CRANSTON, R.I. – An oil landscape painting attributed to Hudson River School artist Albert Bierstadt (German-American, 1830-1902), a Cubist painting by the Russian Federation artist Frantisek Reichenthal (Slovakian-American, 1895-1971), palace-size Persian rugs, furniture, Asian arts and petroliana will all be part of Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers’ January 26th auction.

The 373-lot Estate Antiques & Fine Art Auction will be held online and in the Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers gallery, at 63 Fourth Avenue in Cranston, starting at 12 noon Eastern time. A 200-lot pre-sale, beginning at 10 am, with no online bidding, will precede the main event. “We’re kicking off the New Year with a fun, eclectic mix for our antiques crowd,” said Bruneau & Co. president and auctioneer Kevin Bruneau, “from Asian arts to modern design to period furniture.”

Travis Landry, a Bruneau & Co. specialist and auctioneer, added, “This catalog certainly holds some seldom seen objects. While doing research I was blown away by the career and backstory of Frantisek Reichenthal. It’s going to be interesting to see how well it performs. The artist has few but mighty records at auction.” The work in the sale has been estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

Reichenthal is widely regarded as one of the most influential Eastern European modern artists, having painted and taught with Marc Chagall (1887-1985) from 1917-1919, after serving time as a Russian POW for serving in the Austro-Hungarian army in 1916. His career prospered after that, although his family was persecuted by the Nazis in WWII. He came to the U.S. in 1950.

The painting in the auction is an oil on canvas Cubist-Modernist rendering of a woman holding a bird in a vibrant color palette. The work is signed lower right (“Reichenthal”) on a canvas that measures 16 inches by 9 inches. The frame it’s housed in measures 22 inches by 15 inches. The only blemish is a very small patch repair with some inpainting; otherwise it’s in good condition.

The oil painting attributed to Albert Bierstadt is a landscape depiction of Yosemite Valley in California beneath an early morning rising sun. The unsigned work was masterfully executed and measures an impressive 30 inches by 50 inches. It was done in the manner of Bierstadt, including all the characteristics of the Hudson River School in its majestic grandeur (est. $6,000-$9,000).

Also offered will be a collection of thirteen silver albumen prints by Jerry Norman Uelsmann (b. 1934), an American photographer and early exponent of photomontage in the 20th century. His work in darkroom effects foreshadowed the use of Adobe Photoshop to make surrealistic images, a process led by his ex-wife, Maggie Taylor. The thirteen prints will be sold as individual lots.

The decorative arts selection will feature a 19th century French repeater carriage clock with silver overlay dial, signed “Aiguilles” on the works and having a neoclassical case dated April 20, 1897. The handsome timepiece, with white enameled Arabic numeral dial with pierced hands and intricate silver filigree overlay, should command $1,500-$2,500.

There is also a large presence of modern and contemporary decorative arts, highlighted by a selection of Murano art glass featuring works by Lino Tagliapietra and Gino Cenedese. Two bronze sculptures by American modernists will also be offered, including Marie Zoe Greene-Mercier and a kinetic sculpture attributed to Richard MacDonald.

The more than 75 lots of furniture, spanning from the 16th century to modern design, will include a Hollywood Regency faux lapis lazuli full figure swan table, an 18th century Chippendale tiger maple chest of drawers, a Skovmand & Anderson dining room set, a Danish teak wood OX-Art tile dining table and a fine European carved oak coffer chest.

There is a small selection of antique petroliana and advertising highlighted by a circa 1940s Sunoco Walt Disney Donald Duck cardboard poster and a circa 1940s Shell pecten embossed porcelain neon skin sign. The Donald Duck Sunoco sign (“Keeps Motors Knockless!/25 Cents a Can”) measures 59 ½ inches by 38 ¾ inches (est. $2,000-$3,000).

Scattered throughout the catalog will be 75 lots of Asian arts, including a Chinese Qing Dynasty oil on paper laid down on cardboard portrait painting of an Imperial official, 59 ¾ inches by 35 ½ inches framed; and a large Japanese Meiji period gilt and lacquered Buddha on an unusual elephant base, overall 28 inches tall (both est. $2,000-$3,000).

Other Asian art highlights include a Chinese Ming Dynasty lacquered bronze buddha and a 19th century Southeast Asian bronze. The antique Persian palace-size carpets include:

• A monumental circa 1920 wool Bidjar rug, 24 feet 9 inches by 14 feet 11 with blue ground and an overall floral and tendril pattern with vibrant floral borders. The rug was deaccessioned from a whaling museum in Sharon, Mass. (est. $5,000-$8,000).
• A circa 1890 wool Bidjar rug, 19 feet 4 inches by 11 feet 3 inches, having a central red diamond medallion within a navy-blue field with an intricate floral design within wide stylized borders. Minimal wear to surface (est. $4,000-$6,000).

Doors will open on auction day right at 8 am Eastern time. Online bidding will be facilitated by bidLIVE.Bruneauandco.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Bidsquare.com and Invaluable.com, or by downloading the mobile app “Bruneau & Co.” on iTunes or GooglePlay. Previews will be held on Thursday, January 24th, and Friday, January 25th, from 9 am to 5 pm. All times are Eastern.

To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and the January 26th Estate Antiques & Fine Art Auction, please visit www.bruneauandco.com. Updates are posted frequently. To contact the company via e-mail, use info@bruneauandco.com. Or, you can phone them at (401) 533-9980.

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