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30-D Maine Antique Digest, March 2017
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AUCTION -
30-D
Achille Peretti (1857-1923), an Italian artist
who moved to New Orleans in 1885, painted
the interior of St. John the Baptist Catholic
Church as it appeared in 1899. The church
with its lofty Corinthian columns and exterior
gold cupola is still a city landmark. A bidder
on the floor won the historic 38" x 28½"
painting for $24,400 (est. $8000/12,000).
Neal Auction Company photo.
The blue dog painted repeatedly by George
Rodrigue (1944-2013) was occasionally joined
by a red dog and here by his real dog, Tiffany,
a pet who inspired it all. Rather like Frodo and
Sam, the canines seem trapped on a fire-ringed
island in the 1992 painting
Inferno
. The painting
sold for a mid-estimate $43,920. Neal Auction
Company photo.
For the portraits of
family members by
Jacques Guillaume
Lucien Amans (1801-
1888), the youngest
ladies are often clad
in simple white gowns
suitable for their age.
This 36½" x 29¼"
image of pensive Félicie
Aime (1825-1859) at
about 13 years old
sold for $76,250 (est.
$15,000/25,000), the
second-highest price
realized for that artist’s
work. Neal Auction
Company photo.
Another important portrait from the
Cusachs collection was a miniature of
philanthropist Judah Touro (1775-1854)
by Adolph D. Rinck (c. 1810-1871).
Bidders on the floor and phones pushed
the price to $17,500 (est. $3000/5000).
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Touro
came to New Orleans in 1801, eventually
becoming a most successful merchant and
ship owner. He built a synagogue, helped
found hospitals, and was known for his
contributions to Jewish and Christian
charitable causes. Neal Auction Company
photo.
This miniature portrait
by New Orleans artist
Alexandre Alaux (1851-
1932) of a free woman of
color wearing a tignon
had institutional hands in
the air. Spirited bidding
took the lot to $11,468 (est.
$1500/2500). Although the
sitter’s name is unknown,
the woman’s clothing,
jewelry, and demeanor
proclaim her importance
in the community;
perhaps further academic
research can determine
her identity. Cusachs
collection. Neal Auction
Company photo.
The Cusachs collection featured a number of maps from
Voyage dans l’Amerique Septentrionale
, printed in 1804 by
George Henri Victor Collot (1750-1805); “A General Map of
the River Ohio…” sold for $12,810 (est. $4000/6000). Neal
Auction Company photo.
On a business trip to
Spanish New Orleans
in 1792, Philadelphia
merchant Daniel William
Coxe (1769-1852) had
his portrait painted by
renowned local artist
José Francisco Xavier
de Salazar y Mendoza
(c. 1750-1802). The oval
surround of trompe
l’oeil stone focuses the
viewer’s eye on the
subject. The winning
bidder, reportedly an
institution, purchased
the 38½" x 30" painting
in its antique frame
for a very reasonable $122,000.
The work had been exhibited
with other historic portraits at
the Pennsylvania Academy of the
Fine Arts in 1887. Neal Auction
Company photo.
The carved walnut sofa and chair of distinctive design were stamped “Hunzinger / N.Y. / Pat.
March 30, 1869.” Elegantly reupholstered, the set brought far more than expected, selling late
on Saturday for $20,130 (est. $3000/5000). Neal Auction Company photo.
This attractive late Federal
Boston dressing chest had
a look of Thomas Seymour
about it. It sold to a phone
bidder for $7625. Neal
Auction Company photo.
This view of two fishermen under a spreading live oak tree
by William Henry Buck (1840-1888) had a brighter, more
luminous background than many of his paintings. Only 16"
x 22" framed, the Louisiana bayou scene sold for $91,500.
Neal Auction Company photo.