American Paintings Lead The Way In Shannon's Fall Fine Art Auction Held Oct. 30 That Totaled $2.1m

By Author: Sandra Germain
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Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers’ annual Fall Fine Art Auction held October 30th included 159 lots of quality paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture. The auction totaled $2.1 million and 82 percent of all lots sold. There was strong international bidder participation from over seven countries and 25 states with nearly 1,500 online registered bidders participating.

American paintings led the auction, with strong demand from private collectors and museum institutions. The leading lot was William Trost Richards’ Autumn Landscape which sold for $300,000. The painting, dated 1876, is a rare example from the artist’s Pre-Raphaelite, Victorian era. Bidding was competitive, as private collectors drove the price to double the low estimate.

All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium.

Sandra Germain, owner at Shannon’s, commented, “We have worked hard to foster relationships with both our buyers and sellers for decades now. This has paid off with fresh-to-the-market consignments and private buyers who trust our expertise and are excited to bid with us. The sale was a success. with notable prices achieved ...
... for 19th century art proving this market is still active for quality works. We are looking forward to continued success in 2026.”

Irving Ramsay Wiles’ The White Sloop (Peconic Bay) dated 1907 similarly attracted significant interest, soaring past the $50,000-$75,000 estimate to bring $106,250. Wiles maintained a studio on Long Island across the bay from William Merritt Chase. The impressionism of The White Sloop emulates Chase, who Wiles studied with at the Art Students League in New York City and is widely considered Chase’s successor.

Another highlight of American Impressionist paintings was a remarkable Walter Launt Palmer work titled Off the Public Gardens (Venice). Dated 1882, the painting, like Palmer’s famous snow scenes, used pinks, blues, and whites to capture the glistening effects of the sunlight on the water. The painting doubled its $15,000-$25,000 estimate, selling for $68,750 to a private collector in the Midwest.

A stunning Jasper Francis Cropsey painting titled Autumn at Greenwood Lake from 1871 sold for $100,000. It had all of the characteristic features of the artist’s best work – rich fall colors, a Luminist sky, a small figure group in the foreground, and an overall atmospheric quality.

19th century still-life paintings were led by a William Harnett from 1878 titled The Argus. Strong bidding from private collectors and museum interest drove the price to $82,550. The painting was ultimately sold to a private collection in Connecticut.

Modernist paintings achieved strong results as well, led by Pegeen Vail Guggenheim’s Interior, a naive-style view of a young married couple in a domestic setting. Guggenheim’s mother, Peggy Guggenheim, is one of the most famous American collectors in history, renowned for championing the work of European modernists in America and American Abstract Expressionists in Europe. Paintings by Pegeen are rare, as many were retained by her mother and are in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. The work sold for $63,000 to a private buyer in New York City.

There were three paintings by American modernist Emily Mason – two works on paper and one large oil, titled Blue Angel from 1995. The painting sold for $56,250 after active absentee bids, online bids, and telephone bids.

A still-life by 20th century artist Luigi Lucioni titled The Syrian Jug from 1961 sold for $53,975 to a private collection in England.

A sleeper in the sale, an Alfredo Ramos Martinez, sold for $43,750 against a $10,000-$15,000 estimate. An exhibition at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery at Scripps College running through December 15, 2025 may have helped propel interest in the artist. The painting is headed to a private collection in California.

Shannon’s will host their next fine art auction in Spring 2026. Quality consignments are invited year-round. For the full results of the October 30th sale, or for more information, please visit shannons.com. Shannon’s can be reached by phone, at 203-877-1711; or via email, at info@shannons.com.

About Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers:
Shannon’s will host their next fine art auction in Spring 2026. Quality consignments are invited year-round. For the full results of the October 30th sale, or for more information, please visit shannons.com. Shannon’s can be reached by phone, at 203-877-1711; or via email, at info@shannons.com.