THOMASTON, ME: The August 26, 27 & 28 “Splendor” sale at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries will present a feast of important artwork, plus amazing selections of American folk art and colonial furnishings, modernist design, antiquities, and decorative pieces.
Thomaston Place owner and auctioneer Kaja Veilleux said: “The discovery of fabulous collections of art and antiques is what I love most about this business. For this sale, we are honored to handle the treasured pieces of many wonderful consignors.”
Many works in the sale come from the estate of esteemed American art collector and Nashville dealer Gary R. Haynes (1945-2021), devoted follower of Andrew Wyeth and frequent visitor to Maine, who ultimately opened Haynes Galleries in Thomaston (ME). Haynes’ accumulated collection has been considered “so valuable in its artistic significance that it could easily be featured in one of the world’s finest museums.”
This group includes two mixed media works by Jamie Wyeth (PA/ME/DE, 1946- ): “Study for Lighthouse”, the study for the oil painting image on the dustjacket of the book “Wondrous Strange: The Wyeth Tradition”; and “Kyle and the Influence”, depicting a pumpkin head figure standing in front of the Olson House. Additionally, there are two watercolor paintings by Andrew Wyeth (PA/ME, 1917-2009): “The Pantry” and “Granary and Mill”; six watercolor works by Stephen Scott Young (FL/SC/HI/Bahamas, 1957- ); and N.C. Wyeth’s (PA/ME/MA, 1882-1945) charcoal on paper study for his work “Lincoln Delivering his Second Inaugural Address”. The Haynes consignment also includes a variety of fine Wyeth prints, photos, and ephemera.
Fine art from the New York estate of artist, world traveler, and collector Syril Harriet Frank (1929-2021) will also be featured in this auction.
Leading the Frank collection are two important wooden sculptural works by Louise Nevelson (NY/Russia, 1899-1988) – “Open Zag” and “Tower II, 70s”. Art Nouveau masterworks purchased during Ms. Frank’s European travels will include: a pair of elegantly sculpted bronze figures of dancers by Agathon Leonard (France, 1841-1923); “Russian Dancer”, an ivory and wood sculpture by Paul Philippe (France/Germany, 1870-1930); and a circa 1900 bronze figural vase depicting the allegorical figure of sleep by Charles Korschann (Czech/France/Germany, 1872-1943).
Featured among a fascinating group of ancient and medieval art from the Frank collection will be: an important 15th Century Florentine relief stucco depicting the Madonna and Child, a 15th Century Flemish or Southern German carved wooden bust of Mary Magdelene, a Chinese Tang Dynasty sancai glazed tomb guardian figure of a soldier standing atop a sheep, and a 1st Century BCE Egyptian carved and polychromed wooden funerary mask of a pharaonic official.
The sale will offer an extensive inventory of Maine art, including works by: Marguerite Zorach (NY/ME/CA, 1887-1968); Dahlov Ipcar (ME, 1917-2017); Harrison Bird Brown (CA/ME/UK, 1831-1915), Stephen Etnier (ME/CA, 1903-1984), William Thon (ME/NY, 1906-2000), Samuel Colman (NY/CA/ME, 1832-1920), Andrew George Winter (NY/ME/MA, 1893-1958), William Zorach (NY/CA/ME, 1887-1966), and Waldo Peirce (NY/ME/MA, 1884-1920). Pieces by contemporary Maine artists such as Eric Hopkins, Alex Katz, Mitch Billis, Alan Magee, John Whalley, Ron Frontin and Barbara Ernst Prey, and many others will also be presented in the sale.
Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ summer auctions always include an outstanding offering of fine Americana, and this sale will be no exception. From the collection of early American furniture, there will be a circa 1790 two-part Connecticut River Valley Chippendale cherry secretary and a rare circa 1735 William & Mary/Queen Anne transitional dressing table of Deerfield/Hadley, MA origin.
Featured folk art will include: an American Federal period carved giltwood architectural eagle (probably from a court house or meeting house); a circa 1860 prancing horse weathervane by Jewell, a highly detailed marine diorama by Anne-Emmanuelle Marpeau (France/ME, contemporary) titled “Pumpkin Island, 1894”; a 19th Century carved nautical figurehead of a standing female figure with eagle; plus ship models, scrimshaw, baskets and sea chests.
Modernist art and design will also figure strongly in the auction, with artwork by Alberto Burri (CA/TX/Italy, 1915-1995), George Braque (France, 1882-1963), Ron Walotsky (NY/FL, 1943-2002), Andy Warhol (NY/PA, 1928-1987), Albert Gleizes (France, 1881-1953), Alexander Calder (CT/NY/France, 1898-1976), and Pablo Picasso (Spain/France, 1881-1973); plus mid-century home furnishings by Charles & Ray Eames, Jens Risom, Florence Knoll, Eero Saarinen, and Mies Van Der Rohe. A Picasso Madoura plaque; porcelain by Rozenburg Den Haag and Zsnolnay Pecs; Steuben glass; and a collection of studio pottery by Edwin & Mary Scheier (NH/AZ, 1910-2007/8) will also be offered.
Rounding out the sale will be a large collection of estate jewelry and watches, led by a men’s platinum ring set with a 2.6-carat diamond; a ladies Edwardian period platinum, Burmese ruby and diamond ring; and an E. Howard 18K gold pocket watch. And, there will be tea caddies, fine silver, garden items, musical instruments, Adirondack furniture, and oriental carpets.
The auction will begin at 11:00 a.m. EST each day. All lots can be viewed at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ website, www.thomastonauction.com.
The gallery will be open for previews from Monday thru Friday, August 15 through 19 (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.); Saturday, August 20 (10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.); and Monday through Thursday, August 22 through 25 (9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.). Previewing will also be available on auction days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 26, 27 & 28, from 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Please call 1-207-354-8141 to reserve seats at the sale. Face masks will be required for in-house participants. Telephone, absentee, and live online bidding on four internet platforms will also be available. Please visit our website (www.thomastonauction.com) or call 1-207-354-8141 for more information.
Thomaston Place Auction Galleries is Northern New England’s premier international auction company located on U.S. Route 1 in Thomaston. Thomaston Place is a leader in discovering antique and fine art treasures by offering Free Appraisals each Tuesday at the gallery, creating fundraiser events for civic and charitable organizations, and providing house call appraisal services. Their expertise in researching and marketing antiques and fine art has earned Thomaston Place the respect of buyers, collectors and experts worldwide.