FRANKLIN, Mass. – A tempera on paper painting attributed to Claude Monet (1840-1926), titled Study for Gare Saint-Lazare, and a tempera and gouache on paper attributed to Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890), titled Morning, Going to Work, each soared to $96,000 in Woodshed Art Auctions’ Prestige Collection sale, a 65-lot internet-only fine art auction that ended on July 26th.

The Monet was the auction’s expected top lot. It was signed verso and marked “Gallery Simon, Paris,” stamped and with a pencil-written reference number. The modest painting was possibly a study made on location, for one of the paintings in Monet’s highly acclaimed 1877 series of the Gare Saint-Lazare train station. The painting measured 14 ½ inches by 18 inches, in the frame.

The Van Gogh, one of five works in the auction attributed to the Dutch master, was signed by the artist and was possibly a study for the 1890 finished painting of the same title, the original of which is in the collection of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The painting sold was unframed, about 7 ¾ inches by 9 ¾ inches, and sailed past its high estimate of $50,000.

Woodshed Art Auctions’ Prestige Collection sales are so-named because they are smaller events focused on modestly priced works by big-name artists. This sale featured Impressionist, Modern and Pop artworks by renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Henri Emile Benoit Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as Monet and Van Gogh.

“The results of this auction were both hoped for and quite unexpected,” said Bruce Wood of Woodshed Art Auctions. “It looks like our move to create the Prestige Signature Collection sales has been embraced by the bidders we hoped to attract.” He noted that while researching pieces for the auction, a theme emerged of artists’ working studies and corresponding finished artworks.

Following are additional highlights of the auction. All prices quoted include either a 20 percent buyer’s premium (for gallery bidders) or 25 percent (for internet bidders). Online bidding was facilitated by Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com.

Other works attributed to Van Gogh that brought high prices included an untitled (The Plain of Auvers) pen and ink drawing on paper, showing a landscape with haystacks, signed “Vincent” ($32,500); and a pen and ink on watermarked drawing paper of several figural studies, relating to Van Gogh’s obsession with peasants and the simplicity of their agrarian lives, signed ($17,500).

Fans of Andy Warhol were not disappointed, as several works attributed to the Pop Art icon came up for bid. These included a ballpoint pen ink drawing with watercolor dyes on white bond paper, titled Green Shoe, signed ($6,875); and a drawing in pencil and watercolor on buff, medium-weight paper, a whimsical composition titled Angel with Birds, also signed ($4,375).

Henry Matisse also made multiple appearances in the sale. Two works attributed to the French painter posted identical selling prices of $18,750. One was an unframed pencil drawing on paper titled Reclining Female Nude. The other was a pencil drawing on medium-weight bond titled Female Nude Sleeping. Both of the drawings were signed by Matisse and both were dated 1935.

A signed ink drawing on white paper attributed to Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), titled Smiling Woman, verso pencil signed with a reference number and collector’s stamp, changed hands for $32,500; while an ink and gouache on paper by Lichtenstein titled Sunrise, also verso marked with a reference stamp and pencil signed front and back, sold to a determined bidder for $10,000.

Two other works, by different artists, also finished at $10,000. One was an unframed pencil drawing with watercolor on medium-weight paper attributed to Amedeo Modigliani and titled Seated Female Nude, relating to his Caryatid artworks. The other was an untitled composition watercolor on paper by Wassily Kandinsky, signed front and back with the artist’s monogram.

An excellent and whimsical example of Pablo Picasso working in a continuous-line style was the ink on paper attributed to the master titled Dog Drawing, signed and framed ($6,250). Also, a charcoal on heavy white textured art paper attributed to Jean-Michel Basquiat, the friend and contemporary of Andy Warhol, titled simply Skull, initial-signed and dated 1981, made $3,750.

Woodshed Art Auctions’ next Prestige Signature Collection sale will be on Thursday, September 21st, also on Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com.  Already consigned are paintings and drawings attributed to Franz Kline, Joan Mitchell, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Roy Lichtenstein.  The catalog will be posted online in early September.  

Woodshed Art Auctions is a family-owned art gallery specializing in oil painting restoration and live and online art auctions, celebrating its 50th anniversary. The firm is always accepting quality artworks for future auctions. To inquire about consigning a single piece or an entire collection, you may call Bruce Wood at 508-533-6277; or, e-mail him at bruce@woodshedartauctions.com.

For more information about Woodshed Art Auctions and the firm’s upcoming auction events, please visit www.woodshedartauctions.com.

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