Date: Fri 29-May-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: SHIRLE

Quick Words:

Christies-Amer

Full Text:

Flags Fly At Christie's Sale Of Important American Paintings

(W/1 CUT) - LB

NEW YORK CITY -- Christie's May 21 Important American Paintings, Sculptures

and Drawings sale grossed $42,396,200, the highest total ever for an auction

of American paintings at Christie's.

In the morning session, 78 paintings from the Thomas Mellon Evans collection

realized $25,347,150 (99 percent sold by dollar and 95 percent sold by lot).

The session set a record for a single-owner sale of American paintings,

eclipsing the $25,036,000 sale of the Eulich collection at Sotheby's just a

day earlier.

"We had all the right elements for a truly exceptional sale and these

phenomenal results confirm our belief that the American paintings market is

one of the most important fine arts markets," said Andrew Schoelkopf, senior

vice president and head of Christie's American paintings department.

"The sale's strength was in the broad spectrum of quality American paintings

offered. In particular, the top American Impressionist works, Nineteenth

Century genre paintings, and important Modernist pictures realized in excess

of a million dollars," he said.

Buyers competed fiercely for pictures assembled by sportsman and Wall Street

legend Thomas Mellon Evans. Highlighting the group, and the top lot of the

day, was Childe Hassam's "Flags, Afternoon on the Avenue," 1917. This painting

of American and allied flags draped along New York's Fifth Avenue more than

doubled its pre-sale estimate and sold for $7,922,500, a record for the

artist. The price achieved places this work among the five most expensive

American paintings ever sold at auction.

Also from the Thomas Mellon Evans collection, a second Hassam, "The Quai St

Michel" (est $1,2/1,800,000), doubled its pre-sale high estimate and sold for

$3,027,500. Works by Winslow Homer, "The Bird Catchers, Grace Hopps" and "The

Strawberry Bed," each soared above their pre-sale estimates and realized

$1,432,500, $1,432,500, and $706,500, respectively.

In the afternoon various-owner session, a third painting by Hassam, "East

Headland, Appeldore -- Isles of Shoals," realized $1,322,500, doubling its

pre-sale high estimate, while a fourth work by Homer, "Along the Road, the

Bahamas," sold for $772,500.

Works by American Modernists artist also sold extremely well. Georgia

O'Keeffe's sensual "Black Iris II (Black Iris VI)," 1936, realized $1,102,500

and a rare collaborative effort by Maurice and Charles Prendergast, "Spirit of

the Hunt," circa 1917, sold for $1,432,500.

In addition to the record for a work by Childes Hassam, world auction records

were set for Edward Henry Potthast (lot 56), George de Forest Brush (lot 78),

Frank Tenney Johnson (lot 89), William Stanley Haseltine (lot 101), Edward

Redfield (lot 153), and Milton Avery (lot 209).

The sale of property from the Thomas Mellon Evans collection continued on with

Old Master paintings. Additional property from the Thomas Mellon Evans

collection will be sold in Christie's Important American Furniture, Silver,

Folk Art and Decorative Arts Sale on June 18 and in Christie's Sporting Art

Sale on December 2.