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

OVER 200 ORIGINAL WORKS BY THE LATE PHILADELPHIA ARTIST ANNE. E. LISETTE BOYSEN WILL BE SOLD BY GORDON S. CONVERSE & CO., NOV. 10th

Ms. Boysen’s art will be sold in Session II of a two-session sale to be held in Malvern, Pa.

(MALVERN, Pa.) – Over 200 large-scale, vibrant and exuberant paintings by the late Philadelphia artist Anne E. Lisette Boysen (1939-2011) will be sold in Session II of a two-session auction planned for Saturday, Nov. 10, by Gordon S. Converse & Co., at the People’s Light and Theater Company, located at 39 Conestoga Road in Malvern, Pa., near Philadelphia.


Pair of finely decorated Dutch Delftware lidded garniture jars with bird form knops, each 15 inches tall.

Session I, starting at 11:30 a.m. (EST), will feature antique clocks, period furniture, Asian objects, decorative accessories and collectibles, pulled from prominent local estates and collections. Session II, starting at 3:30 p.m., will be dedicated exclusively to Ms. Boysen’s work.

The headliner of the event will undoubtedly be Ms. Boysen, an en plein air artist who passed away in November of last year at age 72 from ovarian cancer. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Anne E. Lisette Boysen Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and will be matched by up to $25,000 with a grant program from the University.

Ms. Boysen once said, “The ultimate beauty in life is nature,” and her art reflected that philosophy. Her creations are reminiscent of Arthur B. Carles and inspired by Monet. Boysen’s works are held in many prominent corporate and private collections. “This is a rare opportunity to add to your existing collection or begin a new one,” remarked auctioneer Gordon S. Converse.

The selection of paintings in the auction reflects Ms. Boysen’s love of nature and her energetic, vivacious personality. The subject matter ranges from her earlier tranquil landscapes to more recent floral abstractions. Paintings expected to do particularly well include Sunday’s Flowers, Cynthia’s Flowers and Delft. All are large and are estimated to bring $1,000-$2,000.

Rare and antique clocks will dominate Session I, with the expected top lot of the day being a fine 19th century gilt bronze carriage mantel clock bound by glass and featuring a carrying handle (est. $8,000-$12,000). The clock boasts a double fuse movement and has a strike and repeat mechanism with the original lever jeweled platform. It measures 7 inches by 3 inches.

Other clocks expected to make $5,000 or more will include an arch top style mahogany striking clock signed on the back plate by Charles Frodsham (est. $5,000-$8,000); an American girandole clock signed Elmer O. Stennes, numbered inside the pendulum box (#29) and with an E. Howard movement (est. $4,000-$6,000); and a 19th century brass and Sevres style porcelain paneled clock signed “James Murray, Calcutta” on the dial, six inches tall (est. $3,000-$5,000).

Additional noteworthy timepieces will feature a marine chronometer signed J. Bruce & Sons, Liverpool, with a working chronometer escapement and original brass-bound mahogany carrying box (est. $2,500-$5,000); 17th/18th century forged iron and brass “birdcage” movement pillared clock in an oak “hooded” case (est. $2,000-$3,500); and a 90-inch-tall early 19th century tall case clock with engraved brass dial signed “W. Hunter, Dunssermlin” (est. $2,000-$3,000).

Rounding out the best of the clocks category will be a solid walnut Chippendale tall case clock, under eight feet tall, apparently with the original 8-day bell strike clockworks (est. $2,000-$3,000); an unusual and stylish 14 ½ inch sphinx-shaped Egyptian-style bronze mantel clock, made circa 1850 (est. $1,500-$3,000); and an early 19th century double steeple form mantel clock with a fusee clockworks and strap brass movement plates, 23 ½ inches tall (est. $850-$1,250).

Decorative accessories will feature a pair of finely decorated Dutch Delftware lidded garniture jars from the 18th or 19th century with bird form knops, both 15 inches tall (est. $1,800-$3,000); a rare 19th century ceramic teapot, 6 inches by 11 inches (est. $250-$400); and a large 19th century ceramic bull, probably English, in a brown treacle colored glaze (est. $300-$500).

Asian objects certain to excite the crowd will include a huge Japanese Aritaware Imari porcelain punch bowl, made of superior quality and standing 8 inches tall and 18 inches in diameter (est. $1,200-$3,000); a framed Chinese scroll of fish signed Yong Qiang Chen, 32 inches by 66 inches (est. $800-$1,200); and a Chinese jade bangle bracelet (est. $100-$200).

Original artwork in Session I will include an oil on canvas signed by Walter Lewis, 32 inches by 42 inches (est. $2,500-$4,000); an oil on canvas landscape of a village scene by Christopher H. Shearer (Am., 1846-1926), signed lower left (est. $2,500-$3,500); an oil on canvas still life by Czech artist Antouin Hudecek (1872-1941), 30 inches by 31 inches (est. $1,200-$3,000); and two 18th or 19th century unframed portraits (est. $800-$1,500 for the pair).

Also offered will be an oil on board of sailboats by the shore attributed to Philadelphia-born artist Elisha K.K. Wetherill (1874-1929), 13 inches by 16 ½ inches (est. $1,200-$2,400); a framed landscape by L. Lancaster Hager, probably American (est. $800-$1,200); and a marine rendering of a schooner by Max Wildman, framed in the shadowbox form (est.; $150-$300).

Period furniture will feature a set of six hand-made and carved Chippendale style side chairs with inset seats (est. $2,400-$4,000); and a solid mahogany drop-leaf breakfast sized table with open top and saber legged chairs (est. $300-$500). Also sold will be an African king’s vest from the Yoruba people, 27 ½ inches by 21 inches (est. $600-$1,000); two Staffordshire dogs, 6 ½ inches tall (est. $40-$60); and 15 savings banks and mechanical banks, mostly reproductions.

A preview will be held on Friday, Nov. 9, from 10-7, at the People’s Light and Theater Company in Malvern. Internet bidding for both sessions will be listed on LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. To view a full catalog of all the lots to be sold, log on to www.AuctionsatConverse.com. A buyer’s premium will be applied to all purchases.

Gordon S. Converse & Co. is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them directly, at (610) 722-9004; or, e-mail them at [email protected]. Gordon Converse replies promptly to all e-mails.

Anyone interested in finding out what an antique item might be worth may do so by sending a photo of the item, along with a check for $40, to Gordon S. Converse & Co., Attn: Gordon S. Converse, 758 Mancill Rd., Strafford, PA 19087. To learn more about Gordon S. Converse & Co., and the Nov. 10th auction, please log on to www.AuctionsatConverse.com