End of Day, Palo Duro Canyon (The Wagon) by Reveau Bassett

Dallas Fine Art Auction (DFAA) brings together three prominent members of the Texas, Western, and American art scene; David Dike Fine Art, Debbie Leeuw Fine Art, and Dallas Auction Gallery. Dallas Fine Art Auction presents a premier Western and Texas fine art auction annually. The DFAA partnership began in 2010 with a goal to provide both collectors and artists excellent service, personal attention, and scholarly knowledge about Texas and Western art. The annual auction will be held at Dallas Auction Gallery on Saturday, January 28, 2012.

The inaugural auction in 2011 proved DFAA to be a major player in the Texas and Western Art Market. An audience of roughly 500 people with another 200 online and phone bidders confirmed that collectors are hungry for good art and willing to pay strong prices for fresh, new to the market, quality artwork. Both collectors and consignors appreciated working with an efficient and reputable auction house.

The auction weekend is full of exciting events including a cocktail preview party on Friday evening and a live auction on Saturday at 2pm. Some of the most famous names in early Western, Texas and American art will be available at auction on January 28th, 2012 at 2pm. The second annual sale will include works by artists like Sydney Laurence, Robert Wood, Reveau Bassett, William Lester and Otis Dozier. Dallas Fine Art Auction is open for preview Monday- Saturday from 10-5 p.m.

Bidders are welcome to bid live, by phone or absentee bidding and live online at www.liveauctioneers.com. To view the entire catalog please visits our website at www.DallasFineArtAuction.com or call 214-653-3900 to request a catalog.

Mount McKinley by Sydney Laurence

David Dike Fine Art was established in 1986 in the Arts District of Uptown Dallas. Still currently located in the Arts District, the gallery specializes in late 19th and 20th century American and European oil paintings with an emphasis on the Texas Regionalists and Texas Landscape painters. The gallery strives to provide both new and mature collectors with an immense compellation of traditional and some non-traditional works. David Dike is a past-president of the Dallas Art Dealers Association and has been a member of the New England Appraisers Association of America and the Fine Art Dealers Association for over fifteen years. He has contributed to numerous Texas art symposiums, retrospectives and exhibitions across the state. David has contributed to the following books on Texas Art: Dictionary of Texas Art, by Paula and Michael Grauer in 1999 and Texas Painters, Sculptors and Artists, by John and Deborah Powers, 2001. He is recognized nationally as an authority of Texas Art and has joined forces with Dallas Fine Art Auction to share his knowledge.

Dallas Auction Gallery is a family-owned and operated international antiques and fine art auction house. The Gallery offers only the highest quality antiques and fine art, as well as impeccable client service and effortless, seamless transactions for both buyers and sellers. DAG’s highly trained auction specialists provide full-service estate consignment management and professional promotion and marketing, all designed to maximize values with the utmost integrity and personal service. Both buyers and sellers appreciate the Gallery’s hands-on approach, simplified fee structure, and ability to handle estates of any size. The company recently launched Dallas Auction Gallery Appraisal Services for clients and estate planners interested in appraisals conducted by our expert staff, each of whom is a member of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), the worldwide standard of appraisal excellence. Scott Shuford, the president of DAG states that “ Dallas Fine Art Auction is way to showcase Texas and Western art through various fields of expertise and offer valuable service to artists and collectors.”

Debbie Leeuw carries on the legacy of “Passion for Art” that Bill Burford started with Texas Art Gallery in 1964. Texas Art Gallery closed its’ doors in 2009, but Debbie Leeuw Fine Arts remains dedicated to bringing together artists, artwork and collectors. Debbie Leeuw strives to give special personal attention to quality artwork as well as have first class customer service, setting her apart from the crowd. Debbie Leeuw is known for her commissions, consulting, referrals and buying of 19th and 20th century American and European oils, watercolors and bronzes with emphasis on western and impressionistic works. Debbie Leeuw’s passion for artwork is not only what she is well known for, but also what makes her successful with every endeavor she completes. She joined Dallas Fine Art Auction to contribute her proficiency of western art.

Rainy Day in Spring North of San Antonio Texas by Julian Onderdonk, 1919-1921

Brian Roughton, Director of American & European Art, Heritage Auctions

Heritage Auctions has announced that longtime dealer, gallery owner and private collection curator Brian Roughton has joined the company as Director American and European Art. He has been an important fixture in the art business for more than four decades, and will bring that extensive experience, across all markets, to bear on his role at Heritage.

He will operate out of the company’s Design District Annex at 1518 Slocum Street, where regular previews and auctions are held.

“In life and especially in business, opportunity and a perfect fit are a rarity,” said Roughton. “Working with my friends and neighbors at Heritage as their new Director of American & European paintings is the perfect challenge. It gives me the opportunity to share my knowledge and to use my reputation and 45 years of experience with Heritage’s art staff to help raise the department to the next level.”

The enthusiasm for the opportunity is shared by Heritage staff as well, as the ever-growing Department of Fine Arts continues to uncover and offer ever-increasing levels of quality material. Heritage recently expanded in California with the addition of Deborah Solon, West Coast Director of American Art and Alissa Ford, Director of California Art. Roughton also complements the Dallas Fine Arts team, including Marianne Berardi, Senior Art Expert; Ariana Hartsock, Fine Arts Consignment Director; Kirsty Buchanan, Associate Director of Western Art and Ed Jaster, Senior Vice President, based in Heritage Auctions’ Park New York offices.

“We’re thrilled to have Brian on-board at Heritage and sincerely believe he’s the right fit for this position,” said Ed Beardsley, Vice President of Heritage and Managing Director of the Department of Fine Arts. “He’s from Texas with a great national reputation, tremendous experience and the expertise to back it up – just like Heritage itself.”

Roughton, whose family moved to Dallas when he was seven, had his own art studio at the age of seven. It was the humble beginning of a journey that would take him to the top of the art business.

In 1964 Roughton took a part time job at one of Texas art dealer John Newbern’s galleries in Fort Worth to supplement his income and help further support his young family. It was to prove a fateful decision and the first step in a long and fruitful career. Newbern soon put Roughton in charge of his other galleries. With the businesses struggling, Roughton consolidated the business and turned it on a path to profit.

After a short time away from the art business in the early 1970s, Roughton returned in ’74 to open Roughton Galleries in Dallas’s Turtle Creek Village. In the late ‘70s, acting on the advice of a client to focus on “important” art – specifically paintings from the 19^th and early 20^th century recognized as valuable enough to weather a bad economy – he changed his focus and soon found himself and his business occupying a whole different level of success.

His business moved to Fairmount Street in Dallas in the 1980s, where it has remained since. The business has also boasted locations in both New York and Los Angeles. The Dallas gallery will remain where it is as Roughton takes up his duties at Heritage, where it will continue to be operated by his family.

Much like Heritage, Roughton was an early user of emerging virtual technology, which he believes has been key to his success.

“I was an early adopter of the Internet, starting in 1995,” he said, “which made me one of, if not the very first gallery to have a Website. I would estimate that today at least 95% of my business is done via the Web.”

Considered an expert in both 19^th and early 20^th century important American and European paintings, Roughton has helped build important art collections for both individuals and corporations while also working closely with curators at several museums to acquire works for their public collections. He is a member and past board member of FADA (Fine Art Dealers Association), IAGA (International Art Galleries Association) and is a certified member of IFAA (International Art Appraisers), the most important professional Art Appraiser organization.

He’s spent the last two years working on retainer with Heritage, vetting consignments, so this move is seen as a natural progression on both sides.

“You can take all of Brian’s expertise and experience on its own as an impressive recommendation,” said Beardsley, “but what really distinguishes him from the pack is his unabated passion for great art. Above all, he understands that a collector will never buy if they don’t have the passion for a piece. It’s a philosophy that both Brian and we at Heritage share. We’re hoping the result of his joining us is the elevation of Heritage’s Fine Arts Department to the next level of reputation, consignment and sales.”

Heritage Auctions, headed by Steve Ivy, Jim Halperin and Greg Rohan, is the world’s third largest auction house, with annual sales more than $800 million, and 700,000+ online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.

Brian Roughton, Director of American & European Art, Heritage Auctions

Mao by Andy Warhol, 1974

Everything from fine French and Italian art, Pop and Post-Modern art and Lalique glass to ebonized cabinets, gilt bronze clocks and an antique cash register will be up for bid on Tuesday, Feb. 7, in Heritage Auctions’ The Signature® Estate Auction, being held at the company’s Design District Annex, 1518 Slocum Street.

“We’ve again combed the finest estates in America with a Texas audience in mind,” said Ed Beardsley, Managing Director of the Department of Fine Art at Heritage. “We’ve also designed this auction to appeal to a wide range of budgets, from high-end interior designers to young adults looking to add something nice to a new home or apartment. Everyone will find something in here.”

Two of the top lots in the auction, both coming with an estimate of $8,000+, are an oil painting of Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, Duchesse d’Orléans (Daughter of Gaston d’Orléans), attributed to Pierre Gobert (French, 1659-1741) – the painting comes to auction via Property From a Private New York Collection – and a Lithograph in Colors, Killdevil Hill, 1975, by the great American artist Robert Rauschenberg.

A wonderful color lithograph poster by Swiss painter and printmaker Théophile Alexandre Steinlen (1859-1923), Motorcycles Comiot, 1899, is expected to bring $7,000+, while Rita Hoffman Shulak’s oil painting Giverny Water Lilies carries a $6,000+ pre-auction estimate and a whimsical Patinated Gilt Bronze and Ivory Figural grouping of three children at play by Romanian artist Demtre Chiparus (1886-1947), from The Estate of Fayetta Mary Gannon, is expected to bring $5,000+.

Top Decorative Arts offerings in the auction include further property from the estate of Ray and Clare Stern, an important Dallas, TX power couple of the 1980s, part of which is an Italian Ebonized Cabinet and Gilt Bronze Mounts Inlaid with Ivory, Brass and Mother-Of-Pearl, circa 1870, which is expected to bring $3,000+.

Other significant Decorative Arts highlights include a fine Pair of Lalique Swans with Mirrored Reflector, post-1945, expected to bring $4,000+, along with a Charles X Style Three Piece Gilt Bronze and Enamel Clock Garniture, circa 1870, which carries a pre-auction estimate of $2,500+.

Further highlights include, but are not limited to:

Italian School (19th Century), Sea Nymph with Anchor (Nereid Galatea?) in a period ornate gilt and gesso Florentine ‘Medici’ frame , , circa 1870: Estimate: $4,000+.

Andy Warhol, Mao, 1974, Color Silkscreen: Estimate: $3,000+.

Mathurin Janssaud (French, 1857-1940), Moonrise Over the Port, Concarneau, Pastel on paper: Estimate: $2,500+.

Austrian Cold-Painted Bronze Figural Group, Boys on a Beam: 20th century, the three boys climbing and balancing on a high wooden beam. Estimate: $800+.

MINI DAVID, Italian Nickel Plated Figural Puzzle by Miguel Berrocal (1933-2006), circa 1968: A puzzle in 22 pieces on a base, hardcover book Berrocal included with step-by-step guide to assembling. Estimate: $500+.

A Gilt Bronze National Cash register, 1913: Marks: THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CO., DAYTON, OHIO, U.S.A., 1223023, 442, NATIONAL. Instructions on the back read: INSTRUCTIONS FOR REPAIRS, SUPPLIES OR REGISTERS: CASH REGISTER SALES CO., PHO. MON. 1237, 178 N. HALSTED ST. CHICAGO, IL. Estimate: $200+.

Five Austrian Meerschaum Pipes: Moors, 19^th Century: Estimate: $100+.

Heritage Auctions, headed by Steve Ivy, Jim Halperin and Greg Rohan, is the world’s third largest auction house, with annual sales more than $800 million, and 600,000+ online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com. 

Mao by Andy Warhol, 1974

“The bottom line is that service and value will always sell, and Heritage specializes in the very best of both,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. “Collectors respond to that. They know us and they know we understand them. The result has been a decade of tremendous growth.”

U.S. Coins continue to be the backbone of the company with the category registering an impressive $196 million auction total, including Weekly US Coin Internet-only auctions, which realized $22 million – a new record for the subset and an 80% increase over 2010 – and Gallery US Coin auctions, which accounted for $5,340,889, another record total for the subset and a 70% increase over 2010.

Heritage’s World Coins category continued to prove itself a juggernaut, with a record total of $39.45 million – an increase of 60% over its 2010 record performance – while the Vintage Comics and Comic Art bore direct witness to the evolution of the category into a true investment quality asset, posting north of $26 million, a 13% improvement over 2010, which had already set the record for any auction house.

“World Coins and Comics are emblematic of Heritage’s continued growth,” said Rohan, “among the several categories that continue to perform well for us. Collectors and investors alike, from some non-traditional corners, are all taking a close look at these categories.”

Heritage Jewelry Auctions continued to see an explosion in sales, ringing up a record $17.4+ million in all (more than double the category’s 2010 record total), Heritage Vintage Sports Collectibles vaulted itself fully double its 2010 total to finish the year at more than $16 million, making it the #1 sports auction house in the U.S.

Fine Wine made its debut at Heritage in 2011 and quickly proved to be a profitable force to be reckoned with as it
brought in nearly $11.4 million in total prices realized. Heritage’s continued dominance in Illustration Art was re-asserted by an $11.1 million total, the category’s second best year.

Heritage made the decision in 2010 to spin off its musical instrument auctions from its Music & Entertainment auctions to create a brand new category, which proved to be a smart decision, as collectors lined up for a variety of stringed and other instruments to give the category a $10.5 million debut. The decision also proved a good one for Heritage Music & Entertainment auctions, which, even without Guitars in its total, realized $8.6 million all told, the best year the category’s seen and more than double what it saw in 2010.

One of the year’s most significant changes at Heritage was the acquiring of the assets of Greg Martin Auctions of San Francisco, creating a separate Arms & Armor category for Heritage for the first time. With $9+ million realized in just three auctions, Arms & Armor proved itself a category to watch.

Decorative Arts & Silver also posted its best year ever, with $7.43 million sold at auction, the category’s best year yet by almost double, while Heritage Movie Posters auctions posted an in impressive $6.2+ million total, including $1.8 million in Weekly Internet auctions, a new record for the Web-only offerings and a 15% increase over 2010’s record total. The amount pushed the category lifetime total for Heritage Movie Posters past the $50 million mark since it started in November 2001.

Tiffany Studios Daffodil Table Lamp

Collectors were ready and willing to buy on Saturday, Nov. 19, during Heritage Auctions’ $1.84 million Lalique & Art Glass Signature® Auction, led by a superb Tiffany Studios Daffodil table lamp that brought $56,763. All prices include 19.5% Buyer’s Premium.

“This beautiful lamp was received by the consignor as a wedding present in 1917,” said Nick Dawes, Vice President of Special Collections at Heritage. “It’s certainly weathered the decades very well and the price realized is a testament to the enduring allure of fine Tiffany pieces.”

The $1.84 million auction consisted of 641 bidders vying for 567 total lots, translating into a sell-through rate of 91% by total value.

“There was tremendous and well-founded excitement around this auction,” said Dawes. “The quality ran very deep and the big names were represented by some spectacular results.”

A Tiffany Studios Art Nouveau Favrile glass vase, internally decorated with multi-colored pattern of trailing vines, circa 1900 was one of the principal highlights of the day, bringing $50,788.

Another important lot in the top tier of the auction was a René Lalique Clear Glass Tourbillons Vase with black enamel detail, circa 1926, which brought $41,825, while a Tiffany Studios Glass Mosaic and Bronze Jardiniere with water lily pattern  in bronze and green glass, circa 1900, realized $44,813.

One of the more interesting Lalique pieces in the auction was actually uncovered by Dawes at an appraisal fair in New Jersey: a René Lalique Green Glass Sauterelles Vase, circa 1912, which realized $31,070. Another Lalique surprise was a Black Glass Coq Box and Cover, circa 1910, which brought $17,925, almost nine times its pre-auction estimate of $2,000+.
Further highlights include, but are certainly not limited to:

A Marc Lalique Glass Double Pedestal Cactus Table with a unique custom designed glass top by Erté: Realized: $53,775.

René Lalique Topaz Glass Le Jour et La Nuit Day and Night Clock, circa 1927: Realized: $38,838.

Artistic Daum Glass Orchide Vase, circa 1900: Pink cameo overlay vase naturalistically modeled as a languid orchid. Realized: $34,655.

Tiffany Studios Favrile Glass Vase with original Tiffany & Co. Silver Mounts, circa 1900: Favrile glass vase with trailing blue iridescent dots, reticulated silver footed base and rim in chrysanthemum motif. Realized: $31,070.

René Lalique Cased Red Glass Meduse Vase, circa 1930: Realized: $28,680.

Tiffany Studios Daffodil Table Lamp

The Big Great American Auction hosted by Ty Pennington

TV special features historic comics, currency, historic Ty Cobb memorabilia; filmed aboard The Queen Mary

ABC has announced that it will air The Great Big American Auction, starring Ty Pennington of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, one of America’s leading reality TV personalities, and featuring exclusively Heritage Auctions’ experts, auction services and staff, in a very special television first made-for-TV auction event, at 10 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, Dec. 8.

The special was produced by Cineflix (Auction) Inc. for ABC. Executive Producers are Lisa Levenson, Ty Pennington, Joe Houlihan and Simon Lloyd.

Ty Pennington has been transforming people’s homes and lives for several years now as the host of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and has now found an exciting new way to change lives by turning their memorabilia and assorted hidden finds into treasures worth life-changing amounts of money.

After scouring flea markets, cellars, attics and yard sales to find one-of-a-kind items whose owners have no idea of their real value, Pennington, with a team of experts from Heritage Auctions, tags the best items and brings them to The Queen Mary oceanliner in Long Beach, CA for The Great Big American Auction. The exceptional collectibles range from first edition classic comic books to rare American currency to an early 20^th century baseball icon’s checkbook, and much more in-between, all chosen for their rarity, value and the uniqueness of the consignor’s story.

“It’s a great thrill to be part of this major network, prime time show, to work with Cineflex and ABC and a star the magnitude and class of Ty Pennington,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. “We went to great lengths with our staff and experts to make sure that all these unique items have great stories and that they live up to Heritage’s exacting consignment standards. We hope that everyone will enjoy the show as much as we enjoyed being a part of it.”

Objects originally bought for mere dollars, or literally plucked right out the trash will go for thousands of dollars as their lucky owners’ lives are changed for the better.

The Great Big American Auction will air on Thursday, December 8, 2011, at 10 p.m. (ET) on The ABC Television Network.

Heritage Auctions is always seeking “consignments with a story” for possible future TV projects. If you think you might have a unique item and a unique story, email to TVShow@HA.com.

Heritage Auctions

Heritage Auctions, headed by Steve Ivy, Jim Halperin and Greg Rohan, is the world’s third largest auction house, with annual sales more than $700 million, and 600,000+ online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.

The Big Great American Auction hosted by Ty Pennington

“We make very careful and considered decisions at Heritage, and this was not one that we came to lightly,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. “Heritage is a major player on the world auction stage, and our BP rates will now be competitive with Christie’s and Sotheby’s and the rest of the world’s key auctioneers.”

In the categories of American Indian Art, American Art, European Art, Furniture & Decorative Arts, Illustration Art, Jewelry, Lalique & Art Glass, Luxury Accessories, Modern & Contemporary Art, Music & Entertainment, Natural History, Photography, Pre-Columbian, Rare Books, Silver & Vertu, Texas Art, Timepieces, Vintage Guitars and Western Art, buyers will pay a BP of 25% of the hammer price on the first $50,000 of each lot purchased, 20% on the portion between $50,000 to $1,000,000 and 12% on any amount more than $1,000,000.

The minimum BP of $14 per lot will also continue to apply.

There will be no change in Buyer’s Premium for US Coins, World Coins, Currency, Wine and Arms & Armor, which remain at 15% or for Americana & Political, Civil War & Militaria, Comics & Comic Art, Historic Manuscripts, Movie Posters, Space Exploration, Vintage Sports Collectibles and Texana auctions, which remain at 19.5%.  In Gallery Auctions, meaning those auctions with sealed bids, mostly bulk numismatic material at Heritage, the BP will also remain at 19.5%.

Le Bouquet by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1910

Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Le Bouquet, 1910, brought $657,250 as the top lot in Heritage Auctions’ American & European Signature® Art Auction, Nov. 8, at Heritage’s Design District Annex, 1518 Slocum Street.

Le Bouquet came to Heritage from the family of renowned Texas artist Lucien Abrams, who acquired it from Renoir’s dealer, Durand-Ruel in New York during September 1933. Durand-Ruel originally obtained the painting from Renoir’s family.

“This wonderful still life has been with the Abrams family for nearly 80 years and has been kept in outstanding condition,” said Ed Beardsley, Managing Director of Heritage Auctions’ Department of Fine Arts. “Collector interest was high and bidding was spirited, proving that Abrams’ heirs made the right decision to bring the painting to market now.”

The auction’s cover lot, Daniel Ridgway Knight’s Young Woman Knitting, hailing from a private collection in San Diego, CA, took the second slot in the auction’s top lots, realizing an impressive $143,400, besting its pre-auction estimate of $80,000+ by more than $60,000.

“Young Woman Knitting is an iconic example of Knight’s work on a large scale, painted with a masterful sense of composition and Impressionist palette,” said Ariana Hartsock, Consignment Director at Heritage. “This work, featuring a young wistful peasant woman in a picturesque French landscape, obviously resonated with bidders, given the number of participants and solid final price realized.”

Martin Johnson Heade has proven consistently popular in Heritage’s American & European Art Auctions, with the Nov. 8 event proving no exception. Heade’s subtle, lovely Red Roses in a Japanese Vase on a Gold Velvet Cloth, circa 1885-1890, drew much advance notice and a $53,775 price realized in the final analysis.

Two sporting paintings by Edmund Henry Osthaus, both from The Houston Club Collection, performed solidly in the auction. English Setter with Grouse realized $41,825, while English Setters in Field came in at $38,838,

A strong selection of canvases from Edward-Léon Cortès proved the enduring popularity of the French street-scene master. His Cafe de la Paix easily surpassed its $25,000+ pre-auction estimate to finish the day at $35,850, while his Madeleine, Front View, also soared past a $20,000+ pre-auction estimate to bring $31,070, a final price realized matched by The Opera, a wonderful scene superbly evocative of a rainy Paris afternoon.

Rounding out the top offerings of the auction were Henry Raeburn’s Portrait of General Henry Wynyard, circa 1811-1819, which proved one of the auction’s most pleasant surprises, realizing $28,680 against a pre-auction estimate of $8,000+, and Valentín De Zubiaurre’s Aqueduct of Segovia, circa 1920, which nearly doubled its pre-auction estimate of $15,000+ to bring $28,680.

Le Bouquet by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1910

Shoe (Melody) by Robert Mapplethorpe, 1987

Robert Mapplethorpe’s shimmering and subtle Shoe (Melody) estimated at $30,000+, is expected to be the top lot in Heritage Auctions’ Nov. 19 Vintage & Contemporary Photography Signature® Auction, taking place at the Ukranian Institute of America at The Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion, 2 East 79th Street (at 5th Ave.).

“Mapplethorpe’s popularity continues to remain strong with collectors,” said Rachel Peart, Consignment Director for Photography at Heritage, “and we expect there will be considerable interest in this particular image, given its rarity, size and the fascination people seem to have with the photographer in the 22 years since his death.”

Two other Mapplethorpe images look likely to figure prominently in the auction, as well: Two Tulips is estimated at $20,000+, while Flower is expected to bring $8,000+.

“We’ve assembled this auction with an eye to diversity of style and taste,” said Ed Jaster, Vice President of Heritage Auctions. “The offerings run the gamut of photographers, eras and styles. Collectors of all level and type will have plenty to keep them entertained.”

Collectors of Modern Photography will find plenty to celebrate in Marilyn Minter’s evocative large scale work, Bridle, 2004, which carries a pre-acution estimate of $30,000+.

Few American photographers can match the ongoing popularity of Ansel Adams and a gelatin print of his Mount Williamson, Sierra Nevada from Manzanar, 1944 – a classic image, much beloved by Adams’ fans – is expected to excite bidder passion to the tune of $20,000+.

The auction’s diversity is amply demonstrated by the contrasting ends of the spectrum as represented by Horst P. Horst’s Corset, Paris, 1939 (Estimate: $14,000+) and Herb Ritt’s 1989 Djimon with Octopus (Estimate: $12,000+), the auction catalog cover lot. Both showcase classic style and luminous technique while sitting at opposite ends of the 20^th century continuum of photography.

Popular Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado is represented by five images in the auction, led by his expansive Chinstrap Penguins (Pygoscelis Antarctica), Deception Island, Antarctica, 2005, estimated at $12,000+, while Henri Cartier-Bresson’s  Brussels, 1932, one of six photos by the artist in the auction, is expected to bring $6,000+. Manuel Bravo is another artist well-represented in the auction, with no less than five examples of his work available, led by his lyrical and lovely La Buena Fama Durmiendo (The Good Reputation Sleeping), 1939, estimated at $6,000+.

The top offerings of the Nov. 19 event are rounded out by the great Diane Arbus’s Masked Woman in a Wheelchair, PA, 1970, a gelatin silver print, done in 1972, after the artist’s 1971 suicide, by Neil Selkirk (Estimate: $6,000+) and Annie Leibovitz’s Michael Jordan, 1991 (Estimate: $5,000+), a classic profile image of the great athlete, just one of five offerings by Leibovitz in the event.

Shoe (Melody) by Robert Mapplethorpe, 1987

Home Sweet Home by W. R. Leigh, 1932

W.R. Leigh’s Home, Sweet Home soared to nearly double its pre-auction estimate selling for $1.195 million and setting a new world record price for the artist in Heritage Auctions’ $2.27 million Art of the American West Signature® Auction, Saturday, Nov. 5. The painting came to auction from The Property of Philip Jonsson, son of former Dallas Mayor and Texas Instruments Co-Founder Eric Jonsson.

Overall, the auction saw 262 bidders vying for just 74 total lots, translating into a 95% sell-through by value. All prices include 19.5% Buyer’s Premium.

“We knew this was an exceptional and historically important painting from the start,” said Kirsty Buchanan, Consignment Director for Western Art at Heritage. “Collectors obviously thought so, too, pushing it to a new record price for one of Leigh’s works. It led what proved to be a strong auction; we’re all thrilled with the response.”

“It’s just a masterfully depicted tableau,” said Ed Beardsley, Vice President of Heritage Auctions. “It’s saturated with the colors and tones of the western landscape and it tells a compelling story of camaraderie on the plains.”

Another W.R. Leigh masterwork, Renegade at Bat, 1941 – also from The Property of Philip Jonsson – was the subject of much collector buzz and bidding in the auction before finishing the day at $388,375, further burnishing the great artist’s reputation. Renegade at Bay is a superbly executed scene of a horse whose calm demeanor is an effective contrast to the tension displayed by the cowboy who is awaiting imminent danger just around the bend.

Tom Lovell is always a perennial favorite in both Heritage Western Art and Illustration Art auctions, and his The Raven Followers, 1975, true to form, proved to be a favorite with collectors in this auction, as the painting of two American Indian warriors scouting buffalo from a sweeping vista realized $131,450. Maynard Dixon proved to be another artist who collector’s continue to hotly seek, as his oil Calico Hills (Virgin Valley, Nevada; No.350), 1927, more than tripled its $30,000+ pre-auction estimate to soar to $95,600.
The work of Birgér Sandzen continues to sell well at auction, as a pair of his oil paintings enticed collectors. His Early Fall, Smoky Hill River (Kansas), 1940 realized $71,700, while his Cottonwood Trees and Pond, 1922 performed admirably by bringing $47,800 exceeding the high estimate.

Home Sweet Home by W. R. Leigh, 1932