Grogan and Company is pleased to announce that its October 26th auction will feature a collection of approximately 400 paintings from the Estate of William “Willie” Postar. Willie Postar (1924-2006) is remembered as one of Boston’s most legendary Fine Art dealers in the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s. Operating out of his shop in Beacon Hill on Charles Street, Willy amassed an impressive collection of fine art by the best in American and European painting from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.

“Willie Postar stands out as one of my earliest client memories at Grogan and Company,” remembers Michael B. Grogan, President and Chief Auctioneer. “I took an immediate liking to Willie and looked forward to his visits to our painting exhibitions at our first location on Commonwealth Avenue. He was never at a loss for words. We would sit together over lengthy conversations as I absorbed his anecdotes and sage advice. I watched Willie look at paintings and took note of what he bid on and purchased. Willie had a ‘smart’ eye and I learned a great deal by bird-dogging him. Willie was the last of a breed of self-taught, pre-internet, highly confident painting buyers who bought low with the aim to sell high. A Dickensian character, perhaps, but one with a warm heart and a twinkle in his eye.”

The auction will feature a selection of over 400 paintings and works on paper from Postar’s estate. American Fine Art highlights include Robert Hale Ives Gammell’s (American, 1893-1981) allegorical Bathsheba. Painted upon his return from an extensive trip to North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe in the spring and summer of 1930, the large 54 ½ x 44 ¼ in. canvas depicts the biblical story of Bathsheba and King David. The painting has been widely exhibited, beginning in 1934 at the Guild of Boston Artists. More recently it travelled with the “Transcending Visions” exhibition from 2001-2003. The painting is offered with an estimate of $10,000-15,000.

Additional American Fine Art highlights include: Jack Levine (American, 1915-2012), Outside a Deli, oil on artist’s board, 28 ¼ x 34 in., estimate: $20,000-30,000; Louis Aston Knight (American, 1873-1889), Cottage on a River, oil on canvas, 43 ½ x 58 ¼ in., estimate: $10,000-15,000; and Walter Gay (American, 1856-1937), A Visit to the Taylor, 1884, oil on canvas, 29 x 23 ½ in., estimate: $5,000-10,000. Postar’s estate also includes an extraordinary grouping of paintings by Louis Kronberg (American, 1872-1965). The twenty-nine paintings mainly include examples of his iconic ballerinas and female portraits.

The auction features noteworthy European Fine Art offerings as well. Leading 19th century Italian artist Gaetano Chierici’s (Italian, 1838-1920) painting titled A Young Prankster in the Kitchen is an iconic example of his work. His portrayal of the often naughty antics of children provided the foundation of his reputation which earned him collectors from all over Europe. He painted several versions of this particular kitchen scene which measures 27 x 37 ¼ in. and is estimated at $30,000-50,000.

Additional European highlights include Jean Raymond Hippolyte Lazerges (French, 1817-1887), Orientalist Musician, oil on panel, 25 ½ x 17 ½ in., estimate: $8,000-12,000; Hermann Fuechsel (German/American, 1833-1915), Mountainous Landscape, 1872, oil on canvas, 19 x 24 in., estimate: $5,000-10,000; and Auguste Bonheur (French, 1824-1884), Stag Hunt, oil on canvas, 32 ¼ x 47 ½ in., estimate: $5,000-10,000.

The auction will take place at Grogan and Company’s Dedham gallery at 12 noon on Sunday, October 26th. Exhibition hours begin on Thursday, October 23rd. An illustrated online catalogue is available on their website. Online bidding is available with Invaluable. For more information, please visit www.groganco.com.