Copley Fine Art Auctions will host their Sporting Sale 2020 via Livestream on July 23
The sale, consisting of 294 lots, will offer the opportunity to take home world-class paintings and bird carvings. Auctioneer Peter Cocculuto will be conducting the live sale once again; however, the auction will be held at Copley’s headquarters and there will not be any in-person bidding. The auction will be live-streamed and will utilize phone, absentee and internet bidding. Phone bidders are strongly encouraged to sign up early. The live auction will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 23.
Live online bidding will be available through Copley Live (download in your app store) and Bidsquare.
Copley Principal Stephen O’Brien Jr. reports, “I’ve been surprised by the number of big private sales we have been seeing over the last month. The market for top-notch decoys and paintings has been quite resilient. We saw this in 2008 and 2009 as well. Having something on the wall or shelf gives our clients a tremendous amount of security. You don’t have to worry about losing secret keys like you do with cryptocurrencies. Most importantly, art brings our clients a tremendous amount of joy.”
Ogden M. Pleissner (1905–1983), Quail Hunting, watercolor, 15 by 29 in., Estimate: $40/60,000.
Copley will again offer items from the Estate of Alfred F. King III. King was the owner of The Sportsman’s Edge gallery in New York City for many years, and pieces from his estate include items by Bob Kuhn, David A. Maass and Frank W. Benson. A significant selection of ornithological works from the collection of Eddie Woodin, including pieces by well-known bird artists C. F. Tunnicliffe, Archibald Thorburn, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Robert Verity Clem, Harry Curieux Adamson and Roger Tory Peterson will be included.
An exciting selection of prints and works on paper will come to market, including seven prints by wildlife artist Carl Rungius, nine print lots by Frank W. Benson and additional works by Marguerite Kirmse, Roland Green, Roland Clark, Richard Bishop, William J. Schaldach, Ripley and Percival Rosseau, rounding out the fine art offerings.
Copley is excited to once again present a select group of antique decoys and bird carvings. Works directly from the Collections of Thomas M. Evans, Thomas K. Figge, Ted and Judy Harmon, Dr. Morton Kramer, Grant Nelson and others will be featured in the sale. In all, over 150 American bird decoys will cross the block. Diverse offerings of carvings from virtually every major region will be on display. Important makers represented include Melvin G. Lawrence, Charles F. Coffin, A. Elmer Crowell, The Ward Brothers, Ira Hudson, Lothrop Holmes, the Mason Factory, Joseph W. Lincoln, John Dawson, Obediah Verity, “Shang” Wheeler, The Burr Family, Oliver Lawson, Keith Mueller, Cameron McIntyre, Steve Weaver and Mark S. McNair and other esteemed carvers.
“The decoy market is the fastest growing segment of the sporting art market. Advances in research, tracking, and transparency have given buyers a much higher degree of confidence. This has translated into steady growth in terms of higher prices for vetted works and a greater number of collectors participating,” explains Copley Decoy Specialist Colin S. McNair. He continues, “Provenance gets a lot of attention here at Copley, and it deserves every bit of it. In this sale, as has been the standard, many of the early and source collectors, including Mackey, O’Brien, Starr and Hillman, are represented as prior owners. What is of particular note is the inclusion of consignments from some of the field’s defining modern-day figures, including Mr. Evans, Mr. Figge and the Harmons. Those three names alone have made tremendous contributions through books, museum exhibitions and the Crowell Foundation. It is an honor to represent them.”
Raised on a farm in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, David Langmead was still a child when he first started to dream of becoming a painter of wild animals. In the years to come, his long-held dream would turn into widespread recognition for his atmospheric landscapes. Published by Sporting Classics and Native Visions Galleries, The Light Fantastic features 176 full-color images of wild animals, from the dusty plains of Africa to the lush, watery world of America’s Everglades.
“Soon after meeting David, I was impressed with his bush skills and familiarity with his wild surroundings,” says Ross Parker, owner of Native Visions Galleries. “His passion for the smells, sounds, flora and fauna—the colors of it all—was like no other artist I have met.” Buy Now
