ATLANTA, GA.- A lovely oil on canvas painting by the renowned artist and stained glass and jewelry designer Louis C. Tiffany (1848-1933) and a 19th century French carved walnut vestment chest in the Renaissance taste are expected headliners in
Ahlers & Ogletree’s two-day Fine Estates & Collections auction planned for Friday and Saturday, August 25th and 26th, online and live in the Atlanta gallery.
The auction, starting at 10 am Eastern time both days, will feature 480 lots of Modernism, weapons, collectible books, jewelry and Asian arts on Friday, August 25th; and 473 lots of antiques and fine art, scrimshaw, silver and rugs on Saturday, August 26th. Live gallery bidding will be held in Ahlers & Ogletree’s new gallery location on Atlanta’s Upper West Side, at 1788 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard.
The oil on canvas painting by Louis C. Tiffany, titled Boat at Sea Bright (1888), depicts four men carrying a boat in the sand with buildings in the background. The work is signed and dated lower left and measures 24 ¼ inches by 36 ¼ inches (canvas, less frame). It has an Art Institute of Chicago First Annual Exhibition 1888 label en verso (partial). The painting carries an estimate of $50,000-$75,000.
The 19th century French carved walnut vestment chest in the Renaissance taste has foliate and fruit carving including strawberry leaves, six drawers with caned bottoms, a Wellington type side lock and side panels with the crown of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies above the motto, "Loyaute, Coeur, Franchise". The chest, 40 inches tall by 41 ½ inches wide, should realize 18,000-$24,000.
Both lots described above will be offered on Day 2, but there are many fine offerings on Day 1 as well, like the stunning Audemars Piguet 18k rose gold and custom diamond set Royal Oak Offshore model watch, case No. 0307, featuring a Swiss made perpetual (self-winding) jeweled movement, custom (non AP) diamond chrono dial, and a custom (non AP) diamond encrusted bezel, case, and bracelet, approximately 15 cts. total of SI-1 clarity and H-I color diamonds (est. $25,000-$45,000).
The auction will also feature other unreserved watches by Rolex and other fine watchmakers; an important portrait of Hortense Eugenie Cecile Bonaparte; a large collection of antique edged weapons; 1st edition books by John Steinbeck and Charles Dickens; collections of original works by Henri Maik, Ethelinda, David Lachapelle and other listed artists; and other items.
Staying in Day 1, a large oil on canvas painting by Henri Hecht Maik (French, 1922-1993), titled A Yellow Lion (1972), depicts a jungle landscape and other animals around a large lion. It’s signed and dated lower right and signed and titled en verso and measures an impressive 51 ¼ inches by 38 ¼ inches (canvas, less frame). The work is expected to bring $8,000-$16,000.
An oil on canvas by the artist known simply as Ethelinda (American, 20th/21st century) is titled Wintergreen and depicts a white horse in a winter landscape. It’s sizable; the canvas measures a stout 62 inches by 52 inches. The unframed work is signed lower right and was acquired from Manitou Galleries (Santa Fe. N.M.). It comes with a receipt from 2009 (est. $8,000-$12,000).
A Firmin & Sons (London) Confederate dolphin head naval officer's sword, having a serpent motif gilt brass hilt with a solid guard and folding counter guard cast with the Confederate naval insignia consisting of a fouled anchor superimposed on a pair of crossed canons, overall 35 ¾ inches in length with the blade 30 ¼ inches long, a great item from the Civil War, should hit $5,000-$9,000.
An oil and mixed media on canvas abstract painting by Enrico Donati (American/Italian, 1909-2008), titled Polaris (1968), depicts geometric forms in a circle. It’s signed “Donati” lower right and is signed, titled and dated en verso. The canvas measures 36 inches by 32 inches and is housed in a 37 ½ inch by 33 ½ inch frame. The painting should attract a new owner for $5,000-$7,000.
A large bronze sculpture on a disk form base by Richard MacDonald (Calif., b. 1946), titled Transcendence (2006), depicts a male aerial acrobat, inverted and suspended from a silk rope. The sculpture, 53 ¼ inches tall, is signed, dated and numbered (41/75) to the base (est. $5,000-$7,000). MacDonald is a contemporary figurative artist known for his association with the Cirque Du Soleil.
On to Day 2, where an oil on canvas by Jean Louis Victor Viger Du Vigneau (French, 1819-1897), titled Hortense Eugenie Cecile Bonaparte, depicts a half-length portrait of the queen consort of Holland wearing a pearl diadem on her forehead with a gold trimmed white silk Empire gown. The 24 ½ inch by 20 ¼ inch (canvas) work is signed and inscribed. It should reach $25,000-$35,000.
A 19th century North Carolina country Hepplewhite pine pie safe having an overhanging top, single paneled door, four patterned punched tin panels, signed "J. R. Whites", and rising on tapering legs, has an estimate of $10,000-$12,000. The piece is 54 ½ inches tall by 58 inches wide. There’s a crack to the top, some losses (including to the door) and no key, but the case is structurally sound.
An oil on canvas painting by John George Brown (American, 1831-1913), titled Boy Blowing Bubbles, depicts what its title implies – a young seated male holding a mug in his left hand and blowing bubbles in his right. The whimsical, diminutive rendering is artist signed lower right and measures 14 ¼ inches by 10 ¼ inches (canvas, less frame). It has an estimate of $7,000-$9,000.
