View of Venice by Thomas Moran Highlights Doyle’s March 27 Americana Auction
- NEW YORK, New York
- /
- March 21, 2019
On Wednesday, March 27 at 10am, Doyle will hold an auction of American Paintings, Furniture & Decorative Arts. The sale showcases 18th and 19th century American furniture and decorative arts, including silver, ceramics, mirrors, folk art, Chinese Export porcelain and rugs.
This auction category is Doyle’s premier venue for 19th and early 20th century American paintings, with the current sale showcasing over 140 examples. Included are Hudson River School landscapes, Western and Regional art, still lifes, portraits, nautical scenes and Folk paintings.
Thomas Moran (1837-1926) is one of America’s most revered artists of the western landscape. While at the height of his creative powers in the 1880s and 90s, he traveled to Venice. The views of that brilliant city would inspire him for the rest of his career. Property from the Estate of Joan Harmon Van Metre features an 1889 work that captures the dramatic light and vibrant colors of Venice (est. $100,000-150,000).
In his day Edward Moran (1829-1901) was known as one of America’s premier Marine painters. The older brother of Thomas Moran, Edward studied in Philadelphia under James Hamilton. Both artists took inspiration from the works of J. M. W. Turner who’s influence can be seen in the dramatic lighting of Fishing Boats (est. $18,000-25,000).
A special section of the sale is devoted to paintings from the Collection of William and Abigail Gerdts. Bill Gerdts and his wife Abbie collected mid-to-late 19th century still life paintings by American artists for more than fifty years. The selections from the Gerdts Collection offered in the sale comprise lots 72-96 and reflect the couple’s lifelong careers as scholars of American painting and sculpture.
An American Aesthetic Movement table was made in the early 1870s by Herter Brothers in New York. Similar in form to an example in the Cleveland Museum of Art, the table combines Japanese-inspired structure and ornament with a fine floral marquetry top probably imported from Paris (est. $12,000-20,000).
In 1815, Samuel Kirk opened what has become America’s oldest silversmith. The firm created a style of intricate floral repoussé, known as “Baltimore Silver,” an early example of which is an 1828 tea service from a Connecticut Collector that incorporates birds and butterflies into the flowers and foliage (est. $7,000-10,000).
The public is invited to the exhibition on view from Saturday, March 23 through Monday, March 25. Doyle is located at 175 East 87th Street in Manhattan. The catalogue is available online at Doyle.com