ALTADENA, Calif. – Even with a smaller auction catalog than others that have been published by John Moran Auctioneers as of late, their Oct. 20 California and American Fine Art Auction boasts a number of expected highlights and is likely to earn somewhere in the range of $1.5 million in sales. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide absentee and Internet live bidding.
With works from top-tier American and Californian artists such as Guy Rose, Edgar Payne, Millard Sheets and William Wendt, as well as excellent examples by Joane Cromwell, George Spangenberg and Peter Ellenshaw, the curated auction catalog provides collectors with a wide variety of choice selections. Moran’s also aims to broaden their reach within the contemporary and modern art world, and has thus included works by Neil Williams, Penelope Krebs, Ray Hare, Eyvind Earle and Robert Frame in the October lineup.
Skillful examples by well-known California artists headline the offerings. An interesting triptych by German-born Laguna Beach-based artist Karl Yens (1868-1945) titled The Trees and dated to 1918 (the same year the artist moved to Laguna Beach) is offered with a $15,000 to $25,000 estimate.
Two of the biggest ticket items to be offered at Moran’s this fall are a pair of fine works by Guy Rose (1867-1925 Pasadena, Calif.). Sand Dunes is estimated to bring between $150,000 and $200,000, and depicts coastal dunes near Carmel, Calif., on an overcast day. Rose perfectly captures the highly saturated blues and greens of the coastal grasses and background treeline through cloud-filtered light.
The second work, titled Duck cove – Wickford Village features a brighter palette, depicting a bridge over a Rhode Island cove; it is expected to bring $100,000 to $150,000. Both works were originally featured and sold through the Stendahl Gallery and were passed down through the purchasing family to the current owners.
Fresh to the market works by artists from all over the U.S. include a number of excellently rendered still life paintings, both floral and otherwise. A shadowy composition featuring pink, yellow and red dahlias arranged in two simple vases by Theodore Clement Steele (1847-1926 Bloomington, Ind.) is expected to bring $30,000 to $50,000.
In contrast, a particularly charming lush, painterly oil by Arthur Watson Sparks (1870-1919 Philadelphia) depicts a woman with a parasol within a verdant Philadelphia garden setting.
Two highly anticipated works by Joseph Henry Sharp (1859-1953 Taos, N.M.), known as the father of the Taos Art Colony, are on offer at Moran’s October Fine Art Auction. Both serve as examples of the artist’s most famous subjects and are fresh to the market from private Southern California collections. The first, a cheery still life painting of summer blooms in a green vase before a garden-facing window, is slated to go up to the block with a $20,000 to $30,000 estimate. The second, titled Watchful Waiting (Bawling Deer), carries a $90,000 to $120,000 estimate. Watchful Waiting (below) is an excellent example of Sharp’s renowned studies of American Indian life. It depicts a hunter awaiting the arrival of his game.
For additional information about this or any other upcoming auctions, or to inquire about consignment, contact the offices of John Moran Auctioneers by calling 626-793-1833 or email info@johnmoran.com.
