NEW YORK, NY.- As a part of its inaugural fall season in New York, Hindman will offer Canvas & Clay: The Collection of Judith and Philip Sieg as a single owner auction on Thursday, October 26 in its New York saleroom. Select highlights of fine art will be on public view in New York at Sterling | Boos from October 3-5, and the full collection will be on view at 21 Greene Street from October 10-25. Over the course of their lives, the Siegs assembled an exceptional collection of fine art and modern pottery headlined by significant pieces from some of the most important American artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Philip Sieg was an innovative businessman, real estate developer, traveler, and collector. A proud Pennsylvania State alum, Sieg was highly engaged with the university, supporting many programs such as the Schreyer Honors College, the University Libraries, and teaching fellowships in the business school. His impact did not go unnoticed, as he was named an Alumni Fellow in 1988 and a Distinguished Alumnus (Pennsylvania State’s highest honor) in 1993.

Judith Sieg was a passionate collector herself and a lifetime supporter of the arts. A generous philanthropist in her community and beyond, Judith made the very first donation to the Bellefonte Art Museum in Pennsylvania in 2009 which helped establish the local museum in the Siegs’ hometown. Judith was also a Pennsylvania State alum and was a founding member of The Palmer Museum of Art at the university.

A tempera and gold leaf on incised gessoed panel by Charles Prendergast (American, 1858-1924) entitled Fantasy with Three Figures (Allegory) and dated 1921 (estimate: $150,000 - $250,000) is expected to be among the many lots to sell for six figures. Prendergast started his artistic career as a craftsman, producing intricately carved and decorated wood frames. The younger brother of post-impressionist Maurice Prendergast, Charles quickly developed a strong familial and artistic bond with his brother, initially providing frames for Maurice’s paintings. During a formative trip to Italy in 1911, however, Charles nurtured his own aesthetic vision, resolutely steeped in a skillful blend of fine art and craftsmanship. For the next decade, Charles favored his distinct medium of gessoed and incised pictorial panels, as Fantasy with Three Figures (Allegory) epitomizes. The work showcases his unique style and undeniable technical and artistic prowess, drawing from various pictorial traditions, including Medieval Italian painting and mythological iconography.

A magnificent watercolor by one of the most famous artists of the Gilded Age also stands out among the highlights of the American art portion of the auction. James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s (1834 – 1903) watercolor Peasant Women Standing Under a Tree (estimate: $80,000 - $120,000) is emblematic of Whistler’s later works, depicting a small group of women in a non-descript field below a single, barren tree.

Also featured is a newly rediscovered oil painting by Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904), Calm Summer Day (estimate: $150,000 - $250,000). Heade is a major figure in 19th century American landscape painting who evades categorization, departing from the Romantics among whom he started his career and differing from the aesthetics the Hudson River School Artists. His work can be defined as luminist and transcendental. His seascapes, such as the present one, dated 1863, were often atmospheric, instilling a sense of quiet and calm paired with a reference to perceptible ominous undertones, such as a storm possibly brewing in the background. The glow of the sunset and nearly panoramic perspective create a sense of suspended time, with the stillness of the sailboats contrasted by a barrage of clouds in the background. The palette of gradual shades of grey, nearly veering into greens in the water and pinks in the sky, is masterfully wielded by the artist to emphasize the luminist aspect of the work. Calm Summer Day, unknown until now, will be included in the next edition of Theodore Stebbins’s catalogue raisonné of Heade’s work.

The Siegs also had an interest in artworks from the second half of the 20th century, particularly favoring the still lifes and landscapes of Albert York (American, 1928-2009). The couple amassed an important collection of works by York from the artist’s exclusive gallerist, Davis & Langdale, who showed many of them in notable exhibitions. Due to his exacting perfectionism, York is said to have only created 200 to 250 paintings during his lifetime, making the Siegs’ nine artworks by the artist the largest selection to ever be offered at auction at one time. A rare auction of York’s work took place after the death of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who owned just six of his paintings.

In his 1995 New Yorker magazine profile, art critic Calvin Tomkins said York was perhaps "the most highly admired unknown artist in America." York, who was described as a shy man, took no part in the art world but was beloved by both curators and artists. When the curator Klaus Kertess wanted to include him in his 1995 Whitney Biennial, he declined. American artist Fairfield Porter called him “the best contemporary artist in America.” Artist Susan Rothenberg, who owned one of York’s works, put him in a 1984 New York gallery show called “Artists Choose Artists III.” At rarely more than 12 inches on a side, his paintings evoke a contained world in which time and art seem to stand still or even move backward through history. Additionally, the works on offer will appear in Ms. Langdale’s forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist.

Among the many highlights by the artist offered in the auction are a pair of fresh-to-market oils on board:




• Albert York (1928-2009) | Zinnias in a Glass Vase, 1981
Estimate: $80,000 - $120,000

• Albert York (1928-2009) | Landscape with Three Trees and Pond, 1984
Estimate: $80,000 - $120,000

Other modern and contemporary fine art of note, signaling the breadth of the collection, include:

• Claudio Bravo (1936-2011) | La Colombiana, 1978
Estimate: $50,000 - $70,000

• Bill Traylor (1854-1947) | Fierce Dog, c. 1939-42
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000

In addition to fine art, the Siegs were avid collectors of modern pottery. Mentored by William Hull, a respected voice in the field and former director of the Palmer Museum of Art, the Seigs’ collection serves as an almost encyclopedic overview of Scandinavian studio pottery, showcasing works from Wilhelm Kåge to Bodil Manz. Notable artists featured include Lucie Rie and Gertrud Vasegaard. Among the many highlights are:

• Lucie Rie (Austrian/British, 1902-1995) | Conical Sgraffito Bowl
Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000

• Lucie Rie (Austrian/British, 1902-1995) | Footed Sgraffito Bowl
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000

• Alev Siesbye (Turkish/Danish, b. 1938) | A Large Bowl, 1986
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000

• Gertrud Vasegaard (Danish, 1913-2007) | A Large Cylindrical Vessel
Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000

The collection of Judith and Philip Sieg will be offered at Hindman’s New York saleroom on Thursday, October 26 beginning at 10am ET. Bidding for the auction will be available in person at Hindman’s 21 Green Street location, as well as via absentee, telephone, and online bid on Hindman’s Digital Bid Room. Additional works of art and pottery from the collection will be offered in Hindman's The Collected Home online only sale, closing November 15. The Collected Home is a curated marketplace where collectors, interior designers and dealers alike can find the perfect treasure at approachable price points.