With results totaling more than $13 million, Christie’s 19th Century American and Western Art sale proved that Western art will continuously perform well on the East Coast when high-quality works are made available to bidders. Not only did the sale achieve a high sales total, but it had an 84 percent sell-through rate. Additionally, more than 15 percent of bidders were new to the category at Christie’s.
Thomas Moran (1837-1926), Afterglow, Green River, Wyoming, 1918, oil on canvas, 20 x 30” Estimate: $1.2/1.8 million SOLD: $2,228,000Although the top lot of the sale, Martin Johnson Heade’s Cattleya Orchidwith Two Brazilian Hummingbirds, was not a Western work, many of the top 10 lots were Western in theme or made by an artist known for their Western works. For instance, the second-best lot was Thomas Moran’s Afterglow, Green River, Wyoming. The work sold for more than $2.2 million, surpassing its $1.8 million high estimate.
Eanger Irving Couse (1866-1936), Thunder Birds, 1927, oil on canvas, 35 x 46” Estimate: $600/800,000 SOLD: $819,000
Albert Bierstadt had three works in the top 10: Woodland Pool (est. $500/700,000) that sold for $693,000; South Dome, Yosemite Valley, California (est. $500/700,000) that sold for $655,200; and Mount Hood, Columbia River (est. $200/300,000) that sold for $302,400.
Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), The Horse Wrangler, ca. 1924-1929, bronze, 14” Estimate: $150/250,000 SOLD: $201,600
Eanger Irving Couse’s Thunder Birds sold for $819,000, just barely clearing its $800,000 high estimate, and James Earle Fraser’s The End of the Trail (est. $500/700,000) sold for $1.38 million, achieving a new world record for the artist.
“Today’s strong results are a testament to the continued strong demand for rare and important historic American art,” says the head of the sale, Caroline Seabolt. “The cumulative total represents the largest sum yet achieved for our innovative sale platform dedicated to the genre.”
James Earle Fraser (1876-1953), The End of the Trail, 1918, bronze with brown patina, 33½” Estimate: $500/700,000 SOLD: $1,381,000
Tylee Abbott, the head of the American art department at Christie’s, added, “Christie’s continues to prove its dedication to the Western American art field, with breakout prices for truly exceptional examples, including those by Thomas Moran, James Earle Fraser and Eanger Irving Couse. Largely driven by a diverse audience of both established Western art collectors and clients new to the category, such success points to notable health in this especially American genre.” —
Christie’s 19th Century American and Western Art, January 18, 2024 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low /High Estimate SOLD
Thomas Moran Afterglow, Green River, Wyoming $1.2/1.8 million $2,228,000
James Earle Fraser The End of the Trail $500/700,000 $1,381,000
Eanger Irving Couse Thunder Birds $600/800,000 $819,000
Albert Bierstadt Woodland Pool $500/700,000 $693,000
Albert Bierstadt South Dome, Yosemite Valley, California $500/700,000 $655,200
Thomas Cole View Near Catskill $500/700,000 $504,000
Albert Bierstadt Mount Hood, Columbia River $200/300,000 $302,400
David Gilmour Blythe Family Prayers… $40/60,000 $252,000
Charles M. Russell The Horse Wrangler $150/250,000 $201,600
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