Cowan's American and European Paintings Auction Results
Cowan's American and European Paintings Auction suggests that collectors are still investing in tangible assets such as Fine Art. The 200 lot painting auction realized $288,000, featuring work by American artists Edmund Henry Osthaus and Paul Sawyier. European paintings also sold well in Cowan's first painting sale of the year.
Graydon Sikes , Director of Paintings and Prints, was pleased with the outcome of the sale. “This year has started strong for Cowan’s. After the success of February’s Fine and Decorative Art auction, I am extremely happy the momentum carried into this sale. Interest was high, and we had aggressive bidding online and on the phones.”
The highest-selling work was On the Hunt by
Ohio artist Edmund Henry Osthaus, whose works hang in the Toledo Museum of Art. This oil on canvas, an excellent example of his canine scenes, sold for $31,725. Osthaus' sporting and canine paintings are highly sought after by collectors, but the overall condition contributed to the great interest it received.
Andalusian Fantasy by Rolf Stoll, also an
Ohio artist, nearly tripled its estimate of $4/6000, selling for $16,450 The painting was originally owned by Ettore Boiardi, founder of the Chef Boyardee Company, and hung in his
Cleveland restaurant in the mid-1920s. It was exhibited at the Cleveland Art Muesem in the 1930's. “Stoll is not a very well-known artist, and few of his works have come to auction. This painting is so dynamic that it was irresistible to collectors, and that likely contributed to its garnering of such a high price. I wouldn’t be surprised if more of Stoll’s paintings start coming out of the woodwork,” commented
Graydon Sikes .
Kentucky artist Paul Sawyier’s oil on board painting, Across the Hills,
Anderson County , KY , sold for $11,750, above its $7/10000 estimate. Oil paintings by Sawyier are more rare than his works on paper, and generally attract aggressive bidding. His work often illustrated the diverse Kentucky landscape and is sought after by regional collectors.
Works by regional artists were not the only successes of the auction. European paintings were featured at the start of the February auction and consistently sold above their pre-auction estimates.
A late 19th-century forest scene, originally unattributed, was discovered at the 11th hour to be signed by Jòzsef Molnár, a Hungarian artist. The oil on canvas garnered $14,100, well above its $1/2000 estimate.
The next American and European Paintings sale will be held on for October 15, 2009. For further information, please contact Graydon Sikes at (513) 871-1670 or graydon@cowans.com