Rago’s May 18 Fine Art Auctions Realize $1.9 Million.

Lambertville, NJ   Rago Arts and Auction Center’s Fine Art auctions on May 18 brings an impressive $1.9 million.  

“Results for the Contemporary Art in the Joshua Smith Collection were strong and the collection exceeded the high estimate,” said Meredith Hilferty, who directs Rago's Fine Art department.  The top price in Contemporary Art was for a Kenneth Noland painting entitled “Flown” from 1978 selling for $81,250.  In the early 20th C. category, a small portrait by Milton Dacosta stole the show selling for $41,250 against an estimate of $10,000-15,000.  We also broke records with sculpture by artists Nathaniel Choate and Frederick Hart and saw strong results for American paintings by Guy Carleton Wiggins, BJO Nordfeldt and George Loftus Noyes.”

HIGHLIGHTS/STATS

All Sessions

-Hammer:  $ 1,536,685

-Hammer + bp:  $ 1,920,856

-Number of Lots: 563

-Internet Bidders: 563, From: USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Latvia, Sweden, Norway, Taiwan and Japan

-In-House: 79

-Phone Bidders: 235

-Absentee Bidders: 134

-% sold: 80%

19th/20th C. American and European Art

-Hammer:  $ $427,425

-Hammer + 25% bp =  $ 534,281

-Low estimate: $ 407,400

-High estimate: $ 600,300

-% sold: 78%

1.  136 Milton Dacosta, Figura   $ 41,250

2.  108 Guy Carleton Wiggins, At the Plaza, Winter   $ 40,625

3.  123 Frederick Hart, St. Peter, Bronze   $ 40,625

4.  122 Frederick Hart, Ex Nihilo: Figure #4, Bronze   $36,250 

5.  87  Nathaniel Choate, Mercury, Bronze   $ 31,250

6.  49  Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt, Tulips in Red Jar   $ 17,500     

7.  1   George Loftus Noyes, Cannon Mt., White Mts., Franconia   $ 11,250

8.  80  Mario Joseph Korbel, Untitled (Study for "Andante")   $ 11,250

9.  90  Abraham Walkowitz, Isadora Duncan  $ 10,000

10.  129 Loren MacIver, Winter/Spring   $ 8,750

Post-War and Contemporary Art 

-Hammer:  $1,109,260

-Hammer + 25% bp =  $ 1,386,575

-Low estimate $ 1,080,800

-High estimate: $ 1,558,100

-% lots sold: 82% 

1.  739 Kenneth Noland, Flown   $ 81,250

2.  779 Raymond Pettibon, Untitled (I believe that there are...)   $ 43,750

3.  804 Lynn Chadwick, Elecktra  $ 40,625

4.  792 Theodoros Stamos, Infinity Field Torino, VI   $ 32,500

5.  602 Sean Scully, Untitled   $ 30,000      

6.  901 Marilyn Minter, Runs  $ 26,250

7.  515 Alice Neel, Phil Bard    $ 25,000   

8.  587 Marlene Dumas, Just as it Used to Be  $ 21,250

9.  625 Kara Walker, What I Want History to Do to Me   $ 20,000   

10.  695 Theodoros Stamos, Beachscape   $ 20,000

Consignments are now being accepted for Rago’s November 2013 Fine Art auctions and all of Rago’s Fall 2013 auctions: 609.397.9374 or info@ragoarts.com. 

TO THE EDITOR

High resolution images/more information available on request.

About Rago Arts and Auction Center

Since 1994, Rago's has served thousands of sellers and buyers with a singular blend of global reach and personal service. Originally specialists in 20th century design, today Rago's expertise covers centuries of fine art, decorative arts, furnishings, jewelry and ethnographic property.  It is a world-class venue through which to buy and sell. It is also a destination for those who seek to learn and share knowledge about art, antiques and collecting, offering free valuations for personal property (from a single piece to collections and estates), appraisals and auction exhibitions in house and online. Rago's, the largest and leading auction house in New Jersey, is located midway between Philadelphia and New York.

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