BLOOMFIELD, N.J. – Nye & Company Auctioneers’ two-day, online Chic and Antique Estate Treasures auction planned for Wednesday and Thursday, January 19th and 20th, at 10 am Eastern time both days, will offer a wide variety of fine and decorative arts, with a concentration on 17th thru 20th century paintings, furniture from the 18th through the 21st century, silver and jewelry. 

The auction will be headlined by property from a private Southern New Jersey collection, the NAMITS collection, property from descendants of the New York and Philadelphia Clinedinst family, property descended in the Fulton, Ludlow, Livingston and Phillips families, property from the estate of John Strawbridge Lloyd of Philadelphia and, lastly, a small selection of Rev War-era property approved for deaccession by the Fraunces Tavern Museum in New York City.  

A headliner of the auction is one of the earliest known paintings of Martin Van Buren, by Thomas Sully.  Initialed and dated 1810, the painting descended in the estate of John Strawbridge Lloyd.  This early Sully work depicts a young Van Buren in a striking half-length pose. Documentation goes back to the early 1920s, when it was sent to the Pennsylvania Museum of Art. 

Also, coming from the New York and Philadelphia Clinedinst family is a portrait marked as Hannah Van Buren on the verso, but it is more likely a portrait of the late President’s daughter-in-law, Angelica Singleton Van Buren, who assumed the role of “White House Hostess” during Martin’s presidency.

The fine art category includes a bold yet refined 16th/17th century British School Portrait of a Gentleman, one that serves as a window into the life of Elizabethan aristocracy. For those who enjoy the Old Masters, there is a small selection of paintings from private collections. There are also a number of 19th century American and European paintings from a private Southern New Jersey collection, led by a tonalist and impressionistic landscape by Emile Gruppe (1896-1978). The painting perfectly captures the New England landscape. 

Another interesting work is by the Russian artist Mikhail Guermacheff (1867-1930). The autumnal landscape is a nice representation of the artist’s oeuvre. William Stanley Haseltine’s depiction of Bald Face Cliff in Ogunquit, Maine is perfect for those looking to take a piece of Vacationland home with them.  There is also a signed George Inness painting of a Haystack in the Moonlight.

For fans of traditional furniture, the star of the auction is a George IV desk made by Morel & Seddon in 1828 for Windsor Castle. This highly documented secretaire was made for room 231.  The craftsmanship is exceptional and clearly fit for a king.  There is also a large set of twelve Regency dining chairs that are well proportioned and beautifully designed and a pair of oversized Regency sofas. 

American furniture is also represented in the sale. It will be led by a Federal fan-inlaid chest of drawers, probably Southern, and a Queen Anne high chest of drawers, made in New England circa 1750. The estate of John Strawbridge Lloyd also contains a rich selection of early American furniture, English Toby jugs, Chinese Export and silver.

After celebrating its 300th year in 2019, the Fraunces Tavern Museum decided to implement a reinterpretation of one of its rooms.  Deaccessioned items include a Federal style mahogany sofa, a set of Regency dining chairs, two Federal style gentleman’s dressing tables and a Regency breakfast table.  These items present a perfect opportunity for patrons to help support the museum and its collection efforts.

For those who prefer more contemporary and designer furniture, there is a Bunny Williams designed breakfront and additional items personally selected by Bunny Williams Interior Design for a prominent New York City patron. A pair of Billy Baldwin chairs supplied to Mrs. William McCormick (Deeda) Blair by Billy Baldwin for her Washington D.C. residence and a Jacques Adnet attributed floor lamp complements a Marcel Wanders-designed for Louis Vuitton leather and carbon fiber lounge chair. 

Following along the line of being modern and contemporary, the sale features a small selection of Self-Taught and Outsider Art from the NAMITS collection.  The group is led by a Purvis Young Goodbread Alley era painting of two figures, dated 1976. Jimmy Lee Sudduth and Sybil Gibson works are also being offered from the same collection.  

People can bid in absentia and online. An online preview is being held from January 5th thru January 19th-20th at www.nyeandcompany.com, www.liveauctioneers.com, www.bidsquare.com and www.invaluable.com. Anyone looking for additional images, condition reports or info about an object is invited to visit the Nye & Company website or email to info@nyeandcompany.com. 

John Nye had a long and fruitful career at Sotheby’s before he and his wife, Kathleen, acquired Dawson’s in 2003 and started Dawson & Nye. With the move to Bloomfield seven years later, they renamed the business to Nye & Company (Auctioneers, Appraisers, Antiques). The firm is nationwide, but the vast bulk of the business comes from trusts and estates in the tri-state area.

For more information about Nye & Company Auctioneers and the Chic and Antique Estate Treasures auction Wednesday and Thursday, January 19th-20th, visit www.nyeandcompany.com. 

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