Paintings in oil, watercolor and acrylic. Bronze in all sizes. Fired clay. Silver with stone inlay. Carved and painted wood. Handwoven wool with natural dyes. Fiberglass with a mesmerizing epoxy finish. There is no shortage of diversity in the materials at the Santa Fe Art Auction’s upcoming Signature Live Saleon November 10 and 11.
Frederic Remington (1861-1909), A Moose Bull Fight (The Fighting Moose), 1890, oil on canvas en grisaille, 18 x 277⁄8 x 2¼” Estimate: $40/80,000“It really is an impressive selection,” says Gillian Blitch, president and CEO of the Santa Fe Art Auction. “We really view this big November sale as the sale that will offer the best of all the genres we cover, from Western art to historical and contemporary Native American art, to jewelry, to textiles and pottery. It’s all here.”
Ed Mell, Storm Behind the Sun, 2017, oil on canvas, 40 x 50” Estimate: $40/$60,000
The two-session sale will feature around 400 lots, including works by some of the superstars of Western art. One of those artists is Frederic Remington, who will be represented in the sale by the 1890 oil on canvas en grisaille painting titled A Moose Bull Fight (The Fighting Moose). The painting, which shows two moose locked in a duel in a snowy forest scene, originally appeared as the frontispiece in the October 1890 edition of Harper’s Monthly.It’s listed in the Remington catalog raisonné as No. 1077. The work is estimated at $40,000 to $80,000.
Maria Martinez (San Ildefonso Pueblo, 1887-1980) and Popovi Da (San Ildefonso Pueblo, 1923-1971), Polychrome Vase, fired clay, pigments, 7½ x 93/8” Estimate: $20/30,000
Another famous name is Albert Bierstadt. The landscape painter’s Untitled (Mountain Landscape), measuring just 11 by 15 inches, will be offered with estimates of $30,000 to $50,000. The bright daytime scene shows a lovely valley with fall color and a cow.
The sale will also feature the last remaining Edward S. Curtis images from the Christopher Cardozo Estate, which the auction house has been handling for several years. More than 80 Curtis lots will be offered, including an entire and complete portfolio (No. 11) from The North American Indian.“Additionally, there will be previously unpublished photographs, orotones and other gems in the selection,” Blitch says, adding that an image of Teddy Roosevelt will be among the pieces.
Charles Loloma (Hopi, 1921-1992), Mixed Stone Cuff, silver, wood, turquoise, coral, malachite, lapis Estimate: $25/35,000
In addition to historic material, the sale will also highlight contemporary Western art, which will be represented by Billy Schenck’s 2016 painting Diablo Canyon (est. $15/20,000), David Bradley’s 1984 acrylic Dancer Resting (est. $5/7,000), Allan Houser’s 1979 bronze Camp Talk (est. $10/15,000) and two works by Ed Mell, the bronze Diggin’ In (est. $8/12,000) and the painting Storm Behind the Sun (est. $40/60,000). A Kim Wiggins painting will also be offered, Full Moon Over Ranchos, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000.
The sale will also feature a number of objects, as well as Native American materials. One key highlight is a Maria Martinez and Popovi Da polychrome vase. Measuring roughly 7 by 9 inches, these pots are treasured by collectors of all types. It is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. In the jewelry category, a Charles Loloma silver cuff with stone inlay will be available. Made with ironwood, turquoise, coral, malachite and lapis, the cuff is a classic and elegant Loloma design, with estimates of $25,000 to $35,000.
Billy Schenck, Diablo Canyon, 2016, oil on canvas, 40 x 30” Estimate: $15/20,000
The Santa Fe Art Auction has been steadily increasing its specialization in fine weavings and textiles, which can be seen in an 1820s Saltillo blanket measuring 90 by 50 inches. The stunning weaving, in remarkable condition with bright colors, is estimated at $25,000 to $35,000.
Ed Mell, Diggin In, ca. 2012, bronze, 14 x 18 x 4¾” Estimate: $8/12,000
Allan Houser (Chiricahua Apache, 1914-1994), Camp Talk, 1979, bronze, ed. 7 of 8, 23¼ x 231/8 x 20½” Estimate: $10/15,000
Two final curiosities that should appeal to Western fans are Nicholas Herrera carving and a Luis Jimenez fiberglass piece. The Herrera work, titled Los Alamos Death Truck, shows two skeletons driving radioactive waste on a truck. The license plate reads “666.” The santero lives near Los Alamos National Laboratory, which was where America’s nuclear weapons program was born. The work is estimated at $3,000 to $6,000. “With Oppenheimerhaving been released in theaters, this is a very timely piece that people of New Mexico will identify with,” Blitch says. “And it really exemplifies the latter-day santero movement and what it can say about these larger issues.”
Saltillo Blanket (detail), ca. 1820, handwoven yarns, natural dyes, 90 x 50” Estimate: $25/35,000
The Jimenez piece, El Filo,is a lifesize sculpture cast in fiberglass showing a slumped figure on a motorcycle. The work is painted with automotive paint and has an epoxy coating, which gives it a high shine. The work is estimated at $100,000 to $150,000. “We know this is an edition of five and we even know where two of them are and they are in museum collections,” Blitch says. “These Jimenez pieces are very desirable, and this one is quite exciting.”
Kim Wiggins, Full Moon Over Ranchos, oil on canvas, 29½ x 39½” Estimate: $20/30,000
Other works in the sale include pieces by Helen Hardin, jewelry by Sonwai (Verma Nequatewa), Gustave Baumann woodblock prints and paintings by Tony Abeyta, Emil Bisttram, Fremont Ellis, Will Shuster, Dorothy Brett, Rod Goebel, G. Russell Case and many others. —
Santa Fe Art Auction’s Signature Live Sale
November 10-11, 2023
Santa Fe Art Auction, 932 Railfan Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 954-5858, www.santafeartauction.com
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