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Doyle’s March 26 auction, The Chimneys: The Estate of Allan Goldman, held in New York City, was a resounding success, with 93 percent of the 223 lots sold, totaling $567,872. The auction featured items from The Chimneys, a historic 1920s Gold Coast estate on Long Island, originally built for Charles Porter Wilson, chairman of A&P supermarkets, and later owned by real estate investor Allan Goldman. The interiors, designed by Cullman & Kravis, blended old-world charm with contemporary appeal, attracting a diverse range of bidders, including collectors, interior designers, and dealers from the US, UK, France, and beyond.
The top lot of the sale, achieving $28,800, was Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery (John 8:3-11), a Sixteenth Century oil on panel from the Flemish School. Measuring 50 by 66¼ inches unframed, the painting is closely related to a work by Lorenzo Lotto in the Musée du Louvre. Peter Costanzo, Doyle’s senior vice president of estate and appraisal services, noted the painting’s large size, complex composition, and challenging subject matter as key factors in its strong performance.
Another standout was The Ferry at Longpré by Frank C. Penfold (American, 1849-1921), an oil on canvas that fetched $20,480. The sale featured 11 additional oil paintings, with prices ranging from $512 for Vasily Grigorievich Malyshev’s View of a City to $14,080 for Miriam Escofet’s pair of oil on board works, Tulip Towers. Escofet’s contemporary yet Old Master-style depictions of tulips in Delft vases captivated bidders. Another notable oil was Portrait of Madame du Pompadour after Francois Boucher, which sold for $11,520.
Furniture from the George II and George III periods also performed well. A circa 1730 George II giltwood sofa, upholstered in yellow silk brocade, matched the top lot price of $28,800. The sofa featured a Vitruvian scroll and tusk-carved apron, with cabriole legs and scrolled toes, and came with two throw pillows. Other George II pieces included a mahogany triple-top fold-over games table ($1,664) and a pair of giltwood pier tables ($8,320). George III furniture saw all 17 lots sold, with highlights including a 62-inch-high giltwood mirror ($14,080), a set of six giltwood armchairs ($9,600), and a satinwood writing table ($5,120).
Regency furniture also attracted strong interest, led by a circa 1810 calamander and yew wood sofa table, which more than doubled its high estimate to sell for $12,160. Other Regency pieces included a set of seven oak dining chairs ($320) and a pair of gilt and patinated-bronze mounted mahogany side cabinets ($7,040).
The auction also featured five rugs, with a central Persian Mahal carpet from circa 1925 achieving the highest price at $8,320. The rug, acquired from Marvin Kagan Gallery, featured a midnight blue border and a madder field with large-scale floral vinery. Other rugs included a Sultanabad carpet ($2,560), a northwest Persian gallery carpet ($512), and a Khorassan carpet ($416).
Decorative arts were well-represented, with a pair of blanc de chine porcelain figures of Shoulau, mounted as lamps, selling for $9,600—more than triple their high estimate. Other blanc de chine lots included a rooster figure ($1,408) and a pair of crane figures ($1,216). All seven clocks in the auction sold, led by a circa 1860 Napoleon III porcelain mounted gilt bronze and champlevé enamel clock, which fetched $5,760. Other clocks included a Continental onyx and malachite table clock ($640) and an English William and Mary-style seaweed marquetry longcase clock ($1,024).
Costanzo also previewed upcoming Doyle auctions, including Entertaining with Style: The Tom Samet Collection on May 6, The Collection of Barbara Taylor Bradford on May 7, and Old Master Paintings, English & Continental Silver, Furniture & Decorations on May 20-21.
Overall, the auction showcased the enduring appeal of fine and decorative arts, with strong international interest and competitive bidding across a wide range of categories. Prices reported include the buyer’s premium. For more information, visit www.doyle.com or call 212-427-2730.
