Included in Art of the Americas, Featuring the American West is a dedicated second session of Western paintings, photographs, drawings, and sculpture. From renditions of Yosemite by Albert Bierstadt and Carleton E. Watkins, to iconic illustrations and sculpture by Frederic Remington, these artworks celebrate the majestic landscapes of the Western frontier. Bierstadt, Remington, Watkins and other pioneered the American Western genre for future generations of twentieth century artists. As a result, this session pairs traditional nineteenth century Western material with more contemporary pieces by living American artists depicting the West.

Included in the sale are important Western subjects by the nation’s leading painters and sculptors.

Masterworks of the American West

From marbles by Edmonia Lewis to Western subjects by Frederic Remington and Cyrus Dallin, the nineteenth century sculpture in Art of the Americas, Featuring the American West highlights key people, cultures, and moments across American history.

A rare marble entitled The Bride of Spring by Edmonia Lewis is a sculptural highlight of the sale.

American Sculpture

From traditional renditions by William Merritt Chase and Joseph Rodefer DeCamp to presidential subjects by Norman Rockwell, a rare portrait by Charles Bird King and an even more contemporary, abstract approaches by the likes of Fritz Scholder, the American portraits featured in the sale speak to the varied perspectives to portraiture adopted by nineteenth and twentieth century American artists.

Portraiture has remained central to the history of American painting for centuries.

The American Portraiture Tradition

A diverse array of landscapes and locales are on display in Art of the Americas, Featuring the American West. Cornelius Krieghoff and Jules Tavernier’s renditions of distinctly Canadian subject matter showcase beautiful scenes north of the American border. Exactingly-detailed landscapes of Venezuela and Cuba by Anton Goering and Esteban Chartrand bring to life the diverse flora and fauna of the Antilles, and scenes of the valley of Mexico by Conrad Wise Chapman display the grandeur of the country’s volcanic landscape. In a period marked by increasing travel and exploration, artists working across the continents documented the vast geographies they found before them, fascinated by their peoples, customs and landscapes.

Showcased examples of the regional diversity of art produced across the Americas.

Painting the Americas

It was considered a rite of passage for American artists to study abroad, visiting the world’s leading museums to copy Old Master paintings and commission European subjects for their American patrons. Many of the celebrated artists included in Art of the Americas, Featuring the American West traveled abroad. From Conrad Wise Chapman’s Mexico excursions, Thomas Moran’s Venetian oils, Albert Bierstadt’s time in the Alps, and Martin Johnson Heade’s fascination with South and Central America, this sale highlights the innovation that occurred as a result of American artists venturing to other countries in search of artistic inspiration.

Highlighted instances of American artists working internationally, bringing their artistic training abroad.

Americans Abroad

A common theme throughout the sale is the image of the cowboy that is perpetuated throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century American and Mexican painting traditions. Frederic Remington pioneered this visual language in American art, with his sculpture and drawings of man on horseback. More contemporary living artists such as cowboy painter Bob Coronato have built upon this theme in recent years. In Mexico, Manuel Serrano is renowned for his delicate, charming images of daily life in the country’s ranches and its emerging charro (cowboy) culture. Erneso Icaza, an ambitious rider in his own right, carried this theme forward into the twentieth century.

The cowboy motif is a staple of the American Western genre.

Cowboys Across the Americas

We are pleased to bring to market a unified and carefully assembled single owner group of American Western paintings as part of this season’s offerings. From some of the most commercially desirable living western painters such as Martin Grelle to iconic artists of the twentieth century such as Cyrus Dallin and Eanger I. Couse, this cohesive group highlights one collecting family’s depth in the American Western category.

Many of the Western paintings featured in the sale hail from a distinguished private collection.

Property from a Private American Western Collector

New York

SVP | Head of American Art

Stefany Morris

AVP | Specialist

Caroline Seabolt

Associate Specialist

Katie Maher

Cataloguer

Lucy Gammon

Senior Vice President | Head of Latin American Art, Americas

Anna Di Stasi

Assistant Vice President | Specialist, Latin American Art

Emily Nice

Pre-Sale Experience Coordinator

Natalie Alford

Meet our Specialists

Join us this January for the second chapter of Visions of America, building on the success and acclaim of last year’s groundbreaking debut. The exceptional, week-long event will showcase a selection of American art, objects and innovation from prominent private collections and institutions, offering a dynamic blend of auctions, exhibitions, and experiences that celebrate American artistry.

For assistance with bidding and registration, please contact: +1 212 606 7000 
 
 <a class="Link" href="mailto:enquiries@sothebys.com" target="_blank">ENQUIRIES@SOTHEBYS.COM</a>

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Art of the Americas

The American West

With a focus on nineteenth century landscapes, historical subject matter, still lifes, and Western scenes, Art of the Americas, Featuring the American West highlights paintings, drawings, sculpture and photographs by leading artists working across the American continents. Featuring a dedicated session of Western art, this season’s auction has a strong focus on illustrations of the American West by artists like Albert Bierstadt, Eanger I. Couse, Martin Grelle, and more. In addition to artists of American descent, works by Latin American and Canadian artists showcase the diverse artistic production that emerged as artists began to explore the continents’ rich and expansive geography during this exciting period. Highlights in the sale include Martin Johnson Heade’s Hummingbirds and Gold and Purple Orchids as well as a large-scale marble sculpture by Edmonia Lewis entitled The Bride of Spring.