Fine Paintings & Sculpture

A traveler at heart, Sanford Robinson Gifford was known to disappear for months or years at a time to view landscapes and build inspiration for his work. Gifford belonged to the Hudson River School of artists, which was active during the mid-19th century. The Art Story notes that this focus on nature “… provided an alternative to European culture and history. [It was] a picturesque, patriotic, and inspirational theme.” Featured in the upcoming Fine Paintings & Sculpture auction offered by Skinner is Gifford’s Sketch of the Lago di Nemi oil painting. The framed piece overlooks a small lake from a hilltop, all painted in the artist’s signature warm colors and multiple layers of varnish. 

During the same period and across the Atlantic, Henri Fantin-Latour was also rising in popularity due to his unconventional style. He was particularly known for his flower still lifes and contemporary portraiture. Available in this auction is one of Fantin-Latour’s paintings, titled Fleurs. In this piece, the artist’s brush captured daisies, tulips, lilacs, and other flowers in a mixed table arrangement. Two works from Maurice Utrillo, another noted French artist, are also presented. One, Rue de Province, shows a splitting street of Paris’ Montmartre neighborhood where Utrillo lived and worked. The other available Utrillo piece shows an archway in the city’s Parc Monceau. 

This auction of fine and sculptural art will include numerous international works, including regions outside of Europe and North America. Self-taught Cuban painter René Portocarrero’s Catedral takes an abstracted view of a church’s face, while several works from Colombian painter Alejandro Obregón focus on strongly-colored landscapes. View the complete catalog for this auction and register to bid by visiting Bidsquare.