CINCINNATI – A superb grouping of works by the best-known artists of the American West will be offered in Cowan’s American Indian and Western Art Auction on Sept. 11, 2009, with Internet live bidding provided by LiveAuctioneers.com. The event includes strong examples from both the 19th-century master painters of the West, such as Sharp, Farny, Russell, and Hauser; and noted 20th-century Western artists such as C.S. Price, Coleman, Schenck and Phippen.
“September’s sale rivals our auction of the Marge Schott collection of Western art in 2006,” said Graydon Sikes, Cowan’s director of Paintings and Works on Paper. “Though the paintings themselves may not reach the high prices achieved in that sale, as a group they make up a more comprehensive representation of the Western art genre.”
The group is made up of consignments from three major collections, including the Estate of Dr. Edward Woliver of Cincinnati, an Oklahoma City collection, and a foundation in Columbus, Ohio.
Leading the auction is Joseph Henry Sharp’s oil on canvas titled Hunting Son, Taos (est. $40,000-$60,000, which depicts Sharp’s often-used American Indian model, Jerry. A gouache on board by fellow Cincinnatian John Hauser, titled The Scouts (est. $10,000-$15,000), will likely garner strong interest from collectors, as well.
An oil on canvas by Taos Society of Artists member Eanger Irving Couse, titled Turkey Hunter (est. $30,000-$50,000) is a sterling example of his Indian hunter scenes. Herman Hansen’s Horse Drive on a Mountain Trail, watercolor on paper, is estimated to sell between $20,000 and $30,000. A fine watercolor on paper by Charles Marion Russell titled Indian Portrait is entered in the sale with a $35,000-$55,000 estimate.
Works by 20th-century Western artists to be offered include an ink and wash on illustration board by Pacific Monthly illustrator Clayton Sumner Price, titled Making a Smoke (est. $8,000-$12,000), and a striking acrylic on canvas by contemporary artist Bill Schenck titled Bull Rider in Chute (est. $23,000). Other highlights include works by Michael Coleman, George Phippen and Fred Harmon.
The auction also features more than 300 lots of American Indian art, led by an important 19th-century Eskimo seal mask from the St. Michael’s area (est. $30,000-$40,000). Constructed of two pinned-together planks in red and black paint, with panels pierced for attachments and feathers, the mask is a fine example of the form.
Other American Indian highlights include a circa-1900 Chemehuevi olla basket (est. $5,000-$7,000), which was at one time on loan to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum; along with a Maria Martinez and Popovi Da San Ildefonso blackware bowl, circa 1959 (est. $2,000-$4,000), and an Andrew Redhorse Alvarez gold, silver and turquoise bracelet (est. $1,500-$2,500). An early Alaskan photo album by Beverly Dobbs (est. $2,500-$3,500), which contains 54 silver gelatin prints, provides a unique glimpse into Alaskan life at the turn of the 20th century.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
About Cowan’s Auctions:
Cowan’s is one of the nation’s leading auction houses specializing in four areas of specialty: American history, American Indian and Western art; fine and decorative art; and historic firearms and early militaria. Cowan’s has long been helping individuals and institutions to build important collections. The company’s sales routinely set world records for rare offerings.
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