DALLAS, TX.- Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Le Bouquet, 1910, brought $657,250 as the top lot in
Heritage Auctions' American & European Signature® Art Auction, Nov. 8, at Heritage's Design District Annex, 1518 Slocum Street.
Le Bouquet came to Heritage from the family of renowned Texas artist Lucien Abrams, who acquired it from Renoir's dealer, Durand-Ruel in New York during September 1933. Durand-Ruel originally obtained the painting from Renoir's family.
"This wonderful still life has been with the Abrams family for nearly 80 years and has been kept in outstanding condition," said Ed Beardsley, Managing Director of Heritage Auctions' Department of Fine Arts. "Collector interest was high and bidding was spirited, proving that Abrams' heirs made the right decision to bring the painting to market now."
The auction's cover lot, Daniel Ridgway Knight's Young Woman Knitting, hailing from a private collection in San Diego, CA, took the second slot in the auction's top lots, realizing an impressive $143,400, besting its pre-auction estimate of $80,000+ by more than $60,000.
"Young Woman Knitting is an iconic example of Knight's work on a large scale, painted with a masterful sense of composition and Impressionist palette," said Ariana Hartsock, Consignment Director at Heritage. "This work, featuring a young wistful peasant woman in a picturesque French landscape, obviously resonated with bidders, given the number of participants and solid final price realized."
Martin Johnson Heade has proven consistently popular in Heritage's American & European Art Auctions, with the Nov. 8 event proving no exception. Heade's subtle, lovely Red Roses in a Japanese Vase on a Gold Velvet Cloth, circa 1885-1890, drew much advance notice and a $53,775 price realized in the final analysis.
Two sporting paintings by Edmund Henry Osthaus, both from The Houston Club Collection, performed solidly in the auction. English Setter with Grouse realized $41,825, while English Setters in Field came in at $38,838,
A strong selection of canvases from Edward-Léon Cortès proved the enduring popularity of the French street-scene master. His Cafe de la Paix easily surpassed its $25,000+ pre-auction estimate to finish the day at $35,850, while his Madeleine, Front View, also soared past a $20,000+ pre-auction estimate to bring $31,070, a final price realized matched by The Opera, a wonderful scene superbly evocative of a rainy Paris afternoon.
Rounding out the top offerings of the auction were Henry Raeburn's Portrait of General Henry Wynyard, circa 1811-1819, which proved one of the auction's most pleasant surprises, realizing $28,680 against a pre-auction estimate of $8,000+, and Valentín De Zubiaurre's Aqueduct of Segovia, circa 1920, which nearly doubled its pre-auction estimate of $15,000+ to bring $28,680.
