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

Saturday, May 6, 2023 - Both Sotheby's and Christie's have excellent auctions this month - Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction 16 May 2023, and Christie's 20th Century Evening Sale 11 MAY 2023. Unfortunately they only have a few "Viewing Dates" that overlap - today is one of them! Wendy was busy writing a sermon, so she said I should go. After my Saturday Morning Zoom Bible Study, I hit the road and was at The Triborough Bridge (in 2008 it was renamed: "Robert F. Kennedy Bridge") a little before 2:

I headed down the East Side Highway, got to my SpotHero, and was at Sotheby's at 2:13

What drove this visit were 2 paintings by Claude Monet:

"Palmier à Bordighera", 1884 oil:

(estimate $5mm - 7mm)

"Au Cap Martin", 1884 oil:

(estimate $10mm - 15mm)

Other beauties at Sotheby's were:

Andrew Wyeth - "Blue Cap", 1977 watercolor:

(estimate $100,000-150,000)

Edward Hopper - "Cobb's Barns, South Truro", 1930-33 oil:

(estimate $8mm - 12mm)
"Sold by The Whitney Museum of American Art to support Future Acquisitions". Sure glad I saw it now!

Vincent van Gogh - "Jardin devant le Mas Debray", 1887 oil:

(estimate $20mm - 30mm)

Jamie Wyeth - "Twin Houses", 1969 watercolor:

(estimate $100,000-150,000)

Nice walk around Sotheby's:

It was then time to head across mid-town Manhattan:

I reached Christie's at 3:40

Pablo Picasso - "Cafetière, tasse et pipe", 1911 oil:

(estimate $8mm - 12mm)

Jackson Pollock - "Number 28, 1949", 1949 oil:

(estimate $3mm - 4mm)

Edgar Degas - "Danseuse à la barre", 1877 gouache, pastel and pencil:

(estimate $2mm - 3mm)

Claude Monet - "La Tamise", 1901 pastel:

(estimate $400,000 - 600,000)

When I visit a museum or an auction house, I want to go EVERYWHERE and see EVERYTHING. So although the sign says "Private Lounge". the door was open, so I took a peak inside:

Excellent walk around Christie's:

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

Finished walking 7.33 miles in New York City:

I picked up my car at 5, and headed home, grabbing Post Offices on the way. My 2 favorites today are:

ZIP Code 10573 - Port Chester, NY:

ZIP Code 10021 - Lenox Hill Station, New York, NY:

Note from the Future - these pieces sold for:

Lot 115 - Claude Monet - "Palmier à Bordighera" - $5,849,700
(estimate $5mm - 7mm)

Lot 117 - Claude Monet - "Au Cap Martin" - $11,479,800
(estimate $10mm - 15mm)

Lot 435 - Andrew Wyeth - "Blue Cap" - $88,900
(estimate $100,000 - $150,000)

Lot 145 - Edward Hopper - "Cobb's Barns, South Truro" - $7,228,500
(estimate $8mm - 12mm)

Lot 114 - Vincent van Gogh - "Jardin devant le Mas Debray" - $23,314,500
(estimate $20mm - 30mm)

Lot 689 - Jamie Wyeth - "Twin Houses" - $406,400
(estimate $100,000 - 150,000)

Lot 10A - Pablo Picasso - "Cafetière, tasse et pipe" - $11,335,000
(estimate $8mm - 12mm)

Lot 174 - Jackson Pollock - "Number 28, 1949" - $6,705,000
(estimate $3mm - 4mm)

Lot 29A - Edgar Degas - "Danseuse à la barre" - $5,616,000
(estimate $2mm - 3mm)

Lot 149 - Claude Monet - "La Tamise" - $2,954,000
(estimate $400,000 - 600,000)

Thank You God for this wonderful art/adventure day!

I didn't keep track of Music for today, but I had a great time!

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/

Mead Art Museum at Amherst College

Thursday, March 2, 2023 - On Thursdays, I like taking advantage of already being at my "Breakfast-in-Boston", and using that as a jumping-off point for a Day of Adventure. Because of Covid, the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College had been closed to the public for a couple of years, and had only recently become Open-to-the-Public. They have a wonderful selection of paintings that I would like to see:

Having a specific destination, not too far away, allowed me to cover a lot of territory:

And I still have the "Post Offices" bug - my "Before Picture":

My "collection" after today, with today's Post Offices in light blue:

I like going into Boston by going down Route 1, then taking 99 down through Everett. I see kids going to school, people waiting for busses, double-decker houses, Dunkin Donuts, the Library - just the regular activities of humanity. It makes the world seem a bit more Real. At the Everett-Boston Line is the Encore Hotel/Casino, and they often have a shift just getting out, or one starting soon. I then take a right around Bunker Hill Community College and cross over to Cambridge, where I take a left down in front of the Museum of Science. Then onto Storrow Drive, off at Arlington Street, and then I park on Boylston across from the Four Seasons and walk up to the Union Club. Between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, I have to leave the house at 5:50, but the rest of the year it can be 6:05 or 6:10

Today, as I was going from Bunker Hill Community College toward Cambridge, I saw Black Smoke in front of me - not a good sign:

I turned the corner, and saw the worst car-fire I have ever seen:

That is DEFINITELY something I do not see every day. God Bless Us All.

I might as well put in a plug for my Thursday Men's Breakfast:

I have been attending for about 35 years. That sounds like a long time, but it is just one day a week. An excellent sit-down breakfast, coffee that makes your backbone straight, wonderful fellowship, and an excellent Bible Study/Teaching. I find that by coupling this with "Church on Sunday", my "Spiritual Needs for the week" are satisfied. I hope (and pray) that everyone finds an appropriate "Spiritual Balance" in their lives, and this works for me.

As a volunteer, I also do a lot of work for TMB - sending out a weekly email, and recording-and-posting the Teachings. Keeps my days full, and puts a smile on my face when I go to bed at night.

After The Breakfast, I headed through Cambridge and out Route 2, angling up to the area between Route 2 and the New Hampshire Border. My first Post Office up here was Forge Village (an area of Westford):

From there I just wandered through Massachusetts Cities and Towns, grabbing Post Offices. I think my favorite was Royalston, MA 01368:

A FUN VIEW at Leverett Pond:

(I think those colors are so bright that they will melt that snow, all by themselves!)

I reached the Mead Art Museum at 2 PM:

They had "Old Art" on display today:

Francesco Guardi - "Landscape with Ruins", 18th century oil:

Leonardo Coccorante (attributed to) - "The Storm", ca. 1730 oil:

Giovanni Battista Piranesi - "Remains of the Aqueduct of Nero", n.d. etching:

Giovanni Battista Piranesi - "Ruins of the Supposed Temple of Hercules in the City of Cori (Rovine del Tempio supposto di Ercole nella cita di Cora)", 1769 etching:

Assyrian Reliefs, 883-859 BCE alabaster:

My hike around The Mead:

And the it was time to head home, through West Brookfield, MA 01585:

and Rochdale, MA 01542:

Home late afternoon, in plenty of time for dinner! Thank You God for this GREAT Adventure/Art Day!

Music for today - more physical cds:

starting the day with jazz - Joey Calderazzo - Amanecer, 2007

Boom Forest - Boom Forest, 2014 1st album

This guy opened for Counting Crows on their 2018 tour. The "Blossom Music Center" in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio:

Drive-By Truckers - It's Great to Be Alive!, 2015 3-cd package

GREAT ALBUM, ending with a 13-minute version of "Grand Canyon"!

Neil Diamond - Hot August Night, 1972 double-album

Excellent live versions of his hits.

Counting Crows - Across a Wire: Live in New York City, 1998 3rd album/double live album

cd 1 is acoustic, from VH1 Storytellers. cd 2 is electric, from MTV's Live from the 10 Spot show.

The Doors - Waiting For The Sun, 1968 3rd album

The Doors - The Soft Parade, 1969 4th album

After all these years, I still like listening to The Doors' studio albums.

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/