Date: Fri 02-Jul-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: LIZAM

Quick Words:

Defy-Walter-James-Easton

Full Text:

Defy Watercolor Garners $35,000 At Arthur James

By Rita Easton

DELRAY BEACH, FLA. -- Following a full day public exhibit, Arthur James

Galleries held a May 18-19 auction featuring properties from various fine

Florida estates, institutions and private collections, including the estate of

Robert A. Lucas of Delray Beach.

Six hundred eighty four lots crossed the block, realizing a gross of $426,000.

The full house was augmented by considerable phone and absentee bidding, some

from overseas.

Garnering the starring bid of $35,000, was a Raoul Dufy (French, 1877-1963)

watercolor, signed and dated 1937, measuring 19 by 25¬ inches, with Galerie

Marwan Hoss, Paris, provenance. Illustrated with photo in Catalogue Raisonne

Raoul Dufy No. 663 , the work was accompanied by a certificate from Maurice

and Fanny Guillon Laffaille dated October 24, 1978.

Vietnamese/French artist LePho (born 1907) was represented by two oils on

canvas, each signed with Wally Findlay Galleries in Palm Beach provenance,

with #55954 sold to a California buyer at $6,000, and #88800 going to a

Hawaiian-based buyer at $7,000.

An Andre Hambourg (French, born 1909) oil on canvas depicting sailing ships,

signed and dated 31.7.94, realized $15,000 from a private buyer. Two oils on

canvas by Lodewyck Bruckman (Dutch-American, born 1903), an artist with no

previous auction record, reached $850 for a canvas signed and dated '59, and

$1,600 for a canvas also signed and dated '59.

From the Van Johnson collection, consigned by the actor's ex-wife, a

salesman's sample of a rare Nineteenth Century American cast iron miniature

stove with hood, 25« inches high by 18 inches wide, perfect in every detail,

brought $1,600. Also from the Van Johnson collection, a pair of George II

style carved walnut miniature wing chairs, English, Nineteenth Century,

reached $3,500; a three-drawer Louis XVI gilt bronze mounted marble-top

mahogany commode, having a Greek key design inlay above the top drawer,

achieved $6,500; and two George III inlaid mahogany Pembroke tables, late

Eighteenth Century, went out at $2,000 and $1,700.

A fine orchestral cylinder Swiss musical box, 20‹ inches in length, circa

1880, reached $3,750; an Eighteenth Century American Windsor settee rang up

$2,600; a unique early Nineteenth Century English mechanical writing table

with fold over top was purchased at $2,250; a George III mahogany chest on

chest, Eighteenth Century English, with replaced brasses, brought $5,000; and

a rare, Chinese, five-piece blue and white porcelain garniture, Ming Dynasty,

1366-1643, in poor condition, fetched $3,500.

Smaller in scale than American counterparts, two Nineteenth Century French

carved and painted wood carousel horses garnered $700 and $800; while two

hobby horses, each mounted on a wheeled platform, sold at $350 and $450.

Prices quoted do not reflect the 12 percent buyer's premium charged.