Nye & Company's Estate Treasures Auction, June 2-3, Features A Selection of Fine and Decorative Art

Information may not be reliable

Nye & Company Auctioneers’ two-day, online Estate Treasures auction, slated for Wednesday and Thursday, June 2nd and 3rd at 10 am Eastern time both days, is sure to delight collectors, designers, dealers and institutions alike. The catalog includes an exceptionally strong selection of blue-chip artists’ names and a large selection of both traditional and modern furniture, rugs and lighting from private New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Long Island households.

The fine art is quite diverse in its scope and breadth and ranges from the 17th century through the 21st century.  There is an extraordinary group of paintings from a private East Coast collection. Highlights include a terrific watercolor and ink drawing of a Venetian canal scene signed by Francesco Lazzaro Guardi (Italian, 1712-1793).  The work captures the vibrance of this active city of water that served as a major financial and trading hub.

Also offered is a fabulous oil on canvas depicting a bucolic scene with a figure preparing a cart for market, attributed to Thomas Gainsborough (English, 1727-1788).  The painting retains an exhibition label from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and captures rural life in the 18th century.

Further headlining the auction are works from the Steve and Stephanie Alpert collection. Steve Alpert demonstrated unbridled enthusiasm for all types of fine and decorative art. He and Stephanie are known in collecting circles, and their passion for collecting shines through in each object they collected. Their support and patronage of contemporary artists is nothing short of amazing.

From the Alpert holdings, one will find numerous examples of contemporary photography by artists such as Harry Bowers, Boyd Webb, Ke Francis and Betty Connors.   These works are exceptional and are wonderfully expressive and evocative. The collection also offers contemporary works by artists such as Robert Gordy, Doug Anderson, Leonard Baskin and Gerry Bergstein.

An exciting selection of fresh to the market paintings is also in the sale. This small group is being deaccessioned from the Charles Shultz House to benefit the collections fund of the non-profit Montclair History Center in Montclair, N.J.

Shultz House, also known as Evergreens, was built by Charles Shultz in 1896. The large, stately home was occupied by three generations of the Shultz family. From Charles to his granddaughter Molly, the home was owned by this single family for 100 years. These were inquisitive people with many interests: they were scientists, inventors, tinkerers, woodworkers, craftspeople, outdoor sports enthusiasts, gardeners, naturalists, travelers and readers. “Time capsule” best describes the home, the contents of which are endlessly interesting for their breadth and variety.

The property was bequeathed to the Montclair History Center (MHC) in 1996 and was open as a house museum until 2019.  Despite a deep love and respect for the house, because of substantial maintenance costs, MHC is de-accessioning the property, including the contents of both the main house and the carriage house. Some items have been retained by the MHC to tell the story of the Shultz family and Montclair history; others have been passed along to Shultz family members.

Works include an exceptionally large-scale oil on canvas depicting the old fort at Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, Florida, by Frank Henry Shapleigh (1842-1906).  This fort was completed in 1742 and protected the Spanish military settlement of St. Augustine.  Accompanying the painting is a letter from the artist to Charles Shultz about the aforementioned work. 

Another splendid piece being offered is an oil on canvas of a mother and her children with one on horseback by Hamilton Hamilton (1847-1928). The artist captures the quintessential atmospheric summer day at dusk.  His use of color and gentle brush strokes transport the viewer right back in time to that perfect summer day.

Another exceptional work being offered from the Estate of Dr. Samy Iosub is a two-sided drawing by Paul Cezanne of his son, Paul. This study captures the face of Paul in three distinct drawings.  These drawings clearly exhibit the mastery of Cezanne and it is obvious of the fondness and affection the artist feels for his son/subject.

Both sessions will allow real time online and absentee bidding which will be available on LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Bidsquare.com and the Nye & Company website: www.nyeandcompany.com. Telephone bidding is available on a limited basis.

People can bid in absentia and online. An online preview is being held through May 19th through June 3rd, at www.nyeandcompany.com, www.liveauctioneers.com, www.bidsquare.com and www.invaluable.com. Anyone looking for additional images, condition reports or info about an object is invited to visit the Nye & Company website or email to info@nyeandcompany.com.

For more information about Nye & Company Auctioneers and the Estate Treasures online only auction on Wednesday and Thursday, June 2nd and 3rd, visit www.nyeandcompany.com. The full color catalog can be viewed in its entirety now at www.nyeandcompany.com, www.liveauctioneers.com, www.bidsquare.com and www.invaluable.com.