Perhaps a few weeks ago one would have thought something was odd when Sotheby's scheduled their American Paintings Sale a week ahead of time before their counterparts of Rockefeller Center. A court injunction against the Berkshire Museum from selling their Norman Rockwell paintings changed all of that, and now almost a week later, Christie's gets its chance to test the current market demand for that artist and the other American paintings as well. Even when they are scheduled late, Christie's luck continues to hold.
Results on Tuesday 21 Nov.
Lot 11. Thomas Hart Benton, Night Firing of Tobacco, Estimate $2-3 million
Lot 12. William Aiken Walker, Big Cotton Plantation $150,000-$250,000
Lot 15. Norman Rockwell, What makes it tick, $4-6 million
Lot 21. Norman Rockwell, Girl Returning from Camp, $2-3 million
Lot 22. Norman Rockwell, The Christmas Coach, $600,000-800,000
Lot 27. Thomas Moran, Survey Party in the Valley of the Yellowstone, 1873, $200,000-$300,000
Lot 28. Thomas Moran, Castle Geyser, Yellowstone, $300,000-$500,000
Lot 29. Thomas Moran, Canyon of the Virgin River, 1909, $1,000,000 to $1,5000,000
Lot 31. Thomas Moran, Zion Valley, South Utah, 1914, $2-3 million
Thirty years ago in the market Frederic Church was considered vastly more desirable than Thomas Moran. It is funny what a $17 million auction record for a Green River Scene did for Moran. The following example by Church seems to have a low estimate, Tuesday will tell.
Lot 44. Frederic Edwin Church, A New England Lake, $1.5 to $2.5 million
Lot 45. Jasper Francis Cropsey, Torne Mountain, Rockland County, New York, 1850, $100,000-$150,000
Lot 46. Albert Bierstadt, Clear Lake California, 1881, $500,000-$700,000
Lot 54. Mary Cassatt, Mother holding a Nude Baby playing with a Toy Duck, 1914, $1.5-$2.5 million
You may also like to read:
* Christies Impressionist and Modern Sale, Nov. 13, 2017 - Images and Results
* Photos with prices from Christie's record sale Nov. 15
* Hunt for the buyer of Salvator
