Breaking the Ceiling

Hindman’s Western & Contemporary Native American Art auction achieved nearly $4 million in sales.

Shattering total sales estimates, the May 19 Western & Contemporary Native American Art auction at Hindman reached close to $4 million, with a 94 percent sell-through rate. Among the variety of lots in the sale—which included works by Western greats like Frederic Remington and Joseph Henry Sharp, as well as big names in Native American art like Fritz Scholder—nearly all lots sold above their presale estimates.Frederic Remington (1861-1909), The “Hold-Up”, oil on canvas, 27½ x 40” Estimate: $200/300,000 SOLD: $250,000

“We were thrilled to see the way in which blue-chip Western artists continue to be highly sought after, with works by Frederic Remington and Joseph Henry Sharp leading the pack,” says Alexandria Dreas, Hindman’s associate Western art specialist. Remington’s nocturne The “Hold-Up”, sold for $250,000, selling within estimates. “The work depicts the most dramatic moment in ‘Ranson’s Folly,’ Richard Harding Davis’ serialized story which appeared in Collier’s Magazine in May of 1902,” Dreas adds.

Another Western showstopper, Fiesta Day (Squaw Winter, Crow Reservation - Montana) by Sharp, fell just within its estimates at $150,000. “[This] was painted at the pinnacle of Sharp’s career and is a prime example of a Sharp impressionistic Crow encampment in the Montana winter landscape,” says Dreas. “This particular painting has been exhibited at renowned institutions such as the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.”C. Michael Dudash, The Return to Summer’s Camp, 2016, oil on board, 48 x 36” Estimate: $25/35,000 SOLD: $34,375

Fritz Scholder (1937-2005), Hollywood Indian and Horse #2, 1973, acrylic on canvas, 68 x 80” Estimate: $50/70,000 SOLD: $500,000

And of course, a tip of the hat must go to Scholder, who had seven of the top 10 lots of the auction. His acrylic Hollywood Indian and Horse #2 demolished its presale estimate of $50,000 to $70,000 when it achieved an astounding $500,000. In addition to this record-setting work, Scholder’s 1979 Portrait 1896 sold for $275,000, more than 10 times its low estimate, among other superb lots.E. Martin Hennings (1886-1956), Indian Riders, oil on canvas board, 12 x 14” Estimate: $40/50,000 SOLD: $46,875

Dreas continues, “There has been a thriving market for contemporary Western art, and paintings by Louisa McElwain, Ed Mell and Howard Post [also] shone in the May 19 auction.” Part of the Collection of Barbara and Robert (Bob) P. Hunter Jr., McElwain’s El Rio Below El Rito sold for $13,750, while Mell’s Untitled achieved $50,000 (est. $12/18,000). Leading the Hunter Collection was C. Michael Dudash’s 2016 The Return to Summer’s Camp, which realized $34,375 against an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. —

Top 10 Lots: Hindman, Western & Contemporary Native American Art, May 19, 2022 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low/High Estimate SOLD
Fritz Scholder Hollywood Indian and Horse #2 $50/70,000 $500,000
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith Fireweed $10/20,000 $350,000
Fritz Scholder Portrait, 1896 $20/30,000 $275,000
Frederic Remington The “Hold-Up” $200/300,000 $250,000
Fritz Scholder Drunk Indian #1 $20/30,000 $250,000
Fritz Scholder Indian with Bird Head Dress $20/30,000 $156,250
Joseph Henry Sharp Fiesta Day… $150/200,000 $150,000
Fritz Scholder Lady R $15/20,000 $93,750
Fritz Scholder Indian With White Ribbon $5/7,000 $87,500
Fritz Scholder Indian on Horse $20/30,000 $59,375