Clementine Hunter and John Genin works highlight Louisiana heritage at Crescent City May 10-11

John Genin, 'Portrait of Paul Henri Augustin Capdevielle & Pierre Emmanuel 'Auguste' Capdevielle, Children of Paul Capedevielle, Former Mayor of New Orleans,' estimated at $4,000-$8,000 at Crescent City Auction Gallery.

NEW ORLEANS — Works by Clementine Hunter and John Genin are star lots at the two-day May Estates Auction at Crescent City Auction Gallery Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11. The catalogs are available for review and bidding now at LiveAuctioneers.

Considered by many to be the queen of self-taught artists, Clementine Hunter (1886-1988) began selling her paintings for 25 cents. She was in her fifties when her art career took off, and she gained national attention for her depictions of Black American farm life. She had worked on Louisiana plantations her entire life, first as a field laborer, like her father. Wash Day is an untitled oil on canvas board in classic naive style. One element that makes this lot stand out is the painting is accompanied by a photograph of Hunter holding the work in her lap. Crescent City has estimated Wash Day at $4,000-$8,000.

John Genin (1830-1895) was born in France but came to New Orleans in 1860 and set up shop as a portrait painter for the Crescent City’s elite. He painted portraits of men, women, children, and the elderly, and his style was clearly influenced by the bitter rival of 19th-century portraitists everywhere, photography. His uncanny depictions of his subjects are eerily photographic, a testament to the increasing pressure artists were feeling with the rising popularity of photography in the portrait space.

Portrait of Paul Henri Augustin Capdevielle & Pierre Emmanuel ‘Auguste’ Capdevielle, Children of Paul Capedevielle, Former Mayor of New Orleans is from the 1886-1887 period, when Genin was hitting his stride with New Orleans clientele. Capedevielle was mayor from 1900 to 1904, making the inscription on the painting likely from the early 20th century. Paul Henri would live until 1950 and Auguste until 1940, so the work likely remained in the family for some time. Capedevielle is best remembered for launching New Orleans’ modern sewage and drainage system, and for receiving President William McKinley, the first American leader to visit the city while in office. The painting is estimated at $4,000-$8,000.

Clementine Hunter, 'Wash Day,' estimated at $4,000-$8,000 at Crescent City Auction Gallery.

Clementine Hunter, 'Wash Day,' estimated at $4,000-$8,000 at Crescent City Auction Gallery.

John Genin, 'Portrait of Paul Henri Augustin Capdevielle & Pierre Emmanuel 'Auguste' Capdevielle, Children of Paul Capedevielle, Former Mayor of New Orleans,' estimated at $4,000-$8,000 at Crescent City Auction Gallery.

John Genin, 'Portrait of Paul Henri Augustin Capdevielle & Pierre Emmanuel 'Auguste' Capdevielle, Children of Paul Capedevielle, Former Mayor of New Orleans,' estimated at $4,000-$8,000 at Crescent City Auction Gallery.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Thomas Molesworth’s furniture is the best of the West

This circa-1940 Thomas Molesworth love seat, having burled fir wood and Molesworth’s signature large brass tacks, attained $47,500 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Jackson Hole Art Auction and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK – Leather seating in punchy colors such as red, green, blue, and black, paired with burled wood, Western motifs, large brass tacks, and Chimayo weavings characterize some of the furnishings by Thomas C. Molesworth (1890-1977) that defined the American Western aesthetic. Dubbed ‘cowboy furniture’, his designs enlivened rustic camp lodges as well as the finest of homes and was genteel enough to draw fans across the United States. And it still does today.

This club chair’s routed side panels, depicting a Bighorn elk, shows Thomas Molesworth’s flair for incorporating Western motifs into his furniture. This chair took $8,750 plus the buyer’s premium in July 2023. Image courtesy of Devin Moisan Auctioneers, Inc. and LiveAuctioneers.
This club chair’s routed side panels, depicting a Bighorn elk, shows Thomas Molesworth’s flair for incorporating Western motifs into his furniture. This chair took $8,750 plus the buyer’s premium in July 2023. Image courtesy of Devin Moisan Auctioneers, Inc. and LiveAuctioneers.

Molesworth set up shop in Cody, Wyoming in 1933, and his offerings soon found an eager audience. Taking inspiration from Mission furniture and the Arts and Crafts movement, Molesworth’s furniture was comfortable, elegantly simple, and clearly reflected the culture of the West. He incorporated Western motifs into his designs, including carvings of cowboys, mule deer, bears, and buffalo. Favorite Native American design imagery included teepees, thunderbirds, and arrows. Among the details Molesworth and his team carved into furniture were images of Bighorn elk on each side panel of a circa-1940 club chair that earned $8,750 plus the buyer’s premium in July 2023 at Devin Moisan Auctioneers, Inc.

A circa-1935 bench by Thomas Molesworth sold for $26,000 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2021. It came from one of his most important commissions, which called for him to furnish a Colorado lodge in full. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
A circa-1935 bench by Thomas Molesworth sold for $26,000 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2021. It came from one of his most important commissions, which called for him to furnish a Colorado lodge in full. Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

One of Molesworth’s most important commissions included a circa-1935 bench that sold for $26,000 plus the buyer’s premium in January 2021 at Heritage Auctions. New York stockbroker George Sumers bought more than 500 acres of land in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, had a lodge built, and tapped Molesworth to furnish it. The job reportedly required Molesworth to fashion cabinets, doors, and other details as well as furniture.

Collectors such as Sumers have been passionate about Molesworth furniture for decades, and his pieces typically outperform their estimates. “I think the market for Molesworth will always be strong,” said Kevin Doyle, managing director and partner at Jackson Hole Art Auction in Jackson, Wyoming. “I find new collectors who are buying homes in the mountain West are specifically seeking Molesworth pieces because they understand how important he is in the history of mountain lodge-style furniture. There are also collectors who have modern-style homes but also a curatorial vision for certain Molesworth pieces that will fit nicely in their contemporary aesthetic.”

Another angle on a circa-1940 Thomas Molesworth love seat that attained $47,500 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Jackson Hole Art Auction and LiveAuctioneers.
Another angle on a circa-1940 Thomas Molesworth love seat that attained $47,500 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Jackson Hole Art Auction and LiveAuctioneers.

Serious collectors prize original and early pieces, and Molesworth seating that dates to the 1930s and 1940s often sells in the $25,000 to $50,000 range. A certain circa-1940 loveseat had all the classic design features one expects in a Molesworth: burled wood, large brass tacks, fine vertical pole detailing, and colorful leather accented by Native American weavings. It attained $47,500 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022 at Jackson Hole Art Auction. “The provenance for this love seat was great, and the condition of the burled fir was excellent,” Doyle said. “The upholstery was restored to a pristine condition that made it ready to place. That makes it easy for a bidder to go for it.”

This circa-1945 pair of straight-legged Thomas Molesworth club chairs achieved $55,000 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2020. Image courtesy of March in Montana and LiveAuctioneers.
This circa-1945 pair of straight-legged Thomas Molesworth club chairs achieved $55,000 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2020. Image courtesy of March in Montana and LiveAuctioneers.

Molesworth’s club chairs typically bring more than his side chairs, as evidenced by a circa-1945 pair of straight-legged club chairs that achieved $55,000 plus the buyer’s premium in March 2020 at the auction house March in Montana. Featuring maroon red leather on the armrests and the seats, the chairs had pale green leather upholstery on the seat backs, which featured a Chimayo weaving pattern on each.

The distinctive features of Molesworth’s seating gives them timeless appeal. “The quality of the burled wood is probably what attracts most collectors. Given the age of many pieces, materials such as leather and Chimayo weavings are sometimes replaced, and it’s the solid foundation of burled fir that stands the test of time,” Doyle added. “For beautifully conserved pieces with everything original, it’s the wonderful colors of leather Molesworth selected that are certainly desirable.”

A Thomas Molesworth armchair in stained burlwood and a pleasing shade of brown leather, dating to 1932 or 1933, made $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2018. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers.
A Thomas Molesworth armchair in stained burlwood and a pleasing shade of brown leather, dating to 1932 or 1933, made $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2018. Image courtesy of Rago Arts and Auction Center and LiveAuctioneers.

Still, Molesworth furnishings in neutral tones have their fans, such as a caramel brown leather armchair that made $30,000 plus the buyer’s premium in May 2018 at Rago Arts and Auction Center. A chair such as this would suit a contemporary home just as well as a ranch lodge.

This circa-1940 Thomas Molesworth coffee table brought $17,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Jackson Hole Art Auction and LiveAuctioneers.
This circa-1940 Thomas Molesworth coffee table brought $17,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022. Image courtesy of Jackson Hole Art Auction and LiveAuctioneers.

Molesworth’s tables are cherished also. A circa-1940 coffee table in fir with half-pole trim and leather brought $17,000 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2022 at Jackson Hole Art Auction. This might have been a fine yet simple piece, but the signature tacks and the routed edges on the lower shelf turn it into a design statement.

A Thomas Molesworth console table went out at $15,000 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2023. Image courtesy of Jackson Hole Art Auction and LiveAuctioneers.
A Thomas Molesworth console table went out at $15,000 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2023. Image courtesy of Jackson Hole Art Auction and LiveAuctioneers.

An equally appealing console table with leather fringe, which secured $15,000 plus the buyer’s premium in June 2023 at Jackson Hole Art Auction, proves buyers won’t shy away from a Molesworth that has undergone restoration if it is thoughtfully done. “This was in pretty poor shape when we first saw it, but it was beautifully restored, so it was a no-brainer for any prospective bidder,” Doyle said. “Also, a console table is a very functional piece, and most homes will have a place for one.”

While not furniture per se, a fine decorative accessory that captures Molesworth’s sense of whimsy are his Jack Rabbit ash stands in wrought iron. An example from 1938 that once graced the living room of Wyoming’s TE Ranch, formerly home to Buffalo Bill Cody, realized $17,000 plus the buyer’s premium in February 2022 at Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery.

Among the more whimsical Thomas Molesworth items is this Jack Rabbit ash stand that realized $17,000 plus the buyer’s premium in February 2022. Image courtesy of Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery and LiveAuctioneers.
Among the more whimsical Thomas Molesworth items is this Jack Rabbit ash stand that realized $17,000 plus the buyer’s premium in February 2022. Image courtesy of Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery and LiveAuctioneers.

Molesworth’s furniture and objects are versatile, blending into contemporary settings that sport cutting-edge art as well as homes heavy with Americana and more traditional décor. They reflect the best of good design principles and evoke thoughts of life out West. That highly romanticized period of American culture will always have its fans, and Molesworth pieces ensure those fans will always have a comfortable place to curl up and dream about it.

Exquisite Fine Art Paintings and Prints presented in New York May 8

Circa-2000 Pointillist oil on canvas by Belgian-born French artist Maggy Clarysse, estimated at $2,500-$3,000 at Jasper52.

NEW YORK – On Wednesday, May 8, starting at 11 am Eastern time, Jasper52 will present its next Exquisite Fine Art Paintings and Prints sale. The auction, consisting of exactly 200 lots, is now available for review and bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

First among the highlights is a circa-2000 Pointillist oil on canvas by Belgian-born French artist Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011), who had an interesting life indeed. Initially, she aimed to be a fashion designer, and approached a Parisian couture house in hopes that they would take her on. They did, but as a model instead. She appeared in Vogue and, according to the lot notes,  ‘She was photographed by Terence Donovan and David Bailey, with one shoot ending up with her pushing the then-leading film star, Norman Wisdom, into a swimming pool – her reasons for doing so remain shrouded in mystery.’ Clarysse met her future husband in the South of France, an area that influenced her final career as an artist. This vibrant landscape comes directly from her estate and is estimated at $2,500-$3,000.

Also on offer is Boats in the Harbor at Sunset, a 1950s oil on canvas by French artist Josine Vignon (1922-2022). Vignon focused on her home city of Paris as well as Provence and the French countryside. The lot notes state ‘She painted with a beautiful style, largely influenced by the Impressionist and post-Impressionist techniques, but adding her own distinctive style and technique to each painting. Vignon’s works carry tremendous energy and enthusiasm, often painted with very thick impasto oil creating a rich and diverse texture, as well as painting with a tremendous palette range of vibrant and joyful colors.’ Boats in the Harbor at Sunset has an estimate of $1,500-$2,000.

Completing the highlights is a monumental 1985 Surrealist painting credited to the ‘Rainbow French School’. Measuring 77in high by 31in wide, the oil on canvas depicts an expanse of marble floor continuing into the distance, where it meets a blue sky festooned with white clouds. Columns flank either side of the scene, and a rainbow arches from the sky to the broken column at the right. This piece carries an estimate of $4,000-$5,000.

Circa-2000 Pointillist oil on canvas by Belgian-born French artist Maggy Clarysse, estimated at $2,500-$3,000 at Jasper52.

Circa-2000 Pointillist oil on canvas by Belgian-born French artist Maggy Clarysse, estimated at $2,500-$3,000 at Jasper52.

Josine Vignon, ‘Boats in the Harbor at Sunset’, estimated at $1,500-$2,000 at Jasper52.

Josine Vignon, ‘Boats in the Harbor at Sunset’, estimated at $1,500-$2,000 at Jasper52.

Monumental 1985 Rainbow French School Surrealist oil on canvas, estimated at $4,000-$5,000 at Jasper52.

Monumental 1985 Rainbow French School Surrealist oil on canvas, estimated at $4,000-$5,000 at Jasper52.

ACN Staff

ACN Staff

Content bearing the byline of ACN staff has been researched and written by multiple members of the Auction Central News team.