Our Summer Auction will take place Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13 at our Main Gallery in Knoxville. This sale will feature fine art and antiques from several high profile estates and private collections, along with deaccessioned objects from the Arkansas Museum of Art and the Memphis Brooks Museum. The consignment deadline is April 15. Below are just a few upcoming highlights. Watch for our full catalog to be published on our website by mid June.
Carroll Cloar (American/Tennessee, 1913-1993), “Final Resting Place,” 1964, acrylic (tempera casein) on board “Magic Realism” painting depicting a woman in patterned dress and sunglasses standing beside a grave. Floral funerary sprays on wire stands are stuck into the freshly mounded soil beside her, including one containing the surrealistic face of a clock. In the background are grasses and trees rendered in Cloar’s characteristic pointillism. Signed lower left, “Carroll Cloar,” in script; titled with artist name en verso in paint. Labels en verso for the Alan Gallery, New York, and Christie’s Auction. Ref: G. Northrop, “Hostile Butterflies,” Memphis, Tennessee, 1977, p. 99, no. 229, illustrated. Housed in the original stained and olive painted wood frame with gilt sight edge. Board: 22 in H x 32 in W. Frame: 30 in H x 40 in W. Provenance: the estates of Jane and Ervin Entrekin, Nashville.
William Edmondson (American/Tennessee, 1874-1951), “Mother and Child,” carved limestone sculpture depicting a woman with high forehead and short hair, balancing a child on one hip and carrying a pocketbook in the other hand. Note: This sculpture was acquired through Myron King, owner of Lyzon Gallery in Nashville, which represented Edmondson prior to and for many years after his death. For at least the past forty years, it has been in the same Middle Tennessee family collection as The Preacher, an Edmondson sculpture auctioned by Case in 2020 and the Lady With A Bustle sculpture auctioned by Case in Winter 2024. 13 in H x 5 1/4 in W x 5 1/3 in D (overall).
Helen La France (Kentucky, 1919-2020) oil on canvas landscape painting depicting an African American congregation gathering for a church picnic, with automobiles parked in front of a church and horse and buggy approaching lower left; food is being set out in the background, while little girls play a circle game in the right foreground. Signed “Helen La France” and dated 1998 lower right. Floated in a simple wood frame. Stretcher: 18 in H x 24 in W. Frame: .19 in H x 24 in W.
Meyer R. Wolfe (Tennessee/New York, 1897-1985), “Gay Street,” American Regionalist painting depicting an African American couple standing along an urban Nashville street and watching a train go by on a nearby railroad overpass. Signed lower right “Wolfe” and housed in a cream-painted plain wood frame. Panel: 20 in H x 24 in W. Frame: 28 in H x 32 in W. The area depicted in this undated painting is likely the formerly poor neighborhood near the Tennessee State Capital known as Hell’s Half Acre, near where Meyer Wolfe grew up. It was cleared in the 1950s under a series of Urban Renewal projects to make way for open greenspace, a six-lane road, and commercial buildings, and residents were relocated to public housing. The railroad bridge still stands and is in use today. Provenance: the estate of Dr. Lawrence Wolfe, Nashville, by descent from his uncle, the artist Meyer Wolfe.
William Lester Stevens (American, 1888-1969) oil on canvas Charleston, South Carolina street scene that depicts Meeting Steet with St. Michael’s Church at right and palms and other trees in the foreground. Signed “W. Lester Stevens.,” lower right. Housed in a giltwood frame with foliate corners. Sight: 15 1/2 in H x 19 1/2 in W. Framed: 22 in H x 25 3/4 in W. Note: Although he produced at least four watercolor depictions of various locations in the city, this is Stevens’s only known oil painting of Charleston.
Marc Chagall (French/Russian, 1887-1985) lithograph in colors entitled La Chasse a l’Oiseau bleu (Chasing the Bluebird), 1969. On Arches paper with watermark center right. Pencil signed, lower right, and numbered 24/75, lower left. Inscribed in pencil “La chasse aux oiseaux” and “MC-58″ en verso. Ref.: Mourlot 594. Housed in a giltwood frame with cream textile mat and gilt fillet. Sheet: 29 1/8” in H x 21 7/8 in W. Sight: 26 in H x 21 1/2 in W. Framed: 34 in H x 29 1/2 in W.
Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931-2004) Mixografia pop art print on textured handmade paper entitled Still Life with Blonde and Goldfish, 2000. From the series of 75 published by Mixografia, Los Angeles. Signed in pencil and number 74/75, lower right. Floated on a white mount in an acrylic frame. Sheet: 33 in H x 39 in W. Framed: 35 in H x 40 1/2 in W.
Walter Francis Kuhn (American, 1877-1949), “Mrs. Elizabeth B. Parkinson, 1944,” oil on board painting depicting a woman with short dark hair and bright red rouge and lipstick. The bust-length portrait highlights the straps and bodice of her lacy black dress, pearl choker necklace and bare arms, while her neck and hollows of her cheeks are portrayed in shadows before an indistinct gray background. Signed center right, “Walt Kuhn” and dated 1944. Titled and dated en verso along with two Walt Kuhn Gallery, Cape Neddick, Maine labels, additional Christie’s Auction labels, and several numerical inscriptions. Wide molded giltwood frame. Board 21 in H x 15 in W. Frame: 27 in H x 21 in W. Note: Elizabeth Bliss Parkinson (1907-2001) was an art collector and patron from New York City. She was a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art for the majority of her life. Provenance: the estates of Jane and Ervin Entrekin, Nashville.
Maurice Brazil Prendergast (American, 1858-1924), “Cattle in a Landscape,” 1890, watercolor on paper painting depicting cattle in a pastoral landscape setting under a partly cloudy blue sky. Signed lower left “Maurice B. Prendergast” and dated July 1890. Ref. Maurice Brazil Prendergast: A Catalog Raisonne, Williams College Museum of Art, p. 330, fig. 514 (illustrated). Exhibited, Heath Gallery, Atlanta, “Nature in Early Modern American Art,” May 17-31, 1986. Matted under glass in a giltwood Rococo style frame with labels for Heath Gallery and Sotheby’s. Sight: 8 in W x 6 1/4 in H. Frame :15 in W x 14 in H. Note: A copy of the Maurice and Charles Prendergast Catalog Raisonne accompanies this lot.
Jasper Francis Cropsey (New York, 1823-1900) oil on canvas landscape painting, “Along the Delaware,” 1889. More information available in the coming weeks.
Thomas Doughty (Pennsylvania/New York 19th c.) Hudson River School oil on canvas landscape painting depicting sailboats on a placid river positioned between steep hillsides, all under a sky filled with gray clouds. Signed “T DOUGHTY” lower center. Housed in a period gilt wood. Sight: 28 in H x 35 in W. Frame: 40 in H x 47 in W.
Edgar Alwin Payne (Missouri/California, 1883-1947) oil on board depicting a placid lake, in the High Sierras, shadowed by barren mountains with scattered snowfall. Rendered in a light impasto are the multicolored trees settled on a boulder-strewn valley and the grey/purple mountains that make up the background. Signed “Edgar Payne” in lower right. Housed in a gilt frame with areas of floral design carved into the corners. Sight: 11 1/2 in H x 15 1/2 in W. Frame: 18 in H x 22 in W.
Cornelius Haly Hankins (Mississippi/Tennessee, 1863-1946) oil on canvas still life painting depicting a basket of fruit, nuts and nutcracker beside a frosted fruitcake and a bottle of wine, set against a dark, indistinct background. Signed “Cornelius Hankins” lower right and dated “Xmas 1897.” Housed in a giltwood Aesthetic Movement style frame. Sight: 23 1/2 in H x 15 1/2 in W. Frame: 24 in W x 32 in W.
Carl Gutherz or Guthers (Tennessee/Missouri, 1844-1907), “Missing,” oil on canvas painting of a fallen soldier who lies partially hidden by foliage on a forest floor while a small bird perches on a branch above. He wears the uniform of a French foot soldier active during the Franco-Prussian War. Although the soldier’s body shows no sign of distress, the blasted tree in the background suggests the possibility of cannon fire. Signed “Carl Gutherz” and dated 1886, lower left. Housed in giltwood frame. Sight: 50 1/2 in H x 35 1/2 in W. Canvas: 51 1/8 in H x 36 1/8 in W. Frame: 58 1/2 in H x 42 in W.
Virginia Federal huntboard or sideboard. Cherry, walnut, figured cherry veneers. Yellow pine and poplar secondary. Pegged construction. Plain rectangular top over two deep side drawers and two stacked center drawers, each drawer dovetailed and having figured or “tiger” cherry veneer surrounded by figured crossbanding at the edges and oval brass pulls embossed with acorns and leaves. Supported on four tall square tapered legs. 42 in H x 57 in W x 20 3/4 in D. Circa 1810.
Edward Alfred Cucuel (American, 1875-1954) oil on canvas impressionist style painting rendered in a thick impasto, depicting a well-dressed woman lounging in a folding chair in a garden setting on what appears to be a bright yet chilly day. She wears a feathered hat and fur stole and holds a parasol, and beside her sits a table spread with food. Signed lower right “E. Cucuel” with possible additional faint signature in script en verso. The whitewashed parcel gilt Rococo style frame retains a Kunlthaus Buhler, Stuttgart, gallery label en verso, and has possible title “Cecelia” inscribed in chalk along with various numbers. Sight: 25 in H x 18 in W. Frame: 33 in H x 26 in W. Biography: California-born Edward Cucuel began his formal art training at the age of 14 at the School of Design in San Francisco and three years later undertook studies at the Academie Julian in Paris followed by training at L’Ecole des Beaux Arts under Jean Leon Gerome. In 1896 he returned to the U.S. and worked briefly as a newspaper illustrator before returning to Europe. By 1907 he had established a studio in Munich where he worked with Leo Putz and developed his own Impressionist style. Cucuel lived in Europe until 1939, when World War II forced him to move back permanently to California. He is best known for his Impressionist paintings of elegant women engaged in leisurely outdoor activities.
Eduardo Kingman (Ecuador/United States, 1913-1997) oil on canvas painting that depicts two indigenous workers who use straps and ropes to carry a heavy load, 1938. A worker in white and red kneels and carries a large sack on his back while a second, standing figure assists. Signed and dated 1938, lower right. Housed in a simple wooden frame, likely original. Sight: 30 in H x 28 in W. Frame: 35 1/2 in H x 34 1/4 in W.
Samuel Bak (United States/Israel/Poland, b. 1933) oil on canvas surrealist painting entitled The Origins of the End Game, 1971. Oversized chess pieces and weathered wooden constructions sit on a rocky hillside beneath a dark, cloudy sky and before an expansive landscape. The shadow or silhouette of a horse’s head or knight chess piece appears prominently on a central wooden panel. Signed “BAK,” lower right. With Safrai Art Gallery, Jerusalem and Boston label affixed to stretcher plus inventory number inscribed to upper-right of stretcher. Housed in a distressed giltwood frame with linen fillet. Sight: 18 in H x 14 1/2 in W. Frame: 24 in H x 20 5/8 in W. Literature: Paul T. Nagano, SAMUEL BAK: THE ETERNAL ENIGMA (Boston, MA: Pucker/Safrai Gallery, Inc., 1971), front cover. Exhibition History: Samuel Bak: The Eternal Enigma; Pucker/Safrai Gallery, Boston, MA; Jan. 10-Oct. 11, 1971.
Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889-1975) Regionalist lithograph entitled “Youth Music,” with a band that plays on-stage before a small audience who clap and dance. The band features guitar, piano, upright bass, drums, and vocalists. Signed in pencil and in the stone, lower right. Ref.: Fath 92. Housed under plexiglass in a silvered wood frame with white mat. Sheet: 20 1/2 in H x 27 in W. Sight: 17 1/2 in H x 21 in W. Frame: 27 in H x 33 1/2 in W.
Large Native American Acoma polychrome pottery olla having stylized black and white geometric designs including bird’s head to the body with a polychrome burnt orange base and interior. 13 1/2 in H x approx. 14 1/2 in W. Late 19th/Early 20th century.
Large Native American Apache polychrome figural basket tray or bowl, coiled willow construction with devil’s claw designs radiating from the center with seven figures around the sides interspersed with triangular designs emanating from the rim. 3 1/2in H x 15in dia. 1st Qtr. 20th century.
Ladies 14K yellow gold solitaire engagement ring featuring one (1) round brilliant cut diamond approximately 2.81 carats, Clarity-VS2, Color-K. The ring is marked “14K” and XRF tests 14K gold. The ring is size 5 1/4 and has a gross weight of 3.35 grams. 2nd item: Ladies 14K yellow gold jacket ring featuring fourteen (14) round brilliant cut and fourteen (14) baguette cut diamonds approximately 1.54 carats together, Clarity-SI2, Color-J. The ring XRF tests 14K gold and is size 5 3/4. Gross weight of the ring is 9.16 grams. Gross weight of the lot is 12.51 grams.
Large Ferahan Sarouk, 12 ft x 8 ft 3 in. Early 20th century. More information in the coming weeks.
Scarce Hippopotamus figurine by McCarty Pottery of Merigold, Mississippi, with three-tone glaze and cobalt eyes. Inscribed “McCartys / Merigold / Miss” to the underside. 14″ L x 7″ W x 5″ H. Circa 1960s. Note: Another Hippopotamus example by McCarty sold in the January 2025 Case Auction.
Large Chinese celadon jadeite brush pot, the exterior with continuous heavily carved figural, animal and landscape decoration including two figures conjoined by string with a dragon dog beneath a pagoda, a figure atop a deer with two deer below, a figure atop an elephant beneath a stand of pine trees and two figures depicted seated in alcoves in meditative poses. All contained within a heavily carved rim and base. The underside of the base with an incised seal mark. 8 1/4 in H x 7 3/4 in total dia. Late 19th/Early 20th century.
Large Tsibi Geva (Israel, b. 1951) acrylic and oil on canvas abstract painting. More information in the coming weeks.