Serious Bidders

The Western segment of Heritage Auctions’ December 3 American art sale yielded strong results.

Heritage Auctions hosted its December 3 American Art sale to a robust crowd of buyers through its online platform, by telephone and absentee. The auction house, which has its own system through its website, saw “massive amounts of online bidding,” according to Alissa Ford, Heritage’s director of Western art. “Not only that, but we found this season we registered quite a few new bidders.”William Robinson Leigh (1866-1955), The Best in the Bunch, 1941, oil on canvas laid on aluminum, 42½ x 60½” Estimate: $300/500,000 SOLD: $312,500

The market for Western art continued to show is strength with Thomas Moran’s Mountain Lion in Grand Canyon (Lair of the Mountain Lion) becoming the top lot of the day at $471,000. The second-highest earner was the dynamic painting The Best in the Bunch by William R. Leigh, which sold within estimate at $312,500. “The Western section of the sale only had one unsold painting,” says Ford. As a whole the auction totaled more than $4.3 million in sales and had a 93 percent sell-through rate.Thomas Moran (1837-1926), Mountain Lion in Grand Canyon (Laid of the Mountain Lion), 1914, oil on canvas, 30 x 25” Estimate: $400/600,000 SOLD: $471,000

“It’s just proving that people are turning toward art at this time to maintain their strength and find that beauty in life that they need while being at home,” Ford adds.Fritz Scholder (1937-2005), Indian on Blue Horse, 1975, oil on canvas, 80 x 68” Estimate: $40/60,000 SOLD: $162,500

There was a selection of contemporary Native American paintings in the sale that also performed well including Fritz Scholder’s Indian on Blue Horse (est. $40/60,000), which doubled its high price at $162,500, and John Nieto’s Turning Bear, 1987, sold for $21,250, which was a price higher than its $8,000 to $12,000 estimate.G. Harvey (1933-2017), Colorado Morning, 1980, oil on canvas, 9 x 16” Estimate: $8/12,000 SOLD: $23,750

Other standouts in the sale included Frank McCarthy’s The Whine of a Ricochet (est. $30/50,000) at $25,000; G. Harvey’s Colorado Morning (est. $8/12,000) at $23,750; and Birger Sandzén’s In Logan County, Utah (est. $40/60,000) at $55,000.

“Overall we’re seeing people more comfortable from the comforts of their home and finding it very convenient,” says Ford. “It’s increasing our bidding pool and possibly increasing the market values at the end of the day.” —

Top 10 Lots: Heritage Auctions, American Art Signature Auction, December 3, 2020 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low /High Estimate SOLD
Thomas Moran Mountain Lion in Grand Canyon (Lair of the Mountain Lion) $400/600,000 $471,000
William R. Leigh The Best in the Bunch $300/500,000 $312,500
Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait Late Autumn, Long Lake, Hamilton Co., New York, Adirondacks $30/50,000 $200,000
Norman Rockwell Portrait of John F. Kennedy $150/250,000 $187,500
Fritz Scholder Indian on Blue Horse $40/60,000 $162,500
Thomas Hart Benton Fantasy $80/120,000 $150,000
Thomas Moran Venetian Scene $60/80,000 $106,250
Thomas Moran Venetian Scene $60/80,000 $81,250
William Bradford Off the Coast of Labrador $70/100,000 $81,250
Childe Hassam Lighthouse, Isle of Shoals $30/50,000 $81,250