A July 25 auction realized more than $22.8 million in sales. Over 750 bidders witnessed multiple world records as well.
 
The 2015 Coeur d’Alene Art Auction — the single largest event in the field of classic Western and American Art — set multiple world records during its July 25 sale in Reno, Nevada. Of note were several works by the renowned Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), including the extraordinary bronze “A Bronc Twister,” which hammered for $1,033,000. The star of the sale was Russell’s “As Cochrane and Pard Leaped Into Their Saddles,” a stunning 1910 watercolor that sold for $1,089,000. The outstanding numbers solidify the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction’s position as the biggest and most successful site for Western art sales.
 

Charles M. Russell, “A Bronc Twister,” bronze, 18 in. Coeur d’Alene Art Auction

John Clymer, “Whisky Whisky,” 1972, oil on canvas, 30 x 60 in. Coeur d’Alene Art Auction
 

Other notable sales include John Clymer’s “Whisky Whisky” ($526,000), William R. Leigh’s “The Right Way” ($697,000), Charles Russell’s “Meat for the Tribe” ($753,000), and Martin Grelle’s “Apsaroke Autumn” ($292,500).
 

William R. Leigh, “The Right Way,” oil on canvas, 28 x 22 in. Coeur d’Alene Art Auction

Charles M. Russell, “Meat for the Tribe,” 1900, oil on canvas, 22 x 32 in. Coeur d’Alene Art Auction
 

To learn more, visit The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction.
 
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Ben Fenske offers viewers a contemporary impressionist view of the female figure in a dazzling solo exhibition.
 
The Grenning Gallery in Wellington, Florida, is thrilled to be exhibiting a solo show for contemporary impressionist Ben Fenske, an artist known for his skilled handling of light, color, and shade. The body of work featured predominantly focuses on female figures, with some canvases venturing into narrative.
 

Ben Fenske, “Nude Sleeping,” 2015, oil on canvas, 35.4 x 43.3 in. Grenning Gallery

 
“Nude, 2015” is a representational example. The painting shows a beautifully observed standing female nude with her back turned to the viewer. She stands within a room that is dominated by bold, lively strokes of red, pink, orange, and yellow. An open wardrobe — indicated by flashes of blue — displays an abstract arrangement of clothing. Indeed, the naturalism of the figure seems to balance the broader abstraction that characterizes the overall space of the room.
 

Ben Fenske, “Lunch Table,” 2015, oil on canvas, 39.4 x 47.2 in. Grenning Gallery

 
Another superb example is Fenske’s “Nude Sleeping,” a deeply intimate and private picture. A foreshortened nude figure is seen on a bed in shadow, the sensual position emphasizing her curves and exposing her to the viewer. An open window allows a soft light to flood the interior, giving the room a calming glow. In both pictures, Fenske’s color palette and brushwork are broad, harmonious, and rich, activating the surface in a manner similar to Auguste Renoir.
 

Ben Fenske, “Melon,” 2015, oil on canvas, 27.6 x 35.4 in. Grenning Gallery

 
Fenske also explores narrative in “Lunch Table,” a subject that aligns the artist even more closely with Renoir. The painting is a magnificent achievement as it displays Fenske’s attention to texture, observational skill, mastery of paint application, and polished use of saturated complementary and primary color.
 
“Ben Fenske: Solo Show” opens today, August 6, and will be on view through August 23. An opening reception will take place Saturday, August 8, at 6:30 p.m.
 
To learn more, visit The Grenning Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

The Artemis Gallery of Erie, Colorado will over a series of beautiful pre-columbian, Greek, and Roman antiquities during the July 31 sale.  Featured in the show include pottery, plates, statues, daggers, and more. 

To learn more, visit Artemis Gallery.

The C.M. Russell Museum has acquired three stunning consignments for its upcoming 2016 auction. The commitment of such work is evidence of the power of cultivating relationships.
 
The C.M. Russell Museum expects spirited bidding during an upcoming auction set for March 2016. “Castle Rock, Green River, Wyoming” is a stunning picture by Thomas Moran (1837–1926) that will feature alongside two original watercolor paintings by Charles M. Russell (1864-­1926). Acquiring three items of such quality is rare at such an early date and signals the museum’s growing importance and profile in the Western art market.
 

C.M. Russell, “Water Girl,” ca. 1892, watercolor, C.M. Russell Museum

 
Moran’s 1907 “Castle Rock, Green River, Wyoming” is absolutely breathtaking. A beautiful blending of pastel blues, pinks, and oranges compose the Green River, which fuses into the sky at distance. There is a pastoral and dream-like haze that blankets the canvas and transports viewers back to the days when the Western Frontier was perfectly untouched. The Great Falls Tribune reported, “The previous record was set last year by the Charlie Russell piece ‘For Supremacy,’ which gaveled for $1.5 million. Museum Executive Director Michael Duchemin says, ‘Castle Rock” will sell for at least that much.’”
 

C.M. Russell, “Grizzly at Close Quarters,” ca. 1901, watercolor, C.M. Russell Museum

 
Equally stunning are the watercolors by Russell, entitled “Water Girl” and “Grizzly at Close Quarters.” Both pieces are masterfully rendered with bright, saturated color palettes and display Russell’s uncanny ability to capture the character of the American West.
 
To learn more, visit The C.M. Russell Museum.
 
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Rivers have always provided a range of vital necessities, as sources for fresh water, transportation, food, and recreation. One museum, and city, are looking to highlight the importance of their river through the perspective of local artists.
 
Stretching over 310 miles, the St. Johns River is the longest river in Florida and remains one of the state’s most significant commercial and recreational resources. The mouth of the river flows through the city of Jacksonville, where The Cummer Museum — in collaboration with the Cultural Fusion Year of the River — has invited artists working in a variety of media to offer their interpretations of river-themed works in the museum’s permanent collection. Featured in the show are, among other artists, Emily Arthur, Sarah Crooks Flaire, Jim Draper, Doug Engdahl, Brian Frus, Tiffany Melanson, Hiromi Mizugai Moneyhun, Allison Watson, and Barry Wilson. In addition to the Cummer Museum, over 50 institutions have joined in to raise awareness of the St. Johns River as the “cultural current” of Jacksonville.
 
A lovely example from the exhibition — and the museum’s permanent collection — is Herman Herzog’s “Figure in a River Landscape” (ca. 1910). The magnetic image shows a figure boarding his rowboat along the shore of a densely vegetated river. The hanging moss, palm trees, and water lilies no doubt recall the humid and vivid spaces found throughout the state of Florida.
 
“Reflections: Artful Perspectives on the St. Johns River” opened in February and will continue through October 18.
 
To learn more, visit The Cummer Museum.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

The passing of visionary artist Susan Hauptman marks the end of a storied career.

Forum Gallery reporting:

“With great sorrow, Forum Gallery notes the passing of Susan Hauptman on July 18, 2015.  The world has lost a gifted artist and we have lost a great friend.

“Susan Hauptman was born in Michigan in 1947 and studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (Pittsburgh, PA), University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and Wayne State University (Detroit, MI). A unique American artist, Susan Hauptman’s many awards began with the Yaddo Grant (Saratoga Springs, NY) in 1976 and included grants from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (New York), 1989; California Arts Council, 1990; and National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships in 1985 and 1991.  Susan Hauptman held the Lamar Dodd Chair at the University of Georgia (Athens) from 1997 to 2000.

“In addition, Susan Hauptman received grant awards from the Adolf and Esther Gottlieb Foundation, the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation in both 2002 and 2009.

“Susan Hauptman first exhibited in New York with the Allan Stone Gallery in 1984; her first Forum Gallery solo exhibition was in 1999.  Since then, in addition to five exhibitions at Forum, she has shown in Washington, DC; Pennsylvania, Arkansas, California, Michigan, Istanbul (Turkey), Massachusetts and Georgia.

“Susan Hauptman’s works may be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Arkansas Arts Center (Little Rock), California Palace of the Legion of Honor (San Francisco), Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), Hood Museum of Art (Hanover, NH), the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC; Norton Gallery of Art (West Palm Beach, FL); Oakland Museum (CA), and the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, Lincoln, Nebraska.  A work of hers is also included in the Richard Brown Baker Collection at the Yale University Art Gallery.

“For Susan Hauptman, art-making was a fully devotional act.  In her absence, Forum Gallery remains devoted to the inspiration she brought to us and countless artists and patrons, and to the exhibition and dissemination of her art.”

To learn more, visit Forum Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

The San Diego Museum of Art explores the development of Latin American landscape art from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in a current exhibition.
 
“Romantic Views: Mexico at the Turn of the Century” is on view at The San Diego Museum of Art and showcases over 30 works from the museum’s permanent collection. A number of beautiful lithographs are noteworthy features from the show. In 1836, Carl Nebel traveled from Germany to Mexico and thereafter published Scenic and Archaeological Trip to the Most Interesting Part of Mexico, an insightful travelogue that acquired acclaim in Mexico after the text’s translation into Spanish. The publication included over 20 hand-colored lithographs, among them the stunning “Women of Puebla,” circa 1836.
 

Carl Nebel, “The Mantilla,” after 1836, lithograph, The San Diego Museum of Art

 
Also displayed within the show are works by photographers William Henry Jackson, Charles B. Waite, Abel Briquet, and Huge Brehme, who documented the Mexican landscape as it evolved as a result of modernization and, per the museum, emphasized “the richness of the natural resources of Mexico with the purpose of attracting foreign investors. These traveler artists left behind an extraordinary body of work illustrating the nature and geography of Latin America.”
 

Huge Brehme, “Penon de Patio 1409,” ca. 1920, gelatin silver print. The San Diego Museum of Art

 
“Romantic Views: Mexico at the Turn of the Century” will be on view through August 16.
 
To learn more, visit The San Diego Museum of Art.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

Molding and manipulating clay to express an aesthetic sensibility or fabricate a functional object is one of the oldest human skills. It is a medium that continues to challenge and invigorate artists all across the globe. One museum is taking a look at how contemporary Japanese ceramic artists are transforming traditional techniques and forms.
 
Albeit small, “The Resonance of Clay” exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum packs a big impression for viewers. Ranging from traditional wood-fired forms to highly abstracted and organic sculptures, the exhibition presents a number of artists who display a diverse range of talent, aesthetic, and concept. Highly traditional and beautiful is the “Six-Sided Lobed Vessel” by Minegishi Seiko. The well-balanced and symmetrical form has a fullness and ripeness that is a time-honored characteristic of Asian pottery. The sea-foam green celadon glaze has crazed (cracked) to reveal an intricate pattern of crackles across the piece, enlivening the surface.
 

Fukumoto Fuko, “Stacked Blue and Teal Bowls,” 2012, glazed porcelain, 5 x 11 1/2 in.
Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz Collection

 
Another highlight of the exhibition is Fukumoto Fuko’s “Stacked Blue and Teal Bowls,” which displays an innovative and creative form of “nesting” ceramic vessels. The porcelain clay from which it was made gives the forms a smoothness and softness that invites them to be used. Further, the teal blue and green celadon glazes give the work a cleanness and simplicity that calls our attention to the craftsmanship and modernity of the pieces.
 
“The Resonance of Clay” opened in May 2014 and will be on view through April 1, 2016.
 
To learn more, visit the Phoenix Museum of Art.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

In this ongoing series for Fine Art Today, we take a longer look at the history and features of a soon-to-be-available artwork of note. This week: Thomas Hill’s “Yosemite Valley.”
 
Born in England, Thomas Hill (1829-1908) immigrated to the United States as a teenager with his parents in 1844. At the age of 24, Hill made the drastic career choice to enroll at the Pennsylvania Academy of Design, studying under the American painter Peter Frederick Rothermel (1812–1895). It was during his time as a student that Hill began his first trips into the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where he sketched and painted alongside members of the Hudson River School. 1856 saw the opening of Hill’s first studio in Boston, but his paintings met with little interest. In the face of economic hardship, Hill and his growing family migrated to the west, settling in California in search of a better climate and economic opportunity.
 

Grace Carpenter Hudson, “Flowers (Pa-Tham),” 1907, oil on board, 9 3/4 x 4 3/4 in. Bonhams

 
Once Hill began painting landscapes of the American West, he quickly earned notoriety and in 1865 made his first trip into the ever-stunning Yosemite Valley. Within the year, Hill’s images of the valley were earning the artist steady patronage from all across California and the West. Like so many artists who came before and after him, Hill was greatly influenced by the awe-inspiring beauty of the American wilderness. During his lifetime, Hill’s paintings were a huge success and often commanded prices of $10,000. Hill has often been associated and favorably compared to the older generation of American landscape painters, including Albert Bierstadt and Benjamin Champney.
 

Mary Curtis Richardson, “Three Children Reading,” oil on canvas, 36 x 60 in. Bonhams

 
Collectors will be pleased to hear that several of Hill’s paintings will feature in the August 4 “California and Western Paintings & Sculpture” auction in Los Angeles. The auction, operated by Bonhams, includes countless stunning paintings by — among others — Grace Carpenter Hudson, Mary Curtis Richardson, Charles Partridge Adams, and Peter Moran.
 
The painting featured here, Hill’s “Yosemite Valley,” is a quintessential picture of the national park. A perfectly positioned Hill has captured most of the valley’s iconic landmarks, including the imposing El Capitan to the left, rising more than 3,000 vertical feet from the valley floor. To the right we observe the cascading waters of Yosemite Falls and the park’s most famous landmark, Half Dome, is in distant view toward the center of the canvas.
 
To view the full catalogue, visit Bonhams.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.