Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale Art Auction Exhibition Gallery, April 5-6
This story was featured in the March/April 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March/April 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
Dozens of masterworks by historic and contemporary heavy hitters ranging from Frederic Remington to Howard Terpning hit the block this spring in the annual Scottsdale Art Auction. With roughly 350 standout lots spanning western, wildlife, and sporting art, the auction is poised for another year of record-breaking sales. Collectors have their first opportunity to preview the offerings beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 5, in the auction’s spacious sales room in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. On Saturday, following a brief early-morning preview, the auction gets underway at 9:30 a.m. with a primarily no-reserve sale, and then continues in a second, more robust session at noon.
“We once again have a very strong auction in several areas, including wildlife and sporting art, with pieces by Bob Kuhn and Philip R. Goodwin,” says Brad Richardson of Legacy Galleries, who has presented the sale since 2005 with partners Mike Frost of J.N. Bartfield Galleries and Jack A. Morris Jr. “We also have works by what I’d call the early Cowboy Artists of America, including a strong showing for Melvin Warren, with two major works coming out of the L.D. Brinkman Collection, and a very nice John Clymer. It’s a well-balanced sale with a lot of highlights scattered throughout.”
In the historic category, consider a 6-by-9-inch oil by German-American painter Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) entitled SUNSET—SALT LAKE, which is expected to sell for $150,000-$250,000. Dated 1863, Bierstadt’s sunset scene captures a luminous slice of the western wilderness that the artist explored and painted throughout the mid- to late 19th century. “It’s a beautiful little Bierstadt,” says Richardson. “It’s small, but it has such tremendous impact visually.”
Another top lot in the historic category is CASTLE ROCK—GREEN RIVER, WYOMING by Hudson River School artist Thomas Moran (1837-1926). The oil painting—estimated to fetch up to $4,500,000—portrays an area that has become one of Moran’s most sought-after subjects, notes Richardson. The auction catalogue features an extensive write-up about the painting that should further whet the interest of potential bidders. Other major highlights include several bronze sculptures by Remington, a Taos Pueblo scene by Russian-American painter Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955), and a tour de force by Frank Tenney Johnson (1874-1939) entitled SMOKE OF A FORTY-FIVE, which is anticipated to garner $600,000-$900,000. “It’s a cowboy riding right at you and holding a Colt .45,” says Richardson of the iconic Old West scene. “The painting is 45 by 45 inches to coincide with the smoke of a .45.”
As always, the auction also presents strong representation among contemporary living artists, including Martin Grelle, Kyle Polzin, Logan Maxwell Hagege, Mark Maggiori, and Morgan Weistling. “Some pieces have been produced for the auction, and others are resales,” notes Richardson. “We have several sold-out editions of John Coleman’s sculptures—pieces that have long been sold out—and this is their first time back to the market. Hopefully, we’ve put together a sale collectors will respond well to.” —Kim Agricola
contact information480.945.0225www.scottsdaleartauction.com
This story was featured in the March/April 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March/April 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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