MILFORD, CONN.- Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers will host their last auction of the year on Thursday, November 19th at 2pm Eastern time. The 242-lot online sale includes American and European art from the 19th and early 20th centuries, modern and contemporary art, fine prints, sculpture and drawings. Bidding is available by absentee and online through Invaluable.com.
The expected top lot of the sale is a rare drawing by Dutch artist Rudolf Bonnet, of two women carrying water jugs on their heads. Waterdraagsters was painted while the artist was living and working in Bali. Bonnet devoted his life to artistic and philanthropic efforts to promote Balinese art. His genre scenes of Balinese people capture the spirit of life in Bali and are widely collected by enthusiasts of Indonesian art.
Another rare gem is an Eliseo Meifren painting of his garden in Majorca. The painting was originally shipped to the United States for the Pan-Pacific International Exhibition in 1915, where the artist was awarded a Medal of Honor. It was sold at The Anderson Galleries in New York City before the Spanish Commissioner returned home in 1919 and has since descended into a private collection. This fresh-to-the-market painting beautifully depicts the artist’s colorful garden in a Spanish Impressionist style.
American paintings will be led by a large Antonio Jacobsen marine rendering of the U.S.M. Pennsylvania. Measuring 32 inches by 60 inches, the painting is an impressive composition. Other highlights in American art include paintings by New Englander Eric Sloane; Hudson River School paintings by Arthur Parton and Samuel L. Gerry; 19th century genre paintings by Hamilton Hamilton and Francis Coates Jones; Western art by Frank McCarthy and Carl Pugliese; and American Impressionism by Richard Hayley Lever, Emile Gruppe, Clarence Kerr Chatterton, Charles Warren Eaton and others.
An original work on paper by Robert Rauschenberg (Untitled, 1983), leads the contemporary offerings with a $10,000-$15,000 estimate. This solvent transfer with acrylic and graphite work presents a unique opportunity for new and seasoned collectors to own an original Rauschenberg at an approachable price. A modern abstract on paper by George L.K. Morris is another such opportunity for a collector to buy an original, quality work by a highly sought-after artist, estimated at just $7,000-$9,000.
Shannon’s managing partner Sandra Germain commented, “2020 brought about many changes for all of us. At Shannon’s, our online sales have become even more important. We are happy to be able to offer fresh-to-the-market, high-quality fine artworks at all price points. Clients in our online sales range from younger people furnishing new living spaces to long-time clients expanding or changing their collections. Our international client base is expanding every day. This will be our fifth and final sale of the year and we are excited about the range of offerings. We are thankful to our clients and staff during this challenging year, and we are looking forward to a successful and healthy 2021.”
