Birger Sandzén’s Lake at Sunset, Colorado, 1921  –  a tour de force by “the American Van Gogh” – sold May 7, 2016, for a record $670,000 in Heritage Auctions’ American Art Auction in Dallas.

Having been held by a Midwest Institution since 1923 when it was originally purchased from the artist at the height of his career, this masterwork led a $4.43 million offering of legendary works at Heritage. Comprising a strong selection of California, Western, and Illustration Art, this sale boasted a multitude of dazzling highlights.

“Collectors are particularly discerning, and there is no doubt we provided the right selection at the right time in the market,” said Aviva Lehmann, Director of American Art. “We are delighted to play a significant role in the maturation of the California and Western Art markets, while retaining our command of high-end Illustration Art.”

Western Art claimed the auction’s top lot honors as Indian Rider, 1918  –  a singular example of William Robinson Leigh deploying dramatic movement, bold color, and compositional integrity – sold for $394,000; while Sandzén’s Near the Timberline, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, circa 1919, realized $346,000.

Cottonwoods in the Square – Ernest Leonard Blumenschein’s love letter to the American West, bursting with vibrant color and poignant symbols of Native American heritage – sold well above its pre-auction estimate, at $298,000. Lower Hondo, Spring, circa 1940, by Victor Higgins, Blumenschein’s fellow member of the Taos Society of Artists, fetched $131,250.

The auction’s offering of masterworks by giants of American Illustration Art included a rare piece of Hollywood history painted by Norman Rockwell: the original promotional art for the 1960 film “Cinderfella”. Making its auction debut, the artwork embodies the artistic collaboration of Rockwell and comedian Jerry Lewis, two American legends. Consigned directly from Mr. Lewis’ collection since Rockwell presented it to him in 1960, this original work achieved $250,000.

A highly-desirable Saturday Evening Post cover for July 4, 1931, titled 1776 by Joseph Christian Leyendecker sold for $163,500, against a $60,000 estimate.

Preparing the Boats at Greenwood Lake, 1858, by famed Hudson River Artist Jasper Francis Cropsey, sold for $100,000 to lead the auction’s selection of early American landscapes. Castle Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, 1891, by Grafton Tyler Brown, set an auction record for the artist after a bidding war pushed the price to $81,250, against an $8,000 pre-auction estimate. Sandia Mountains, 1949, Blumenschein’s stunning work on paper, incorporating pink and orange hues and dynamic lines to provide a striking contrast with the rugged geometric shapes of the mountains, realized an impressive $52,500.

Additional highlights include, but are not limited to:

Two important artworks by LeRoy Neiman: Gerry Mulligan, 1960, realized $93,750; and Couple in Booth (Self Portrait), 1965, realized $81,250.

Venice, 1887, by Thomas Moran: Realized: $93,750.

Cyrus Edwin Dallin’s bronze, Appeal to the Great Spirit, 1913, a bronze from the Estate of Richard D. Bass, the first man to climb the "Seven Summits," the tallest mountains on each continent: Realized: $50,000.