Art Auction Preview Party

Myself and French friend David @ the New Orleans auction preview party, standing in front of "Les Premieres Fleurs", 1887. Estimate: 150,000 - 300,000

Yesterday I attended a wonderful Art auction preview party with a French friend David. He arrived from New York to New Orleans and had not been in the château de Hopkins for 30 min when I told him I was dragging him to a party! I was excited because I could ware my new 1820's Georgian cameo brooch to this event! A good time was had by all. The art was amazing and beautifully displayed as if in a high in art gallery or museum. Photo's are highlights of the art. New Orleans is a amazing place were you can go to tasteful events like this almost daily. This auction is this weekend. So you still have time to buy a masterpiece for your home. 

1820's English Georgian cameo brooch features the subject of Psyche, goddess of the soul with a butterfly. In a ornate gold Etruscan Cannetille Filigree frame with flower and leaf embellishments.

Louis Marie de Schryver, (French, 1862-1942) "Les Premieres Fleurs", 1887 oil on canvas signed and dated lower right. Presented in a handsome giltwood frame. 40" x 67" Provenance: The art collection of the Narragansett Hotel, Providence, Rhode Island, under the auspice of hotel proprietor L. H. Humphreys, 1890-1908 and perhaps later through 1914; Christie's, New York, May 27, 1992, lot 61; Merryl Israel Aron, New Orleans, Louisiana. Exhibited: Paris Salon of 1887, no. 2164. Literature: Dumas, F. Exposition des Beaux-Arts, Salon de 1887: Catalogue Illustre. Paris: Lodovie Bachet Editeur, 1887, p. 296.; King, Moses and M. F. Sweetser. Kings Handbook of the United States. Buffalo, New York: Moses King Corporation Publishers, 1892, pp. 772-773; and Industries of Wealth of the Principal Points in Rhode Island, being the city of Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Woonsocket, Newport, Narragansett Pier, Bristol and Westerly. New York: A. F. Parsons Publishing Co., 1895, pp. 121-122. Notes: "The flowers, these divine apparitions of nature, are they not the true companions of these pretty women? How we must praise and be grateful to Mr. Schryver for having assembled fresh flowers, ravishing colors and young seductive women in the same canvas. One only knows which of the two to truly prefer. à They are so beautiful that one would gladly stop to offer them flowers. Mr. Schryver has lavished a pleasing perfume of taste and elegance on this piece that makes you view these two Parisian femme-du-mondes in turn as aristocrats." --Louis Enault review of "Les Premieres Fleurs" at the Paris Salon of 1887." As Enault's overwhelming praise of "Les Premieres Fleurs" demonstrates, this still-life of figural and floral beauties epitomizes the French Belle Epoque- a period of burgeoning wealth and leisurely pursuits. Paris at the turn of the century was the epicenter of commerce and opportunity. With the Industrial Revolution, came shops, theaters, cafes and bars, and the grand boulevards, designed by Baron Haussmann in the 1850s, to accommodate the flourishing economy. Young women and men from the provinces flocked to the city in pursuit of a brighter future. Women found work as au pairs or as saleswomen in the fashionable department stores and boutiques, and enjoyed a level of freedom from the social strictures imposed on wealthy "respectable" women, who seldom frequented public places without the companionship of men. Some of these women, like the ones pictured here with their fine dresses and hats, found fortune as actresses, courtesans, or by marrying well, while others fell into far more ignoble metiers, that fellow Impressionists Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas captured in bar room scenes. As Enault's review illustrates, Schryver focused instead on the opportunity the city offered by showcasing women, independent of their "true" social class, as models of Parisian fashion; their clothing, like the flowers they behold, are an arrangement of the finest specimens sold on the grand boulevards. As a true Impressionist, Schryver repainted the same scene multiple times, capturing the flower vendors and their patrons in various lights and times of day, on different boulevards that illustrated the architectural splendor of the city.

Estimate: 150000 - 300000

Manner of Alexandre Francois Desportes, (French, 1661-1743) "Self-Portrait as a Hunter" oil on canvas Presented in an early 20th-century giltwood frame. 63-5/8" x 51-1/4" Provenance: Palladin Inc., Houston, Texas; Herbie Oakes Collection, Houston, Texas.

Estimate: 3000 - 5000

This was one of my favorate painting in the show. I could see it in the château de Hopkins. It reminded me of a lovely painting I saw last Fall in the Orleans art museum in Orleans, France. 

Manner of Jean-Baptiste Oudry, (French, 1686-1755) "La Chasse au Loup en Foret" oil on canvas unsigned. Presented in a thin metal gallery frame. 80" x 69-5/8" Provenance: Animal Art Antiques, New Orleans, Louisiana; Private collection, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Estimate: 8000 - 12000

Manner of Alexandre Francois Desportes, (French, 1661-1743) "Self-Portrait as a Hunter" oil on canvas Presented in an early 20th-century giltwood frame. 63-5/8" x 51-1/4" Provenance: Palladin Inc., Houston, Texas; Herbie Oakes Collection, Houston, Texas.

Estimate: 3000 - 5000

Manner of Willem van de Velde the Younger, (Dutch, 1633-1707) "Dutch Shipping Boats Colliding in a Heavy Sea", first quarter 19th century oil on wood panel faintly signed lower right, reverse stenciled "99KJ" in black with an early 20th-century auction label attributing the work to Jan van de Capelle. Presented in an early 19th-century giltwood frame. 16-1/2" x 24" Provenance: The collector Wayne Francis Palmer (1895-1983), Springlake Plantation, Mobile, Alabama; Thence by descent.

Estimate: 5000 - 8000

Italian School, (18th Century) "Rest on the Flight into Egypt with Archangel Gabriel" oil on canvas Presented in a carved and pierced giltwood frame. 28-1/8" x 34-3/8" Provenance: Waddington's Auction, December 13, 2011, lot 239; Private collection, Canada.

Estimate: 1000 - 1500

After Jean-Baptiste Le Prince, (French, 1734-1781) "The Docile Beasts Under the Spell of Circe" oil on canvas after the original by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609-1664), unsigned, verso with early 20th-century inventory/exhibition label attributing the work to Le Prince. Framed. 25-1/2" x 31-5/8" Notes: Jean-Baptiste Le Prince was a prominent French artist, who had an illustrious career as a court painter to Catherine the Great at the Imperial Palace, St. Petersburg. A native of Metz, France, he entered the studio of the esteemed academic painter Francois Boucher (1703-1770) , becoming one of his most accomplished students, perfecting pastoral and genre scenes through his studies as a copyist and etcher and later through his travails in Russia where it is believed that he developed the aquatint process. Le Prince was likely exposed to the works of Castiglione (1609-1664) through Boucher, who was an admirer of Venetian eighteenth century painting, particularly Castiglione's virtuoso execution of rustic caravans and animals. The work offered here, likely painted before Le Prince left for Russia in 1757, was a favored subject Castiglione painted many times- the story of Circe from Book X of the Odyssey. In Homer's epic poem, Odysseus and his men encounter Circe- a sorceress with an enchanting mansion in the woods surrounded by her companions- tamed wild beasts . After inviting Odysseus' men into her home for a feast, she drugs them with a magic potion before transforming them, at the wave of a wand, into swine to accompany her other metamorphosized guests. Instead of swine proper, Castiglione took several artistic liberties, depicting a multitude of animals to showcase the extraordinary bravura of his talent.

Estimate: 4000 - 7000

Jean Capeinick, (Belgian, 1838-1890) "Le Marche Flottant" oil on canvas signed lower left, an old "Paul Denis/Paris" canvas stamp en verso. Framed. 38-3/4" x 46-1/2"

Estimate: 5000 - 8000

Circle of Jakob Bogdani, (Hungarian, 1660-1724) "Still Life with Cockatoo, Bird and Spaniel" oil on canvas unsigned. Framed. 29-5/8" x 52-1/2" Notes: Jakob Bogdani, a native of Presov, Hungary, moved to Amsterdam in 1684 where he was trained in the Dutch Golden Age tradition of the masters Melchior de Hondecoeter (1636-1695) and Willem van Aelst (1627-1683) - who specialized in still lifes with wild game and flowers. In 1688 Bogdani traveled to London, where he would remain for the rest of his life, seeking employment first with William III, Prince of Orange, before being appointed court painter to Queen Anne. Under the tutelage of the court, Bogdani achieved great success, earning commissions from some of the most esteemed aristocrats, such as Queen Mary II and Admiral George Churchill, brother of the Duke of Marlborough. Churchill, one of his chief patrons, owned the famous aviary at Windsor Park, affording Bogdani ample access to the many exotic birds he depicted like the cockatoo in the painting offered here. Bogdani's superb still lifes typically featured the imported goods of London's rich maritime trade; foreign species of birds and flowers crowded his paintings with white and scarlet highlights in the plume and foliage accentuated by dark backgrounds. Examples of his work are conserved in the Royal Collection and Fitzwilliam Museum in London and in Magyar Nemzeti Galeria in Budapest.

Estimate: 10000 - 15000

Thomas Cooper Gotch, R.B.A., (British, 1854-1931) "Rex Magnificus" oil on canvas signed lower right, remnant of old gallery label en verso stretcher. Presented in an antique gilt-washed carved wood frame. 15-1/2" x 19" Notes: Gotch was one of the few 19th-century painters of children capable of merging an idealized version of childhood with the personality of the individual sitter. While his earliest work was naturalistic in style, a trip to Italy in the 1890s drastically altered his approach. His work became more allegorical, with attention given to decorative elements and the overall design. The portrait presented here is a wonderful example of the success of this approach. Even with such a small, specific work, Gotch has not neglected any design element, from the delicately rendered wallpaper, to the various patterns of the child's clothing. References: Charles Caffin, "A Painter of Childhood and Girlhood", Harper's Monthly Magazine, vol. 59, May 1910, pp. 922-932.; A. L. Baldry, "The Work of T. C. Gotch", The Studio International, 1898, pp. 73-82. 

Estimate: 5000 - 8000

Pasquale Ruggiero, (Italian, 1851-1916) "Christening in the Courtyard" oil on canvas signed lower right. Framed. 20" x 30"

Estimate: 2000 - 4000

Herman Jean-Joseph Richir, (Belgian, 1866-1942) "Elegie", ca. 1932 oil on canvas signed lower center, signed and titled en verso, with numerous exhibition and auction labels. Framed. 54-1/4" x 42-1/2" Provenance: M. Teichman, Brussels, Belgium; Christie's, New York, February 25, 1988, lot 56; Christie's, New York, May 20, 1996, lot 232. Exhibited: "Salon (Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts)", Paris, 1932; "Towarzystwo Przyjaciot Sztuk Pieknyci w Krakowie", Krakow, 1935; "Cercle Royal Artistique et Litteraire", Brussels, 1947. Notes: "He often paints his nudes from the back and succeeds in a surprising way in introducing not only a richness of nuances of colors but also the suggestion of life and action. In this field, Richir's art remains unmatched." - Joost de Geest, art historian As de Geest's comment illustrates, Richir approached his female subjects, particularly unclothed, with an unparalleled psychological depth seldom seen in nude depictions at the time. Beauty for Richir was a faithful reproduction of the sitter that resided as much in the flesh as it did in the mood and expression of the figure, earning Richir the distinction as one of the best Belgian painters of women in the early 20th century. Influenced by the academic traditions of the Neo-classical school, his paintings elucidate depth through their fine attention to the nuances of color and line harmony, especially in his expert handling of rare fabrics and draperies. "Elegie", the work offered here, exemplifies Richir's mastery. Depicted with reverse light from behind and silhouetted in strong lines before the veiled window, "Elegie", in her contemplative pose, evokes the poetic sorrow of her name; the pile of flowing drapery on the bed beneath her spills outward in a symphony of tertiary blues. Georges Bierand, in his critique of Richir's nudes, poignantly summarizes the artist's virtuoso: "Is it necessary to admire the perfection of drawing more than the translucent brilliance of color? Under the pearly epidermis, a young blood circulates because it is a precious gift of the painter to know, through the magic of color, to recreate on the canvas this internal flow that makes palpitate the flesh". In addition to nudes, Richir had a prodigious career as a portraitist and painter of allegorical and mythological scenes, earning the second Prize of Rome in 1885 and exhibiting at the Paris Salon and Triennial fair in Ghent from 1888-1892. After studying under the direction of Jean-Francois Portaels at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels from 1884-1888, the Academy appointed him professor of drawing and painting respectively in 1900 and 1905 positions. Richir maintained his position at the Academy until 1927, often times acting as its director, while developing a lucrative portraiture business among the Belgium royalty that included King Albert I of Belgium and his wife Queen Elizabeth, King Leopold II of Belgium and the Count of Flanders. 

Estimate: 7000 - 10000

Franz Josef Bolinger, (American/Florida, 1903-1986) "Nude Seated in a Verdant Landscape" oil on canvas signed lower right. Framed. 30" x 24"

Estimate: 1400 - 1800

Frederic Soulacroix, (French, 1858-1933) "Afternoon Tea for Three" oil on canvas signed lower right. Presented in a gilded frame. 39-1/2" x 30" Provenance: Private collection, Birmingham, Alabama; Thence by descent. Notes: Frederic (Joseph, Pierre, Timothee) Soulacroix was born into a prominent artistic family. His father, a talented French sculptor and painter, married Italian fresco painter Giancinta Diofebo, with whom he collaborated on several fresco commissions. The talented young Soulacroix entered the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence in 1873 and was later accepted into its prestigious School of Painting where he was exposed to romantic genre painting. The painting offered here is a fine example of his mature work that from the late 1870s represents a unique mixture of Rococo subject matter (courting couples and frivolous tea parties in gardens and parlors) and Neo-Classical draftsmanship within Empire-style settings. The sumptuous parlor and the three young debutantes engaged in teatime chatter are formed through strong compositional outlines and polished surfaces. The verisimilitude of the silk and satin gowns, the crisp lines of the curtained door, and upholstered fabrics are a testament to Soulacroix's virtuoso in depicting the fineries of late 18th-/early 19th-century costume pieces and decor. Soulacroix had a prodigious career with well-to-do patrons seeking portraits and genre scenes that aggrandized their wealth, moreover material possessions. In 1924 he was appointed an officer of the French Academy and member of the Committee to the French Alliance in Florence. His commitment to working with French artists in Italy was awarded posthumously in 1945 by the French government with the Legion of Honor. Though quite distinctive, Soulacroix's works are often confounded with those of his father's Charles Frederic Joseph Soulacroix. Many art database references (even Benezit) and Google images attribute his elegant paintings of ladies in refined domestic spaces to his father, who specialized in religious subject matter in two very different mediums - marble and frescos. 

Estimate: 20000 - 40000

Herman Jean-Joseph Richir, (Belgian, 1866-1942) "Elegie", ca. 1932 oil on canvas signed lower center, signed and titled en verso, with numerous exhibition and auction labels. Framed. 54-1/4" x 42-1/2" Provenance: M. Teichman, Brussels, Belgium; Christie's, New York, February 25, 1988, lot 56; Christie's, New York, May 20, 1996, lot 232. Exhibited: "Salon (Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts)", Paris, 1932; "Towarzystwo Przyjaciot Sztuk Pieknyci w Krakowie", Krakow, 1935; "Cercle Royal Artistique et Litteraire", Brussels, 1947. Notes: "He often paints his nudes from the back and succeeds in a surprising way in introducing not only a richness of nuances of colors but also the suggestion of life and action. In this field, Richir's art remains unmatched." - Joost de Geest, art historian As de Geest's comment illustrates, Richir approached his female subjects, particularly unclothed, with an unparalleled psychological depth seldom seen in nude depictions at the time. Beauty for Richir was a faithful reproduction of the sitter that resided as much in the flesh as it did in the mood and expression of the figure, earning Richir the distinction as one of the best Belgian painters of women in the early 20th century. Influenced by the academic traditions of the Neo-classical school, his paintings elucidate depth through their fine attention to the nuances of color and line harmony, especially in his expert handling of rare fabrics and draperies. "Elegie", the work offered here, exemplifies Richir's mastery. Depicted with reverse light from behind and silhouetted in strong lines before the veiled window, "Elegie", in her contemplative pose, evokes the poetic sorrow of her name; the pile of flowing drapery on the bed beneath her spills outward in a symphony of tertiary blues. Georges Bierand, in his critique of Richir's nudes, poignantly summarizes the artist's virtuoso: "Is it necessary to admire the perfection of drawing more than the translucent brilliance of color? Under the pearly epidermis, a young blood circulates because it is a precious gift of the painter to know, through the magic of color, to recreate on the canvas this internal flow that makes palpitate the flesh". In addition to nudes, Richir had a prodigious career as a portraitist and painter of allegorical and mythological scenes, earning the second Prize of Rome in 1885 and exhibiting at the Paris Salon and Triennial fair in Ghent from 1888-1892. After studying under the direction of Jean-Francois Portaels at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels from 1884-1888, the Academy appointed him professor of drawing and painting respectively in 1900 and 1905 positions. Richir maintained his position at the Academy until 1927, often times acting as its director, while developing a lucrative portraiture business among the Belgium royalty that included King Albert I of Belgium and his wife Queen Elizabeth, King Leopold II of Belgium and the Count of Flanders. 

Estimate: 7000 - 10000

Camille Bombois, (French, 1883-1970) "Les Enfants du Chatelain", ca. 1928 oil on canvas signed lower center, titled en verso stretcher, verso with "Perls Galleries, New York, N.Y." label. Presented in a giltwood frame with a linen liner. 21-5/8" x 18-1/8" Provenance: Perls Galleries, New York, N.Y.; The Flatt Collection. Exhibited: Perls Galleries, New York, Bombois, the Early Years, 1967, no. 22.

Estimate: 5000 - 8000

Camille Bombois, (French, 1883-1970) "Vase de Roses" oil on canvas signed lower left "Bombois Clle". Presented in a giltwood frame with a linen liner. 9" x 6-1/2" Provenance: Christie's East, New York, November 13, 1990 sale, lot 54; The Flatt Collection.

Estimate: 1000 - 1500

Camille Bombois, (French, 1883-1970) "Bouquet de Roses dans un Vase Orange" oil on panel signed lower left "Bombois Clle". Presented in a polychrome and parcel-gilt frame. 9-1/2" x 12-3/4" Provenance: Christie's East, New York, November 13, 1990 sale, lot 117; The Flatt Collection.

Estimate: 2000 - 4000

After Gaspar de Crayer, (Flemish, 1584-1669) "Le Cardinal-Infant Ferdinand d'Autriche (1609-1641)" oil on canvas unsigned. Presented in a late 18th-/early 19th-century carved pine frame affixed with a brass artist plaque. 73-1/4" x 47-5/8" Provenance: Herbie Oakes Collection, Houston, Texas. Notes: The imposing portrait offered here is a celebration of the Habsburg Dynasty and 17th-century portraiture. Ferdinand of Austria, the third son of Philip III, King of Spain, and Margaret of Austria, sister of Ferdinand II, the Holy Roman Emperor, had an equally illustrious ecclesiastical and political career. Ferdinand was ordained Arch Duke of Toledo at the age of 19-20, and Cardinal shortly thereafter. As a prince of both the Roman Catholic order and of Spain (hence the double title Cardinal-Infant), Ferdinand was appointed Governor of the Spanish Netherlands in 1630 and military commander during the Thirty Years' War (1633-1641). In 1634 Ferdinand moved to Brussels, the capital of the Spanish provinces, and appointed Gaspar de Crayer, a native of Antwerp, his first court painter, preferring his portraits over his Flemish rival Peter Paul Rubens. In the 1630s, de Crayer was considered the equal of Rubens in painting commissions. According to Edward Wamsley's 1822 biography on de Crayer, following his court appointment, Rubens impressed by his success visited him in his studio, and upon seeing his works in progress decried: "Crayer, Crayer, one will not surpass you!" Between 1634 and Ferdinand's premature death in 1641, de Crayer painted multiple portraits of Ferdinand, the most famous of them, an equestrian portrait, painted in concert with the one depicted here commemorates the Prince's victory at the Battle of Nordlingen, 1634, which ended Swedish Protestant resistance in Southern Germany. While the former painting was presented to Ferdinand's brother King Philip IV, the latter one of Ferdinand in his vestments, now conserved in the Prado, was likely commissioned by the church for his religious victory as a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. Given the scale of the work offered here, its finesse, and close mastery of composition and detail as the original, it is likely that it was commissioned ca. 1800 for a church or building in one of the Belgian/French provinces Ferdinand of Austria patronized. References: Blanc, Charles. Histoire des Peintres de Toutes Les Ecoles: Ecole Flemande, vol. 13. Paris: Jules Renouard Libraire-Editeur, 1864. pp. 62-64; Walmsley, Edward. Physiognomical Portraits, 100 Characters from Originals, Engr. by British Artists. London: John Major, Robert Jennings & Robert Triphook, 1822. 

Estimate: 5000 - 8000

A. Gilbert, (British, 19th Century) "Leisure Hours" oil on canvas signed lower right. Presented in a giltwood exhibition frame. 27" x 31" Provenance: Sotheby's, London, November 11, 1998, lot 135, Victorian Pictures including Works by Burne-Jones and his Circle, offered as a work by Albert Thomas Jarvis Gilbert (British, 1877-1927); Private collection, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Estimate: 5000 - 8000

Frank Worth, (American, 1923-2000) "Elizabeth Taylor on the Set of 'Giant'" limited edition archival pigment print with a "Frank Worth Estate" blind stamp lower right, numbered "72/95". Framed. sheet 24" x 20-1/2"

Estimate: 1000 - 1500

Frank Worth, (American, 1923-2000) "Sammy Davis, Jr. Leaps for Marilyn Monroe" and "Marilyn Monroe on Set of 'How to Marry a Millionaire'" pair of limited edition archival pigment prints each with a "Frank Worth Estate" blind stamp lower right, numbered "72/95" and "10/95", respectively. Framed. each sheet 20-1/4" x 24" Notes: Working as a freelance photographer in Hollywood in the 40s, 50s and 60s, Worth befriended many of the film industry's stars, often becoming a trusted confidante. Not constrained by the strictures imposed by the studios on their staff photographers, Worth's black and white images, frequently taken on set during breaks in shooting, reveal a spontaneity and sense of playfulness rarely seen. Few images were published during his lifetime; it was only after his death in 2000 that his executor discovered a trove of negatives of Hollywood royalty, and the Estate produced limited edition pigment prints. Reference: O'Connor, Patrick. "In Search of Lost Stars". The Telegraph September 27, 2002.

Estimate: 1200 - 1800

Anton Karssen, (Dutch, b. 1945) "On the Alert" oil on canvas signed lower left. Framed. 13" x 20"

Estimate: 1500 - 2500

Antoine Blanchard, (French, 1910-1988) "Rue Royale, Madeleine" oil on canvas signed lower right. Framed. 13" x 18" Provenance: Private collection, Houston, Texas.

Estimate: 2000 - 4000

Raya Sorkine, (French, b. 1936) "Jour de Bonheur" oil on canvas signed lower left, signed and titled en verso. Framed. 57-1/2" x 44-1/2"

Estimate: 3000 - 5000

Gen Paul, (French/American, 1895-1975) "Les Musiciens" gouache on paper signed lower right. Matted, glazed and framed. sight 25" x 19"

Estimate: 2000 - 4000

Conradyn Cunaeus, (Dutch, 1828-1895) "Waiting for Mistress" oil on canvas signed lower right, verso with a label inscribed in pen "Leeuwhondje, C. Cunaeus...". Presented in a 20th-century giltwood frame. 34-1/2" x 27-3/4" Provenance: Sara Davenport Paintings, London, U.K., 1994.

Estimate: 8000 - 12000

British School, (First Quarter 18th Century) "Portrait of a Girl with a Basket" and "Portrait of a Boy with His Dog" pair of oils on canvas both unsigned, former with a "Caelt Gallery, London, UK" gallery label en verso. Presented in matching oval frames. former 29-1/2" x 24-1/2", latter 31" x 24-1/4" Provenance: Caelt Gallery, London, England; Private collection.

Estimate: 1500 - 2500

Exceptional Italian Carved Marble Bust of the Roman Philosopher and Statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BCE-43 BCE), 19th century, various marbles and stone including Cararra, griotte rouge, and Sienna marble and striated onyx; presented on a later marble columnar plinth. h. 38", w. 25", d. 14"; with plinth overall h. 73" Provenance: M. S. Rau, New Orleans, Louisiana; Private collection. Notes: In the 19th century, representations of ancient Roman dignitaries were highly desired as symbols of wealth, prestige and worldliness. Often acquired during the "Grand Tour", the European excursion undertaken by the upper-classes as a rite of passage, these works were prominently displayed in places of honor. The fine example presented here is somewhat unusual in its slightly larger-than-life size, the deep carving, and, especially, the variety and richness of the marbles used. Though unsigned, it is clearly by the hand of a master trained in the Italian sculpture workshops. These artists and artisans were internationally admired for their ability to work in the unforgiving and daunting media of marble and stone. This is evident in the deep modeling of the features of this bust, creating the deep shadowed furrows which suggest intense thought and concentration. Cicero, the subject of this bust, was considered one of the greatest orators of the ancient world. 

Estimate: 25000 - 40000

Leon Herbo, (French/Belgian, 1850-1907) "Feeding the Starlings" oil on canvas signed lower left. Presented in a period deeply molded and carved giltwood and gesso frame. 29-1/2" x 38-3/4"

Estimate: 7000 - 10000

Emanuel Oberhauser, (Austrian, 1854-1919) "At the Roman Bath" oil on canvas signed lower left. Presented in a period giltwood and gesso frame. 26-3/4" x 41-3/4"

Estimate: 20000 - 40000

Myself and French friend David @ the New Orleans auction preview party, standing in front of "Les Premieres Fleurs", 1887. Estimate: 150,000 - 300,000

If you would like to bid on any of the art the website is here 

http://neworleansauction.com/pages/viewall.asp