Jackson's Indiana Art Auction Results & Prices January 30, 2011

George LaChance Painting realizes $14,000 at auction

The first Jackson art auction of 2011 was held on Sunday, January 31, at their auction facilities in Indianapolis, In.  Overall, the auction had a good turnout of patrons interested in Indiana Art with a fair number of phone bidders. Jackson offered for sale a total of 101 paintings available to all collectors, with prices ranging from $14,000 down to $10.

George LaChance Painting

The top seller of the auction was a charming 30x36 oil on canvas painted by Brown County artist Georges(Jack) LaChance (1/13/1888 – 06/23/1964).  Although George entered the St Louis Art School at the age of 21, he never finished and was primarily a self-taught artist.  He had a photography studio for 9 years in Vincennes Indiana and visited Brown County throughout the 1920s. He moved there permanently in 1931 and lived in Brown County for 30 years. The Painting was very well done, with bright colors and in good condition.  Bidding was intense with the final bidder taking home the painting for $14,000.

A painting by Ada Shultz (10/21/1870 – 05/04/1928), the well-known painter of children and everyday life in Brown County, was sold for a final bid of $10,000. The oil on canvas measured 11x14, SLL, and was titled “The Fallen Monarch.”  Ada was the first wife of Adolph Shulz, whom she met during a sketching class in Delavan, Wisconsin. Soon after marrying Adolph, they moved to Paris to study, then on to Munich to work out of their own studio. After moving to Brown County in 1914, Ada divorced Adolph in 1926.

Derk Smit Painting
$6,000

There were three excellent works of art for dedicated collectors of Derk Smit (1889 to 1985) or for those who liked the composition and well-chosen subject matter. The top seller was a large 30x36 oil on canvas, Signed Lower Right received a final bid of $6,000. Although the painting was not named by the artist, it pictured a covered bridge similar to those found in Brown County.

Also by Derk, was an oil painting with a Church and figures measuring 20x24, signed lower right and was taken home by the last bidder for $5,000. The final painting of the three was a beautiful impressionistic floral still life measuring 24x18, signed lower right, brought a closing price of $1400.

Dwight F Steininger (1910 to 1997), the self-taught artist, moved to Brown County in 1955 to pursue his art and evangelical ministry.  Dwight painted not only Brown County but many scenes around the country as he traveled for his ministry.  One collector of his work purchased three of the paintings available at the auction. A 22x32, oil on canvas, signed lower right and titled “Corn shocks in December” (Painted for the Abe Martin Lodge) sold for $1,000. The second oil painting was called “Wintertime, measured 22x28, signed lower left, and was purchased for $800. The third and last painting received a final bid of $1000 by the same collector. Titled “The Old Mountain Cabin,” it was signed lower right and was 24x30.

Other Indiana Art Auction Prices of the day included:

Claude Curry Bohm, 25x28, O/C, SLL and titled “Miracle of an April Shower” sold for $2,100
Leota Loop, 25x30, O/C, SLR and titled “In Our Woods” in Genney frame sold for $1,900
James Eccles, 18x24, O/B, SLL, depicting Indiana Landscape sold for $800
Randolph Coats, 9x12, O/B, SLR, depicting Autumn Landscape sold for $300
Gianni Cilfone, 16x12, O/B, SLL, Still Life with fruit and pottery sold for $250
Francis F. Brown, 16x20, Tempera on Board, SLL, landscape with figures sold for $250
Kenneth Reeve, 4.5x8, Aquatint Etching, SLR and titled “Snow Patterns” sold for $210
Paul Turner Sargent, 9x11, O/B, SLR, Landscape sold for $650