Los Angeles, CA— Moran’s Autumn rendition of their bi-annual California and American Fine Art sale will be taking place Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 4:00pm PST. The selection will feature fresh-to-the-market artworks that have been chosen from private collections throughout California, the Southwest, and beyond. Leading the sale include works by Edgar Alwin Payne, William Wendt, John Marshall Gamble, and John Frost. More contemporary highlights include works by Margaret Keane, Richard MacDonald, and Clyde Aspevig. With a wide range of subjects and time periods represented, this sale has something for every plein air collection.
John Marshall Gamble (1863-1957), Poppies and Lupine near Sta. Paula $20,000-30,000
One of the private collections comes from the estate of George David Sturges (“Dave”). Growing up, Dave was surrounded by art, but it wasn’t until a visit to a friend’s house when he became enamored with California landscape paintings. “As soon as I arrived, I noticed five or six paintings on the wall, all done by the same artist and similar style. They were landscape paintings of the Eastern Sierras in California. …I felt a visceral reaction to these paintings I had not felt before when looking at work by European masters and works by highly talented Americans of several different periods. I was determined to remember the artist’s name…” Over the years, Dave accrued an impressive art collection, and this sale will offer works by Hanson Duvall Puthuff, Thomas Hill, and the artist who started it all, Edgar Payne. One of Dave’s favorite paintings from his collection was the work by Payne, Ediza Lake, near Mammoth, Eastern Sierras, estimated at $30,000-50,000.
Changing scenery from the mountains to the railroad, is Excavation Grand Central Station, by Paul Cornoyer, estimated at $20,000-30,000. An American painter in the late 1800s/early 1900s, Cornoyer’s earlier work depicted subjects such as cityscapes and landscapes. In 1899, he traveled to New York City and there became a specialist in Tonal urban scenes, painting mirrored pavements, streets with horse drawn carriages, buildings, streets, and train stations.
Other American painters featured in this sale are John Marshall Gamble (1863-1957) and Hanson Duvall Puthuff (1875-1972). Gamble earned a national reputation for his paintings of the California golden poppies, blue lupine and rolling coastal hills and have graced the walls of many museums and art collections across the country. Gamble’s work, Poppies and Lupine near Sta. Paula, will be offered with a $20,000-30,000 estimate. Hanson Puthuff was born in Missouri but is primarily remembered for his California landscapes and desert paintings and his involvement in the Southern California art world in the early 20th century. His paintings of rolling hills, canyons, and the atmospheric effects of Southern California, the Sierras, and desert scenes are widely admired. His work, Sunlit Arroyo, will be offered with a $30,000-50,000 estimate.
Like Gamble, Theodore Earl Butler (1861-1936) was a post-impressionist painter in America. Early in his career he became an award-winning painter in America and France. Then, in 1888, he accompanied a friend to Giverny to meet Claude Monet, one of the masters of impressionism. Under Monet’s tutelage, Butler soon began to paint garden scenes and outdoor figures in loose strokes of brightly colored paint. In 1892, Butler married one of Monet’s four stepdaughters, Suzanne, known as “The woman with a Parasol” and Monet’s favorite model. Poplar Trees Along the Epte, is an example of Butler’s work with Monet’s influence, estimated at $20,000-30,000.
This sale has an impressive variety of plein air landscape paintings, another one being, The Days End, River Elaune, Normandie, 1919, by George Ames Aldrich, estimated $3,000-5,000. Aldrich (1872-1941) attended the Art Students League in New York City where he studied with impressionist John Henry Twachtman, muralist Kenyon Cox, Henry Siddons Mowbray, and William Merritt chase. Following his training at the Art Students League, Aldrich made his way to France. Surrounded by budding artists, he continued his art studies with numerous well-established artists, and eventually met eminent Norwegian painter Fritz Thaulow, later becoming his “favorite pupil.” Though exposed to and influenced by Impressionism, by the time Aldrich met him, Thaulow had focused on portraying nature in its pure beauty, primarily focusing on water and snow. Aldrich continued his career creating work in Thaulow’s style, having most of his pieces depicting the streams and villages of his beloved France or rivers and streams of the Midwest.
Representing the offerings of sculpture, a stunning bronze work by Richard MacDonald. Known as the world’s preeminent living figurative sculptor, MacDonald is a leading advocate of the neo-figurative movement in the arts. Much of his work is modeled after some of the greatest dancers and performers in the world, including those from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, The Royal Ballet, and Cirque du Soleil. MacDonald’s sculptures have been featured in hundreds of solo and group exhibitions, and has earned him countless awards, honors, and professorships. With an estimate of $5,000-7,000, Moran’s will be featuring his piece, Elena Study II.
—Brenda Smith, John Moran Auctioneers
Paul Cornoyer (1864-1923, American), Excavation Grand Central Station $20,000-30,000
“Changing scenery from the mountains to the railroad, is Excavation Grand Central Station, by Paul Cornoyer, estimated at $20,000-30,000. ”
Upcoming Auctions
As we round out the end of 2022, John Moran Auctioneers will continue this year’s lineup with the Autumn Modern & Contemporary Fine Art auction on Tuesday, November 1st, followed by both the Made in Mexico and California and American Fine Art sales on Tuesday, November 15th. Be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming auctions so you don’t miss out on the action, and the treasures!
Autumn Modern & Contemporary Fine Art: Tues., Nov.1st | 12:00 pm PST
Made in Mexico: Tuesday, November 15th | 10:00 am PST
California and American Fine Art: Tuesday, November 15th | 4:00pm PST
Art of the American West: Wednesday, November 16th | 12:00 pm PST
Studio Fine and Decorative Art: Wednesday, Nov. 30th| 10:00 am PST
Traditional Collector: Tuesday, December 6th | 12:00 pm PST
For upcoming highlights, online catalogues, and more information on these sales, visit Moran’s website: www.johnmoran.com and follow us on social media: @johnmoranauctioneers. Along with our website, bidding is now available online via Moran’s new mobile app, Moran Mobile, available on both iOS and Android operating systems. You may also choose to bid by phone or absentee.
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