NYC Day-Trip: Christie's and Sotheby's

Saturday, January 13, 2024 - I have been feeling a little un-sophisticated/un-arted these days, so I hit Christie's and Sotheby's websites - they both have EXCELLENT auctions this month of 19th Century American Artists. The "Hudson River School" is what got me started on this stuff over a decade ago. Both Auction Houses have a "Viewing Dates" today, so I made a date with Wendy and we headed south!

You know the drill - up early, and this time we left the house at about 6:15. Very easy drive through Massachusetts and Connecticut, down the Saw Mill and Henry Hudson Parkways, then down the west side of Manhattan, next to the Hudson River. Exit on West 50th Street, and over to our SpotHero parking at 55 W. 48th St, which cost $30.60 for 12 hours (at 11 AM):

Walked around the block to Christie's:

So, I wound up taking 45 pictures at Christie's - my 5 favorites are:

Thomas Moran - "Afterglow, Green River, Wyoming" (20 x 30 in.), 1918 oil:

(estimate $1.2 mm - 1.8 mm)

Thomas Hill - "Yosemite Valley" (71.25 x 95.5 in.), 1898 oil:

(estimate $100,000 - 150,000)

Henry Roderick Newman - "San Giorgio Maggiore and Santa Maria della Salute from the Giardino Publico", 1883 watercolor:

(estimate $3,000 - 5,000)

William Stanley Haseltine - "Off Newport, Rhode Island", 1863 oil:

(estimate $20,000 - 30,000)

Frederic Edwin Church - "The Valley of Lebanon", 1869 oil:

(Private Sales - Estimate upon request)

This was our walk around Christie's:

We picked up our car at 12:20, then drove crosstown to my second SpotHero of the day - 315 E. 70th St, which cost $22.16 for 6 hours (at 12:30). When planning this trip, I was thinking about parking at Rockefeller Center and taking a cab back-and-forth to Sotheby's, but then I realized that with taxis at $20 a pop (at least), it makes mure sense the do a 2nd SpotHero. We had lunch at a favorite - Café Luka:

Walking into Sotheby's, it is always nice to know that what you are looking for is "On Display"

I wound up taking 47 pictures at Sotheby's - my 5 favorites are:

Thomas Moran - "Green River, Wyoming" (13 by 20 in.), 1883 oil:

(estimate $800,000 - 1,200,000)

Winslow Homer - "Looking Over The Cliff", 1882 watercolor:

(estimate $800,000 - 1,200,000)

Sanford Robinson Gifford - "The Falls of Tivoli", 1869 oil:

(estimate $30,000 - 50,000)

Alfred Thompson Bricher - "A Bright Afternoon", c. 1885 oil:

(estimate $60,000 - 80,000)

William Louis Sonntag - "Millbrook Near Shelburne, New Hampshire", c. 1869 oil:

(estimate $8,000 - 12,000)

Other adventurous items at Sotheby's include Real Estate and Fashion:

This was our walk around Sotheby's:

Then it was time to head home with my Beautiful Bride.

Note from the Future - these 10 pieces sold for:

Lot 213 - Thomas Moran - "Afterglow, Green River, Wyoming" - $2,228,000
(estimate $1.2 mm - 1.8 mm)

Lot 246 - Thomas Hill - "Yosemite Valley" - $189,000
(estimate $100,000 - 150,000)

Lot 298 - Henry Roderick Newman - "San Giorgio Maggiore and Santa Maria della Salute from the Giardino Publico" - $4,032
(estimate $3,000 - 5,000)

Lot 21B - William Stanley Haseltine - "Off Newport, Rhode Island" - $$52,920
(estimate $20,000 - 30,000)

Private Sales - Frederic Edwin Church - "The Valley of Lebanon" - Private Sales price not released
(Estimate on Request)

Lot 14 - Thomas Moran - "Green River, Wyoming" - $1,451,500
(estimate $800,000 - 1,200,000)

Lot 32 - Winslow Homer - "Looking Over The Cliff" - $762,000
(estimate $800,000 - 1,200,000)

Lot 20 - Sanford Robinson Gifford - "The Falls of Tivoli" - $38,100
(estimate $30,000 - 50,000)

Lot 70 - Alfred Thompson Bricher - "A Bright Afternoon" - not sold
(estimate $60,000 - 80,000)

Lot 37 - William Louis Sonntag - "Millbrook Near Shelburne, New Hampshire" - $6,985
(estimate $8,000 - 12,000)

I'm no expert on art, but it seems to me that, at this time, American Art is under-valued. If you have the funds, and you know what you like, you can get some very good deals in this market, for artists "known" and "unknown". Thank You God for this wonderful art/adventure day!

Music for today:

Tears For Fears - Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92), 1992:

Neil Young - Harvest Moon, 1992:

The National - Trouble Will Find Me, 2013 6th studio album:

Traffic - Smiling Phases, 1991 2-cds compliation album:

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/

NYC Day-Trip: Christie's

Monday, October 30, 2023 - Both Sotheby's and Christie's have excellent auctions next month (November) - Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction (13 November 2023), and Christie's 20th Century Evening Sale (9 November 2023). Unfortunately they do not have overlapping "Viewing Dates", so Christie's looks like the better destination, with 5 Monets up for sale:

I left the house shortly after 6 AM, and by 9:30 was driving through Western Connecticut. The fog and views were pretty cool:

I grabbed Post Offices on my way down, and my favorite this morning is 10576 - Pound Ridge, NY:

I was running a little early for my SpotHero parking spot, so I decided to test the "free option" of getting onto Manhattan = I-95 South, getting off right before the George Wahington Bridge (versus entering at the top of the Island over the Henry Hudson Bridge). I was mentally prepared to just sit in stopped traffic for 10/15 minutes, and that is exactly what happened. I'm usually on a tight schedule, so I won't be doing that again, but it was a good experiment.

As always, pretty cool going down the West Side Highway:

After getting lost (the sign for the garage WAS A LEVEL BELOW THE STREET, ON THE DOWN RAMP) I parked at 1:16

The City is always busy:

The five Monets that started this trip are:

"La Seine à Bougival", 1870 oil:

(estimate $0.8 mm - 1.2 mm)

"La Seine à Lavacourt", 1879 oil:

(estimate $0.6 mm - 0.8 mm)

"Les bords de la Seine près de Vétheuil", 1881 oil:

(estimate $1.5 mm - 2.5 mm)

"Sandviken, Norvège, effet de neige", 1895 oil:

(estimate $2.5 mm - 3.5 mm)

"Le bassin aux nymphéas", c. 1917-1919 oil:

(Estimate on Request)

There was actually a 6th Monet, back in the "PRIVATE SALES" area:

"Vue du village de Giverny", 1886 oil:

(Price upon request)

A side-note on this lovely picture: It was sold through Christie's in 2018 for $3,972,500. As for this year, Christie's does not publish their Private Sales results.

Other wonderful art on view today:

Andy Warhol - "Sixteen Jackies", 1964 silkscreen:

(estimate $25 mm - 35 mm)

Andrew Wyeth - "Spring Fed", 1967 tempera:

(estimate $4 mm - 6 mm)

A WONDERFUL SURPRISE HIGHLIGHT was a pair of paintings by Canaletto, visiting from their 7 December 2023 "Old Masters Part 1" auction in London:

"Venice: The Entrance to the Grand Canal, looking West":

"Venice: The Molo: from the Bacino di San Marco":

(sold as a pair - estimate 8 mm - 12 mm [British Pounds])

and then it was time to head back down into the streets of New York:

I picked up my car at 2:30, and headed home, grabbing Post Offices on the way. My 2 favorites this afternoon are:

ZIP Code 10583 - Scarsdale, NY:

ZIP Code 10514 - Chappaqua, NY:

Note from the Future - these pieces sold for:

Lot 832 - Claude Monet - "La Seine à Bougival" - $1,623,000
(estimate $0.8 mm - 1.2 mm)

Lot 783 - Claude Monet - "La Seine à Lavacourt" - $1,320,500
(estimate $0.6 mm - 0.8 mm)

Lot 763 - Claude Monet - "Les bords de la Seine près de Vétheuil" - $3,438,000
(estimate $1.5 mm - 2.5 mm)

Lot 61B - Claude Monet - "Sandviken, Norvège, effet de neige" - $6,705,000
(estimate $2.5 mm - 3.5 mm)

Lot 35B - Claude Monet - "Le bassin aux nymphéas" - $74,010,000 (no typo)
(Estimate on Request)

Lot 31B - Andy Warhol - "Sixteen Jackies" - $25,940,000
(estimate $25 mm - 35 mm)

Lot 17B - Andrew Wyeth - "Spring Fed" - $4,769,000
(estimate $4 mm - 6 mm)

Lot 11 - Canaletto - the pair - "Venice: The Entrance to the Grand Canal, looking West; and The Molo: from the Bacino di San Marco" - 9,740,000 British Pounds
(estimate 8 mm - 12 mm British Pounds)

Thank You God for this wonderful art/adventure day!

Music for today:

Bob Dylan - Desire, 1976:

The Eagles - Desperado, 1973 2nd album:

Echo & The Bunnymen - Songs To Learn & Sing, 1985 compliation album:

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer, 1970 1st album:

Enya - The Best of Enya, 1997:

Wonderful ethereal music for driving through fog-shrouded hills of Western Connecticut.

Eurythmics - Greatest Hits (Eurythmics), 1991:

Bill Evans - Everybody Digs Bill Evans, 1959:

PERFECT for driving through the streets of New York City!!!

Bill Evans - Sunday at the Village Vanguard, 1961 live album:

Donald Fagen - Kamakiriad, 1993:

Donald Fagen - The Nightfly, 1982:

Marianne Faithful - Collection, 1994:

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - 2023/08/24 Foxborough, MA:

Once I hit I-84, Bruce and The Band took me home!! I listened to his New Zeland concert (Feb 2017) 2 days ago, so this was a FUN CONTRAST.

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/