Tag: charles o’brien

Bounce by James Barenger, 1811, sold for $45,750

With reports that the economy had taken its toll both on ticket sales and the number of dogs competing at this year's Westminster Dog Show in NYC, it's exciting to hear that at Bonhams' Dog Art auction sales were up.   The fact that Bonhams was the only dog art auction this week might have been a factor, since Doyle, the other auction house that usually competes with them this week,  pushed back their annual dog art show until March 24 when the weather is better and the dog fanciers will not be torn between the championship finals and the art.  But, given that the hammer went down at Bonhams on $810,000 total sales on the same day the Dow tumbled 381 points on news of Treasury Secretary Geithner's bailout plan, the power of dogs in art appeared indisputable.

The fact that they had many of the superstars of dog art helped too, with dog art lovers able to invest in excellent examples of works by blue chip artists.  The pack leader was John Emms's Hounds and a Terrier on a Bench which fetched $218,000.

Other highlights included:

Bob Finds a Covey by Percival Leonard Rosseau, 1920, sold for $42,700

Rough and Smooth Basset Hounds on Oak Screen by Maud Earl, 1863-1943, sold for $26,840

Old Bridge Bob by Herbert Thomas Dicksee, 1938, sold for $17,080, above its top estimate of $12,000

The surprise of the day was the fierce bidding over one of the prettiest pictures, William Bruce's White English Terrier (below).  It fetched $17, 080, more than double its top estimate of $6,000.

English White Terrier by William Bruce, 1903, sold for $17,080

With the heights reached by Bruce's painting, it may be surprising to note that another sweet-themed painting, the auction's "cover girl," John Elsley's One at a Time failed to find a buyer.  But with an estimate of $300,000 – $500,000, the painting was perhaps too sentimental for such cold, hard cash.

One at a Time by John Elsley, 1901, still needs a home

 

Overall, Bonhams was very pleased with the final numbers.  Director Charles O'Brien stated, "Even with a difficult and selective market, this year's sale brought more than $810,000, a higher total than the previous year, and proved that dog art is an endearing field of collecting – one in which we hope to continue to excell."   The sales total for last year's sale was $716,256.

But my favorite comment to sum up the day comes from Sharlene Spingler, one of the auction house's clients.  She wrote:

"What is interesting to note about [the] Best in Show sale is that it occurred on a day when the stock market sunk by 381 points!!!!!   Yet the enthusiasm for puppies did not fail. Rather it triumphed over economic adversity and the beautiful creatures were impervious to the temporal fluctuations of the stock market – leaving such fiscal ponderings to the minds of mere mortals!"  

Or to put it another way: Dogs rule!

 

 

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