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Doyle’s April 16 auction in New York City, titled American Painting, Furniture, Silver & Decorative Arts, showcased approximately 400 lots, achieving a total of $1.6 million with an 89 percent sell-through rate. The sale featured a diverse array of items, including American fine art, furniture, silver, decorative arts, and a few Chinese export pieces. The auction was anchored by “The Chairman’s Collection,” a selection of 125 vernacular American furniture and decorative arts pieces, which highlighted regional craftsmanship and patinated surfaces.
Fine Art Highlights
The fine art category dominated the sale in terms of price, with 134 lots on offer. The top lot was Albert Bierstadt’s 1881 oil painting, Old Faithful, Yellowstone, which soared to $191,000, well above its $80,000–120,000 estimate. The painting, previously handled by Kennedy Galleries and exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution, attracted competitive bidding from private collectors and trade bidders, ultimately selling to an art advisor representing a client.
Another standout was Jasper Francis Cropsey’s 1882 oil on canvas, Autumn Scenery, which fetched $89,400. The painting’s provenance included exhibitions in 1882 and 1884, newspaper articles, and inclusion in the artist’s catalogue raisonné. Other notable results included Hermann Ottomar Herzog’s Deer by a Mountain Stream ($35,220) and Frederic Sackrider Remington’s bronze sculpture, Bronco Buster ($64,000), which exceeded its $40,000–60,000 estimate.
The auction opened strongly with Romantic Landscape, attributed to Joshua Shaw, achieving $28,800 against a modest $1,000–2,000 estimate. Portraits also performed well, with Karl Albert Buehr’s Daydreams selling for $28,800. Bill Fiddler, Doyle’s director of American art, noted a resurgence of interest in Nineteenth Century and Hudson River School paintings.
Silver Highlights
The silver section featured nearly 75 lots, led by a 201-piece Gorham sterling silver flatware service in the Mythologique pattern, which realized $14,080. A 172-piece Tiffany & Co. flatware set in the English King pattern followed, selling for $9,600. Other notable silver items included a Tiffany sterling silver two-handled cup exhibited at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition ($8,960) and two water pitchers by S. Kirk & Son, each achieving $3,840.
Todd Sell, Doyle’s silver specialist, observed strong interest in recognizable brands like Tiffany, Gorham, and Kirk, with many new bidders participating online.
Furniture, Decorative Arts & Folk Art
The furniture and decorative arts section offered a mix of formal and primitive pieces, with highlights from The Chairman’s Collection. A red-painted tall case clock attributed to Nathaniel Dominy IV, circa 1790, sold for $25,600. The top furniture lot was a Chippendale mahogany bonnet-top block-front chest on chest, circa 1770, possibly attributed to Boston cabinetmaker Benjamin Frothingham Jr., which achieved $41,600.
Decorative objects from The Chairman’s Collection were particularly popular, with painted pieces like a green-painted pine wall box ($1,664) and a group of six painted pantry boxes ($1,536) finding buyers. Folk art highlights included a carved and white-painted pine eagle wall plaque attributed to John Haley Bellamy ($3,840) and a molded copper Black Hawk weathervane ($4,160).
Chris Barber, Doyle’s director of American furniture and decorative arts, noted that the sale provided an opportunity to connect with collectors of country furniture and Long Island material. He observed that while bidders were selective and hesitant due to economic uncertainty, rare and important pieces attracted strong interest and competitive bidding.
Conclusion
Doyle’s April 16 auction demonstrated robust demand for high-quality American fine art, furniture, and decorative arts. The sale’s success was driven by well-documented provenance, rarity, and the appeal of vernacular craftsmanship. Upcoming American furniture, fine art, and decorative arts sales have yet to be announced, but the strong results of this auction suggest continued interest in the category. Prices reported include the buyer’s premium. For more information, visit www.doyle.com or call 212-427-2730.
