Hermann Herzog painting brings $80,500 at estate sale held Oct. 11 by Nadeau's Auction

Oct. 15, 2008 - PRLog -- (Windsor, Conn.) - A beautifully rendered oil on canvas painting of a Florida landscape with figures, painted by the renowned German-born American artist Hermann Herzog (1832-1932), sold for $80,500 at a multi-estate sale held Oct. 11 by Nadeau's Auction Gallery. Herzog, a centenarian, was known for landscapes and seascapes. His work was collected by Queen Victoria and Czar Alexander II.

   The Herzog painting was the top achiever in a sale that saw more than 375 lots change hands. The event was held at Nadeau's gallery facility, located at 25 Meadow Road in Windsor. Over 100 people packed the showroom, while another 600+ bidders participated online, via eBayLiveAuctions and Artfact.com. In addition, more than 200 people joined the action via phone and absentee bids.

   “Overall, this was an excellent sale, despite the current state of the economy,” said Heather Nadeau of Nadeau's Auction Gallery. “There were some soft spots in the mid-range items, but the higher-end items did really well. People are understandably a little timid right now, but they  also know that art and antiques have historically outperformed the stock market. We see that trend continuing.”

   It helped that the merchandise consigned for the sale came from several upscale sources: items from the Holly Williams House Museum in Lakeville, Conn.; the estate of Dorothy Rogers Smith of Bloomfield, Conn.; and prominent estates in Manchester and Old Lyme, Conn. “When you have quality to offer, you'll do well regardless of what's going on with the stock market,” Ms. Nadeau commented.

   Following are more highlights from the sale. All prices include a 15 percent buyer's premium.

   The second top lot, finishing at $51,750, was a Chippendale mahogany upholstered wing chair, crafted around 1780 in Newport, R.I., and with a provenance listing the Jabez Huntington family of Norwich, Conn., to the present. The chair had an arched crest above shaped wings and out-scrolled arms, set on square-fluted and stop-fluted front legs, square rear legs, a raked back and square stretcher.

   A fire screen with mounted wire mesh depicting two playing hounds (circa 1920), attributed to Wilhelm Hunt Diederich (1884-1953), soared to $34,500. Also, an R. Wood & Co. (Philadelphia) iron outdoor stag figure in old paint, showing wear with two broken spikes and a repaired antler, realized $13,225; and a carved and paint-decorated sperm whale figure, signed C. Voorhees, garnered $2,875.

   Fine art dominated the top lots. An oil on canvas painting by David Johnson, signed and marked on the reverse, “Spring a study on the Bronx at Mt. Vernon, David Johnson, May 16, 1873,” in its original gilt Victorian frame and mounted in a burl wooden shadow box, hit $25,875; and a signed oil on canvas work by Paul Cornoyer (1864-1923), Yale University in the Fall, hammered for $21,850.

   An original signed work by the noted artist Guy Wigggins, titled Springtime in Hartford, May 5, 1930, depicting Bushnell Park with vintage cars, figures and the Travelers Tower in the background, still in the original gilt frame, coasted to $11,500; and a signed oil on canvas painting by Sergius Pauser (Vienna, 1869-1970), titled Bouquet of Flowers in a Pitcher, signed lower right, soared to $10,350.

   Continuing in the category, an oil on canvas winter landscape by Arthur Meltzer (American, 1893-1989), titled Farm Hill and signed lower left, topped out at $32,220; an oil on canvas work by Felix Schlesigner (1833-1910), titled Ready for Dinner, made $11,500; and a mountainous landscape by Anton Hans Karlinsky (Austrian, 1872-1945), titled Town on Water's Edge, commanded $8,050.

   Returning to period furniture, a Chippendale mahogany library armchair, with a squared upholstered back and open arms resting on Marlborough legs with stretcher base, climbed to $10,350; a Sheraton tiger maple drop-leaf table on six turned legs, in old finish, achieved $6,037; and a nice Chippendale cherry chest-on-chest, with deutil molded cornice and ogee molded feet, hit $6,325.

   A primitive Queen Anne mirror with arched crest topped out at $8,050; a William and Mary Kas pair of paneled cabinet doors and drawers, with deeply molded cornice and resting on turned-ball feet, chalked up $6,325; and an English Victorian silver five-piece tea set with elaborate figural peasant scenes at a tavern (and bearing the hallmark of Charles Stuart Harvis, London, 1873) realized $11,500.

   Two clocks are worthy of mention. A cherry tall case clock with a carved fretwork top over a tombstone door over a long door, all set on ogee bracket feet with a calendar and second hand, a dial of painted porcelain, with brass works, chimed on time for $4,887; and a Japaned chime clock, marked “Baker, London” and with silver dial and spandrels and a small ogee bracket base, gaveled for $3,162.

   Rounding out the top lots, a Middle Eastern hinge-covered brass pen box, rectangular in form and with circular panel designs (circa 18th/19th century) rose to $3,162; a Mason factory primitive duck decoy, premier grade, with canvas back (circa 1905) brought $1,380; and eleven boxes of leather-bound books, many in small pairs/sets/groups, and mostly in excellent condition, gaveled for $1,265.

   Nadeau's Auction Gallery, Inc., is a family owned and operated business and one of the largest and fastest-growing full-service auction galleries in New England. Nadeau's began in 1985, when Edwin Nadeau, Jr., first opened his “barn doors” in Colchester, Conn. Since 1998, the firm has been housed in a fully renovated, 12,000-square-foot showroom facility in Windsor, just outside Hartford.

   Nadeau's has estate auctions planned for Oct. 25, Nov. 15 and Dec. 6, plus it will conduct its important annual New Year's Day auction, featuring Margolis, Fineberg, custom mahogany, silver, decorative arts, paintings and high-end jewelry. Nadeau's is accepting quality consignments for these and all future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them directly, at (860) 246-2444. Or, you can e-mail them at heather@nadeausauction.com.

   To learn more about Nadeau's Auction Gallery and its calendar of upcoming auctions, visit them online, at www.nadeausauction.com.

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Ken Hall writes pre-sale and post-sale press releases for auction houses, for a fee ($250 US$). He writes, submits and tracks stories for clients. Submissions are published in trade magazines, posted on industry websites and appear in local newspapers.