BEACHWOOD, Ohio – A pair of oil paintings by the Southwestern-influenced artist Robert Daughters (N.M./Az., 1929-2013) sold for a combined $35,670 in an online fine art auction held Feb. 22 by Neue Auctions. The 205-lot event included paintings, works on paper, and sculpture.  Many of the works were bold and vibrant, as Neue Auctions strove to “bring back the color.”

The auction’s top lot – Daughters’ Taos Homestead – was pulled from the estate of a Tennessee physician, a collection that heavily featured contemporary scenes from the American Southwest.  At $19,680, the 20 inch by 24 inch canvas sailed past its $8,000- $12,000 estimate and captured the stark contrasts in light between the buildings, the surrounding mountains and the distant sky.   

The other Daughters’ painting, titled Ranchos Chapel, Taos, was a more intimate piece, with a view of a chapel and its path with the surrounding landscape in near darkness.  The work, housed in a 28 inch by 31 ½ inch frame, sold for $15,990. 

The auction, which brought together collections and estates both private as well as corporate, contained items at a variety of price levels.  “The sale came together in a wonderful way,” said Neue Auctions managing partner Cynthia Maciejewski.  “With a mixture of modern and contemporary art, this provided us with an opportunity to reach some new buyers.”

More than 20 paintings by John Nieto (Tex., N.M., 1936-2018), another painter heavily influenced by the Southwest, came up for bid. Nieto’s work employs vibrant primary colors to capture the people and wildlife of the American Southwest. His acrylic on canvas titled Deer Dancer, portraying a Native American, 42 inches by 31½ inches (framed) sold for $10,455, over two times the estimate.  Another piece by Nieto, a diminutive (22 inches by 17 ½ inches framed) acrylic on canvas showing howling wolves titled Lunar Duet (Wolfs), brought $5,412.

Sunset Thunderhead by Bill Gallen (N.M., Co., Wi., b. 1958) rounded out the Southwestern inspired portion of the event.  The work, measuring 27 inches by 31 inches framed, used oil on linen mounted on Masonite.  In the piece, Gallen saturated the Southwestern landscape with color, highlighting the clouds as they rolled over the landscape. 

Following are additional highlights from the auction. Online bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com. All prices quoted include a 23 percent buyer’s premium. 

Bidders eager for a pop of color were not confined to the American Southwest.  Vase De Fleurs dans une Interieur, a lively still life by Jean-Jules Louis Cavailles (French, 1901-1977), sold for $6,765.  The oil on canvas work, measuring 35 ½ inches by 29 inches, will now reside in its new home in foggy London town.  Another still life, this one by Cleveland born artist Bob Paul Kane (1937-2013), 33 ½ inches by 49 ½ inches framed, titled Still Life at Breakfast with Yellow Chair, sold for $3,198.

A Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) linocut grappled with Daughters’ Taos Homestead for top billing; both sold for $19,680.  Toros Vallauris, a black and orange Picasso print, portrayed a bullfighter and was signed by the artist in red crayon.  The 1958 linocut came from a Cleveland interior designer’s collection and was housed in a 35 ½ inch by 29 ½ inch frame. 

Screen prints in colors performed well in the event.  Bridget Riley’s (British b. 1931) Elapse, was featured in the Print Club of Cleveland edition no. 60 for 1982.  The framed piece depicting multi-colored vertical waves measured 46 ½ inches by 31 ½ inches. Monica in Robe with Motherwell by Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931-2004), a sizable screen print weighing in at 51 ½ inches by 60 ½ inches framed, portrayed a woman loosely robed in repose. Both works by Riley and Wesselmann earned $9,225. 

Neue Auctions’ next sale is scheduled for Saturday, March 21st.  The online-only Decorative Arts & Antiques auction will feature ceramics, glass and art glass, silver, Asian works of art, jewelry and carpets, beginning at 10 am Eastern. Nearly 300 lots will come up for bid, mostly sourced from midwestern and Cleveland estates and collections.

Neue Auctions provides a bespoke experience for sellers and buyers, with all items presented fully guaranteed and vetted, and combines regular online auctions with selected art exhibitions and educational opportunities. Offering consignment services for single items or entire estates, Neue Auctions gladly assists clients in the complicated process of settling estates and general downsizing, working with private individuals, as well as trusts, estates, banks and attorneys.

In addition, Neue Auctions continues the long-standing history and tradition of art collecting in Cleveland by bringing fine works of art to the market for sale, encouraging both the current and next generation of collectors. Neue Auctions is always accepting consignments for future sales. To inquire about consigning a single piece, an estate or a collection, you may call Cynthia Maciejewski at 216-245-6707; or, you can send her an email at cynthia@neueauctions.com.

To learn more about Neue Auctions and the firm’s calendar of upcoming events, please visit www.neueauctions.com. Updates are posted frequently.

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