Michael Burns Art

Hoosier Salon Entry by Harry Davis Kicks off Art Auction. The November 19th Indiana art auction started out with a painting by artist Harry A. Davis. Bidding started off brisk but soon died down with a final bid of $2,300, $1,800 off the low estimate of $4,000.  The painting was a Hoosier Salon  entry in 2001 and measured 30" x 40" depicting a river view of a city.  At the Jackson art action on November 23, 2014 , a Harry Davis painting was the top seller of the auction at $7,000. Another Harry Davis Painting depicting the Methodist Church at 56th and Meridian in Indianapolis Indiana sold for $16,000 in 2011. The painting was a large exhibition size at 30" x 40" and was painted by Harry in 1968. Paintings by the John Elwood Bundy (1853 to 1933)  Two paintings by John Elwood Bundy who is considered to be the dean of the Richmond group and one of the founders of the Richmond Art Association was offered to bidders. Famous for his depictio...

T.C. Steele Portfolio realizes Auction Price of $5,500 The surprise sale of the day at the September 10th Indianapolis Indiana art auction was a T. C. Steele 1890 Portfolio. The portfolio was estimated at $750 - $1,250 but reached a high bid of $5,500. Also by Theodore Clement Steele was a landscape painting of a stream most likely Brown County that measured 22" x 29" signed lower left and sold for $27,000. Wayman  Adams Painting Rarely seen at local art auctions was a painting of 5 figures by artist Wayman Elbridge Adams (1853 to 1959). Born in Muncie Indiana, Wayman studied at the Heron School of Art in Indianapolis and under William Merritt  Chase. In 1914, Wayman was commissioned to paint a series of children's portraits for the city hospital in Indianapolis. The commission was to paint the children of immigrants representing the different nationalities. The 24 paintings were one of the most significant public art projects in the history of Indiana. Wayman...

Fine Art Auction of Past and Present Indiana Artists Leota Loop Winter Scene The May Indiana art auction hosted by Jackson Auction in Indianapolis had a variety of paintings for collectors of Indiana art.  Leota Loop  was a member of the Indiana Artist Club, Hoosier Salon, Kokomo Arts Students League, and the Brown County Art Gallery. She studied under William Forsyth and lived in Kokomo, Indiana, from 1893 to 1938. In 1938 she moved to Nashville, In. and lived there until her death in 1961. For collectors of Leota Loops artwork, there were several paintings offered for sale at the auction. A painting depicting a winter scene with good composition brought $2,500. The painting signed lower right was presented in a Ginney frame and measured 25" x 30". Another painting by Leota was a floral still life measuring 20" x 24" and was signed the lower right corner, which reached a final bid of $600. Also, a small 8" x 9" inch autumn landscape painting depicti...

Fine Art Auction Held on April 1st, 2017 There was a good selection of art from well know Indiana and Hoosier Group artists for sale at the April 1st, 2017 Jackson art auction in Indianapolis. For sale was a 30" x 36" oil painting by well know African American artist John Wesley Hardrick  (1891 to 1968). Born on September 21st, 1891, in Indianapolis, Indiana, he attended Manual High School and studied under Otto Stark as a young boy. He attended the Herron School of Art and studied under William Forsyth until 1918. After opening a shared studio in 1924 on Indiana Avenue with Hale Woodruff,  he continued to work in the family trucking business to make ends meet. In 1927 he received second place at the Art Institue of Chicago's exhibition of African American artists. In 1934 he was commissioned to paint a mural for Crispus Attucks High School by the WPA.  John continued to paint throughout his life and exhibited at the Hoosier Salon in 1929, 1931, 1934. The painting rea...

First Indiana Art Auction kicks off the New Year. Arnold Turtle Painting $8,000 Jackson kicked off the 2016 art auction in Indianapolis with a variety of artwork suited for any level of buyer. A very well executed 27 x 24 oil painting by Arnold Turtle with an auction estimate of $6,000 to $12,000 was offered to buyers.  Arnold Turtle (1892-1954) emigrated to the United States from Birmingham, England, and attended the Art Institute of Chicago at night. He became a member of the Chicago Palette and Chisel Club in 1926 and took frequent visits to Brown County, Indiana, to paint the landscape. The painting was signed lower right and sold to the winning bidder for $8,000. A 14 x 18 oil on canvas painting by Lafayette, Indiana artist Eleanor Brockenbrough (1880 to 1935), received a lot of interest from bidders. Eleanor was born in Lafayette and attended the Art Institute of Chicago. After returning to Lafayette from her studies in Chicago, she became an accomplished painter...

Top Selling T. C. Steele Painting Sells For $65,000 The September 6th, 2015 Indiana art auction started off with an excellent 25" x 38" Theodore Clement (1847 to 1926) oil on canvas depicting a woodland pathway.  The painting was signed lower right and reached a high bid of $65,000.  Another Steele oil painting measuring 22" x 32" was not signed but had an estate stamp on the back of the painting. Due to the lack of a signature, the painting only reached a final sale price of $5,000. Gustave Baumann Woodblock Print $4,250 Offered to collectors of well-known printmaker Gustave Baumann (June 27, 1881, to October 1971), was a beautiful 10" x 12" colored woodblock print signed lower right, and 52 out of 125. Born in Magdeburg, Germany, Gustave's parents moved to the United States when he was 10 years old. At the age of 23, in 1904, Gustave returned to Germany to attend the Kunstgewerbeschule in Munich, where he studied wood carving and learned woo...

T. C. Steele Painting Sells at Auction for $22,500 T. C. Steele Painting $22,500 The June 4th, 2015 art auction hosted by Jackson Auction and Real Estate Company in Indianapolis included a very nice selection of Hoosier Group artwork and other well known Indiana artists totaling 154 pieces of art being offered for sale. The first painting of the day was by Theodore Clement Steele (1847 to 1926) with the estate stamp verso. Although not titled by the artist anyone who has visited the T.C. Steele State Historic Site and toured the home would recognize the fireplace and books in the living room. If you are interested in Indiana art and Steele, who was one of the most well known Indiana artists of the time, the historic site is well worth the visit. The tour of the studio and house provide the opportunity to view many paintings from his time in Munich and more impressionistic works. The oil painting that sold measured 18x22 and sold for $22,500. Born July 7, 1914, Ruth Bernice And...

Maude Kaufman Eggemeyer Painting sells for $11,000 A painting by Maude Kaufman Eggemeyer (1/09/1877 to 12/1/1959) was the top seller in the first Jackson art auction of 2015. Maude was born in Richmond, Indiana, and studied under the well-known Richmond Group artist John Elwood Bundy while at Earlham Cottage. She was the first woman to receive a scholarship to the Cincinnati Art Academy in 1904, where she was taught by Frank Duveneck and Lewis Henry Meakin. Maude and her husband lived in Richmond, Indiana, in a house designed by her architect father.  After the suicide death of her husband, she stopped painting and went to live with her sister in Asheville, North Carolina. The Oil on Canvas painting measured 16" x 19", signed lower left, reached a final bid of $11,000 with an auction estimate of $15,000 - $25,000. Born 1883, Wayman Adams grew up on a farm in Albany, Indiana, with his amateur artist father. With no formal education past grade school, he eventually enrolled...

Top Selling Painting by Harry Davis reaches a final bid of $7,000 The top-selling oil painting at the 2014 November art auction in Indianapolis was a 20x16 Oil painting from artist Harry Allen Davis (1914 – 2006) that reached a final bid of $7,000.  Harry earned a fine arts degree from the Herron School of art in 1938 and in the same year, won the coveted Prix de Rome in painting. The scholarship allowed him to continue his studies at the American Academy in Rome and travel around Europe sketching and painting to refine his skills. In 1942 Harry enlisted in the Army designing camouflage in North Africa and later assigned as a combat artist with the Fifth Army Historical Unit in Italy. After serving in Italy from 1944 to 1946, Harry returned to the US and taught at the Herron School of Art.  Teaching there until he retired in 1983. Two other Harry Davis paintings were offered to bidders, including a 16x24 painting titled “Drilling Rig,” which brought $1,100.  The other t...

An Outstanding Ada Shulz Painting sells for $55,000 in Indianapolis Auction The 2014 September 7th art auction at Jacksons auction gallery in Indianapolis Indiana provided an exceptional selection of art. Not only were there a number of well-known artists represented, but a large number of pieces in every price range. Ada Shulz Painting $55,000 An outstanding painting by the sought after Ada Shulz (1870 to 1928) was offered as the first lot of the auction. Ada Schulz was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, and graduated from Shortridge high school in Indianapolis. She entered the Art Institute of Chicago in 1889, studying there for 4 years. She also expanded her artistic talent while studying in Paris at the Academie Witti when Ada and Adolph while there in 1894. Ada was well known for painting the people of Brown County. The painting offered at the auction depicting a woman sitting on a bed with what appears to be an Indian or Mexican-style blanket was an excellent representation o...

Adolph Shulz Painting Reaches $9,500 at first auction of the year. Indianapolis, In. January 12th, 2014 - The first auction of 2014 contained a wide variety of notable past and present Indiana artists available to the highest bidder.  With 140 lots offered for sale, there were enough variety and price ranges that anyone interested in purchasing had the opportunity to walk out the door with a nice piece of art. The auction was held by Jackson Auction and Real Estate Company at their location in downtown Indianapolis Indiana. Adolph Shulz Painting $9,500 Adolph R. Shulz is considered to be the founder of the Brown County Art Colony. After first visiting the rural area in 1900, he started spending summers there painting until permanently moving to Nashville, In. in 1914.  Adolph studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and with William Merritt Chase at the New York Art Students League. He was one of the founding members that established the Brown County Art Gallery in 19...

151 Works of Indiana Art Sold at Auction Glen Cooper Henshaw Painting $13,000 November 18th, 2013 – The November Indiana Art Auction contained a wide array of exceptional works of art for the Indiana art collector to choose from. The auction began with a rare large oil painting by artist Glen Cooper Henshaw (b. 08-08-1880 – d. 04-05-1946) . Glen was one of the first students of the John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis In. and studied in Munich, Germany, for more than a year. Feeling that his instructors were too structured, he spent the next 10 years in Paris and Italy creating works of art in the Impressionist style. With the imminent threat of World War I, he moved back to the US, setting up a studio in New Your City. After marrying his second wife, he moved to Baltimore, but with the onset of World War II, they became worried about the threat of the east coast being bombed. They decided to move to Nashville, Indiana, where he lived for the remainder of his life. Titled ...

A Signature Edward K. Willams sells at Indianapolis auction for $15,000 The signature painting at the June 16th Jackson auction held at 617 E. North St. Indianapolis, In., was a 1947 Hoosier Salon entry by artist Edward K. Williams (1870 - 1950).  Born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Williams studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. In his early years, he stayed at the Pittman Inn along with fellow artists while painting Brown County. Eventually, Williams moved to Nashville, Indiana in 1926 and was a charter member of the Brown County Art Gallery Association.  Wanting to paint snow scenes out of doors all winter, he would leave Brown County for painting the snowy landscape of Door County, Wisconsin. The painting titled "The Bridge" measured 34x40 SLL/SLR and sold it to the highest bidder for $15,000. L. W. Bonsib Painting "Morning Light" A very well executed Louis W. Bonsib (1892 - 1979) oil on canvas titled "Morning Light"  measured 25x30, signed l...

John Ottis Adams Painting Sells to the high bidder for $30,000 John Otis Adams Brookville January 27th, 2013 - The Jackson auction in Indianapolis, Indiana, opened with two Hoosier Group artists who studied together in the early 1800s at the Royal Academy in Munich, Germany.  John Ottis Adams (1851 to 1927) and fellow artist Theodore C. Steele (1847 – 1926) were part of a group of well-known Indiana Impressionist painters that worked in the late and early 19th century. The Hoosier Group consisted of five artists; the remaining three were Richard Gruelle, William Forsyth, and Otto Stark. The group first received their name in 1894 by Chicago art critic Hamlin Garland during an exhibition at the Denison Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana. Garland named them the Hoosier Group and sponsored the same show in Chicago.  In addition to being members of the Hoosier Group, John Adams, William Forsyth, and Steele joined with other regional artists to form the Society of Western Artist...

T, C, Steel Painting "House of the Singing Winds" Sells for $50,000 T. C. Steele Painting "House of the Singing Winds" September 9th, 2012 – Bidding was brisk for the Theodore Clement Steele (1847 – 1926) painting that opened the Jackson auction in Indianapolis In.    T. C. Steele and his wife Selma Neubacher Steele purchased 211 acres in Brown County Indiana in 1907, constructing a house they subsequently named “The House of the Singing Winds” The 20x24 oil on canvas, SLR depicted Steele’s House reached and final bid of $50,000. Genevieve Graf Still Life Rarely up for auction were two charming Genevieve Goth Graf (1890 – 1961) floral still life.  Genevieve, the sister of Marie Goth and wife of Carl Graf, studied at the John Heron Institute in Indianapolis, In. and was a member of the Brown County Art Gallery from 1935 to 1954. Both paintings were oil on board, signed lower right, and measured 20x24, receiving a final bid of $2,500 and $1250. ...

Exceptional Ada Shulz Painting Sells for $75,000 Ada Shulz Painting "My Garden" March 25th, 2012 – The March Art auction was held at Jackson’s new location at Arch at Chatham in downtown at Indianapolis, In. and just one block south of Massachusetts Ave.  There was an exceptional painting by Ada W. Shulz (1874 to 1954) that was the highlight of the afternoon. The painting was a 14x16 oil on canvas titled “My Garden,” signed lower left and sold at the mid-point pre-auction estimate for  $75,000.  A second Ada Shulz oil painting was very beautiful as well, measuring 20x24 and signed lower right received a final bid of $12,500. Four of the five Hoosier Group artists were represented at the auction with six William Forsyth (1854–1935) paintings available to collectors. William was a student at the Indiana School of Art in Indianapolis In. and went to the Munich Academy in 1882 with T. C Steel and John Ottis Adams. He also contributed to the founding of the Herron Sc...

120 Indiana paintings went up for Auction in September September 11th, 2011 – One hundred and twenty paintings were available to the highest bidder at Jackson’s art auction held in Indianapolis. The 10th anniversary of 9/11has contributed to the much lower than average attendance at the auction and what appeared to be slightly lower prices.  The first painting of the auction was an unsigned Theodore Clement Steele (1847 to 1926), 28x36 o/c, of Shirley Steele at Fletcher mansion, which resulted in a no sale.  There was not enough interest to reach the auction estimate of $20,000 to $40,000.   George LaChance Painting "Dip Into Spring"  $11,500 Two lovely Georges (Jack) La Chance (1888 to 1964) paintings were offered to collectors interested in Brown County Artists.  Georges visited Brown County regularly in the 1920s, moving there permanently around 1931 and lived there for 30 years until his death in 1964. The first painting offered up for auction was...

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.  Biddin...

T. C. Steele "0'l Saint Nick painting sells for $75,000 at auction The March 27th, 2011 auction in Indianapolis marked the 30th anniversary of Jackson selling art in Indiana. The first auction was held by Jackson in Anderson, Indiana, and he has been bringing quality Indiana art to collectors for the last 30 years. A large crowd was in attendance to view an excellent selection of art for sale and join in the celebration with cake and other refreshments provided by Jackson. T. C. Steele O'l Saint Nick Art collectors were provided the opportunity to view a Theodore Clement Steele (1847 to 1926) painting titled “Ol’ Saint Nick that for many years hung in the Indianapolis Children’s museum. Dated 1870, the painting was an early work by Steele, who was the most famous of the Hoosier Group and Brown County artists. Estimated to sell between $50,000 and $100,000, Steele’s oil on canvas measured 27 x 20, signed verso, and was first on the auction block, reaching a final b...

William Forsythe "Munchen 87." An early Munich Village scene by Hoosier Group artist William J. Forsythe (1854 – 1935) was the highlight of the November 7, 2010, Jackson auction in Indianapolis, Indiana. William Forsythe entered the Munich Academy along with John Ottis Adams and Theodore Clement Steele in 1882. Forsythe finished his studies in the spring of 1886 but stayed in Europe for another two years before returning home in September of 1882. The painting was likely painted during this period, as it was dated 1887. The painting measured 20x14, SLL “Munchen 87,” and reached a high bid of $17,000. Richard Gruelle (1851-1914), a member of the Hoosier Group, was also represented at the auction with a 16x24 O/C SLR seascape that brought $8,000. Attendance at the auction seemed to be lighter than usual, with paintings selling below or at the low end of estimates. A good example was a beautiful 24x25 O/C SLL Claude Curry Bohm painting, titled “Late October” with a...