Sloane Paintings Reach Monumental Prices At Fairfield Auction

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Jul 22, 2005 12:00 am

Three large paintings by Eric Sloane achieved near record prices at Fairfield Auction of Newtown on June 25.

A view of a red covered bridge with children fishing stopped one bid short of the existing auction record when it sold for $46,000, while two others sold for $36,800 and $29,900, also among the top prices ever achieved for Sloaneâs work.

The first painting, called âNew England Summer,â was an oil on masonite that measured 24 by 48 inches.

Eric Sloane was perhaps Connecticutâs most famous artist. He lived in Warren from 1956 until 1985, and produced an estimated 15,000 paintings during his lifetime. He is particularly known for his views of old New England barns and covered bridges.

His most famous work is the mural at The Smithsonionâs Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Sloane also wrote eight books and became an authority on early American architecture and tools.

The paintings sold by Fairfield Auction were consigned by the widow of an early dealer who had clearly set aside three of the best for his own collection.

Despite a flood of inquiries about the paintings from all over the country, the three buyers where all in New England. All three bought for their own collections.

With over 200 bidders registered for the sale from two dozen states and six countries, there were plenty of additional highlights.

A Connecticut maple flat-top highboy sold at $9,545 and a large unsigned painting of Niagara Falls after Frederick Church was hotly contested to $6,900. A painted porcelain plaque signed KPM and depicting a gypsy girl earned a very strong $10,925 and a pair of Italian neoclassical commodes blew past their $2/3,000 estimate, selling for $8,900.

Fairfield Auction is at 53 Church Hill Road in Newtown. The company conducts six antique and fine art auctions each year.

The gallery is open for free evaluations of up to five items every Tuesday from 10 am until 1pm.

For further information call 364-1555 or visit www.FairfieldAuction.com.

Patricia Anzellotti

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John, you raise an important point — these situations are tragic, complicated, and often far less clear-cut than the headlines make them seem. In the Fredericksburg case, the full facts still aren’t publicly known, and like so many of these stories, there’s conflicting information. It was apparently the back door at 3 a.m. — was it justified to use deadly force? We don’t know yet. What we do know is that the homeowner has been charged, and as you rightly noted, that is very serious. But this is also where perspective matters. These cases are quickly sensationalized in the news and on social media, yet when the dust settles, the outcomes are rarely publicized. People forget that in our system, you are innocent until proven guilty. Try to find much coverage of the convication in the case of the Fairfield Realtor vehicle homicide, or updates on the woman who shot her husband a couple of Christmases ago, or even the pedestrian death in Sandy Hook a year or so back. The follow-through simply isn’t there, and public opinion is often shaped only by the first round of headlines. At the end of the day, these situations remind us how split-second decisions in the middle of the night can change lives forever — which is exactly why the right to protect one’s property, home and family is so fiercely debated, and lucky constitutionally protected.

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First the low hanging fruit. Dave; it was a joke, please get over it. You are the only person in Newtown that thought I really wanted to build a stadium on 6 Commence Rd. Now on to Alex. You might not appreciate my writing style or my selection of words, but let's not loose sight of the fact that by responding to my letter in the manner that you did, you have removed any doubt whatsoever that you have no idea of the quantifiable benefits you are dismissing not only for the town, but also for protesters. Either you stopped listening at the word "ordinance" or you never started.. Your constitutional rights to assemble were never in question and would actually be strengthened and there would be literally no impediments. We could even title it "The Alex Villamil Ordinance" if you want. It could be your legacy and actually show Newtown your willingness to work in a bipartisan way for the betterment of the town. Businesses would be protected. Traffic wouldn't be interrupted. The town would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime. And maybe most importantly, the town could prevent another tragedy while mitigating legal risk in the event something terrible happens at a protest. Nothing bad could never happen in Newtown right? All that could be accomplished by a simple, non-intrusive ordinance unless all the detriments to our town are intentional in order to bring more attention to your cause. Alex, this was not me throwing a temper tantrum. Believe me, you will know it if that happens. I am just putting Newtown first. From that perspective, if you think critically, the regulation is necessary. It makes sense logically, rationally, and is reasonable. There is absolutely no down side. None. I would be willing to sit down with you to see if we could come to some type of compromise if you want. Let me know. You would be amazed how much you can accomplish when there is dialogue amongst neighbors.

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Sloane Paintings Reach Monumental Prices At Fairfield Auction

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