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Abell Auction’s two-day Fine Art, Jewelry, and Important Estates Auction, held on March 15-16, 2024, was a resounding success, achieving a total of $2,375,000 with a 91% sell-through rate. The sale featured nearly 700 lots, including fine art, estate jewelry, and items from the collection of designer George Doan. The event attracted global interest, with bidders from 71 countries, including Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, Switzerland, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Hong Kong, China, France, Canada, and Australia. Over 18,000 bidders participated across various platforms, showcasing the auction’s broad appeal.
Day One Highlights
The first day of the auction focused on fine art, antiques, and decorative items. The top lot was “Der Graue Tag (The Gray Day)” by Russian artist Konstantin Ivanovic Gorbatov, which sold for $62,500, far exceeding its $10,000-$15,000 estimate. The painting, dated circa 1930, had provenance from a private southern California estate and attracted significant international bidding, including three phone bids.
Another notable work was “Washington Park Club, Chicago” by Franz (Frank A.) Dvorak, which sold for $11,250. The painting, exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1894, had provenance from The Strangeland Estate and Fine Art Chicago. It was also featured in the March 24, 1894, edition of The Graphic, a British illustrated newspaper.
The sale also included 36 works from the Colonial Latin American School, all of which found buyers. Prices ranged from $188 for a Nineteenth Century oil on canvas titled “Santo Ramon Nonato” to $6,875 for “Holy Family in Joseph’s Workshop,” an oil on copper from late Eighteenth Century Cuzco, Peru. The latter was housed in a wood and bone frame and had provenance from a private collection in Carlsbad, Calif.
Three grand pianos were also sold on day one. A C. Bechstein Model B grand piano, manufactured in Berlin in 1936, sold for $7,500. It came with factory documentation confirming its originality and was formerly owned by the estate of Mrs. Freeman Gosden of Beverly Hills, Calif. Other pianos included an 1896 Model B Steinway and Sons ($7,500) and a Gaveau art case model from circa 1923 ($2,813).
Decorative lamps were another highlight, with prices ranging from $281 to $12,500. The top lot in this category was a Tiffany-style patinated bronze and art glass table lamp with a Pond Lily design shade, which sold for $12,500, more than six times its high estimate.
Day Two Highlights
The second day of the auction focused on estate jewelry, watches, and additional fine art. The top lot of the entire sale was an 18K white gold ring set with a modified 10.22-carat marquise diamond, flanked by two tapered baguette-cut diamonds, which sold for $212,500. The ring hailed from a private estate in Honolulu.
Watches also performed well, with all four offered lots exceeding their estimates. A Piaget bangle watch, set with an oval lapis lazuli stone, sold for $28,125, the highest price in this category. Other notable watches included a Jaeger-LeCoultre reverso moon phase watch ($9,375), a Corum coin watch ($8,750), and a Chopard diamond watch ($4,688).
Gold coins were another strong category, with four lots of 10 Australian Philharmonic gold coins selling for $31,250, $28,125, and $25,000. The coins were split between two buyers, each winning two lots.
In fine art, David Hockney’s “Rue De Seine” etching with aquatint on wove paper sold for $37,500. The work, an artist’s proof from an edition of 60, was printed by Petersburg Press, London, in 1971 and had provenance from a Los Angeles estate. Hockney was also represented by a limited-edition copy of his book, David Hockney: A Bigger Book, which sold for $3,125, including a bookstand by Marc Newson.
The highest price for fine art on day two was achieved by Alexander Calder’s “Blue, Red and Black”, a 1968 gouache on Arches paper, which sold for $46,875. The work, signed and dated by the artist, had provenance from the Beima estate in southern California. Salvador Dalí’s “Venus Spatiale”, a bronze sculpture from an edition of 350, sold for $22,500.
Surprises and Notable Sales
Several lots exceeded expectations, including two works by Sigmund Joseph Menkes: “Street Scene with Figures and Donkey” ($13,750) and “Violinist” ($15,000). A pair of Niermann Weeks chinoiserie consoles sold for $12,500, and Kenneth D. Snelson’s “Planar X-Tower” achieved $17,500. Billy Al Bengston’s “Psemtek” sold for $16,250, further highlighting the strong performance of modern and contemporary art.
Conclusion
The auction demonstrated the continued strength of the market for fine art, jewelry, and collectibles. Key buyers included Spanish dealers, New York and local jewelry dealers, collectors, and prominent designers. Abell Auction’s next events include a Design Auction on April 17 and a single-owner estate auction of Hollywood legend Janis Page on April 26. For more information, visit www.abell.com or call 323-724-8102. Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house.
