LOS ANGELES — On Tuesday, May 9, John Moran Auctioneers will present its Spring California & American Fine Art auction starting at noon Pacific time. The sale will feature fresh-to-the-market artworks from private and public collections throughout California and the Southwest, along with a group of important early California works deaccessioned by the Jonathan Art Foundation of Los Angeles. Leading the sale are works by Edgar Alwin Payne, Armin Hansen, Thomas Hill, Sydney Mortimer Laurence, Carl Oscar Borg, Charles Reiffel, John George Brown, and Elmer and Marion Wachtel. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Some of the most anticipated lots will feature works by Edgar Alwin Payne (1883-1947). Payne was an American Impressionist painter who grew up in Missouri but spent most of his career captivating the majestic scenery of the West. He especially loved the mountains and frequently took a pack horse into the Sierra Nevada mountain range. This sale will feature one of these mountainous landscape works, with an estimate of $40,000-$60,000.
During his career, Payne had the opportunity to take a two-year painting tour of Europe from 1922-1924. A work from that trip, depicting fishing boats in the West Coast of France, will be offered with a $30,000-$40,000 estimate. Also making its way to the block will be Payne’s Brittany Boats in Harbor, estimated at $20,000-$30,000.
Continuing the boat theme is Making Port, by Armin Hansen (1886-1957). This view of Monterey, California, estimated at $20,000-$30,000, is just one of the many examples from the artist that captures the spirit of marine life. Hansen achieved international recognition during his lifetime and is considered to be one of early California’s most influential and successful artists.
Crescent Lake – Yosemite Valley, an oil on canvas by the English-born artist Thomas Hill (1829-1908), demonstrates how he combined his powers of observation with powerful motifs. Hill’s best works are considered to include the monumental subjects Canyon of the Sierra, Yosemite, Vernal Falls, and Yosemite Valley. Moran’s will present Crescent Lake – Yosemite Valley with an estimate of $20,000-$30,000.
Another early American landscape painter was Sydney Mortimer Laurence (1865-1940). The May 9 sale will offer his work Mount McKinley, estimated at $20,000-$30,000. Laurence was an American Romantic landscape painter and is widely considered one of Alaska’s most important historical artists.
In the category of Southwestern American fine art is Hopi Rain Dance by Carl Oscar Borg (1879-1947). In 1901, the Swedish-born painter settled in the United States and eventually became known for views of California and the Southwest, especially Arizona and New Mexico. He worked in various mediums including watercolor, etchings, woodblock and oil — such as this example, estimated at $20,000-$30,000. Borg was a founding member of the Painter’s Club of Los Angeles and the California Art Club and was one of the first art directors for a major Hollywood movie studio.
Charles P. Reiffel, ‘Untitled (Landscape),’ estimated at $15,000-$20,000
Originally a lithographer, Charles P. Reiffel (1862-1942) quit his New York lithography business in his early sixties to devote all his time to easel painting. Soon thereafter, he and his wife moved to San Diego, California, where his creativity thrived. Reiffel’s landscapes of California brought him national acclaim before his death in 1942. The John Moran sale will offer one of these landscape paintings with an estimate of $15,000-$20,000.
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