3 Days on the Road - Day 1

Thursday, April 18, 2024 - So, ten days ago Wendy got a phone call from a friend saying "We're flying back from Charlotte (North Carolina) Airport, and we need someone to drive our car back up to the North Shore. Do you know anyone who might be interested?"

Immediately my hand (well, both my hands) WENT UP! Art Museums and Post Offices!

I took a Wednesday afternoon direct flight (Delta) from Boston to Charlotte:

I took the shuttle-van to the hotel and checked in at 5:30

Grocery store was next door, so dinner/tv/and bed.

Thursday morning - up and at 'em, planning my trip today:

Well, maybe there was a bit more planning than that:

and of course I had to figure out where to meet my friends at The Airport:

It turned out to be easy, and they arrived at 9:28 - hugs, and then we were both on our separate ways:

I grabbed a few Post Offices south of Charlotte, and got to the Mint Museum Uptown (in Charlotte) at noon.

They have a nice selection (Warhol, Paul Jenkins, David Johnson, William MacDougal Hart, Louis Remy Mignot, Thomas Cole, Sanford Gifford, Childe Hassam), but my favorite is contrasting the picture I took back in 2015 (with my old iPhone) and the picture I took today:

William Frerichs - "Nature's Rushing Force", 1865-80 oil:

Another beauty was Sanford Gifford - "Indian Summer in the White Mountains", 1862 oil:

I left Charlotte at 12:30

and stayed off the Main Interstate to get over to the North Carolina Museum of Art (in Raleigh) at 4:40 - 20 minutes before closing!

I had been here in March 2015 and October 2019, and today I took pictures of 22 works of art. The docent proudly showed me their 3 Monets:

And I took a couple of "compare photographs - old iPhone/new iPhone": Michele Marieschi - "The Grand Canal at the [Rio di] Ca' Foscari", ca. 1740-43 oil

and Thomas Moran - "Fiercely the red sun descending / Burned his way along the heavens", 1875-76 oil:

Other beauties include - Andrew Wyeth - "Weather Side", 1965 tempera:

William Keith - "Mono Pass, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California", 1877 oil:

It was fun moving around The Museum:

I got kicked out of there at 5 and made my way northeast to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (in Richmond), arriving at 8:44 - they are open until 9 PM on Thursdays!

I had a WONDERFUL visit, and certainly should have allowed for more time. I had previously been here in 2014 and 2015, and of the 30 pictures I took, 20 were NEW THIS TRIP!

[and I did not see their Pollock (1) or Monets (5)]

New Art this time around include - Francesco Guardi - "View of the Piazza San Marco", ca. 1775-85 oil:

Canaletto - "Palazzo Pesaro", after 1755 oil:

Sanford Robinson Gifford - "On the Seashore, Looking Eastward at Sunset", 1878 oil:

Albert Bierstadt - "Moonlight in Yosemite", ca. 1865-75 oil:

From the Info Disply Card "This painting is one of a handful of nighttime scenes by Albert Bierstadt and the only known grisaille - a work done in only tones of black, white, and gray - of this grand landscape of the American West."

Andrew Wyeth - "Ericksons", 1973 tempera:

Frederic Edwin Church - "View on the Magdalena River", 1857 oil:

Asher B. Durand - "Progress (The Advance of Civilization)", 1853 oil:

It was night, but this was my walk in Richmond:

I got kicked out of there at 9 PM, and drove 12 miles down the road, to the "Microtel Inn, Richmond Airport":

I wound up driving 451 miles today, also picking up 19 Post Offices:

My favorite for today is ZIP Code 28124 - Mount Pleasant, NC:

Thank You God for this wonderful art-and-adventure day!

Music for today:

Pink Floyd - Pulse [Live] (2 cds), 1995:

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I, 1969 1st album:

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II, 1969 2nd album:

The Who - Quadrophenia (2 cds), 1973 double-album:

Pat Metheny, Dave Holland & Roy Haynes - Question and Answer, 1990:

Jamie Cullum - The Pursuit [US Delux Version], 2009 fifth studio album:

"Gran Torino" gives me chills and brings me to tears.

various - Pure 90's, 2001:

Sade - Promise, 1985 2nd album:

Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic, 1974 3rd album:

various - The Preppy Album, 1981:

David Bowie - Pin Ups, 1973 album of cover versions:

These are songs David Bowie grew up loving, so he plays really well. The woman on the cover is Twiggy.

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 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/