New York – Female painters, Anne Ramsdell Congdon and March Avery, achieved resounding success at Bonhams American Art auction on August 24 in New York, the department’s first ever summer sale. Achieving an auction world record, Karla Drawing by March Avery (b. 1932) sold for $40,695, more than six times its low estimate. Daughter of iconic American painters Milton Avery and Sally Michel, March Avery is known for her use of intense, rich hues utilized in unusual color combinations and the distinct style of simplified forms developed by her parents.
An exceptional example by the artist, Nantucket, Massachusetts by Congdon (1873-1958) soared ten times its low estimate to achieve $53,295. Congdon’s views of Nantucket are beautiful interpretations and unique recordings of the island’s landscape during the early-to-mid-twentieth century and are highly prized by Nantucket collectors and institutions.
The sale overall achieved $494,303 with 90% sold by lot and 99% sold by value.
Additional sale highlights:
- Doubling its estimate, Summer Trees Against a Deep Blue Sky, an oil painting, by Wolf Kahn (1927-2020) sold for $50,775. Kahn was known for his vivid paintings of forests and farmlands and combining Realism and Color Field theory.
- Study for Pause Café by Ernie Barnes (1938 -2009), a preliminary sketch for one of his most recognizable paintings, sold for $40,695, more than twice its low estimate.
- Two works by Alice Hirsh (1888-1935) depicting the beauty of New York City, performed well beyond their estimates with East River View (Fulton Fish Market) sold for $5,100 and Under the 59th Street Bridge sold for $4,080.
