<i>Wall Street Storm</i> May Bring $100,000 in Heritage Auctions’ Inaugural “Art of New York” Auction
NEW YORK—Wall Street Storm, Guy Carleton Wiggins’ classic winter depiction of Old Trinity Church, is expected to sell for $100,000+ Dec. 5 in Heritage Auctions’ inaugural The Art of New York Signature® Auction, a celebration of paintings, drawings, and memorabilia from private collections coinciding with the centennial anniversary of the Armory Show.
“The Art of New York tells the story of New York City and is specially timed to pay homage to the seminal 1913 Armory show, which introduced New York to Modern Art,” said Aviva Lehmann, Director of American Art at Heritage New York. “What better way to celebrate and give tribute to our great city than with a specialized section devoted to New York?”
Few other artists capture the beauty of New York as does Wiggins in his masterful street scenes. Just off 5th Avenue at 53rd Street (á la Childe Hassam), 1939, a view from the southeast corner of 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue, looking toward Fifth Avenue, is expected to sell for $80,000+. The painting is Wiggins’ tribute to America’s foremost flag painter Childe Hassam, who visited the same corner in 1916. Two additional classic Wiggins winter scenes appear in the auction: The Library, 5th Avenue, circa 1940, and Financial Center, both of which are expected to sell for $30,000+ each.
At its heart, the auction presents views of the same city skyline as interpreted by different artists. Carlos Nadal’s Port de New York, circa 1980, expected to bring $15,000+, is juxtaposed with Early Evening, Empire Park, New York, circa 1910, by Paul Cornoyer, which is estimated to sell for $50,000+.
Few works depict New York’s diversity and distinctive personality better than a selection of photographs that were hand selected for the auction. Berenice Abbott’s Newsstand, East 32nd Street & Third Avenue, Manhattan, estimated to bring $3,000+, gives new perspective to a mundane street corner, while Annie Leibovitz’ 1997 chromogenic print of Brooke Astor in her apartment - appearing at auction directly from Astor’s personal collection - pays homage to the personalities that make the city great. It is expected to sell for $1,000+.
Additional highlights include, but are not limited to:
- January Snow Storm, by Laurence A. Campbell. Estimate: $30,000+.
- Winter, Brooklyn, by Rosalyn Bodycomb. Estimate: $8,000+.
- The Pulitzer Fountain, Grand Army Plaza, Manhattan, 1919, by Ezra Winter. Estimate: $5,000+.
- 42nd Street from Bryant Park, 1920, by George Copeland Ault. Estimate: $5,000+.
- Alphabet City, Manhattan, New York, by Samuel Rothbort. Estimate: $4,000+.
Heritage Auctions is the largest auction house founded in the United States and the world’s third largest, with annual sales of more than $800 million, and 800,000+ online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and receive access to a complete record of prices realized, with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.
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