Setting Records

Hindman achieved multiple world auction records during its October 29 Western Paintings and Sculpture sale.

On October 29, Hindman brought to market more than 330 lots of Western paintings and sculpture from an array of categories. The sale continued to show the strong interest in artwork of the genre when it achieved more than $1.6 million in sales, with a handful of new world auction records set during the day. Among the standouts of the sale was the highest earning lot, Fritz Scholder’s Indian Messiah, which brought $192,000 against an estimate of $20,000 to $40,000.

Fritz Scholder (1937-2005), Indian Messiah, oil on canvas, 80 x 68” Estimate: $20/40,000 SOLD: $192,000

“We saw a lot of bidding activity from younger collectors and from a lot of new collectors from across the country,” says Katherine Hlavin, director and specialist of Western and wildlife art at the auction house. “It was an online-only sale with internet, telephone and absentee bidding. This was probably the busiest phone bidding auction we had for the Western department. Most of the lots, on average, had between four and eight people on the phone.”

Consignment manager Alexandria Dreas adds, “It is really interesting to note that different types of artwork—from the contemporary Native to the historic Western—all received very similar levels of interest and it was across multiple demographics. There were young, new buyers and older, really solid buyers interested in the artwork.”

Billy Schenck, Days of August, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 85½”. Artist World Auction Record. Estimate: $8/12,000 SOLD: $40,000

In addition to the Scholder being the top lot of the day, there was strong interest in works by contemporary artists represented in the sale including Howard Post and Billy Schenck. Post’s painting Cowboys (est. $6/8,000) sold for $35,000, while Schenck’s Days of August, 1986, came in at $40,000 against an estimate of $8,000 to $12,000. Both pieces became new world auction records for the artists.

Earl Biss (1947-1998), Ritual Dance of the Moon Hunters, 1986, oil on canvas, 72 x 96”. Artist World Auction Record. Estimate: $15/25,000 SOLD: $75,000

“What was really exciting about this auction was the Earl Biss paintings all significantly outperformed their presale estimates, as did works by David Bradley, Howard Post, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Billy Schenck,” says Hlavin. “I think another really great surprise, and one that had a lot of interest, was the Joseph Imhof painting The Camoufleurs, which we sold on behalf of the Couse-Sharp Historic Site. The work sold for $50,000 against an estimate of $8,000 to $12,000.”

Kenneth Riley (1919-2015), Indian Camp in Mountain Valley, 1985, oil on canvas, 84 x 96” Estimate: $30/50,000 SOLD: $68,750

Joseph Henry Sharp (1859-1953), Wind River Country, oil on canvas, 20 x 27”. Estimate: $100/150,000 SOLD: $162,500

Biss’ highest earning piece of the sale was Ritual Dance of the Moon Hunters, which tripled its high estimate of $25,000 when it sold for an artist auction record of $75,000. Kenneth Riley also had several standouts in the auction, including Indian Camp in Mountain Valley (est. $30/50,000) at $68,750 and the painting Canyon Morning (est. $20/30,000), which achieved $55,000. Works by Beatrice Mandelman sold on behalf of the Mandelman-Ribak Collection to benefit the University of New Mexico also performed well, with the eight paintings selling to eight different collectors around the United States. Two pieces from Joseph Henry Sharp, Wind River Country (est. $100/150,000) and Portrait of Indian with Drum and Pipe (est. $40/60,000) also found new buyers when they sold for $162,500 and $75,000, respectively.

Top 10 Lots: Hindman, Western Paintings and Sculpture, October 29, 2020 (including buyer’s premium)

Artist Title Low /High Estimate SOLD
Fritz Scholder   Indian Messiah $20/40,000 $192,000
Henry Farny   Moving Camp $200/300,000 $175,000
Joseph Henry   Sharp Wind River Country $100/150,000 $162,500
Earl Biss   Ritual Dance of the Moon Hunters $15/25,000 $75,000
Joseph Henry Sharp   Portrait of Indian with Drum and Pipe $40/60,000 $75,000
Henry Farny   Deer Hunting $100/150,000 $75,000
Kenneth Riley   Indian Camp in Mountain Valley $30/50,000 $68,750
Kenneth Riley   Canyon Morning $20/30,000 $55,000
Joseph Imhof   The Camofleurs $8/12,000 $50,000
Earl Biss   El Porko Grande $5/7,000 $45,000