A group of works called “the most important Western American Art collection ever to be offered at auction” has been sold for more than $69 million in New York.
They were brought together by William I Koch, an American industrialist and noted collector. Last year, parts of Mr Koch’s wine collection were sold in a three-auction series that realised over $28 million, a record for a single-owner wine collection sold in north America.
This week, it was Mr Koch’s taste in art from and about American expansion across the American landmass that was crossing the auction block.
His collection was sold in a 25-lot sale called Visions of the West: The William I Koch Collection sale on January 20 in Christie’s, New York.
Artist Frederic Remington led the way in the sale with three of his works coming it around $10 million, well over their estimates, including one artist record price.
Coming through the Rye, Remington’s most famous sculpture was a sophisticated, technically difficult, and expensive work from its creation in 1903. Image courtesy of Christie’s.
Remington (1861 to 1909) was born in New York. Unlike many of the most famous Western artists though, he did have some experience of the wide open spaces of the American frontier. He created his first published art while looking for a way to turn his inheritance into a career in Montana.
On Tuesday night, Remington’s Coming to the Call (a hunting scene) sold for $13.285 million, well over its top estimate of $8 million, a record for public auction sales of the artist.
An Argument with the Town Marshall went into the sale with a $4 million to $6 million estimate that was dwarfed by its $11,847,500 hammer price.
Coming Through the Rye, a limited run sculptural cast, was sold for $9.950 million, against a $6 million top estimate.
This is a big year for American art. It is the country’s 250th birthday.
The Art Newspaper reported a growing interest in Western Art before this sale.
Remington’s work is well known and a museum favourite in the US. It’s also in the Oval Office in the shape of the sculpture, The Bronco Buster.
The previous record for Remington was $11.23 million for a cast of Coming through the Rye in 2017. That record was broken on Tuesday night.
