On August 4 Bonhams will offer a two-session Western Art sale that begins at 10 a.m. with Portrait of the West: The Diane and Sam Stewart Collection. The collection, honed through Diane’s keen eye and vision, began in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the couple buying art from auctions, important Western dealers and more. “Diane was a very comprehensive collector, looking at the full market,” says Katherine Halligan, Bonhams’ Western art specialist. “What we’re seeing are carefully selected, sought-after and really good examples by historic painters.”
E. Martin Hennings (1886-1956), Indian Horsemen, oil on canvas, 36 x 40” Estimate: $600/800,000
Among the approximately 100 lots to hit the market from the collection are fine examples from the Taos founders, beautiful works by Maynard Dixon including Land Westward (est. $300/500,000), pencil drawings, and bronzes by Cyrus Dallin and James Earle Fraser. “The collection is comprised of incredibly respectful and beautiful works of Indigenous people,” shares Halligan. “There are also cowgirls and Native American women [depicted in the artwork]. It’s a really timely collection to be coming to the market.”
The standout from the offerings is
E. Martin Hennings’ Indian Horseman (est. $600/800,000). “Bonhams handled the work back in 2003 and we’re delighted to have it back,” Halligan explains. “In the foreground are Navajo riders in a quintessential Hennings setting. It’s absolutely a masterwork.”
Victor Higgins (1884-1949), Pink and Black, oil on canvas, 40 x 40” Estimate: $400/600,000
A Victor Higgins still life titled Pink and Black, and measuring a large 40 inches square, is also notable. The work, estimated to fetch between $400,000 and $600,000, is described by Halligan as “absolutely exquisite.”
The collection does not contain many Old West scenes, but one exception is William Herbert “Buck” Dunton’s Delivering the Mail, which has a presale estimate of $150,000 to $250,000. “This one is an interesting exception, because it’s a mailwoman on horseback in a snowy scene,” says Halligan. “It’s a charming and quintessential Dunton, but with a woman as a protagonist in this case.”
William Herbert “Buck” Dunton (1878-1936), Delivering the Mail, oil on canvas, 30 x 25” Estimate: $150/250,000
The second session will begin at 2 p.m. with around 70 items hitting the auction block. Included are lifesize bronzes by Dave McGary, works from Roy Andersen, Gordon Snidow, R.S. Riddick and more. A beautiful Birger Sandzén landscape, titled Riverbank with Cedars, Rockport, Missouri, will hit the market from a private New Jersey collection. It has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. A timely Texas painting in the sale is David Bates’ Magnolia II (est. $15/25,000).
Maynard Dixon (1875-1946), Land Westward, oil on canvas, 25 x 30” Estimate: $300/500,000
Previews of the Western Art sale are available at the Los Angeles showroom, while the sale is currently scheduled as live-online, with bidding available by telephone and internet. Keep an eye on the Bonhams website for any updates on in-person attendance. —
Western Art
August 4, 2021
• Session 1, Portrait of the West: The Diane and Sam Stewart Collection, 10 a.m.
• Session 2, Western Art, 2 p.m.
Bonhams
7601 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90046,
(323) 850-7500, www.bonhams.com
Powered by Froala Editor
