Fine Art
Smorgass Bored
comparable to Bonhams-Butterfield, Weschler's, Shannons,etc. for Fine
Art sales ?
It seems that the auction houses that I pulled up online sound smaller
and less prestigious (hammer price) than some of the houses farther
away. If you had a very nice oil painting done by a very well known
19th/20th century painter from the Portland/Seattle area, would you take
your chances with one of the local auctions or send to a larger well
known house across the country ? I've had this painting since 1992 and
I'm only going to get one shot at this.
Doug
~>*(((>< Big fish eat Little fish ><)))*<~
Kris Baker
"Smorgass Bored" <Smorga...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:27308-42...@storefull-3251.bay.webtv.net...
I don't know if I'll be very helpful.....
There's lots more money in Seattle than Portland...but
the East is more of an art market.
I'd "audition" the candidates, asking them what they'd expect
to get from your painting. There's some here, after you
scroll down a bit past the ads:
http://www.shopinseattle.com/Auctions___Collectibles/Antiques/
Is this artist famous nationwide, or just in the Northwest? That
might make your decision easier.
Kris
Smorgass Bored
Are there any auctions houses in Portland,OR or Seattle,WA that are
comparable to Bonhams-Butterfield, Weschler's, Shannons,etc. for Fine
Art sales ?
It seems that the auction houses that I pulled up online sound smaller
and less prestigious (hammer price) than some of the houses farther
away. If you had a very nice oil painting done by a very well known
19th/20th century painter from the Portland/Seattle area, would you take
your chances with one of the local auctions or send to a larger well
known house across the country ? I've had this painting since 1992 and
I'm only going to get one shot at this.
Doug
~>*(((>< Big fish eat Little fish ><)))*<~
Kris replied:
I don't know if I'll be very helpful.....
There's lots more money in Seattle than Portland...but the East is more
of an art market.
<snip>
Is this artist famous nationwide, or just in the Northwest? That might
make your decision easier.
Kris
(*<~ This artist was born in 1869 and died in 1956. Her life spanned
the long era from stagecoach to commercial airlines and she was equally
comfortable exploring Oregons largely unknown Mt. Jefferson wilderness.
She was best known for her photography,but was also an accomplished
painter. She trained in N.Y. with William M. Chase,Kenyon Cox. Frank
DuMond & others. She won many awards and her was featured in many
prestigious locations around the country, including the Art Institute of
Chicago in 1933. She was a founder and president of the still active
Women Painters of Washinton. She was admitted in 1903 to the
Photo-Secession, a group founded by Alfred Stieglitz to promote
photography as an art form.
There is a wonderfully illustrated biography of Myra Albert Wiggins
entitled "Witch Of Kodakery:The Photography of Myra Albert
Wiggins,1869-1956" (and I have an autographed copy from the author). I
have a sweet oil on board of a 'Chapel in the Mountains' dated 1923,from
an Oregon Gallery.
My wife and I are very fond of this painting,but circumstances dictate
sending off to auction. But WHERE ?
Kris Baker
(*<~ This artist was born in 1869 and died in 1956. Her life spanned
the long era from stagecoach to commercial airlines and she was equally
comfortable exploring Oregons largely unknown Mt. Jefferson wilderness.
She was best known for her photography,but was also an accomplished
painter. She trained in N.Y. with William M. Chase,Kenyon Cox. Frank
DuMond & others. She won many awards and her was featured in many
prestigious locations around the country, including the Art Institute of
Chicago in 1933. She was a founder and president of the still active
Women Painters of Washinton. She was admitted in 1903 to the
Photo-Secession, a group founded by Alfred Stieglitz to promote
photography as an art form.
There is a wonderfully illustrated biography of Myra Albert Wiggins
entitled "Witch Of Kodakery:The Photography of Myra Albert
Wiggins,1869-1956" (and I have an autographed copy from the author). I
have a sweet oil on board of a 'Chapel in the Mountains' dated 1923,from
an Oregon Gallery.
My wife and I are very fond of this painting,but circumstances dictate
sending off to auction. But WHERE ?
Doug
~>*(((>< Big fish eat Little fish ><)))*<~
-------------------
This page:
http://www.womenpainters.com/75th/WIGGINS/Wiggins.html
has a link to: www.martin-zambito.com
They don't do appraisals via email (you don't need that anyway)
BUT I'd think they could recommend the best auction house
to you.
kris
Janice Hudnall
' Bout time you hauled your butt back to rec. antiques....was starting to
get a little worried.
Janice
Smorgass Bored
http://www.womenpainters.com/75th/WIGGINS/Wiggins.html has a link to:
www.martin-zambito.com
They don't do appraisals via email (you don't need that anyway) BUT I'd
think they could recommend the best auction house to you.
kris
(*<~ Thanks, I first contacted them about 13 years ago and once more a
few years later and they weren't much help,but I may give them another
opportunity...
Kris Baker
Damn. I thought they'd be helpful. Let me sleep on this.
Kris
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C.
Mr. Doug,
Both the Frye and the Seattle Art Museum have shown interest in this
artist, and both are in Seattle. Right now, I believe the Frye only has
a single example. The Seattle Auction House is about as upscale as
Seattle gets for art, and they have had some OK sales. I'd bet both
those Seattle museums would be bidding at a local auction. Also, two
Seattle based dealers, J. Franklin and Mark Humpal are interested in her
works, along with Zambito. Humpal currently has a 9.5" by 8" still life
on for 1,750.00, and a larger 20" by 16" landscape that is on request,
but is likely around 8,000.00 (One could call and ask, will give you an
idea on local prices) In Portland, the Portland Museum collect her.
Outside the area, Cincinnati Art Galleries collect and deal with her
work. If you want to stay with the big names near the area, Christies
has a sales room in L.A., and I think would attract the Pacific
Northwest dealers interested. Bonhams has two agents in Oregon and
Washington.
Having said all that, pretty tough to beat New York City. Just in sheer
numbers. When I've been shopping around for a place to send something, I
find all the big places pretty helpful. Good luck, sir!
C.
Smorgass Bored
certainly gives me something to think about. What would YOU do if it
were your oil on board landscape 11"x14 1/2" dated 1923 ? It's a small
chapel nestled in a valley and try as I have,I haven't been able to
track down whether it's in OR. or WA.
I imagine someone bidding on it from those two states may have an
idea....
C.
Mr. Doug,
It sounds like you have a time sensitive situation. What I would do is
locate an auction or sale coming up where your category of art will be
featured. This artist herself doesn't seem popular enough for a
speciality sale in and of herself, and women artist auctions are rare
right now. However, one of American western artists might be the way,
like this:
http://search.sothebys.com/jsps/live/dept/DeptGlobal.jsp?dept_id=21
My reasoning is this: It appears she is not a real hot artist right
now, and I think a buyer from a museum, dealer, or collector would
rather travel or concentrate on an auction where there is more than one
painting of interest to them. It would likely be best if you could
locate an auction in the Pacific Northwest that had a sale like that
coming up. Putting it in a general upcoming auction locally would bring
out the local collectors, however I don't think a single piece by her
would gain much national attention. So, I would start by contacting the
Seattle Auction house, and asking if they have such a speciality sale
coming up. Similar inquiries with the Bonham guys, etc. will help you
locate an auction where you will get the best exposure in the time frame
you have to work with.
C.
Who hopes this helps....
Kris Baker
"C." <oldt...@OMITTHISshaw.ca> wrote in message
news:fjrIe.114689$%K2.35762@pd7tw1no...
Me, too.
I think it will. I've been researching Seattle auction houses this
morning, and was going to post a not-so-well-thought-out similar
reply.
Kris