Sotheby's NYC May 2021 Monet & Moran

Saturday, May 8, 2021 - I really enjoy my trips with Wendy to NYC to see Auction House and Gallery exhibitions. I have recently been doing a lot on Monet (MFA in Boston, The Met in NYC, The Clark in Williamstown), so I was pleased to see an upcoming auction at Sotheby's:


Public viewing is available May 1 through May 12, so we picked the 8th.

We left the house at 7:15 AM. Stopped for gas-and-coffee in Connecticut. SpotHero parking right at 12 noon:


and then a quick block-and-a-half:


I LOVE their great big banner:



From their June 29, 2021 London Auction: Wassily Kandinsky - Tensions calmées, 1937:

estimate $25,000,000 - $35,000,000

and, in a darken room

Claude Monet - Le Bassin aux nymphéas, 1917-19:

estimate $40,000,000 - $60,000,000

Childe Hassam - Flags on 57th Street, Winter 1918, 1918:

estimate $12,000,000 - $18,000,000

Claude Monet - La Seine à Lavacourt, débâcle, 1880:

estimate $6,000,000 - $8,000,000

Imagine my surprise at entering a room and seeing:

Thomas Moran - Grand Canyon, Arizona (A Miracle of Nature)(Zoroaster Peak, Grand Cañon), 1913:

This was not supposed to be On Display for another week, and I was going to miss it. Estimate $2,000,000 - $3,000,000

And just to round-out the big guns, price-wise:

Cy Twombly - Untitled (Rome), 1970:

estimate $35,000,000 - $45,000,000

In other parts of the building were:

Banksy - Love is in the Air, 2005 oil and spray paint on canvas:

estimate $3,000,000 - $5,000,000

3 pieces by Andy Warhol:

Marilyn Monroe (Feldman & Schellman II.22-31), 1967 screenprints:

estimate $2,000,000 - $3,000,000

Elvis 2 Times, 1963 silkscreen ink and silver paint on canvas:

estimate $20,000,000 - $30,000,000

Kay Fortson (An American Lady), 1976 acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas:

estimate $500,000 - $700,000

a fun piece by Sam Francis - Passage, 1985:

estimate $120,000 - $180,000

I do like their "big space" architectural design:

(see Elvis on the far wall)

Note from the Future - these pieces sold for:

Lot ... - Wassily Kandinsky - Tensions calmées - June 29, 2021 London auction
(estimate 25,000,000 - 35,000,000)

Lot 1010 - Claude Monet - Le Bassin aux nymphéas - $70,353,000
(estimate 40,000,000 - 60,000,000)

Lot 1026 - Childe Hassam - Flags on 57th Street, Winter 1918 - $12,328,500
(estimate 12,000,000 - 15,000,000)

Lot 1008 - Claude Monet - La Seine à Lavacourt, débâcle - unsold
(estimate 6,000,000 - 8,000,000)

Lot 20 - Thomas Moran - Grand Canyon, Arizona (A Miracle of Nature)(Zoroaster Peak, Grand Cañon) - May 19, 2021 New York auction
(estimate 2,000,000 - 3,000,000)

Lot 110 - Cy Twombly - Untitled (Rome) - $41,628,000
(estimate 35,000,000 - 45,000,000)

Lot 104 - Banksy - Love is in the Air - $12,903,000
(estimate 3,000,000 - 5,000,000)

Lot 126 - Andy Warhol - Marilyn Monroe (Feldman & Schellman II.22-31) - $3,045,000
(estimate 2,000,000 - 3,000,000)

Lot 4 - Andy Warhol - Elvis 2 Times - $37,032,000
(estimate 20,000,000 - 30,000,000)

Lot 421 - Andy Warhol - Kay Fortson (An American Lady) - $1,109,000
(estimate 450,000 - 650,000)

Lot 298 - Sam Francis - Passage - $378,000
(estimate 120,000 - 180,000)

Both Wendy and I were surprised at the unsold Monet - we liked it.

Picked up the car about 1:30, dinner at Five Guys! Excellent Adventure-Time with my Beautiful Bride! Thank You God for these Great Days!

Audio today - when Wendy wasn't reading to me (or us actually talking), there was quite listening to Keith Karrett, The Who, and Randy Newman. Later, more intentional listening was to:

Chick Corea - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, 1968 second album

In 1999, the single "Now He Sings, Now He Sobs" was given the Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

Natalie Merchant - Ophelia, 1998 second album


Chris Smither - Small Revelations, 1997


Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking in New England (the 4,000 footers; the 100 Highest; WATERFALLS)
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/