MILFORD, CONN.- Shannon’s Fine Art Auction planned for Thursday, April 28th, at 6 pm Eastern time, will include leading lots by Charles Burchfield, Francis A. Silva, Guy C. Wiggins and more. A public preview begins on Monday, April 18th at Shannon’s galley in Milford. The full catalog, preview hours and sale information are available now, at shannons.com.
Headlining the auction are three exceptional works by Charles Burchfield (American, (1893-1967). Nighthawks and the Moon, (1965) 1966, 35 inches by 26 inches, was exhibited at ACA Galleries in New York in 1970. The watercolor work is a nocturnal scene of nighthawks circling the moon. In the foreground trees and flowers vibrate in the moonlight, lending a mysterious air to the composition. This painting is easily among the artist’s best (est. $200,000-$300,000).
Another stellar Burchfield, Fires of Spring in Big Woods, measures 40 inches by 30 inches. The poetic title comes from the artist’s journal entry, “There had been forming in my mind an idea of showing deep winter in a woods, but with openings at the top of a hill showing the fires of spring.” Indeed, the trees look as though they are on fire, with the sunlight foretelling the emergence of spring (est. $150,000-$250,000).
The last Burchfield in the group is from the artist’s self-proclaimed ‘golden year,’ 1917, when he was most prolific. This work illustrates a scene from Burchfield’s native Ohio just after a rainstorm. Loosely associated with the Regionalist artists, Burchfield found inspiration in his immediate surroundings. He painted primarily in his native Ohio before he established his studio outside Buffalo, New York (est. $50,000-$75,000). A large painting by Dale Nichols, another artist associated with the Regionalists, will also be offered at $40,000-$60,000.
In the category of 19th century American Art, marine artist Francis A. Silva (American, (1835-1886) leads the group. By the Seaside, New Jersey Shore was painted in 1883 and depicts the beach at Keyport, New Jersey where the artist first met his wife. It is a classic example of Silva’s masterful ability to capture the light at sunset. The sky and water in this painting are equally remarkable (est. $200,000-$300,000).
Other 19th century highlights include a large oil painting by Walter Launt Palmer, Winter Landscape with Stream, estimated at $70,000-$90,000; a Luminist view titled Shipping at Sunset by Edward Moran, estimated at $20,000-$30,000; and paintings by Hermann Herzog, Robert Spear Dunning, William Louis Sonntag and others.
New York City dwellers will recognize the architecture in four impressionist cityscapes. Birge Harrison’s Madison Square Looking Towards the Flatiron Building is the earliest from this group, depicting the city at dusk with horse carriages and glowing gas lamps (est. $50,000-$75,000).
There are three paintings by Guy C. Wiggins (American, 1883–1962), an artist celebrated for his ability to paint New York City in the snow. An early example, Fifth Avenue Snowstorm, is dated circa 1925 (est. $60,000-$80,000). Broad Street and the Sub Treasury is an important example from the peak period in the artist’s career, complete with waving flags, colorful pedestrians and taxi cubs going about their day undeterred by the falling snow (est. $100,000-$150,000). The third painting, Washington Square, is the view from the artist’s studio, a scene he depicted in many canvases throughout his long career (est. $30,000-$50,000).
There are numerous examples of quality American Impressionist paintings in the auction. A still life by Edmund Tarbell (American, 1862-1938), of Peonies (est. $30,000-$50,000) and a Julian Alden Weir, Rhododendrons (est. $20,000-$30,000), are both exceptional floral paintings from two artist members of the famed Impressionist group ‘The Ten’. There are also fine examples of Pennsylvania Impressionism by John Folinsbee, Huckster’s Cart (est. $50,000-$75,000) and Walter Schofield, The Farmhouse and Pond (est. $15,000-$25,000).
More featured paintings in the American art category include a lively park scene, Picnic, by Maurice Prendergast (American, 1858-1924), that depicts women and children in vivid watercolor and pastel sharing a picnic and strolling in the park (est. $50,000-$75,000); an Arthur Wesley Dow view of a haystack by marshes, likely near Newburyport, Massachusetts (est. $50,000-$75,000); a watercolor by Andrew Wyeth, Gate Chain, once exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (est. $25,000-$35,000); a John Marin watercolor Marin Island, Small Point, Maine dated 1928 (est. $25,000-$35,000); and a 42 inch by 48 inch view of Evening in the Berkshires by George Gardener Symons (est. $30,000-$50,000).
There are a handful of exciting European offerings in the auction. A rare oil painting by Jean Dufy will surely attract interest from both American and European collectors. Titled La Ville, the scene is lively and full of color (est. $40,000-$60,000). Another notable French painting in the sale is a Camille Bombois work depicting musician clowns, Les Forains (est. $20,000-$30,000).
Female British artists are prominently featured in the sale, led by two paintings by Dame Laura Knight. Knight challenged the Royal Academy and through her skill and persistence improved the recognition of women artists in Britain. Winter, Figures Skating is offered at $60,000-$80,000 and Gypsies at Ascot at $30,000-$50,000.
There are three paintings by artist Lennart Anderson, who was recently the subject of a retrospective at the New York Studio School. Still Life with Popcorn Maker I earns the description of a masterpiece work by the artist and was illustrated in the 1983 volume Art of the Real: Nine American Figurative Painters (est. $20,000-$30,000). Another Contemporary offering from a New Haven artist, Winfred Rembert’s rhythmic Red Note Chain Gang, made from dye on tooled leather, depicts a chain gang picking cotton with musical notes superimposed on the scene (est. $20,000-$30,000).
The spring auction at Shannon’s is not to be missed. Celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, the team at Shannon’s has again proved their ability to attract superb consignments and put together an exceptional sale. Of the offerings, managing partner Sandra Germain commented, “My team and I are very pleased to start the spring art season with such impressive offerings. Our recent sales results have been strong, attracting higher quality consignments. We look forward to achieving success for both our buyers and sellers on the 28th.”
