SACRAMENTO, CALIF.- An oil painting by world-renowned artist and beloved Sacramentan Gregory Kondos sold for $157,300, exceeding the Witherell's Auction House estimate of $25,000-50,000. The sale price doubled the previous auction sale record for a Kondos painting, which was $75,000, and this was the first Kondos painting to eclipse the six-figure mark at auction. “ Levee House” is a 36 x 42 oil on canvas of the Steamboat Slough on the Sacramento River in 1989 (image below).

The Kondos painting drew a flurry of inquiries, according to Witherell's Auction House. During the auction, there were multiple phone bidders, internet bids and live bidders in the room before it narrowed down to two phone lines. A southern California collector was the underbidder and a private collector based in Northern California placed the winning bid. The widow of Gregory Kondos, who passed away in 2021, attended the live auction event to witness this landmark sale. Overtaken with the results, she stood up and gave an impromptu speech.

Kondos is revered for his iconic watercolor landscapes of the Sacramento Valley, Yosemite and the Greek Islands. He is featured in numerous public arts projects throughout the Sacramento region.

Witherell’s Auction House presented its Luxury Asset Auction on March 18, 2022 at The Sutter Club in Sacramento. More than 100 treasures were sold, from prominent art of international significance to rare jewels. Other highlights include Robert Arneson's ceramic wall hanging, “Dog and Roy,” which sold for $39,325. A vintage 2.5 carat diamond ring sold for $15,125, a presentation Civil War sword was close behind at $14,520 and a rare $5 gold coin from 1849 realized $12,100. For the total sale, 104 lots sold for $581,624 with an average price per lot of more than $5,000.