PHILADELPHIA, PA.- On Monday June 12
Freeman’s presented the European Art & Old Masters auction as well as the second Fine Timepieces auction. The back-toback sales began to close out the spring sale season on a high note.
The first sale of the day, the European Art & Old Masters auction brought to market close to 200 works from the Dutch, Italian, and Continental schools. The highest selling lot belonged to Emil Nolde, one of the most important German Expressionist painters and printmakers of the 20th century. In addition to his powerful and primitive woodcuts, Nolde is arguably best known for his watercolors. Lot 159, “Evening Landscape in North Friesland,” is an exquisite example of the artist’s expressive style. The watercolor was even exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It sold for $143,750 against an estimate of $50,000-80,000.
Midway through the sale, a particularly fine painting by French artist Eugène Boudin, “Rivage Aux Environs De Trouville,” sold for $75,000 against an estimate of $30,00050,000. Boudin, whose oeuvre is comprised of scenes painted along the Normandy coast, between Honfleur, where he was born, and Deauville, was also a mentor to Claude Monet.
Among the sale’s highlights were works by Sir Alfred Munnings, whose painting “The Horse Stables” realized $28,750 against an estimate of $10,000-15,000. French painter, Hubert Robert’s “Paysage Avec Une Statue Équestre” was another high point of the sale. The painting is an exemplary sample of why Robert’s is considered among the most important painters of architectural ruins and capriccios in 18th century France. The work achieved $46,875. In addition, Freeman’s sold its first painting by Polish artist Stefan Gierowski, “Untitled”, for $37,000, against an estimate of $5,000-7,000.
Later that day Freeman’s held its second Fine Timepieces auction. The tightly curated sale featured a selection of close 70 watches and clocks from luxury Swiss makers, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, and Vacheron Constantin, and brought horology enthusiasts from around the globe to the bidding floor.
Most notably, three of the top five lots sold that afternoon each featured moonphase indication, a desirable complication sought after by watch collectors. Often included in high complication timepieces, moonphase indication is one of the earliest complexities achieved in the art of horology, and displays the shape of the moon as observed from earth through monthly lunar phases.
Early in the sale, an impressive Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Moon Phase Power Reserve Day-Night Indicator Ref. 270.2.63 18 Karat Gold c. 2002 sold for $18,000 against an estimate of $7,000-9,000. Lot 16, a Patek Philippe Gondolo Calendario Ref. 5135G-010 c. 2007, sold for $21,600. Lot 24, Cartier EWC Triple Calendar c. 1940 also featured a moonphase, and sold for $9,000.
Rounding out the top five lots were pieces from Rolex and Patek Philippe. The highly sought-after Rolex GMT Master Pepsi Ref. 1675 c. 1966, so named for the red and blue bezel, sold for $18,000, while the Patek Philippe Gondolo Ref. 5109G c. 2007 sold for $9,000.
Watch collectors can look forward to the fall sale season as Freeman’s will present two additional timepiece auctions, in September and November.
