SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – On Sunday, Oct. 21, Turner Auctions + Appraisals will present The Attic Sale, showcasing the final auction of the personal collection of John Pence, supplemented by works from his acclaimed gallery in San Francisco, which closed in 2017 when he retired. The focus of Pence’s own assemblage and his gallery has been on academic realists, abstract art and significant works that inspired them. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.
Featuring artists from the 19th and 20th centuries, this sale offers over 260 lots of diverse subject matter – works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, pencil, ink, and mixed media; as well as posters, etchings, lithographs, sculpture and art pottery. Artists from the 19th century include Raymond Nott, Jacques Maroger, Walter Clark, Robert Hallowell, and Frank Herrmann. Works from the 20th century were created by Douglas Fenn Wilson, Jason Gaillard, Donald Jurney, Gregory Hull, Farre Harada, Will Wilson, Robert Maione, Robert LaVigne, Michael Bergt, John Koenig, Daniel Phill, Steve Armstrong, Gary Viviano and Eric Goulder, among others. Women artists represented in the auction include Mary Foote, Iola Lorie Benton, Marguerite Takvorian-Holmes, Maria Alquilar and Judith Clancy.
From Pence’s personal library are numerous reference materials, including books on art and artists, catalogues raisonnés, coffee table books and diverse auction catalogs. Among several items of decorative arts are an African drum, a Japanese fireplace hook, and gold rush bottles.
Pence was founder and owner of the largest art gallery in San Francisco, which was also one of the premier academic realist galleries in the U.S. He retired in 2016 from his eponymous firm after 44 years in business. Now, Pence figuratively clears out his attic. The resulting sale means his noteworthy collection of artworks by well-known artists and reference materials are available to tempt savvy buyers. Some items of other collectors are also included in the sale.
Selected highlights of the auction include:
– Lot 82: Eric Goulder (born 1964), Nude Figurative Sculpture, bronze, 10 x 30 x 20 inches. Estimate: $7,000-10,000.
– Lot 156: Douglas Fenn Wilson (b. 1953), Waterfall, oil and mixed media, 17 x 10½ inches. Estimate: $500-700.
– Lot 92: Mary Foote (1872-1968), Girl with Doll, oil on canvas, 21½ x 12¼ inches. Estimate: $600-800.
– Lot 21: Steve Armstrong, Whimsical Sculpture, wood, 19 x 15 ½ x 14 ½ inches. Estimate: $300-500.
– Lot 19: gold rush bottles, including one “Boley Blue,” tallest example is 9 inches tall. Estimate: $800-1,200.
– Lot 85: Donald Jurney (born 1945), Lake Agawam, Southampton, oil on paper, 12 x 16 inches. Estimate: $300-500 .
– Lot 121: Gregory Hull (b. 1950), Forbidden Fruit, 2004, oil on panel, 11 x 14 inches. Estimate: $300-500.
– Lot 141: Michael Bergt (b. 1956), Serpentine Scene, 1979, egg tempera, 13 x 11 inches. Estimate: $200-400.
– Lot 25: David Simon (b. 1970), Male Bust, clay, 13 x 6¼ inches. Estimate: $200-300.
– Lot 104: Vladimir Cora, signed print (below), 1990, numbered 4/100. Estimate: $1,500-3,500.
For more information, contact Stephen Turner, president of Turner Auctions, at 415-964-5250 or sturner@turnerauctionsonline.com.
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