Indiana Painters and Mid-Century Furniture see brisk Sales
The Fine Art + Design Sale
Indianapolis, IN – The Fine Art + Design Sale, the inaugural effort of Dan Ripley’s new initiative Ripley Auctions, yielded impressive results across multiple categories on January 24. Over 100 buyers from throughout the world competed for 220 specially selected lots of fine and decorative art, with strong prices realized in European and American painting, Studio Art Glass and 20th Century Furniture and Design.
Built around the expertise of company owner Dan Ripley and St. Louis art dealer Thom Pegg, Ripley’s Fine Art + Design Auction offered a broad selection of important works in a variety of styles and mediums including American paintings, Indiana Art, Modern Art and Design, and Italian and American Studio Glass art.
Achille Emile Othon Friesz, Winter Scene. Realized: $20,400
The auction began with a section of works by important Indiana painters, bringing solid prices.
Sale Overview
The auction began with a section of works by important Indiana painters, bringing solid prices. Among the top sellers were an Olive Rush watercolor, Mother and Child, which brought $10,200 and Distant View of New York, a painting by Glenn Cooper Henshaw, which sold for $9,600.
Important paintings by American and European artists were among the highlights of the auction. Winter Scene, a painting by Achille Emile Othon Friesz, brought $20,400, while John Hauser’s gouache on paper Four Indians on Horseback and an untitled painting from Carl Hoeckner’s War Series both sold for an impressive $10,800.
Lalique Cactus Table. Realized: $26,400.
January Auction
The January auction expanded on a longstanding area of specialization for Ripley, who has long been recognized as an expert in 20th Century Italian glass. The auction included a substantial section of lots by many of the American Studio Glass movement’s most influential artists. A 1998 vessel by beloved glass artist Lino Tagliapietra sold for $3,480, and Red Carnation Macchia with Fern Green Lip Wrap, one of several pieces sold by the world renowned Dale Chihuly, brought a notable $10,800.
From Frank Lloyd Wright to Frank Gehry, titans of design were also represented throughout this auction. Significant historical pieces from throughout the 20th Century were sold, as well as a selection of contemporary studio furniture. A Lalique Cactus table brought $26,400; a Limbert side table as featured in the 1904 catalog sold for $2,040; and a pair of Frank Lloyd Wright coffee tables went for an impressive $2,250.
Dale Chihuly, Red Carnation Summer Macchia with Fern Green Lip Wrap. Realized: $10,800.
Midcentury Modern Design
Interest in midcentury modern design items was especially high. A storage unit designed by Charles Eames sold for $1,440; a pair of side tables designed by Lawrence Laske for Knoll went for $2,250; and a pair of Cross Check armchairs designed by Frank Gehry, also for Knoll, brought $3,600.
Contemporary Studio Furniture made a strong showing in the sale as well. A pair of chairs by artist Aaron Miley sold for $660 and Urban Landscape, a wine rack by Jared Cru Smith sold for a remarkable $1,320.
An online catalog featuring highlighted lots from the sale is available on Ripley Auctions’ website at www.ripleyauctions.com.
Consignments are now being accepted for our Spring Fine Art + Design Sale. Please contact Grace Meils at [email protected] or Christopher West at [email protected].
*All prices listed include a 20% Buyer’s Premium.
High resolution versions of these and other images are available upon request.
Pair of Cross Check arm chairs designed by Frank Gehry for Knoll International. Realized: $3,600
About Ripley Auctions
Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, Ripley Auctions is a boutique auction house devoted to providing outstanding customer service to buyers and sellers alike. Combining the resources and experience of our longstanding, well-respected sister company Antique Helper Auctions with an innovative approach to marketing and selling collectible items to an international online audience, Ripley Auctions a unique resource for specialty collectors in the Midwest. Current areas of specialization include Italian and American Studio Glass, American Art, 20th century design and decorative arts, sports/racing memorabilia, natural history/artifacts and estates.
About Dan Ripley
Dan Ripley is an internationally recognized art and antiques expert with over 20 years of personal experience at the highest levels of the industry. He is a third generation Indianapolis art dealer, a Certified Estate Specialist, and National Auctioneers Association member. He is considered a premiere decorative arts expert and has been an award winning gallery owner, written feature articles for professional collector publications and a presentation speaker at the national convention of the International Society of Appraisers. He managed his first auction in 1991 and produced the first all Italian Glass auction in the U.S. in 1992.
About Thom Pegg
A veteran of the auction scene, Thom Pegg spent 12 years as a specialist in art and design at the Treadway-Toomey 20th Century Auction in Chicago and launched the 20th Century Art and Design Department at Heritage Auctions in 2008. In addition to his tenure as an auction specialist, he has held ownership in galleries specializing in Twentieth Century Art and Design in Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, and his native city of St. Louis. He is well regarded for his knowledge of 20th Century art, especially in the categories of early abstraction, American Scene painters, African-American art and Magic Realism. He has discovered or handled the sale of countless important works of art and modern design, ranging from Gustav Stickley to Charles and Ray Eames.