $2,000 to $3,000, an unmarked Chinese “Gold Splash” bronze vase was one of the top selling lots of the auction – selling to an online bidder for $30,000.
http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/chinese-gold-splash-bronze-vase-4-c-aea3bb7a7c
Freeman’s, “Fine Continental Furniture & Decorative Arts” October 7, 2010
Directoire Mahogany Eight-Piece Salon Suite, c. 1800
Price Realized: $15,360
Comprising the period between the French Revolution and the First French Empire, the style of the Directoire drew on the earlier Louis XVI style but with more restrained ornamentation and simpler materials. Grecian urns and Egyptian motifs were two staples of the Directoire that carried over into the later Empire period. Circa 1800, the eight-piece Directoire salon suite sold by Freeman’s on October 7th features carved Grecian urns and acanthus leaves with chairs featuring lattice splats and hairy paw fore-feet. Part of a private Pennsylvania collection, the set was expected to bring $5,000 to $7,000. Thanks to the efforts of one determined online bidder, the mahogany suite sold online for an impressive $15,360 (including buyers premium).
http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/directoire-mahogany-eight-piece-salon-suite,-circ-202-c-5f69c0b920
John Moran, “California & American Fine Art Auction” – October 19, 2010
Elmer Wachtel (1864 – 1929), “Ojai Valley”
Price Realized: $31,250
With sales of California Impressionism, watercolors and Western Art three times per year, John Moran has established itself as a market leader in California and American Art. Interest in the October session was exceptionally high with several hundred bidders participating – including many bidding online. Among the top selling lots was an Elmer Wachtel (1864 – 1929) hillside landscape entitled “Ojai Valley.” Estimated at $15,000 to $20,000, the work features a stand of trees in a bright, late afternoon landscape of tall grass and yellow wildflowers. Signed by the artist “Ojai Valley” toppled estimates when it sold to an online bidder for $31,250 (including buyers premium).
http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/elmer-wachtel-1864-1929-pasadena,-ca-6v6y1da6xh-1-m-50b0f6cfba