Far West
See also : US painting before 1940 Gold coins Early 19th century coins Photo Old photos Photos 1900-1940 Photos after 1990 Books Horse
Chronology : 1850-1859 1870-1879 1905 1907 1908 1918 2000 2001
Chronology : 1850-1859 1870-1879 1905 1907 1908 1918 2000 2001
1854 Small Money in San Francisco
2018 SOLD for $ 2.16M including premium
The San Francisco Mint opens in April 1854. The political challenge is important : the government needs to take the initiative against private workshops that make more or less fairly their business from the gold rush. On April 18 and 19, the first gold production is made in the four largest denominations : 178 double eagles, 260 eagles, 268 half eagles and 246 quarter eagles are released.
The premises are tiny and the machines work badly. The setting difficulties accumulate, aggravated by the sinking of the boat which was bringing the nitric acid necessary for the control of the gold content. The continuation of the production is limited to the double eagle, the eagle and the dollar, more user friendly than the fractional denominations. There will be no other 1854-S half and quarter eagles.
About ten quarters have survived. This proportion seems normal. At that time the numismatists were not interested in the specificities of the mint branches. The other units were circulated, worn, melted.
The half is much rarer. Its population was increased from 3 to 4 in April 2018. This scarcity has no proven explanation. It is possible that almost all of its production was provided to a single client who melted it. In addition one of the first three specimens did not reappear after an armed robbery in 1967.
The sudden surfacing of such a rarity is an event. Having failed to convince the dealers, its owner has done a better job : requesting an analysis by one of the recognized organizations for certification, the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. The comparison with high definition photos of the remaining coins is flagrant : the new candidate is authentic.
This 1854-S half eagle was graded XF-45 by NGC which also verified that it is not the stolen coin. It will be sold as lot 5248 by Heritage in Philadelphia on August 16. Please watch the video shared in April by NGC to confirm this exciting discovery.
The premises are tiny and the machines work badly. The setting difficulties accumulate, aggravated by the sinking of the boat which was bringing the nitric acid necessary for the control of the gold content. The continuation of the production is limited to the double eagle, the eagle and the dollar, more user friendly than the fractional denominations. There will be no other 1854-S half and quarter eagles.
About ten quarters have survived. This proportion seems normal. At that time the numismatists were not interested in the specificities of the mint branches. The other units were circulated, worn, melted.
The half is much rarer. Its population was increased from 3 to 4 in April 2018. This scarcity has no proven explanation. It is possible that almost all of its production was provided to a single client who melted it. In addition one of the first three specimens did not reappear after an armed robbery in 1967.
The sudden surfacing of such a rarity is an event. Having failed to convince the dealers, its owner has done a better job : requesting an analysis by one of the recognized organizations for certification, the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. The comparison with high definition photos of the remaining coins is flagrant : the new candidate is authentic.
This 1854-S half eagle was graded XF-45 by NGC which also verified that it is not the stolen coin. It will be sold as lot 5248 by Heritage in Philadelphia on August 16. Please watch the video shared in April by NGC to confirm this exciting discovery.
1876 The Guidon of the Seventh Cavalry
2010 SOLD 2.2 M$ including premium
A modern Plutarch might draw parallels between Leonidas and George Custer.
The facts are famous. On June 25, 1876, during the War of the Black Hills of Montana, Custer tries to attack a large Indian encampment, but the counter-attack of Crazy Horse led to the massacre of the soldiers of the 7th Cavalry Regiment.
The battle is regarded as heroic by both parties, which provide it with two different names: Little Big Horn or Greasy Grass Creek.
Three days after the massacre, Federal troops come to bury the dead. The Sioux and Cheyennes had taken everything that could serve as a trophy. The soldiers managed to collect a single silk guidon, swallowtail cut, with the pattern of the stars and stripes flags.
For a nostalgic of the history of the United States, this relic can be worth $ 2 million. It will be auctioned by Sotheby's in New York on December 10. The photo shared by MuseumPublicity shows the condition of this unique historical piece.
POST SALE COMMENT
$ 2.2 million including premium for that piece of silk in poor condition indicating a heroic episode of the Indian wars.
I invite you to play the video shared on YouTube by Sotheby's.
The facts are famous. On June 25, 1876, during the War of the Black Hills of Montana, Custer tries to attack a large Indian encampment, but the counter-attack of Crazy Horse led to the massacre of the soldiers of the 7th Cavalry Regiment.
The battle is regarded as heroic by both parties, which provide it with two different names: Little Big Horn or Greasy Grass Creek.
Three days after the massacre, Federal troops come to bury the dead. The Sioux and Cheyennes had taken everything that could serve as a trophy. The soldiers managed to collect a single silk guidon, swallowtail cut, with the pattern of the stars and stripes flags.
For a nostalgic of the history of the United States, this relic can be worth $ 2 million. It will be auctioned by Sotheby's in New York on December 10. The photo shared by MuseumPublicity shows the condition of this unique historical piece.
POST SALE COMMENT
$ 2.2 million including premium for that piece of silk in poor condition indicating a heroic episode of the Indian wars.
I invite you to play the video shared on YouTube by Sotheby's.
1878 Green River of Wyoming by Thomas Moran
2008 SOLD 17.7 M$ including premium by Christie's
Shared on Wikimedia :
1879-1880 Billy the Kid stopped at Fort Sumner
2011 SOLD 2.3 M$ including premium
The American West was crossed by frightful robbers, who feuded by the horror of their murders and ended up killing one another. The saga of Billy the Kid ranks him among the most savage, but his youthful face made him a hero.
In the whirlwind of his life outside the law, the Kid stopped however during a few minutes before the lens of a photographer. It was at Fort Sumner, New Mexico in late 1879 or early 1880. The technique used was the tintype, which had the advantage of rapid processing. One imagines that this characteristic pleased this hurrying man.
He was 20 years old. Standing right in his boots, he holds his long rifle, the butt on the floor. This very rare (perhaps unique) image has become one of the most famous pictures in the history of the West. It is illustrated in the article shared by Luxist. Estimated $ 300K, this small photo (5 x 7.5 cm) will be sold on June 25 in Denver by Brian Lebel.
Less known than the outlaws, the photographers have their own role in the legend of the West. The photo of the Kid is attributed by many sources on the web to Ben Wittick, an itinerant photographer in New Mexico. Wittick died in 1903 after being bitten by a rattlesnake which he was preparing for photographing a scene of ritual dance.
POST SALE COMMENT
This photograph is essentially a unique document. Despite its poor condition and the doubt concerning the author of the photograph, it was sold $ 2 million before fees, 2.3 million including premium.
Shared on Wikimedia :
In the whirlwind of his life outside the law, the Kid stopped however during a few minutes before the lens of a photographer. It was at Fort Sumner, New Mexico in late 1879 or early 1880. The technique used was the tintype, which had the advantage of rapid processing. One imagines that this characteristic pleased this hurrying man.
He was 20 years old. Standing right in his boots, he holds his long rifle, the butt on the floor. This very rare (perhaps unique) image has become one of the most famous pictures in the history of the West. It is illustrated in the article shared by Luxist. Estimated $ 300K, this small photo (5 x 7.5 cm) will be sold on June 25 in Denver by Brian Lebel.
Less known than the outlaws, the photographers have their own role in the legend of the West. The photo of the Kid is attributed by many sources on the web to Ben Wittick, an itinerant photographer in New Mexico. Wittick died in 1903 after being bitten by a rattlesnake which he was preparing for photographing a scene of ritual dance.
POST SALE COMMENT
This photograph is essentially a unique document. Despite its poor condition and the doubt concerning the author of the photograph, it was sold $ 2 million before fees, 2.3 million including premium.
Shared on Wikimedia :
1896 The Old Wyoming
2015 SOLD for $ 8.6M including premium
The railway, superseding the dangerous Oregon trail, allows the emergence of civilization into the wilderness of the Western American territories that are not yet upgraded into states.
The village of Green River in Dakota Territory is served by the Pacific section in July 1868 before the famous transcontinental junction of 10 May 1869. Green River will be part of Wyoming in the later division of states.
Green River was incorporated as a city in 1868 and became a rallying point for geological and geographical expeditions starting with Powell in 1869.
Thomas Moran arrives by train to Green River in 1871 to join the Hayden expedition. The admirer of Turner is dazzled by the variety of colors: the reflection in water adds green and lavender to the yellow and orange of the cliffs. He immediately realizes a first watercolor. He does not seek realism but idealization and the result is sumptuous.
The Cliffs of Green River, Wyoming is one of the finest western landscapes and Moran painted this scenery in different sizes without changing the composition.
An oil on canvas 64 x 122 cm painted in 1878 was sold for $ 17,7M including premium by Christie's on 21 May 2008. A later version in the same technique, 51 x 76 cm painted in 1896, is estimated $ 6M for sale by the same auction house in New York on May 21,lot 7.
The village of Green River in Dakota Territory is served by the Pacific section in July 1868 before the famous transcontinental junction of 10 May 1869. Green River will be part of Wyoming in the later division of states.
Green River was incorporated as a city in 1868 and became a rallying point for geological and geographical expeditions starting with Powell in 1869.
Thomas Moran arrives by train to Green River in 1871 to join the Hayden expedition. The admirer of Turner is dazzled by the variety of colors: the reflection in water adds green and lavender to the yellow and orange of the cliffs. He immediately realizes a first watercolor. He does not seek realism but idealization and the result is sumptuous.
The Cliffs of Green River, Wyoming is one of the finest western landscapes and Moran painted this scenery in different sizes without changing the composition.
An oil on canvas 64 x 122 cm painted in 1878 was sold for $ 17,7M including premium by Christie's on 21 May 2008. A later version in the same technique, 51 x 76 cm painted in 1896, is estimated $ 6M for sale by the same auction house in New York on May 21,lot 7.
1896 Typically Far West : the bronzes of Frederic Remington
2008 SOLD 5.6 M$ including premium
Two important bronzes dominate the group of works by Frederic Remington that Sotheby's will present in New York on May 22.
Very animated, with two horses full speed and two riders on their backs, the lot 171 is titled Wounded Bunkie. Estimated 3 M$, it is a 51 cm high bronze of red brown patina edited in 1896.
Quite as dynamic with its rider on a pulled up horse, the 57 cm high Outlaw, lot 167, is awaited 2 M$. Edited in 1906, therefore still during the artist's life, it is a dark brown patina bronze.
These two lots will be sold for the benefit of a charitable foundation.
Reviewing the other bronzes of Remington presented in the same catalogue, one can think that the importance of the price is related to the model, and especially to the dramatic intensity of the action. It is what still makes it possible to envisage Mountain Man at 400 K$ (lot 158) but leaves a rather insipid Scalp, lot 179, at 250 K$.
But it is not so simple: in the past, the important biddings mostly went on Broncho Busters, these models culminating with the specimen sold 2,6 M$ fees included at Christie's, of course in New York, on November 29, 2007. There is well also a Broncho Buster at Sotheby's on May 22, lot 163, but it is estimated 500 K$ only. All these sculptures are of similar size and times, and it would be necessary to be in the passion of the subject to identify what makes the difference of price between these specimens.
POST AUCTION COMMENT
The auction house knew about it. Among the five bronzes that I had identified, the most expensive made the best gains. The three following lots were also sold beyond estimate.
Here are their results, including the fees: $ 5.6 million for Wounded Bunkie; $ 3.4 million for Outlaw; 710 K$ for Broncho Buster; 540 K$ for Mountain Man.
I was not entirely wrong either, even if my explanations do not yet understand everything about the ratings for Remington: Scalp, which from the photo was not of interest, did not find buyer, on an estimate of 250 K€. For this artist like everyone else, the signature is not enough to predict a price.
By the way, here is a competitor for Remington: on July 26 in Reno at The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction, a large bronze by Charles M. Russell is estimated $ 3 million. It shows Indians on horseback attacking cattle. (SOLD 3.6 M$ before fees).
Very animated, with two horses full speed and two riders on their backs, the lot 171 is titled Wounded Bunkie. Estimated 3 M$, it is a 51 cm high bronze of red brown patina edited in 1896.
Quite as dynamic with its rider on a pulled up horse, the 57 cm high Outlaw, lot 167, is awaited 2 M$. Edited in 1906, therefore still during the artist's life, it is a dark brown patina bronze.
These two lots will be sold for the benefit of a charitable foundation.
Reviewing the other bronzes of Remington presented in the same catalogue, one can think that the importance of the price is related to the model, and especially to the dramatic intensity of the action. It is what still makes it possible to envisage Mountain Man at 400 K$ (lot 158) but leaves a rather insipid Scalp, lot 179, at 250 K$.
But it is not so simple: in the past, the important biddings mostly went on Broncho Busters, these models culminating with the specimen sold 2,6 M$ fees included at Christie's, of course in New York, on November 29, 2007. There is well also a Broncho Buster at Sotheby's on May 22, lot 163, but it is estimated 500 K$ only. All these sculptures are of similar size and times, and it would be necessary to be in the passion of the subject to identify what makes the difference of price between these specimens.
POST AUCTION COMMENT
The auction house knew about it. Among the five bronzes that I had identified, the most expensive made the best gains. The three following lots were also sold beyond estimate.
Here are their results, including the fees: $ 5.6 million for Wounded Bunkie; $ 3.4 million for Outlaw; 710 K$ for Broncho Buster; 540 K$ for Mountain Man.
I was not entirely wrong either, even if my explanations do not yet understand everything about the ratings for Remington: Scalp, which from the photo was not of interest, did not find buyer, on an estimate of 250 K€. For this artist like everyone else, the signature is not enough to predict a price.
By the way, here is a competitor for Remington: on July 26 in Reno at The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction, a large bronze by Charles M. Russell is estimated $ 3 million. It shows Indians on horseback attacking cattle. (SOLD 3.6 M$ before fees).
1899 Anything is possible for Charles Russell at Coeur d'Alene
2008 SOLD 5.2 M$ including premium
I am very excited, as an Indian who finds a track on the path of war. My discussions on the national artists brings me to postulate the following, which promises some interesting articles in the future.
Christie's and Sotheby's have no exclusivity of the art market, but it is very difficult to compete in specialties or artists they include in their international sales. Other auction houses have the dynamism required to maintain a loyal clientele of buyers and sellers on very narrow market sectors where they can get prices that multinational groups are not able to achieve.
The first example that I analysed was Guyette & Schmidt for the hunting decoys, and the fact that they are associated with Christie's for some of their operations will not change the demonstration. In France, I've presented successively Etienne Dinet at Gros & Delettrez, and Pierre Soulages at Versailles Enchères.
The example of today is just as obvious, and concerns even higher prices. The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction organizes a yearly sale in Reno, Nevada. Its specialty is, of course, the art of the far west, paintings and sculptures.
The work featured in the sale of July 26 is an oil on canvas by Charles M. Russell, dated 1899, 75x120 cm. Entitled The Hold Up, it shows bandits pointing their guns towards travellers as they just leaved their diligence. They have their hands up, which is a fairly classical and even recommended attitude in this type of situation. To acquire it, you must provide $ 4 million.
Last year, a painting of less dynamic colours, showing Indians burning a ranch, had approached the $ 3 million charge included. In 2005, another painting showing Indians on horseback ready to negotiate had obtained $ 5.6 million. Apparently, never the two multinational groups, which however manage some specialized sales of American art, have approached these prices.
Feeling to be strong on its market, The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction announces that it holds the record price of fifty artists whom they give the list. Russell appears twice, for his paintings and for his bronzes, one of them having reached $ 1 million last year. In our sale of 26 July, Meat for Wild Men, a large bronze of 1924 nearly 1 m long showing Indians attacking livestock, is estimated $ 3 million, a price that would be considered excellent even for a better internationalized artist such as Frederic Remington.
For immersing ourselves in these sales that are geographically far from anywhere, I announce to you that in association with Manitou Galleries, The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction manages in March an annual sale in Montana. The next, 13 and 14 March of 2009, will honour the birthday of Charles M. Russell. I have calculated this will be his 145 th birthday. Appreciate if you can ...
POST SALE COMMENT
The wealthy buyers came as usual, and the auctioneer has not been disappointed. Judge:
The Hold up, oil on canvas, sold $ 4.6 million.
Meat for Wild Men, bronze, sold $ 3.6 million.
I had not spoken about watercolors. One of them, Return of the warriors, showing seven armed Indians on horseback, was sold at its high estimate: $ 1.2 million.
These prices are before fees.
Christie's and Sotheby's have no exclusivity of the art market, but it is very difficult to compete in specialties or artists they include in their international sales. Other auction houses have the dynamism required to maintain a loyal clientele of buyers and sellers on very narrow market sectors where they can get prices that multinational groups are not able to achieve.
The first example that I analysed was Guyette & Schmidt for the hunting decoys, and the fact that they are associated with Christie's for some of their operations will not change the demonstration. In France, I've presented successively Etienne Dinet at Gros & Delettrez, and Pierre Soulages at Versailles Enchères.
The example of today is just as obvious, and concerns even higher prices. The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction organizes a yearly sale in Reno, Nevada. Its specialty is, of course, the art of the far west, paintings and sculptures.
The work featured in the sale of July 26 is an oil on canvas by Charles M. Russell, dated 1899, 75x120 cm. Entitled The Hold Up, it shows bandits pointing their guns towards travellers as they just leaved their diligence. They have their hands up, which is a fairly classical and even recommended attitude in this type of situation. To acquire it, you must provide $ 4 million.
Last year, a painting of less dynamic colours, showing Indians burning a ranch, had approached the $ 3 million charge included. In 2005, another painting showing Indians on horseback ready to negotiate had obtained $ 5.6 million. Apparently, never the two multinational groups, which however manage some specialized sales of American art, have approached these prices.
Feeling to be strong on its market, The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction announces that it holds the record price of fifty artists whom they give the list. Russell appears twice, for his paintings and for his bronzes, one of them having reached $ 1 million last year. In our sale of 26 July, Meat for Wild Men, a large bronze of 1924 nearly 1 m long showing Indians attacking livestock, is estimated $ 3 million, a price that would be considered excellent even for a better internationalized artist such as Frederic Remington.
For immersing ourselves in these sales that are geographically far from anywhere, I announce to you that in association with Manitou Galleries, The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction manages in March an annual sale in Montana. The next, 13 and 14 March of 2009, will honour the birthday of Charles M. Russell. I have calculated this will be his 145 th birthday. Appreciate if you can ...
POST SALE COMMENT
The wealthy buyers came as usual, and the auctioneer has not been disappointed. Judge:
The Hold up, oil on canvas, sold $ 4.6 million.
Meat for Wild Men, bronze, sold $ 3.6 million.
I had not spoken about watercolors. One of them, Return of the warriors, showing seven armed Indians on horseback, was sold at its high estimate: $ 1.2 million.
These prices are before fees.
1904 The Mountains of a New Land
2014 SOLD 12.5 M$ including premium
In 1871, the Hayden survey explores and describes Yellowstone. Nature had created without human help some fabulous romantic landscapes. The scientists are accompanied by two young artists, the photographer WH Jackson and the painter Thomas Moran.
Photos are black and white at that time, so it was left to the paintings of Moran to display to the Americans the extraordinary colors of the Rocky Mountains. Even the Congress is charmed by these images. In 1872 the first national park is established in Yellowstone.
Moran was seduced by this theme that occupied him for his entire career. Inspired by Turner's art, he expressed the deep sensitivity of the landscape in a sharp line that respected the geological realism.
Painted in 1878, the Wyoming mountain reflected in the Green River is one of his masterpieces. This oil on canvas 64 x 122 cm was sold for $ 17.7 million including premium by Christie's on May 21, 2008.
On May 22 in New York, Christie's sells a panoramic view in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, expressive and contrasted. Painted in 1904, this oil on canvas 75 x 152 cm is estimated $ 8M.
POST SALE COMMENT
Great price for this late panoramic view by Moran: $ 12.5 million including premium.
Photos are black and white at that time, so it was left to the paintings of Moran to display to the Americans the extraordinary colors of the Rocky Mountains. Even the Congress is charmed by these images. In 1872 the first national park is established in Yellowstone.
Moran was seduced by this theme that occupied him for his entire career. Inspired by Turner's art, he expressed the deep sensitivity of the landscape in a sharp line that respected the geological realism.
Painted in 1878, the Wyoming mountain reflected in the Green River is one of his masterpieces. This oil on canvas 64 x 122 cm was sold for $ 17.7 million including premium by Christie's on May 21, 2008.
On May 22 in New York, Christie's sells a panoramic view in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, expressive and contrasted. Painted in 1904, this oil on canvas 75 x 152 cm is estimated $ 8M.
POST SALE COMMENT
Great price for this late panoramic view by Moran: $ 12.5 million including premium.
1905 Gallops in the Wild West
2017 SOLD for $ 11.2M including premium
From his studio in New Rochelle in the suburbs of New York, Frederic Remington illustrates for the magazines the joys and torments of the frontiersmen. He wants to revive by his realism the atmosphere of the Wild West and is influenced by the decomposition of the gallop masterfully demonstrated by the photographs of Muybridge against all preconceived ideas.
When Remington becomes a sculptor, he pushes to its paroxysm the study of the imbalance in rapid movements. In 1895 his first masterpiece in that technique, The Broncho Buster, shows a tall prancing horse on his hind legs with no other support, seeking to dismantle his rider. A bronze 58 cm high edited in 1906 was sold for $ 2,6M including premium by Christie's on November 29, 2007.
Even bolder : in 1896, the sculptor attempted a group of two in full gallop entitled The Wounded Bunkie, only connected to the base by two hoofs, one per horse in compliance with the findings of Muybridge. A bronze 51 cm high edited in the first year was sold for $ 5.6M including premium by Sotheby's on May 22, 2008.
Nothing stops that demanding artist. In 1902 he conceives a group of four linked through five legs, departing from Muybridge. The founder succeeds in convincing him of the impossibility of the realization and a compromise with six bearing hoofs is accepted. Titled Coming through the Rye, it is once again a scene expressing a great fastness. The four galloping horses are ridden by cowboys in full euphoria who exhibit their pistols at the end of their arms stretched upwards.
Some orders are received in 1903 but the realization is a feat. This complex piece 78 cm high is too cumbersome and the price tag at 2,000 dollars is too expensive. Very few copies will be made.
Dated 1905 and delivered in 1906 to Tiffany and Co, the serial number 3 is estimated $ 7M for sale by Christie's in New York on May 23, lot 7.
Considering this commercial failure Remington destroyed his models in wax and plaster in 1908. In the same year, disgusted by the new trend of fantasy illustrations, he prepared a bonfire in his yard and destroyed hundreds of his original paintings. This artist out of standards in every sense of that wording dies in 1909 at the age of 48 from complications related to his extreme obesity.
When Remington becomes a sculptor, he pushes to its paroxysm the study of the imbalance in rapid movements. In 1895 his first masterpiece in that technique, The Broncho Buster, shows a tall prancing horse on his hind legs with no other support, seeking to dismantle his rider. A bronze 58 cm high edited in 1906 was sold for $ 2,6M including premium by Christie's on November 29, 2007.
Even bolder : in 1896, the sculptor attempted a group of two in full gallop entitled The Wounded Bunkie, only connected to the base by two hoofs, one per horse in compliance with the findings of Muybridge. A bronze 51 cm high edited in the first year was sold for $ 5.6M including premium by Sotheby's on May 22, 2008.
Nothing stops that demanding artist. In 1902 he conceives a group of four linked through five legs, departing from Muybridge. The founder succeeds in convincing him of the impossibility of the realization and a compromise with six bearing hoofs is accepted. Titled Coming through the Rye, it is once again a scene expressing a great fastness. The four galloping horses are ridden by cowboys in full euphoria who exhibit their pistols at the end of their arms stretched upwards.
Some orders are received in 1903 but the realization is a feat. This complex piece 78 cm high is too cumbersome and the price tag at 2,000 dollars is too expensive. Very few copies will be made.
Dated 1905 and delivered in 1906 to Tiffany and Co, the serial number 3 is estimated $ 7M for sale by Christie's in New York on May 23, lot 7.
Considering this commercial failure Remington destroyed his models in wax and plaster in 1908. In the same year, disgusted by the new trend of fantasy illustrations, he prepared a bonfire in his yard and destroyed hundreds of his original paintings. This artist out of standards in every sense of that wording dies in 1909 at the age of 48 from complications related to his extreme obesity.
Announcing Frederick Remington's Coming Through the Rye selling this May in our American Art sale https://t.co/ZsojWhvXUb pic.twitter.com/LXdvOHZ55A
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 8, 2017
1907-1930 The Cultural Heritage of the American Indians
2012 SOLD 2.9 M$ including premium
The work of Edward S. Curtis, The North American Indian, should be part of the cultural heritage of humanity. Without him, two worlds would never have met: the authentic traditions of American Indians, and photography.
When Curtis began to visit the western America, the tribal populations had declined dramatically, and many of them were snapped up by other forms of civilization. This is the end of an era.
When Curtis began recording thousands of photographs, this technique was already fully mastered. The photographer is no more a chemist or an experimenter, he can concentrate on his subject. This is the beginning of another era.
Compare dates: the first issue of Camera Work is published by Stieglitz in 1903. The first delivery of The North American Indian by Curtis, sold by subscription, in 1907.
Tirelessly, Curtis visited the 80 most authentic tribes. His friendship with some chiefs was facilitated by his application to use their own language, opening to him the path for the other communities.
When the publishing venture of The North American Indian ends in 1930 because of financial difficulties, Curtis had managed the most extraordinary and unsurpassed photographic documentary of all time: 2200 selected photographs distributed among twenty volumes of text and twenty portfolios.
The copy for sale by Christie's in New York on April 10 is complete. Kept in excellent condition, it is certainly the finest surviving example of this unusual work.
This lot is estimated $ 1M. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
Its exceptional freshness enabled this highly important book to reach $ 2.9 million including premium.
When Curtis began to visit the western America, the tribal populations had declined dramatically, and many of them were snapped up by other forms of civilization. This is the end of an era.
When Curtis began recording thousands of photographs, this technique was already fully mastered. The photographer is no more a chemist or an experimenter, he can concentrate on his subject. This is the beginning of another era.
Compare dates: the first issue of Camera Work is published by Stieglitz in 1903. The first delivery of The North American Indian by Curtis, sold by subscription, in 1907.
Tirelessly, Curtis visited the 80 most authentic tribes. His friendship with some chiefs was facilitated by his application to use their own language, opening to him the path for the other communities.
When the publishing venture of The North American Indian ends in 1930 because of financial difficulties, Curtis had managed the most extraordinary and unsurpassed photographic documentary of all time: 2200 selected photographs distributed among twenty volumes of text and twenty portfolios.
The copy for sale by Christie's in New York on April 10 is complete. Kept in excellent condition, it is certainly the finest surviving example of this unusual work.
This lot is estimated $ 1M. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
Its exceptional freshness enabled this highly important book to reach $ 2.9 million including premium.
1908 The Illustrator of the US Cavalry
2013 SOLD 5.6 M$ including premium
Frederic Remington was a man of the East, at a time of an intense curiosity about the Wild West. He became an artist and his works were published in magazines such as The Century Magazine, Harper's Weekly and Collier's Weekly. He was a contemporary of Theodore Roosevelt and illustrated a book by him in 1887.
He at first made frequent trips to the West to soak up the atmosphere. The men of the cavalry were gallant heroes against the fierce Indians, and they were also clients who could ensure his glory.
Caught in the social life of the East, he became obese and almost impotent. He began at that point his career as a sculptor. He was the best interpreter of the riders on their fiery horses, with magnificent bronzes and also realistic figures of the gallop positions as proved to artists by Muybridge's experiments.
From 1901 his work for Collier's became steady. When Remington died in 1909, the magazine still had sixteen of his paintings ready to be published.
Painted in 1908, 'Cutting out pony herds' shows the US cavalry guiding a herd of Indian horses away from their camp. This oil on canvas 60 x 100 cm was published by Collier's in 1913. It is estimated $ 5M, for sale on July 27 in Reno by The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction.
POST SALE COMMENT
This painting was sold exactly at its lower estimate, $ 5 million before fees.
The image is shared post sale by Auction Central News.
He at first made frequent trips to the West to soak up the atmosphere. The men of the cavalry were gallant heroes against the fierce Indians, and they were also clients who could ensure his glory.
Caught in the social life of the East, he became obese and almost impotent. He began at that point his career as a sculptor. He was the best interpreter of the riders on their fiery horses, with magnificent bronzes and also realistic figures of the gallop positions as proved to artists by Muybridge's experiments.
From 1901 his work for Collier's became steady. When Remington died in 1909, the magazine still had sixteen of his paintings ready to be published.
Painted in 1908, 'Cutting out pony herds' shows the US cavalry guiding a herd of Indian horses away from their camp. This oil on canvas 60 x 100 cm was published by Collier's in 1913. It is estimated $ 5M, for sale on July 27 in Reno by The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction.
POST SALE COMMENT
This painting was sold exactly at its lower estimate, $ 5 million before fees.
The image is shared post sale by Auction Central News.
1918 Piegans by CM Russell
2005 SOLD for $ 5.6M including premium by The Coeur d'Alene Art Auction
2000 Cowboy by Richard Prince
2014 SOLD for $ 3.1M including premium by Sotheby's
2001 Marlboro Man by Richard Prince
2007 SOLD 3.4 M$ including premium by Sotheby's
Link to Artvalue.
