American Art Collector magazine has changed the way artists, galleries and collectors connect. It has closed the gap that previously existed in the traditional art market. Spectacular and instant SOLD! stories keep rolling in. Check out some of the highlights of the sales and connections achieved from the pages of our magazine and throughout the market.

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Courtesy Sotheby's

Hammer Drop
On May 19, Sotheby’s hosted its American Art sale in New York City. The auction is filled with historic American artwork, but in this edition the auction partnered with artist Bo Bartlett to present the first installment of Form as Foundation. As the auction house explains, this new addition is “a special section of our flagship American Art sale that seeks to examine the concept of figuration and its central role in American art from the 19th century through the present.” Bartlett represented the present.

In doing so, he presented the auction house with one of his brand-new paintings to sell during the sale, a commanding 24-by-48-inch work titled Hurtsboro that was inspired by a memory from the earlier years of his life (the full story is included on the Sotheby’s website). Bartlett also reviewed the historic artwork that was arriving at auction and wrote an article for Sotheby’s about how the work in the sale connected with the art he is creating today. He included stunning portraits from John Singer Sargent and Robert Henri as well as two works by Norman Rockwell. Bartlett also selected paintings that were reminders of his late friend Andrew Wyeth including the artist’s Bruce and His Punt, a Winslow Homer gouache and a work by John Marin of the Maine coast.

During the sale, Bartlett’s piece—the only contemporary work that hit the block—sold for $226,800 against a presale estimate of $70,000 to $100,000. It became the second highest earning piece for the artist at auction. —