AUSTIN, Texas – A historic oil on canvas painting by the renowned Texas artist Porfirio Salinas (1910-1973), created to be presented to President John F. Kennedy at Vice President Lyndon Johnson’s ranch on Nov. 23, 1963 – the day after JFK’s assassination – is the headliner lot in an auction planned for Nov. 16 and 17 by Austin Auction Gallery. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.
The auction date is close to the 56th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination – Nov. 22, 1963. The painting is not only a work of art by an accomplished Texas painter, but it is also a historic artifact with connections to two former U.S. presidents and one of the most seminal dates in U.S. history. Porfirio Salinas, incidentally, was Lyndon Johnson’s favorite artist and a personal friend. He hung canvases by Salinas at his Texas ranch and in his private suite at the White House.
Kennedy was scheduled to visit the LBJ ranch on the evening of Nov. 22, following a planned fundraising dinner in Austin. It was at the ranch that Salinas had intended to personally present the painting to Kennedy as a gift, at a barbecue event the next day. The painting (above) still has the original plaque stating it was a present from Salinas. A second, later plaque reflects on the assassination. The painting, a landscape titled Rocky Creek, is signed lower left and measures 20 inches by 25 inches (sight). The overall size, with the frame, is 29¼ inches by 33½ inches. It has an estimate of $75,000-$125,000. A second work by Salinas (below), a signed, framed oil on canvas titled Bluebonnets and Live Oaks, 29¼ inches by 35½ inches (sight), should bring $30,000-$40,000.
Porfirio Salinas was a landscape artist recognized for his depictions of the Texas Hill Country in springtime. He was one of the first Mexican-American artists to become nationally recognized for his paintings. His works are displayed in the Texas State Capitol, the Texas Governor’s Mansion, the Witte Museum in San Antonio and the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.
The Salinas paintings are part of a fabulous art collection that will also come up for bid, featuring original artworks by noted, listed painters such as G. Harvey, A.D. Greer, Robert Wood, Gerald McCann, Robert Harrison, Peter Hohnstedt, Carl Smith, C.P. Montague and Joe Rader Roberts.
A few expected top achievers in the original artwork category include the following paintings:
– A framed oil on canvas painting by Texas artist G. Harvey (1933-2017), titled Stray Heifers, signed at Austin and dated 1969 lower left, with the tags of G. Harvey Gallery on verso and measuring 20 inches by 24 inches (sight) (est. $15,000-$20,000).
– A framed oil on canvas by Peter Hohnstedt (Texas/Ohio, 1871/72-1957), titled Texas Hill Country, signed lower left and with the label of Milam Galleries in San Antonio on verso, measuring approximately 29 inches by 35 inches (less the frame) (est. $4,000-$6,000).
– A framed oil on canvas by the famous French artist Edouard Cortes (1882-1969), titled Louvre Seine Quai, signed lower right and verified as authentic with registration number 36374 by the archives of Arnot Galleries in New York City, measuring 13 inches by 18 inches (est. $12,000-$18,000).
Co-headlining the auction will be items from the estate of Alfred A. King (1916-2006), the great-grandson of Capt. Richard King, founder of the now-825,000-acre Texas King Ranch. The estate features a fantastic collection of Native American and Southwestern jewelry, including pieces by Frank Patania Sr. (Italian-American, 1899-1964), and an equally incredible collection of sterling silver and New Mexico art, including works by Theodore Van Soelen, Freemont Ellis, Bernique Longley, Agnes Sims, Miki Hayakawa, Cliff Bahnimptewa and Norma Bassett Hall.
Native American jewelry will feature a Modernist silver ring with multi-stone inlays by Charles Loloma (Hopi, 1921-1991), with a shaped silver frame having coral, lapis and other inlays with silver and yellow gold spacers, marked to the interior (est. $1,000-$2,000); and a silver stamped bracelet bearing a picto-hallmark for Frank Vacit (Zuni, 1915-1999), the Rainbow God, in turquoise and jet channel inlay, on a large circular bezel with a stamped cuff (est. $800-$1,200).
The jewelry creations of Frank Patania Sr. will feature a Modernist sterling silver necklace, hallmarked, with graduated alternating scrolls and drops with serrated bezel-set turquoise stones (est. $4,000-$6,000); and a Modernist sterling silver jewelry suite, all hallmarked sterling, comprising a necklace with staggered lapis lazuli drops, tube beads, a hook closure and screw-back earrings with lapis lazuli drops (est. $3,000-$4,000).
Start times are 10 a.m. Central time both days.
For details contact Austin Auction Gallery at 512-258-5479 or info@austinauction.com.
[av_button label=’View the fully illustrated catalogs and bid on LiveAuctioneers.’ link=’manually,https://www.liveauctioneers.com/auctioneer/21/austin-auction-gallery/’ link_target=’_blank’ size=’medium’ position=’center’ label_display=” icon_select=’no’ icon=’ue800′ font=’entypo-fontello’ color=’theme-color’ custom_bg=’#444444′ custom_font=’#ffffff’ av_uid=’av-6979yfc’ custom_class=” admin_preview_bg=”]