MILFORD, CT. – Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Thursday, October 26th, with a special inaugural auction in their new gallery location at 49 Research Drive in Milford, Connecticut. For the past 20 years, Shannon’s has worked with private collectors, institutions and dealers to sell over $100,000,000 in fine art. For this auction, Shannon’s will present nearly 300 lots of American and European paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings.

Leading the sale are several fine paintings from a prominent collection in Michigan. The works represent the best of the best in American art, led by William Glackens’ The Bathers, with an estimate of $250,000-$350,000. The cover lot, Abbot Fuller Graves’ In the Garden, is another superb painting from the collection (est. $100,000-$150,000).

Other offerings from the collection include a rare Hudson River view by James Fairman (est. $70,000-$90,000); an exceptional, large still-life work by William Mason Brown (est. $50,000-$75,000), a winter scene by Alfred T. Bricher (est. $60,000-$80,000); an impressionist painting by Emil Carlsen (est. $50,000-$75,000); and a large neoclassical panting by the noted American muralist, Edwin H. Blashfield (est. $50,000-$75,000).

There are many other museum-worthy treasures up for bid, including two Norman Rockwell drawings with Christmas themes, each estimated at $30,000-$50,000. Boy in a Santa Suit was a study for a 1957 Hallmark Christmas card and Good Deeds was a study for the Dec. 6, 1924 issue of the Saturday Evening Post.

There are two paintings by regionalist artist Dale Nichols in the sale. Shannon’s set a world record for the artist in its last auction, selling Mid-Nation Winter for $120,000. The two paintings in this sale are Through the Clouds and Silent Morning. Through the Clouds is a dramatic scene, with light ripping through a clouded sky and illuminating a lone farmer standing between his house and a barn (est. $40,000-$60,000). Other regionalist works in the auction include a pair of artworks on paper by Thomas Hart Benton; a drawing of his son in Coffee Pot (est. $10,000-$15,000); and a still-life watercolor on paper (est. $6,000-$8,000).

There are several quality works by the American realist Henry Martin Gasser, who painted city scenes in and around his native Newark, New Jersey, as well as harbor scenes in New England. In addition, there are several watercolors and an ambitious fresh-to-the-market industrial city scene.

Another exciting find is a rediscovered masterwork by American genre artist William Tolman Carlton. In 1851 Carlton exhibited The Yankee Peddler at the New England Art Union in Boston. Until the recent rediscovery of the painting at Shannon’s (est. $20,000-$30,000), it was thought that the exhibited painting was in the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. Now, it is clear the signed, dated, larger example for sale at Shannon’s is the painting Carlton exhibited.

Notable contemporary offerings in the auction are a work on paper by Brazilian concrete artist Mauricio Nogueira Lima (est. $20,000-$30,000); and an oil painting by American abstract expressionist Bradley Walker Tomlin. The sale features a strong selection of contemporary prints by artists including Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Ellsworth Kelly, Pierre Soulages and Alex Katz. Other contemporary artists include Ilya Bolotowsky, Jenny Holzer, Peter Tunney, Robert Cottingham, Mark Tansey, Ralph Fasanella and others.

From the Hudson River School genre come paintings by Worthington Whittredge, William Sonntag, Sr., Johann Carmiencke and Hermann Herzog, among others. Additional 19th century works include still-life works by Robert Dunning, Joseph Decker, Emil Carlsen and Levi W. Prentice.

Previews will be held on weekdays, starting Monday, October 16th, and continuing through Thursday, October 25th (closed Sundays). Preview hours are 11-6 Eastern time, except on Saturday, October 21st, when the preview will end at 3 pm. There will also be a preview on Thursday, October 26th, the date of sale, from noon until 5:30 pm. The auction will start promptly at 6 pm. There will be live in-person bidding and live online bidding through Invaluable.com. Phone and absentee bids can be arranged through shannons.com or in-person during the preview.  

Shannon’s produces an extensive 180-page color catalog, which is available for sale on their website (shannons.com). A large, 8-page color brochure will also be mailed to 18,000 clients.

Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions.

Shannon’s will be holding an online-only fine art auction in January and another cataloged fine art auction in April. To consign a single piece of artwork, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (203) 877-1711; or, send an e-mail to info@shannons.com. To learn more about Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers and the Thursday, October 26th auction, please visit www.shannons.com. Updates are posted frequently.

                                                                        #  #  #  #