East Dennis, Mass. – Eldred’s annual Contemporary Painting sale will feature 160 pieces by various Cape Cod artists, including John Dowd, Anne Packard and Jim Holland. The auction will be held Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 6 P.M. at the firm’s East Dennis headquarters.

With a large array of mediums, styles, sizes and price points being offered, the sale provides plenty of opportunity for first-time buyers or seasoned collectors alike to raise their paddle and take home a piece of artwork.  

Marking its 16th year, this auction has truly become an anticipated event by all who love Cape Cod artwork.  “We look forward to seeing our faithful audience who has been with us since the beginning, as well as new faces in this relaxed setting,” said sale director Annie Lajoie.

Anticipated top sellers include “Picnic in the Mountains” by William R. Davis, estimated at $1,000/2,000. Davis grew up on Cape Cod but is nationally known as one of the best contemporary marine artists working in the United States.

Several works by Robert Cardinal will also be featured in the sale, including “Cold Storage Beach,” which carries an $8,000/10,000 estimate. Cardinal is known for the use of bright colors and isolated settings.  

Anne Packard’s “Dune Scene”, estimated at $2,500/3,500, has received significant early attention, as has “Brisk Sail” and several other pieces by the artist. “Packard is always a standout and is expected to do well as her pieces vary in sizes and subject,” Lajoie said. Five works by Packard are included in the auction.   

Other highlights include three large oils on canvas by Jim Holland, estimated at $2,500/3,500 and $5,000/7,000, a dune scene by John Dowd, estimated at $2,500/3,500, and “The Blue Boat” by Joseph McGurl, estimated at $6,000/8,000. Cape Cod favorites Robert Remsen Vickrey, Loretta Feeney, Paul Schulenburg and Elizabeth Mumford are also represented. 

Although the sale is predominantly Cape Cod in its focus, works by other contemporary American painters are included, notably “In the Air” by New Jersey/Pennsylvania artist Patrick Kitson, estimated at $4,000/6,000, several pieces by North Shore artists Kenneth J. Knowles and Jeff Weaver, and “Big Sur 1989” by New Mexico artist Woody Gwyn, estimated at $5,000/10,000.

The Contemporary Paintings Auction will be held in conjunction with the August Market general sale auction, scheduled for Wednesday, August 19 at 10 a.m. Lots from both sales will be on exhibit Tuesday, August 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Previewing is also available by appointment.

All lots in both sales can be viewed on Eldred’s website, www.eldreds.com. Online, absentee and phone bidding is available; limited in-person bidding is available with pre-registration. Because Massachusetts advisories to limit the spread of COVID-19 may be amended in the upcoming weeks, potential bidders are encouraged to visit Eldred’s website for the most up-to-date information on bidding and preview options.

About Eldred’s

The Robert C. Eldred Co. is New England's oldest established antiques and fine arts auction house, now in its third generation of ownership within the Eldred family. In addition to its headquarters on Cape Cod’s historic Old King’s Highway in East Dennis, Mass., the firm also has an office at 5 Roosevelt Avenue in Mystic, Ct. Eldred’s, the nation’s leading marine art auction house, conducts approximately 25 auctions per year encompassing Americana, paintings, Asian art, European decorative art, sporting art and collectibles in addition to marine art. It was recently named one of the top worldwide auction houses by Art + Auction and holds auction records across a wide range of collecting areas.