Oil Paintings by Lam and Bhattacharjee Both Reach Six Figures in Shannon's May 8th Fine Art Auction

Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers hosted their annual Spring Fine Art Auction on Thursday, May 8th at 6pm Eastern time. The auction included 168 lots of quality paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture. The sale totaled $2.1 million and was 85 percent sold.

Leading the auction was a rare, early portrait by Cuban artist Wifredo Lam. It sold for $266,700 (including buyer’s premium). The portrait was well-documented in the catalogue raisonné and other publications and had been in a private collection for nearly 50 years.

Dated 1939, Personnage No. 2 was painted the same year the artist met Pablo Picasso. Picasso referred to Lam as a “lost cousin” and the two artists inspired each other. There was international attention on this lot and several telephone bidders. It ultimately sold online to a prominent private collector of Latin American art.

The diverse auction included artworks from all around the world. The second-leading lot in the sale was by the Indian Surrealist Master, Bikash Bhattacharjee. Collectors in both India and New York competed for this painting that ultimately sold for $100,000.

An international audience followed the sale driving strong prices for Luciano Ventrone (Italian, 1942-2021), Natura Morta, sold for $37,500; Le Pho (Vietnamese, 1907-2002), Floral Still Life, 18 inches by 21 inches, sold for $47,375; Maximilien Luce (French, 1858-1941), Rolleboise, Bord de Riviere, sold for $28,625; and Edward Seago (British, 1910-1974), Harbour Cafes: Ostend, sold for $18,000.

Over 600 viewers live-streamed the auction, while in-house Shannon’s contacted registered bidders with a bank of 20 telephone bidders and executed absentee and live online bids. As a result of their extensive targeted marketing strategy, Shannon’s attracted interest from 13 different countries and 43 states.

On a national level, Shannon’s again excelled with quality offerings of American Art. The top lot in this category was a charming portrait of a young girl, Patience, by Ashcan artist, Robert Henri. The 24 inch by 20 inch oil on canvas sold for $88,900. A collection of four works by Jane Peterson was also a highlight. The top lot from the group was an exceptional Venice scene in original condition; it sold for $56,250. All four paintings were sold to private collections.

Contemporary American painting was led by an Abstract Expressionist work by Mary Heilmann. The 29 inch by 22-inch, acrylic on paper from 1976 sold for $56,250. 

Painting in the style of American Impressionist Masters, artist Laurence A. Campbell was featured in the sale with two impressive New York City scenes. The larger painting, 30 inches by 24 inches, titled The City in Winter, sold for $50,000; while the smaller painting, a 16 inch by 12 inch view of Lower Broadway, decorated with waving American flags, sold for $36,250. Shannon’s featured The City in Winter on their catalogue cover in homage to the artist, who passed away in 2024.

Other notable American Art lots included a painting by Charles Wysocki of Nantucket’s The Wharf Rats Club, that sold for $47,375, easily doubling the high estimate; a photo-realistic view of Portland Water District in Maine by Rackstraw Downes that sold for $37,500; a masterpiece quality 25 inch by 30 inch painting of Rockport by Anthony Thieme that sold for $31,750; and a small but impressive seascape by William Trost Richards that sold for $31,250.

The auction was full of surprises, with many lots exceeding their estimates and drawing attention from new buyers. A unique painting by Charles Yardley Turner depicting artists working on installations for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893, flew past its estimate, selling for $34,375. Similarly, an exceptional Hugh Bolton Jones landscape titled Early Spring sold for $25,000 against a $5,000-7,000 estimate.

Owner, Sandra Germain, noted, “We were very encouraged by the sale results and are looking forward to another successful auction in the fall. Collectors continue to seek fresh-to-the-market, unique artworks and we work hard to bring quality offerings to our buyers at Shannon’s.”

Shannon’s will host their fall auction on Thursday, October 30th, and they invite quality consignments year-round. For more information and the full results of the May 8th auction, visit shannons.com or follow them on social media.

About Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers:
Shannon’s will host their fall auction on Thursday, October 30th, and they invite quality consignments year-round. For more information and the full results of the May 8th auction, visit shannons.com or follow them on social media.

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