MONROVIA, CA — Unseen in public for nearly one hundred years and rescued from a house-clearing with the contents destined for bulk donation to Mexico, Agnes Pelton’s transcendental abstraction Flowering will appear at John Moran Auctioneers on Tuesday, August 13 as only the fifth Pelton abstract to head to auction since her death in 1961.
Pelton (1881-1961) is widely acknowledged as a true master of Modernism in the early 20th century. Her career saw three distinct phases: ‘imaginative’ paintings, Southwest art, and spiritual abstracts. Her works hang in more than two dozen American museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Flowering dates to 1919, when Pelton was at her creative peak. She was living in both Long Island (at a windmill) and Connecticut on a rural, secluded farm when Flowering was created. In 1931, she relocated to Cathedral City near Palm Springs, California when her desert and Southwest period began. She would live there until her passing in 1961.
Given the fact that the painting has not been seen in public in almost a century, Moran estimates the work at $300,000-$500,000. It comes to market by way of its third owner, having originally been given by Pelton to Matille Prigge ‘Billie’ Seaman (1883-1966) and Josephine Morse True (1888-1975), neighbors and friends of Pelton. They later sold it to Anne-Marie Boyce of San Diego, from whose estate it comes (and very nearly ended up in Mexico as a cast-off).
BRANFORD, CT — Clark Voorhees (1871-1933) is a noted New England Impressionist whose works hang in major museums. His son, Clark Voorhees, Jr. (1911-1980) was also an artist, but he worked in wood-carving. The ‘Fish With Flag’ that will be offered on Thursday, August 15 at New England Auctions – Fred Giampietro is identified by the house as a ‘Clark Voorhees’, but is more than likely the work of the son. The carving is 35in wide by 18.5in in height and was purchased by the consigner directly from the artist. New England Auctions describes it as a contemporary rendition of a 19th-century design and estimates it at $500-$750.
WILLOUGHBY, OH — Milestone Auctions’ 630-plus lot Premier Schuco Toy sale, scheduled for Saturday, August 24, includes a number of items claimed to be factory prototypes. All seem to be pre-production design samples, including wire-frame appendages and unfinished decoration.
The 4in-tall ‘Three Little Pigs’ is undated, but is likely from the German interwar period given the design style. Made of what the lot notes deem ‘composition and tin’, the toy pigs together carry an estimate of $100-$10,000.
CAMBRIDGE, UK – Vinaigrettes, used from the late 18th century through the mid-19th century as an antidote to the stench of urban Britain, come in a huge variety of forms. Silver novelties are particularly popular.
This example, formed as a hinged mussel shell, is marked for the London firm Sampson Mordan & Co. The pierced grille, which would have contained a piece of sponge soaked in an aromatic liquid, has a registration mark indicating a date of February 29, 1876. It has an estimate of £500-£700 ($650-$900) at Cheffins’ Thursday, August 15 auction titled Jewellery, Silver and Watches Sale.
TEMPE, AZ — The Masters Tournament is one of professional golf’s most hallowed events, having been initiated in 1934 by legendary golfer Bobby Jones in Augusta, Georgia on a course of his and Alister MacKenzie’s design. Since 1949, the winner of the by-invitation-only tournament has earned the coveted green jacket that is now synonymous with the event.
Jack Nicklaus (b. 1940-) is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. He is third in all-time PGA wins with 73, and won a record 18 major tournament championships. Nicklaus won the Masters six times, in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, and 1986.
Piece of the Past brings an incredible piece of Nicklaus memorabilia to auction on Sunday, August 11 as part of its Autograph Auction: a pin flag used at a Masters Tournament, signed by Jack Nicklaus and accompanied by the years of his wins in his own hand. The flag is estimated at $750-$1,500 and has been authenticated by autograph expert Kevin Martin.
