ATLANTA – Great Gatsby’s Auction Gallery will present an exceptional three-day Winter Auction on Feb. 8, 9 and 10, offering 1,400 premier lots. The auction features an extensive collection of Russian Orthodox icons, fine European antiques and paintings, a collection of Chinese porcelains, plus designer furnishings from two luxury estates. A unique item is a sterling silver mounted parade saddle. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.
“The furniture is coming from two very large estates. These houses are in the neighborhood of 10,000 and 15,000 square feet. One is in San Diego, California, and one is in Atlanta, Georgia,” said Marie Kowalik, Great Gatsby’s CEO. “It shows the extensive reach that we have with our sellers. Just because we’re in Atlanta doesn’t mean we’re getting property only from the East Coast or the Southeast. These people know that we do such a great job that they were willing to go the extent of shipping these items to us from California.”
Fine art in the auction includes works by Jean Metzinger, Alfred de Breanski Sr., Maximilien Luce, Granville Perkins, Willem Heytmann, Gordon King, Wayne Morrell, Sophie de Niederhausern, Oscar Larsen, Wendell Rogers and Jean Baptiste Armand Guillaumin.
The oil on canvas painting by Guillaumin (French, 1841-1927) depicts boats along the wharf at the Quai Austerlitz in Paris. It was done circa 1909, well into his long career. As a young man studying art at Academie Suisse, Guillaumin met and formed lasting friendships with the likes of Cezanne and Pissarro. Together, the three artists along with Nadar, Sisley and Monet exhibited at the first Salon des Refuses in 1863. However, Guillaumin was unable to focus on his artistic endeavors exclusively until he won the main prize of the national lottery in 1891.
Another choice painting in the auction is Bathers an outdoor scene by Maximilien Luce (French, 1858-1941). The oil on paper painting, laid down on canvas, was authenticated by Jean Luce, nephew of the artist and has an estimate of $9,000-$12,000.
A life-size patinated bronze sculpture titled Adam is the work of Enzo Plazzotta (Italian/British, 1921-1981). It was executed 1975 and cast cire perdue by Morris Singer in England, stamped with artist’s signature to the side of the base. Born in Mestre near Venice in 1921, Plazzotta began his formal studies in sculpture at the Accademia di Brera in Milan at 17. World War II forced the artist to abandon his training. He did not return to sculpting until the early 1960s when he opened a studio near Carrara, where the famous marble is quarried. In 1976, in recognition of his contributions to Italian art, Plazzotta received the title of Cavaliere from the Italian government. He died in 1981 at the age of 60.
Approximately 60 Russian Orthodox icons will be sold over the three-day auction. Typical of the fine examples assembled is a 19th-century icon depicting Panagia Hodegetria (the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus) on the left and Christ Pantokrator at the right. Each image is executed in oil on panel with a silvered riza, framed by a giltwood insert of grapes and vines. The pair is framed in a shaped wooden kiot that is 18¾ inches high by 21¼ inches wide by 5 ½ inches deep. In addition the traditional religious icons, the sale also presents 19th-century busts of St. Peter and St. Michael the Archangel.
For cowgirls dreaming of riding their prize palomino in the Tournament of Roses parade, the sale offers a sterling silver mounted parade saddle ensemble crafted by the Holtz Saddle Co. of Carrolltown, Pennsylvania. The black tooled leather saddle features sterling silver mounts throughout consisting of engraved square conchos and large engraved plates surrounding a quilted seat flanked by a silver covered pommel and cantle, long tapaderos (stirrup covers) and serapes with pendants, together with a matching bridle, breast collar, reins and hip drops. The saddle is marked within a silver cartouche behind the cantle, engraved, “Holtz Saddle Co. Carrolltown, Pa.”
The San Diego and Atlanta estates provide luxurious home furnishings in all of the high-end brands: Baker, Henredon, Maitland-Smith, E.J. Victor, Marge Carson, Ferguson-Copeland and Drexel Heritage.
“These brands bring three and four times the prices of antique furniture. It’s the stuff the high-end furniture stores or that the designers sell,” said Kowalik. “People go crazy for the high-end designer brands.”
Lighting includes approximately 40 chandeliers. One of the largest is a 19th-century gilt bronze and crystal 24-light chandelier. Neoclassical in taste, it measures 44 inches high by 37 inches in diameter.
Great Gatsby’s Winter Auction will be conducted Feb. 8-10, beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern time all three days.
For details contact Great Gatsby’s Auction Gallery at Auction@GreatGatsbys.com or 770-457-1903.
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