Weschler’s Auctioneers will hold its Spring Capital Collections Estate Auction on March 18. The sale will feature a number of signed letters by prominent historical political figures, the standout being a Thomas Jefferson autograph letter to Henry Dearborn. This handwritten letter was signed by Jefferson during his presidency on September 1, 1808 and was addressed to the then Secretary of War, Henry Dearborn. In the letter, President Jefferson discusses New York Governor Tompkins’ recommendation for George Mosley, who wishes to be a ‘cadet.’ It is likely that Mosely was seeking admission to the newly established U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The letter is expected to fetch $10,000-$15,000. Other documents include those signed by Martin Van Buren, James Monroe, Samuel Adams and Daniel Webster ($600-$1,800). The letters are a wonderful opportunity to own a piece of American history and are a fitting contribution to a Washington, D.C. auction.

Two works rich in provenance highlight the fine art portion of the sale. The first work, L’Hommage à John Leech by French caricaturist and artist, Honoré Daumier, hails from the renowned collection of  Albert Eugene Gallatin, who also happened to be a prominent artist. The sketch was featured in The New York Times, “Art at Home and Abroad” on February 7, 1915 where the Daumier is described by Gallatin as a “powerful study of the physiognomy, expressed by a feathery play of line.” The second work of note is the oil on panel, Portrait of an Old Woman, from the Studio of Sir Peter Paul Rubens. The oil on board is thought to have issued from the collection of another famous art collector, Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Lebrun, who was active in Paris in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century, and made its way into the prestigious collection of Näsby Castle. The painting is a tronie, which is a character study, and uses rich and dark colors typical of Rubens’ portraits.

Other fine art of note includes an Andy Warhol screenprint from his iconic series, Flowers, and two gouache on paper works by Eugène Galien-Laloue: Les Bouquinistes Sur le Quai du Louvre, Paris and Coin à Montmartre, Paris. Galien-Laloue popularized Paris street scene paintings in the nineteenth century; these two works are exemplars of his style.

Seven lots of Meissen porcelain will be offered, including a pair of impressive ‘Schneeballen’ covered urns. These twenty-inch tall urns, after a model by Johann Johannes Kaendler from the late 19th—early 20th century, are encrusted with delicate white blossoms and applied with ‘snowball’ blossoms, leaves and song birds. The pair carries an estimate of $10,000-$15,000.

The auction will also feature a fine selection of jewelry, silver, Asian works of art, American and European decorations and furniture, and rugs. Other outstanding lots include a Chinese cloisonné enamel and gilt bronze covered censer with applied Quinlong seal mark ($7,000-$10,000); an Art Deco choker length platinum, star sapphire and diamond necklace with approximately 91.10 carats of star sapphires ($8,000-$12,000); two Tiffany Studios leaded glass lamps ($1,500-$8,000); and a selection of 20th century furniture by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen ($1,000-$2,500).

Exhibition for the auction will be held March 12—17 at Weschler’s downtown D.C. 2nd floor gallery, located at 909 E Street, N.W. Exhibition hours and a complete illustrated catalogue are available at www.weschler.com.