With nearly $4 million in sales and a 90 percent sell-through rate, the Santa Fe Art Auction’s Annual Signature Live Sale has brought renewed attention to art of the Southwest across many categories and genres. The sale has long been known for its increased attention to Southwest modernism, and this year’s sale was no exception, even as key highlights came from other areas. 

Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952), The North American Indian - Harriman Set Volumes I-XX, Alaska Expedition Volumes and Ephemera,  Estimate: $250/350,000  SOLD: $1,260,000

The top lot for the November 5 and 6 sale was a partial set—20 text volumes, as well as other ephemera—of Edward S. Curtis’ masterpiece The North American Indian. The books offered at the sale are part of the personal set of American tycoon and railroad executive E.H. Harriman, who worked closely with Curtis on a scientific exploration to Alaska in 1899. The set, estimated at $250,000 to $350,000, sold for $1.26 million, the highest price ever paid for a Curtis set without accompanying portfolios. The auction house also paired individual Curtis volumes with portfolios, with several lots performing strongly. A pairing of a Volume I book and corresponding portfolio brought in $110,000, well over its high estimate of $65,000.

Gerard Curtis Delano (1890-1972), Sunlight and Shadow, oil on board, 17½ x 19½” Estimate: $30/50,000  SOLD: $61,500

Other top lots were three Gerard Curtis Delano paintings coming in at the third-, fourth- and fifth-best lots of the two-session sale. The highest selling of the three was Sunlight and Shadow (est. $30/50,000), a masterful small work by the artist that achieved $61,500. Two other Delano works realized $48,000 and $43,000. 

Gustave Baumann (1881-1971), Processional, 1956, color woodcut, ed. 47 of 125, 13 x 127⁄8”  Estimate: $10/15,000  SOLD: $42,000

Another strong area of the sale was a grouping of works devoted to New Mexico painter and printmaker Gustave Baumann, whose color woodcut prints are highly prized by collectors. The top Baumann was a 1956 woodcut titled Processional that flew past its high estimate of $15,000 when it sold for $42,000. The Baumann pieces did so well that Santa Fe Art Auction immediately nabbed a large grouping of Baumann works for a dedicated sale that was held in December. 

Susan Hertel (1930-1992), Two Horses, Three Dogs in the Snow oil on canvas, 49½ x 108¼” Estimate: $20/30,000  SOLD: $42,000

Additional noteworthy lots include Gib Singleton’s 2001 bronze Santa Fe Trail (est. $20/30,000) that sold for $39,000, Susan Hertel’s Two Horses, Three Dogs in the Snow (est. $20/30,000) that sold for $42,000 and Fritz Scholder’s Love Stream, 1962 (est. $40/60,000) that sold for $42,000. Other modernist pieces include highlights from John Nieto, Kevin Red Star, Emil Bisttram and others. Auction records set include records for Red Star, Pablita Velarde, Hertel, Albert Handell, Edna Bradley Stevenson, Catharine Phillips Fels and Peter Miller.

Gib Singleton (1936-2014), Santa Fe Trail, 2001, bronze, ed. 18 of 25, 26 x 66 x 38” Estimate: $20/30,000  SOLD: $39,000

“We are particularly proud of the records we set for women artists who have lived and worked in the Southwest, especially Santa Fe and Taos throughout the 20th century,” says Gillian Blitch, president and CEO of the Santa Fe Art Auction. “We have been fortunate to uncover and highlight the work of many artists, often women, who were neglected or overlooked while traveling through or residing here in the West. These burgeoning auction records prove that this region was crucial to the exciting developments in American art at the time, and their recognition on the world stage. Collectors all over the country are discovering that Santa Fe has long been at the very heart of this movement.”

Top 10 Lots: Santa Fe Art Auction’s Annual Signature Live Sale, November 5-6, 2021 (including buyer’s premiums)

Artist  •  Title  •  Low /High Estimate  •  SOLD

Edward S. Curtis • The North American Indian • $250/350,000 • $1,260,000

Edward S. Curtis • The North American Indian —Volume I • $45/65,000 • $110,000

Gerard Curtis Delano • Sunlight and Shadow • $30/50,000 • $61,500

Gerard Curtis Delano • Arizona Thunderhead • $40/60,000 • $48,000

Gerard Curtis Delano • Lady of the Lonely Land • $40/60,000 • $43,050

Fritz Scholder • Love Stream, 1962 • $40/60,000 • $42,000

Susan Hertel • Two Horses, Threes Dogs in the Snow • $20/30,000 • $42,000

Gary Erbe • Western Album, 2015 • $30/40,000 • $42,000

Gib Singleton • Santa Fe Trail, 2001 • $20/30,000 • $39,000

John Nieto • Zuni Woman Making Pottery, 1994 • $20/30,000 • $39,000

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