NEW ORLEANS – Neal Auction Co.’s Important Spring Estates Auction witnessed excellent results for fine art, furniture and decorative arts. The April 17-19 auction achieved $2.1 million. LiveAuctioneers.com provided Internet live bidding.
The sale featured a number of notable collections, including property from the estates of Eva and Jerry Gotlib, New York, N.Y., and Fort Smith, Ark. Largely composed of 19th century decorative arts, the Gotlib Collection represented an elegant and timeless balance of opulence and restraint, which appealed to collectors of all varieties worldwide.
The highlight of the auction was a monumental Blue Dog painting titled Chairman of the Board by beloved Louisiana artist George Rodrigue (1944-2013). The painting more than doubled its low estimate of $80,000, selling for $173,275 to a California collector against fierce competition from four telephone bidders and an enthusiastic bidder on the salesroom floor.
An Internet bidder utilizing LiveAuctioneers.com captured a pair of antique Louis XV-style gilt bronze mounted inlaid kingwood pedestals (below). Inspired by an 18th century Jean-François Oeben bureau at Versailles, the pedestals sold for $20,910 against staunch competition from the telephone bank and the salesroom floor.
A beautiful pair of Napoleon III gilt bronze and Wedgwood jasperware mounted white marble urns (below) from the Gotlib Collection, achieved more than four times its low estimate, selling for an impressive $32,265.
A California phone bidder prevailed on a fine pair of 19th century Chinese blue and white porcelain rouleau vases from a Wrightsville Beach, N.C., estate. Estimated at $1,000 to $1,500, the pair sold for $19,120.
Louisiana folk artist Clementine Hunter’s The Tour, Melrose Plantation (Self Portrait of Artist Painting on Right) more than quintupled its $3,000 low estimate, selling for $17,080.
A pair of Alexander John Drysdale (American/New Orleans, 1870-1934) landscapes, Evening in the Marsh and Bayou Landscape (below), sold for $48,995. The two pendant canvases embody the tonalism of Drysdale’s mature style. Through the hazy mist of atmospheric perspective, Drysdale beautifully captures the reflection of light on the ethereal waterways of Louisiana. Against a $20,000 to $30,000 estimate, the pair sold to a local collector bidding on the telephone.
For details phone Neal Auction Co. at 800-467-5329 or email clientservices@nealauction.com.
Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.