John Brewster portrait tripled its high estimate at New England Auctions

John Brewster, portrait of a young girl in a white dress, $120,000 ($153,600 with buyer’s premium) at New England Auction.

BRANFORD, Conn. – A John Brewster portrait of a young girl in a white dress sold for more than triple its high estimate at New England Auctions January 10. The 460-lot Fine Americana, Folk Art & Native American sale’s results can be viewed at LiveAuctioneers.

The undated oil-on-panel portrait of a young girl in a white dress, painted by the itinerant American artist John Brewster, Jr. (1766-1854), hammered for $120,000 and sold for $153,600 with buyer’s premium after a protracted bidding war. The sale represented the portrait’s first appearance at auction since it was offered at Christie’s in December 1969, when it realized $43,700.

Brewster was born deaf to a Connecticut family descended from William Brewster, who came to America on the Mayflower and rose to lead the fledgling Puritan community. Brewster made the most of the hand that was dealt to him: his family’s reputation allowed him to move with ease among the elites of New England and offer his portraiture services, while his deafness might have sharpened his artistic skills. On an American Folk Art Museum web page on a past exhibit of Brewster’s work, the writer suggests ‘He was especially sensitive to the sitter’s face, emphasizing his or her direct gaze – as a deaf artist, eye contact became a moment of engagement and communication.’

The Prior-Hamblin School refers to paintings that resemble the works of William Matthew Prior, Sturtevant Hamblin, and other artists who were active in the mid-19th century. This Prior-Hamblin School portrait of a child is an oil on artist panel and came from Maine circa 1840. It includes its original paint-decorated frame and had been exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 2001. Estimated at $8,000-$15,000, it hammered for $26,000 ($33,280 with buyer’s premium).

Attributed to J. L. Mott Iron Works of New York, New Jersey and Chicago (1820-circa 1920), this large American Indian archer weathervane caught the right breeze with bidders. Made of molded and sheet copper, it was described as being in ‘fine condition with a fine gilded surface.’ Estimated at $15,000-$30,000, it sold for $55,000 ($70,400 with buyer’s premium).

Originally from the collection of famed New England antiques dealer Jay Turomsha, this American Parcheesi gameboard dates to the late 19th century and is exceptionally large – 22in square – and colorful, with strong design patterns in each quadrant and a central star. It sold for $18,000 ($23,040 with buyer’s premium) against a presale estimate of $2,500-$5,000.

An 1808 needlework sampler created by 12-year-old Rachel Morgan (1793-1864) had the most amazing result when contrasted with its presale estimate. Rachel Morgan was the daughter of Zacquill Morgan, the founder of Morgantown, Virginia (present-day West Virginia), who was likely the first white settler in the region. The silk-on-linen sampler had been professionally conserved and framed and was considered an early example of the desirable Monongalia County samplers. Estimated at only $400-$800, the sampler saw more than three dozen bids trade off between the floor and LiveAuctioneers buyers, landing finally at $36,000 ($46,080 with buyer’s premium).

John Brewster, portrait of a young girl in a white dress, $120,000 ($153,600 with buyer’s premium) at New England Auction.

John Brewster, portrait of a young girl in a white dress, $120,000 ($153,600 with buyer’s premium) at New England Auction.

Prior-Hamblin School portrait of a child, $26,000 ($33,280 with buyer’s premium) at New England Auction.

Prior-Hamblin School portrait of a child, $26,000 ($33,280 with buyer’s premium) at New England Auction.

Probably J. L. Mott Iron Works, American Indian archer weathervane, $55,000 ($70,400 with buyer’s premium) at New England Auction.

Probably J. L. Mott Iron Works, American Indian archer weathervane, $55,000 ($70,400 with buyer’s premium) at New England Auction.

American Parcheesi gameboard, $18,000 ($23,040 with buyer’s premium) at New England Auction.

American Parcheesi gameboard, $18,000 ($23,040 with buyer’s premium) at New England Auction.

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley is the associate editor for Auction Central News. She has written and edited for Robb Report, Art & Antiques magazine, and Andrew Harper online. She also authored The Hot Bid, a blog devoted to intriguing and delightful lots coming up at auction.

Fine and folk art mix with Americana at New England Auctions Jan. 10

James Buttersworth, 'The Clipper Staghound,' estimated at $40,000-$60,000 at New England Auctions.

BRANFORD, Conn. — Fred Giampietro’s New England Auctions kicks off its 2024 season with a Fine Americana, Folk Art & Native American sale, an interesting 457-lot auction mixing fine and folk art with classic Americana. The sale is scheduled for Wednesday, January 10 and the catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

The sale’s top-estimated lot is The Clipper Ship Staghound, a circa-1850 oil on canvas by English maritime artist James Buttersworth (1817-1894). In the painting, Staghound is charting the high seas with a smaller vessel slightly ahead on the starboard side. Built by New England shipbuilder Donald McKay, Staghound was for a time the largest merchant ship in the world, designed as an extreme clipper (which had a modified hull design to increase sailing speed at the expense of cargo capacity). The vessel would be lost in 1861 in a fire off the coast of Brazil, consumed by its load of South American coal bound for San Francisco. The painting is estimated at $40,000-$60,000.

The art-collecting market loves John Brewster (1766-1854), the deaf itinerant portraitist who painted numerous New England families, focusing often on their children. The untitled Portrait of a Young Girl is done in Brewster’s classic style, painted in half-length with the subject looking directly at the viewer. The painting is estimated at $25,000-$35,000.

Sometime in the 1920s, an unidentified American lovingly carved and painted this bird tree. Still boasting its original paint with minor touchups, it’s a classic work of folk art that is estimated at $15,000-$25,000.

Giampietro has assembled a fine selection of weathervanes for this sale. This molded-copper figural weathervane of a squirrel with acorn is attributed to weathervane builder L. W. Cushing and Sons (active from 1865 to 1933). A similar weathervane is published in the 1883 Cushing catalog. Measuring 18in in height, the auction house notes it has a “20th century historic surface.” The vane is estimated at $12,000-$18,000.

The final featured lot of the sale is a ‘Bellamy Eagle,’ so named after the master carver John Haley Bellamy (1836-1914) of New England. Bellamy spent his career carving ship mastheads and other figural displays, usually with American eagles done in high detail. This example is from Bellamy’s Don’t Give Up The Ship series, featuring a flat carved background with a three-dimensional eagle head mounted to the design. Many variations of this series exist; this original-paint version is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.

James Buttersworth, 'The Clipper Staghound,' estimated at $40,000-$60,000 at New England Auctions.

James Buttersworth, 'The Clipper Staghound,' estimated at $40,000-$60,000 at New England Auctions.

John Brewster, 'Portrait of a Girl,' estimated at $25,000-$35,000 at New England Auctions.

John Brewster, 'Portrait of a Girl,' estimated at $25,000-$35,000 at New England Auctions.

Carved and painted folk art bird tree, estimated at $15,000-$25,000 at New England Auctions.

Carved and painted folk art bird tree, estimated at $15,000-$25,000 at New England Auctions.

Squirrel weathervane attributed to L. W. Cushing and Sons, estimated at $12,000-$18,000 at New England Auctions.

Squirrel weathervane attributed to L. W. Cushing and Sons, estimated at $12,000-$18,000 at New England Auctions.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Collection from past executive director of the Antique Dealers Association of America showcased at Fred Giampietro, Sept. 21

Circa-1760 Connecticut Queen Anne highboy and matching lowboy, estimated at $25,000-$50,000 at New England Auctions – Fred Giampietro.

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BRANFORD, Conn. – On Thursday, September 21, New England Auctions – Fred Giampietro presents the Collection of Lincoln and Jean Sander, comprising 210 lots of exceptional American antiques within a strong 446-lot sale. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Lincoln Sander was a prominent dealer of antiques who was active for more than 40 years. He served as the executive director of the Antique Dealers Association of America from 2007 to 2016, and he and his wife, Jean, lived in a historic house in Newtown, Connecticut that dated to 1748. He died in January 2022 at the age of 82.

Standouts within the Sander collection lots include a circa-1760 cherry wood Queen Anne flat-top highboy and matching lowboy made in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Described as ‘important,’ the pair are together estimated at $25,000-$50,000.

Also certain to turn heads are a pair of leather fire buckets dating to the year 1800 with images commemorating the death of George Washington. Stated as being in excellent condition, with their paint in original condition, the pair has an estimate of $10,000-$15,000.

Other prizes include a bannister-back armchair made circa 1720 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and estimated at $8,000-$12,000, and a circa-1785 tall case clock in maple with a brass dial, signed by Reuben Ingraham. It is estimated at $4,000-$8,000.

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Circa-1760 Connecticut Queen Anne highboy and matching lowboy, estimated at $25,000-$50,000 at New England Auctions – Fred Giampietro.
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Pair of leather fire buckets, dated 1800, having original-condition paint and bearing images commemorating the death of George Washington, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at New England Auctions – Fred Giampietro.
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Circa-1720 bannister-back armchair made in New Hampshire, estimated at $8,000-$12,000 at New England Auctions – Fred Giampietro.
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Circa-1785 Reuben Ingraham-signed tall case clock with brass dial, estimated at $4,000-$8,000 at New England Auctions – Fred Giampietro.
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