Marine paintings sail past estimates in Maine

THOMASTON, Maine — Perfect weather rarely produces a packed auction house, but it was standing room only at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries August 27-29 as the firm ended Maine antique week with a bang by selling an inventory of art, specifically marine paintings, and decorative items that generated close to $4,000,000. All quoted prices include 17 percent buyer’s premium.

“Sunrise,” a highly detailed luminist painting by Albert Bierstadt (NY/CA/MA, 1830-1902) inspired enthusiastic bidding up to a selling price of $386,100. A large seascape work, “Near Cape Elizabeth, Portland, Maine,” by Alfred Thompson Bricher (NY/NH, 1837-1908) brought $175,500; and frenzied competition for “On the Hudson Near Tappan Zee” by New York artist Francis Augustus Silva (1835-1886) propelled it past its $40,000-$60,000 estimate, ending at $163,800.

Also contributing to marine paintings run was William Trost Richards’ (PA/RI, 1833-1905) 1885 “Conanicut Island, Rhode Island” created saleroom excitement when it hammered for

$117,000 against a $50,000-$70,000 estimate; and “The Start of the 1866 Great Transatlantic Yacht Race” by James Edward Buttersworth (NJ/NY/UK, 1817-1894) was another a six-figure performer with a $117,000 selling price.

Marine paintings by other major artists also performed well in the sale. Jack Lorimer Gray’s (NY/Canada, 1927-1981) work, “Tacking Starboard in a Storm,” brought $37,440 versus its estimate of $10,000-$15,000; and Percy Sanborn’s marine portrait of the Ship “P.R. Hazeltine” sold for $17,550 against an $8,000-$12,000 estimate.

Among the many fine art that were not marine paintings, Aldro Thompson Hibbard’s (MA/VT, 1886-1972) “Village Road in Vermont” achieved $18,000, and a pastel depicting a Balinese temple offering by Adrien Le Mayeur de Merpres (Belgium/Indonesia, 1880-1958) brought $17,550.

An 1832 New York gooseneck tub fire pumper engine, the “Lady Washington,” by James Smith for Engine Company No. 40 of Manhattan sold for $70,200, and a monumental English-made ship model on stand depicting the Great RMS “Mauretania” built for the Cunard Steamship Co. Ltd. fetched $52,650.

There was applause from the floor when aggressive bidding raised $47,970 for a jeweler’s

astronomical wall regulator by E. Howard & Co. against a $5,000-$7,000 estimate.

From the folk art selection, an outstanding 19th century carved cigar store Indian attributed to Samuel Robb of New York brought $39,780, and a 19th century full body gilt copper and zinc weathervane in the form of a bull reached $16,380.

Several jewelry items caught the attention of bidders at the sale: an 18K gold, enamel, diamond and ruby snake form bracelet reached $15,210; a circa 1875 caduceus form gold and ivory hairpin by Italian maker Castellani sold for $17,550; and an Art Deco platinum, Burmese star sapphire and diamond ring brought $14,625.

A variety of decorative arts items performed well above expectations, including: a pair of Japanese woodblock prints by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) that sold for $15,210; a bronze garden statue of dolphins leaping from waves that brought $8,482, and an Italian round neo-classical micro-mosaic depicting a lion attacking a ram that fetched $8,190. A group of Tiffany & Co. sterling silver serving pieces that descended in the family of New York banker Henry H. Cook all generated strong interest and sold well above estimates.

Finally, a collection of contemporary Maine and New England artwork was presented on the third sale day. Most pieces sold at respectable prices and helped establish auction sales histories for these artists.

A complete list of auction results can be found at www.thomastonauction.com. The next Thomaston Place Auction Galleries fine art and antique feature auction takes place Nov. 12-13, 2016.

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