The Remarkable Estates Of Two Atlanta Luminaries Will Be Auctioned In Atlanta By Ahlers & Ogletree

By Author: Natalie Ahlers
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Ahlers & Ogletree’s two-day, two-session auction planned for Friday, November 10th and Saturday, November 11th will showcase the remarkable estates of two prominent Atlanta area figures: Fred Bentley, Sr. of Marietta, Ga.; and Vectra Orkin Barnette of Atlanta. Both sales will be held online as well as in Ahlers & Ogletree’s gallery located at 1788 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard NW, both at 10 am Eastern time on their respective days.

Fred Bentley, Sr., was a cherished Congressman, art collector, patriarch and philanthropist. His estate boasts an impressive array of American paintings and furniture, each piece steeped in history and charm. Included is his impressive collection of important American paintings as well as antique furniture, decorative arts, Chinese export porcelain, and antiquities from Rome and Greece.

Highlights from the Bentley estate, being offered November 10th, include original paintings by Thomas Worthington Whittredge, Herman Herzog, Charles Peale, Thomas Sully, Hugh Bolton Jones and Edward Hopper. On the 11th, Ahlers & Ogletree will shift its focus to the estate of Vectra Orkin ...
... Barnette. The estate is full of 18th-century European antiques, period Chinese export porcelain, archaic Chinese vessels, and an eclectic lifetime collection of unique objects. Mrs. Barnette was previously married to William B. Orkin, the son of Otto Orkin, the founder of Orkin Exterminating Company, established in 1901.

Three paintings in the Bentley estate each carry an estimate of $10,000-$20,000. The first is an oil on canvas portrait painting by American artist Charles Wilson Peale (1741-1827), titled Portrait of Mrs. Peregine Frisby, rendered circa 1773-1775. The 30 inch by 25 inch painting (canvas, less gilt frame), depicts a seated lady in blue, grey, and white attire, with one arm resting on a copy of Hervy's Meditations. It’s signed and dated lower left center and has a Kennedy Galleries label en verso.

The second is an oil on canvas by the Danish-American painter of the American frontier Olaf Wieghorst (1899-1988), titled Come On In. The work depicts several horses crossing a river with a pasture and mountains shown in the background. It measures 30 inches by 36 inches (canvas) and is artist signed to the lower right, titled and signed twice en verso and nicely housed in a gilt frame.

The third is an oil on board by the British-American artist Walter Elmer Schofield (1867-1944), titled Dock with Shed. The painting depicts a boat dock with several boats and a shed, apparently unsigned. A Philip and Muriel Berman Collection plaque is affixed to the lower right of the gilt frame and a Grand Central Art Galleries label is en verso. The board is 27 ¼ inches by 30 inches.

An oil on canvas mountainscape by Alexander Helwig Wyant (American, 1836-1892), titled Mountain Lake, has an estimate of $6,000-$12,000. The painting depicts a snow-capped mountain over a small lake, possibly signed en verso, in a gilt frame. The canvas size, less the frame, is 32 ¼ inches by 48 ¼ inches and there’s a Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, Mass.) label showing en verso.

An oil on canvas by Willard Leroy Metcalf (American, 1858-1925), titled Near Monterey (1881), depicting trees on a cliff overlooking a body of water, signed and dated lower left, is expected to bring $6,000-$12,000. The work has a canvas size, less the frame, of 10 ½ inches by 13 ¼ inches.

A double-sided figural drawing by Edward Hopper (American 1882-1967), of a woman in Victorian era attire on one side and a man with additional sketches on the other side, initialed to the left of the woman's arm, in a double-sided frame, 14 inches by 9 ¾ inches (paper), should hit $5,000-$10,000.

Not all the expected top lots in the Bentley estate are paintings. A Bailey, Banks, and Biddle (American 1832-2019), 14k gold and enamel miniature Society of the Cincinnati insignia on ribbon, a miniature version first introduced in 1902, has an estimate of $4,000-$6,000.

On to November 11th and the estate of Vectra Orkin Barnette, where the expected top lot is a pair of early 20th century French Empire dore 12-light figural candelabra, each depicting a standing winged victory with outstretched arms holding two torches and each supported on a cream marble base with repeating bronze wreaths (est. $20,000-$30,000).

An 18th century George III giltwood pier table in the manner of William Kent (English 1685-1748), having a faux malachite top, Vitruvian scroll frieze supported by front scrolled legs centering on a figural mask flanked by laurel and berry garlands above a scallop shell, and rising on an ebonized plinth base, apparently unmarked, is expected to rise to $15,000-$30,000.

A pair of early 20th century George III-style bow front satinwood two door cabinets in the style of Mayhew and Ince, each having a shaped top, fascia bronze molding over two drawers with floral marquetry, and raised on square tapered legs, apparently unmarked, should reach $10,000-$20,000.

A pair of late 19th/early 20th century French Empire style marble top pier tables, each having a mirror back above a push button hidden drawer, and rising on gilt figural supports, apparently unmarked, 39 inches tall by 38 ¼ inches wide (figural width) carries an estimate of $8,000-$12,000.

A pair of Henry Dasson (French 1825-1896) attributed Louis XVI Revival gilt and patinated bronze and malachite veneer Athenienne brule-parfums, each having a foliate and fruit finial, reticulated band, the bowl supported by three female hern monopodia holding floral garlands, resting on a gadrooned concave plinth and rising on toupie feet, unmarked, should finish at $8,000-$12,000.

A pair of 18th century Chinese Export famille rose enameled porcelain jardinieres, having lion mask handles and decorated with blooming florals and birds, the interiors decorated with koi, unmarked, on wooden stands, 16 ½ inches tall (jardinieres, less stands), should hammer for $5,000-$10,000.

Lots 607-611 are lots of four each, Sevres gilded soft paste porcelain plates, likely from a 288-piece dinner service presented by Louis XVI to his brother-in-law Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, Governor of Lombardy, on June 12, 1786. A soup plate from that service is held in the collections of the Musee du Louvre, Department of Decorative Arts (each lot, est. $4,000-$8,000).

Internet bidding will be available on Ahlers & Ogletree’s popular online bidding platform, bid.AandOAuctions.com, plus LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com.

Previews will be held Monday, November 6th, thru Thursday, November 9th, from 10 am to 5 pm; and on auction days, with extended hour on Wednesday, November 8th, from 5 pm to 7 pm. All times are Eastern. No appointment is required. All previews are in the new Ahlers & Ogletree gallery, located on Atlanta’s West Side.

Further collections from these two storied estates will be offered later: a dazzling collection of studio couture jewelry in December, including pieces by Chanel, YSL, Rebecca Collins, Stephen Dweck, and Masha Archer; and an important rare book and document collection in January, including a William Shakespeare 2nd Folio (est. $200,000-$250,000) and a first edition first state copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, bound in the publisher's Morocco leather, one of only 200 released. This collection promises to be a bibliophile's dream.

This two-day auction is a unique opportunity to own a piece of history and elegance, so mark your calendars and join Ahlers & Ogletree for an unforgettable experience. Visit Bid.AandOauctions.com to register and bid in this upcoming auction.

To learn more about Ahlers & Ogletree and the two-day, two-session auctions slated for November 10th-11th, online and live in the Atlanta gallery, visit www.aandoauctions.com. Updates are posted often. You can follow Ahlers & Ogletree via social media on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.