2012 Scottsdale Art Auction

Howard Terpning's Leader of Men

The 2012 Scottsdale Art Auction is scheduled for Saturday, March 31st at the Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ.  The sale is broken into two sessions with the first beginning at 9:30am and the second session beginning at 1pm.  The partners at the Scottsdale Art Auction are doing their best to keep the pressure on the guys at the Coeur d'Alene Art Auction.  Brad Richardson, Michael Frost, and Jack Morris have put together another solid sale featuring beautiful works by Frank Tenney Johnson, Charles Russell, Frank McCarthy, Martin Grelle and a handful of rare works by Howard Terpning.  Last I checked, Stu Johnson of Settlers West is Terpning's guy, yet we rarely see any of Terpning's works in Reno.  The most anticipated painting of the sale will be the catalog's cover piece by Ernest Blumenschein titled Homeward Bound.  It's a 30 x 40 inch oil estimated $2,000,000 - $3,000,000.  This single painting may determine whether Scottsdale catches Coeur d'Alene as the top Western auction house in the country.  Although there are a total of 392 lots, about 80 more than Coeur d'Alene usually presents, there are a lot of quality works worth adding to your collection.  I think if anyone can get a piece by Howard Terpning, they'll never regret it down the road.  While you'll have to pay up for it now, I'm confident you'll be rewarded if you decide to sell it or pass it on to your heirs.  If you ever wanted a Kenneth Riley or a Frank McCarthy, there are lots of opportunities this year.  I think McCarthy's The Chase and Above the Rim are two tremendous paintings worth chasing if you wanted to add a McCarthy to your collection.  I'm a huge fan of Frank Tenney Johnson who I still think is slightly under-appreciated, but the prices his works realize might say otherwise.  Finally, there's a William Leigh painting titled The Great Spirit that measures 37" x 50" lurking in the sale that I'm actually surprised to see because it sold at Sotheby's in December of 2010 for $962,500.  Heritage Auctions did set a new William Leigh auction record in November of 2011 for Home, Sweet Home realizing a price of $1,195,000.

Ernest Blumenschein's Homeward Bound

With approximately $2 million worth of Terpnings, a large Blumenschein, a large William Leigh, some very nice Frank Tenney Johnsons, and the always reliable C.M. Russell, I have no doubts that Scottsdale Art Auction could potentially match if not exceed last year's total.  I think the difference maker will be how the paintings estimated between $20,000 - $100,000 do and if they exceed their pre-auction estimates.  Regardless of the final number that Scottsdale Art Auction posts, it's a wonderful weekend of Western art.  The art scene in Old Town Scottsdale with all the galleries, the weather, and events make it second to none.  Altermann's is also presenting an auction of Western works on March 30, 2012 that begins at 1pm at the Hilton in Scottsdale.  I will be at both auctions, so contact me if you would like to discuss any works or would like me to bid on anything for you.

Scottsdale Art Auction online catalog:  Click HERE

Altermann Auctioneers online catalog:  Click HERE