Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

ORIGINAL WORKS BY JASPER CROPSEY, BIRGE HARRISON, MARTHA WALTER AND OTHERS WILL BE IN SHANNON’S FINE ART AUCTION THURSDAY OCT 27

The sale will be conducted in Shannon’s gallery, at 354 Woodmont Road in Milford, Conn.

(MILFORD, Conn.) – Original works of art by such renowned painters as Jasper Cropsey, Birge Harrison, Martha Walter, John White Alexander and others – plus a pair of original etchings by Rembrandt and a rare etching by the Italian master Campagnola – will be sold Thursday, Oct. 27, by Shannon Fine Art Auctioneers, at their semi-annual fine art auction.


luminist view of the Hudson River by Jasper Cropsey

The auction will be held in Shannon’s spacious gallery facility, located at 354 Woodmont Road in Milford, located just off I-95 just south of New Haven. Online bidding will be facilitated by Artfact.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Previews will be held from Oct. 17 up until auction day, Oct. 27, from 9-5:30 (except Sunday, Oct. 23, when the firm is closed).

Shannon’s only conducts two fine art auctions per year – in April and October – and when they happen, collectors do take notice. In the sale held this past April, bidders from 18 countries and 42 states participated, and the full bank of 20 phones was ringing all evening. As with last the sale, a live crowd of about 100 people is expected when bidding begins at 6 p.m.

“Thanks to some wonderful pieces already consigned, plus a museum collection that we expect to come in, this auction should be very strong,” said Gene Shannon of Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers. “And, typically, we experience a spurt of other great consignments in the three weeks leading up to sale. Overall there will be more than 250 fresh-to-the-market lots to bid on.”

Two of the lots carry pre-sale estimates of $100,000-$150,000 and are expected to attract intense bidder interest. The first is a luminist view of the Hudson River by Jasper Cropsey (N.Y., 1823-1900). Mr. Cropsey was known for his autumnal landscapes. He is a leading member of the Hudson River School and his work coveted by collectors.

The other is a tea party painting by Martha Walter (1875-1976), who painted in France, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania over the course of her rich and fruitful career. She was best known for portrait work, beach-child-park paintings and landscapes. A second painting by her – a beach scene – will also come under the gavel. It is expected to command $60,000-$80,000.

The Birge Harrison painting is a scene of Bryant Part in New York City (est. $80,000-$120,000). Mr. Harrison (N.Y./Mass./Calif., 1854-1929) was born in Philadelphia and has been described as one of America’s leading tonalist painters. He specialized in landscapes, and he bucked convention by eschewing en plein air work, preferring instead to paint from memory.

Another painting expected to get paddles wagging is John White Alexander’s Lady in Green (est. $60,000-$80,000). Mr. Alexander (N.Y./N.J./France, 1856-1915), was born in Pennsylvania, but became one of the most prominent artists in New York City in the late 19th and early 20th century. He painted portraits and murals but was best known for his female renderings.

Any time the name Rembrandt comes up at auction, it generates buzz, and this auction has two works by the Dutch master (1606-1669). Both are original etchings and one, a diminutive self-portrait, has a pre-sale estimate of $30,000-$50,000. Another etching, by the Italian master Domenico Campagnola (1484-1550) is exceedingly rare, but has been estimated conservatively, at $20,000-$30,000.

A museum-size harbor view by Jonas Lie (N.Y./Norway, 1880-1940) should realize $50,000-$75,000; a still life of cherries tumbling from a basket by the still life master John F. Francis (Pa., 1808-1886) is expected to garner $40,000-$60,000; and White Birches, a Vermont masterpiece by Luigi Lucioni ((N.Y./N.J./Vt./Italy, 1900-1988) should also hit $30,000-$50,000. (Note: Shannon’s set a world record for a work by Mr. Lucioni, selling a painting for $153,000).

A portrait of a seated young woman by Irving Ramsey Wiles (N.Y., 1861-1948) should cross the block for $30,000-$50,000; Arizona Twilight, by Dale Nichols (Neb./Ill./Kan., 1904-1995), is expected to reach $30,000-$50,000; a lost masterpiece by William Holbrook Beard (N.Y./Kan., 1824-1900), depicting bears and goats cavorting, should fetch $30,000-$50,000; and a painting of the Andes by Elizabeth Gilbert Jerome (Conn., 1824-1910) will also be offered.

Collectors will also be interested to know that works by Richard E. Miller, Frederick Bridgman, Robert Vickrey, George Russell and Hans Dahl will also be featured in the sale.

Among the Modern artists, several works are worthy of mention. They include Test Pilot by Gerald Laing (U.K., b. 1936), expected to bring $12,000-$18,000 (Shannon’s set a new world record for this artist, too, in its April sale, when a work soared to $96,000). Carnival Abstraction, by Rolph Scarlett (N.Y./Calif., 1889-1984), meanwhile, should garner $30,000-$50,000 (and Shannon’s established a new auction record for this artist, too, selling a piece for $84,000).

Other Modern art notables will include a rare Provincetown pointillist work, executed circa 1917 by Blanche Lazzell (Mass./W. Va., 1878-1956), which should sell for $25,000-$35,000; a powerful early 1950s abstract work by Charles Green Shaw (N.Y., 1892-1974), titled Polychrome (est. $15,000-$25,000); and a vibrant colored print by the pop imagery cartoon painter Roy Lichtenstein (N.Y., 1923-1997), titled Crying Girl (est. $20,000-$30,000).

Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers is one of only two auction houses in the country that sells only fine art. Its auctions include paintings, watercolors, drawings and rare prints. Historically, Shannon’s has specialized in American and European art executed between 1840 and 1940. But in recent years the firm has expanded more into post-war Modern and Pop art.

Shannon’s produces a 180-page, full-color catalog and an eight-page, oversize color brochure that is mailed to 18,000 clients. Paintings consigned to Shannon’s are viewed by collectors, museum directors, appraisers and clients with an interest in fine international art. The firm markets itself online worldwide and in newsletters and magazines in Europe and the U.S.

Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers will be accepting quality consignments for the Oct. 27 sale through Sept. 13. To consign a single piece of artwork, an estate or an entire collection, you may call them at (203) 877-1711; or, you can e-mail them at [email protected].

To learn more about Shannon’s and the upcoming Oct. 27 fine art auction please log on to www.shannons.com.

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