Innholdsfortegnelse for March-April 2025/No. 80 i American Fine Art Magazine

Donated to the Crocker Art Museum by the family of late art collector Marc Kopman, comes two rare drawings by the prolific illustrator Louis Rhead (1857-1926). The artist was born in England and trained in Paris, before accepting a position as art director for the United States publishing firm, D. Appleton in NewYork City, at only 24 years old. “The Rhead drawings donated include The Arabian Nights, the frontispiece from the 1916 Harper & Brothers published edition of the text, which depicts the iconic Scheherazade,” explains museum representatives. “The other work, Untitled (Art Nouveau Maiden), 1890 to 1900, was likely created for Harper’s or Century Magazine.” The Smithsonian American Art Museum shares, “In the 1890s, Rhead designed nearly one hundred posters. His first posters were done in England for Cassell’s…

Those of us in the art business sure do love our -isms. We love our movements, schools, styles, influences, art colonies… In short, we love all manner of genealogies, tracing the cladistics of artists and artwork in immensely complex tree diagrams in our minds. It’s only human, this desire to make connections, to group things together, to reveal occult and obvious links over time and space. After all, it’s how we make sense of the world. But one wonders, after a time, if art historians—and even humble scribblers like me—don’t, on occasion, carry this game a bit too far. I won’t say we fabricate connections, but I suspect sometimes we make more out of them than is there. Like everyone else, we get excited. Rabbit holes are fun, but that…

PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART www.philamuseum.com What is your area of specialization within the Decorative Arts genre? I focus primarily on furniture, upholstery and ceramics. I landed on American art because I wanted to knit together the artistic influences that impacted artists and artisans who created American art—our unique visual dialect. The influences of Italian, Native, Spanish, Swedish, Chinese, French and British art, to name a few, are often more readily discernible in decorative arts than painting, and so I chose to bring my traditional art historical foundation to the deeper study of American decorative arts. What is your role in the department of American Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art? I oversee the museum’s early furniture and ceramics, upholstery, period rooms, and two historic houses, as well as manage…

Held in NewYork on January 25, Sotheby’s Important Americana sale featured American furniture, folk art, ceramics, silver, stoneware, prints and photography from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well outsider art from the two consecutive centuries. The sale included theWarwick Collection, the American furniture and folk art collection of Peter and LeslieWarwick, collectors and contributors to the scholarship of folk art, stoneware and needlework. Important Americana also featured folk art and furniture from the Peacock & Bryenton Collection. The top lot was the Bush-Snader Family Queen Ann dressing table from circa 1755, which sold for $900,000, close to its high estimate of $1 million. The catalog describes the dressing table as “a masterpiece of 18th-century American artisanry.” Following that lot was a 1770 Chippendale desk and book case that achieved…

April 26-27, 2025 Mid Atlantic Antique & Garden Festival Aix La Chapelle Farm 19130 Jerusalem Road Poolesville, MD 20837 www.midatlanticantiquesfestival.com Show organizers Joy and Jon Siegel, are gearing up for the charming event known as the Mid Atlantic Antique & Garden Festival. Hosted at the Aix La Chapelle Farm in Poolesville, Maryland, attendees will experience a “village-like” setting where they can browse around 60 dealers located in booths and around historical barns, buildings and show tents. “The theme,” says Joy Siegel, “is to curate a diverse group of quality antique dealers that are in active pursuit of bringing fresh merchandise to exhibit. Our dealers come from over 18 states: The East Coast from Maine to Florida, and west to Kentucky. They bring both American and European material (furniture, fine art,…

March 15-May 15, 2025 CW American Modernism Los Angeles, CA Private gallery (by appointment) cwamericanmodernism@gmail.com www.cwamericanmodernism.com Though immensely talented and worthy of praise, women artists in mid-20th-century America were often overlooked or forced to adopt pseudonyms that hid their gender from a more cynical world. From March 15 to May 15, CW American Modernism is placing the spotlight on these artists in America Coast to Coast: Women Artists at Mid Century, featuring 30 works in paint, sculpture, textiles and metalwork. The exhibition is wide-ranging in terms of media, geography and styles represented, including“an extraordinarily rare and meticulously rendered work by Vermont’s Lucy Doane,” says CW American Modernism owner ChrisWalther. The mixed media painting, titled Sea Winds, depicts a dark, stormy sky and tumultuous winds. Walther adds that collectors should also…

April 11-12, 2025 Scottsdale Art Auction 7176 E. Main Street Scottsdale, AZ 85251 t: (480) 945-0225 www.scottsdaleartauction.com Fans ofWestern art—and this includes museum curators, auction specialists and gallery owners—will often cite the historical importance of art from the American West. It is the most purely American art form, they will say. Varieties of impressionism, for example, can pop up anywhere around the world, but Western art is unique to only a handfulof states west of the Mississippi River. Looking at the work available at the upcoming Scottsdale Art Auction, it’s easy to see why this is a popular opinion in Western circles. The two-session sale, held on April 11 and 12, will feature around 450 lots, the vast majority of them are works showing the American West, from early exploration…

The winter edition of the American Art & Pennsylvania Impressionism sale at Freeman’s | Hindman, which took place December 8, brought in a total of $4.47 million, with a sell-through rate of 87 percent. The sale featured an exceptional lineup of artwork including Hudson River School landscapes, Civil War-era oils and examples of American impressionism coming from a number of prestigious private and institutional collections. Emerging as the number one lot in the sale was Thomas Hart Benton’s 1952 oil The Doctor, which bested its $300,000 high estimate when it sold for $355,600. “The Doctor had all the ingredients of a first-class Benton,” says Adam Veil, vice president and head of American art at Freeman’s|Hindman. “Executed in 1952, it’s a kind of post-war idyll, American life ‘writ small’ and in…

JOHN WHORF (1903-1959) The Brooklyn Bridge, Evening John Whorf is best known for his watercolors, and painting a wide variety of subject matter from landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes, to scenes of country life, as well as figurative works. He was recognized as a skillful colorist whose expressive brushwork imbued his work with emotion. Although based in Boston and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he joined the Province town art community, Whorf had frequent exhibitions at Milch Galleries in NewYork beginning in the 1930’s when he exhibited iconic NewYork subjects. Brooklyn Bridge, Evening, dated (19)52, depicts a full moon in winter, flooding the whole composition with a canopy of shimmering blue light. Thomas Colville Fine Art 111 Old Quarry Road • Guilford, CT 06437 (203) 453-2449 tlc@thomascolville.com www.thomascolville.com JOSEPH SOLMAN (1909-2008) Cellar…

MATTATUCK MUSEUM 144 West Main Street, Waterbury, CT 06702, www.mattmuseum.org What event (gallery show, museum exhibit, etc.) in the next few months are you looking forward to, and why? I am particularly excited for the opening of my upcoming show at the Mattatuck Museum, Modern Women: Georgia O’Keeffe and Kay Sage, from February 23 to June 8, 2025. This is the first time that these pioneering female artists will be considered together, and the exhibition offers insight into the different ways they responded to the political, cultural and art historical developments of the 20th century. I am excited to see how the public responds to this artistic pairing, and my hope is that this exhibition further increases appreciation for the strength of vision and pure grit that it took to…

April 24-27, 2025 The Philadelphia Show Philadelphia Museum of Art 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA 19130 www.thephiladelphiashow.com Now in its 63rd year, the Philadelphia Show features more than 40 dealers from around the country on the iconic East Terrace of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Collectors will be able to explore fresh-to-market works across centuries, including paintings, sculpture, ceramics and decorative arts, making for a dynamic blend of historic fine art, antiques and design. “The show is a vital contributor to the cultural fabric of Philadelphia,” says Ellen Simon, chair of the Philadelphia Show. “It’s a unique opportunity to support the museum’s educational mission while experiencing exceptional works of art and design.” Proceeds from the Philadelphia Show benefit the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s department of learning and engagement, which…

Through June 22, 2025 Museum of Fine Arts Boston 465 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115 t: (617) 267-9300 www.mfa.org Now open at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston is Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson, one of the largest exhibitions ever mounted for the work of Wilson, who blended culture and politics into works as varied as lithography and paintings to sculpture and book illustrations. The museum has had a long relationship with Wilson, who lived in Massachusetts for much of his life. MFA Boston acquired its first piece by the artist in 1946, still early in his long career, and has presented several exhibitions, including a pivotal show juxtaposing Wilson’s works with those of Joseph Norman. “We made a very strong commitment to build our collection ofWilson’s prints,…

April 4, 2025 Heritage Auctions 2801 W. Airport Freeway Dallas, TX 75261 (214) 528-3500, www.ha.com Held twice a year, American Art Within Reach celebrates the rich tapestry of American fine art with works by noteworthy artists estimated under $10,000. The April 4 auction—which includes paintings, drawings and sculpture from the early 1800s to present day—brings the accessibility of historic fine art to a wider audience. From traditional landscapes and colorful impressionist views to lively examples of early modernism, regionalism and abstraction, bidders can vie for an expansive range of works by artists like Grant Wood, James Fetherolf, George Gardner Symons, Charles Bell and many more. Among the highlights in the upcoming sale is marine artist Frederick JuddWaugh’s ocean scene Dawn in the East, depicting white waves crashing over a rocky…

On January 23, Christie’s held two sales of American art: American Sublime: Property from an Important Private Collection and 19th Century American and Western Art. The 167 lots across the two sales featured paintings and sculptures by some of the most important American artists in the last two centuries and together totaled $19,230,950. As anticipated, Hudson River School offerings performed well, landing among the top four lots, led by Thomas Cole’s Mount Chocorua, New Hampshire, which sold for $1,623,000 against its $1.2 million high estimate. Cole first visited theWhite Mountains in 1827 and painted the work the same year. Mount Chocorua went on to become one of Cole’s favorite subjects to paint. The second top lot was Martin Johnson Heade’s floral still life Magnolias on a Shiny Table, which achieved $1,502,000,…

ONLINE SHANNON’S FINE ART AUCTIONEERS JANUARY 23 Online Fine Art Auction $162,500 Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers’ online sale of modestly priced fine art achieved a total of $162,500 in sales across 106 lots with an 80 percent sell-through rate. Several historical American paintings led the auction including a large Hermann Fuechsel, titled On the Lake, that sold for $7,150. The painting descended from a family collection in Lake George and was fresh to the market. An Alexander Wyant, titled Valley Scene, doubled its estimate when it sold for $6,350. In addition, American tonalist paintings by Bruce Crane sold well during the online auction. A small, 12-by-20-inch winter scene brought in $7,800 and an autumn scene by the artist sold for $4,875. Other original artworks in the sale included Connecticut impressionists…

MARCH 15-MAY 15 America Coast to Coast: Women Artists at Mid Century CW American Modernism • Los Angeles, CA The gallery is placing the spotlight on women artists in mid-20th century America, and showcasing 30 works in paint, sculpture, textiles and metalwork. www.cwamericanmodernism.com ONGOING The Great Search: Art in a Time of Change, 1928–1945 (Part Two) THE WESTMORELAND MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART • GREENSBURG, PA The Great Search is a survey of the period between the Depression and the end of World War II, highlighting the splintered nature of American Modernism. www.thewestmoreland.org ONGOING Tennessee Harvest: 1870s-1920s FRIST ART MUSEUM • NASHVILLE, TN Part of a companion exhibition, this show features 16 works by 19th - and early 20th-century Tennessee painters who explored food and cultural identity through art. www.fristartmuseum.org ONGOING…

Paintings and sculpture do not alone make a home. Our living spaces are also works of art created out of many works of art, and curated as thoughtfully as our collections of paintings and sculpture. Decorative objects, furniture, fine silver, stained glass, lamps and historical artifacts not only adorn our homes but create the setting in which we can best appreciate the art on our walls. As this special section makes evident, the decorative arts, antiques and Americana market is thriving in the auction and fine art show arenas, and seeing a surge of interest from a younger demographic of millennial collectors as well. From Colonial-era pieces to mid-century modern designs, these finely crafted, often functional, objets d’art provide a window into American history that can be easier to decipher…

March 21-23, 2025 The Charleston Show Charleston Festival Hall 56 Beaufain Street Charleston, SC 29401 t: (330) 606-8226 www.thecharlestonshow.com The Antiques Council, an international association that vets the dealers and objects of its members and shows, returns this March with the annual Charleston Show in the historic South Carolina city. “Authenticity is extremely important, and we have developed written standards to guide exhibitors,” says Kaye Gregg, Antiques Council director of shows and owner of Chicago’s Finnegan Gallery. “We require that all exhibitors label and guarantee their merchandise in writing on a sales receipt which states the approximate age, origin, condition and restoration, if any, of all pieces that are exhibited. Additionally, we engage an independent appraiser to review the items in the show to help ensure our standards are met.”…

Through May 4, 2025 Frist Art Museum 919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 t: (615) 244-3340 www.fristartmuseum.org On view through May 4 at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville are two companion exhibitions that explore food and cultural identity through art. From production to consumption, Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism focuses on late 19th-century France through the work of artists such as Gustave Courbet, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro. Tennessee Harvest: 1870s-1920s, on the other hand, looks at similarly themed paintings made byTennessee artists and others who spent time in the state. The exhibition features 16 works by 19th- and early 20th-century painters that include Lloyd Branson, GeorgeW. Chambers, Gilbert Gaul, Cornelius Hankins, Willie Betty Newman, CatherineWiley and more whose subject matter…

Through April 20, 2025 Flagler Museum 1 Whitehall Way Palm Beach, FL 33480 t: (561) 655-2833 www.flaglermuseum.us Maxfield Parrish might be having a moment. Not only is the artist part of an exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum, his work is also on display in The Ethereal Worlds of Maxfield Parrish at the Henry Morrison Flager Museum in Palm Beach, Florida. On view through April 20, the exhibit features 25 original artworks and explores Parrish’s ability to create dreamlike worlds that exist somewhere between fantasy and reality. He applied his mastery of an ethereal color palette (including the infamous “Parrish blue”) to neo-classical compositions of idealized figures, otherworldly landscapes and fairytales that often incorporated mythological and allegorical elements. Parrish (1870-1966) is most closely associated with the Golden Age of Illustration,…

Martin Johnson Heade, Western art and landscape painting were the big stars of Sotheby’s Art of the Americas sale on January 24 in New York City. The sale brought in more than $8.7 million in sales with a sell-through rate of 88 percent. The top lot, Heade’s Hummingbirds and Gold and Purple Orchids, sold for $2,077,500, which puts it at the artist’s fourth-best auction record. The work hammered within its estimate of $1.2 million to $1.8 million, but the premium kicked it up out of the range of the estimates. “The Martin Johnson Head e painting was the standout moment of the sale, sparking an intense bidding battle between two determined clients, while others attempted—unsuccessfully—to enter the fray,” says Caroline Seabolt, auction specialist in the American art department at Sotheby’s.…

May 7-10, 2025 Initiatives in Arts and Culture 29th Annual American Art Conference Heritage Auctions 445 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 www.artinitiatives.com Every year, NewYork-based Initiatives inArts and Culture (IAC) curates two major multi-day events that rigorously explore an aspect of American art through a novel lens designed to expand and enrich the way we think about, and understand, art. This year’s American Art Conference, taking place in NewYork City May 7 through 10, and titled Crafting the Dream, is no exception. Loosely inspired by the 100th year anniversary of the publication ofAndré Breton’s Manifesto of Surrealism, IAC founder and president Lisa Koenigsberg has organized the 2025 conference around the relationship(s) between“the dream” and art-making, and all of the manifold ways we can think about both “All art, it…