Absentee
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Price Realized:
42,000.00 USD
Shipping Available
Date(s)
6/16/2024 - 7/10/2024
AUCTIONEER INFORMATION
Bidding Notice:

You may register and place online absentee bids through HiBid up until 5PM the night before the sale. For LIVE online bidding please register through CopleyLive, Bidsquare, or Live Auctioneers. To arrange phone bidding or for more information please contact info@copleyart.com.

Auction Notice:

Please be advised that all persons wishing to bid at this auction should read, and be familiar with, the Terms and Conditions of Sale.


Information
Lot # 108
Estimate 40,000.00 - 60,000.00 USD
Group - Category Art - Paintings
Lead Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819-1905)
Description
An Anxious Moment, 1871 signed, dated, and inscribed "A.F. Tait / N.Y. 1871" lower left oil on canvas, 14 by 22 1/4 in. titled and inscribed "No. 25 / "An Anxious Moment" / A.F. Tait / Y.M.C.A. 23rd St / N.Y. / 1871" on back Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York label on back Tait's register entry for this work reads, "No. 25 [1871] An Anxious Moment. 2 Trout Hooked. 22 x 14. fin. May 4th Schencks Sale sold to Jim B Blossom for $105.00 paid by Schencks May 22nd/71 net $92.40" Known as one of America’s earliest sporting artists, Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait was born in Liverpool, England, in 1819. From an early age, he was interested in both art and the outdoors. Tait worked for the firm of Thomas Agnew, a famous art dealer and lithographer in Manchester, trained in lithography and drawing, and explored the open land around the city. However, many of the most beautiful vistas and hunting grounds were private and off limits. While working for the art firm, Tait was exposed to the works of Edwin Landseer, among others. In Liverpool, beginning in 1843, Tait spent time with fellow artist George Catlin (1796-1872), which may have whetted the young artist’s appetite to explore life in America. Catlin had spent much of the previous decade living in the American West chronicling the lives of Native Americans, and Catlin's stories would have captivated the young and talented Tait. In 1850 Tait came to America. By 1852 he was pursuing his interests in wildlife and hunting, working from a studio in New York City, but spending a great deal of time in the Adirondacks, where he acquired skills as an angler, hunter, and keen observer of wildlife. These skills were as important for Tait’s art as his fine ability with brush and pigment, since they gave an authenticity to his portrayals of outdoor life which was virtually unrivaled at the time. His relative freedom to paint wherever he wanted in the vast public lands of New York was obviously liberating to the artist, who had felt confined by the strict laws governing trespassing and hunting on private property in England. With this liberation and experience of the outdoors, Tait’s artistic career flourished. In 1852, only two years after Tait arrived in New York, Currier and Ives purchased the first of many works from the budding artist. In that same year, Tait was asked to hang a half-dozen works at the National Academy of Design’s annual exhibition. By 1854 he had achieved an associate membership and four years later he became a full member. Editions of Tait’s works for Currier and Ives were reproduced by the thousands and formed some of America’s most iconic images of the Victorian era. The exceptionally popular "American Field Sports" series showcased Tait’s abilities as an upland bird and dog painter and included the four lithographs "A Chance for Both Barrels," "Flushed," "On a Point," and "Retrieving." These hunting scenes, along with his camping and woodland scenes, resonated with the public as an integral part of the American experience and continue to inform us of our history as a nation. Seminal works by Tait, such as "An Anxious Moment," "A Tight Fix," and "Trappers at Fault: Looking for the Trail," have become embedded as part of our heritage and serve as signposts along our path as a nation. Today, Tait's wilderness, frontier, and wildlife scenes hang in some of the most prominent museums and private collections, including the permanent collections of the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, Massachusetts; the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, New York; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and the Shelburne Museum, Vermont; among others. This painting relates to one of Tait's most famous colored engravings, "An Anxious Moment: Brook Trout Fishing," published by Currier & Ives in 1862. Of the many works by the artist, this is the only fishing oil to come up at auction in the last thirty years. In 1871, Tait spent the summer with his wife Marian near South Pond in the Adirondacks, which lies between Blue Mountain Lake and Long Lake. Guidebook writers that summer wrote, "In this wild and secluded place, Mr. A.F. Tait has erected and nicely furnished a sylvan lodge; and here are produced some of those exquisite paintings that delight so many eyes. We doubt not his genius gathers inspiration from such surroundings, for never was the studio of an artist placed in a lovelier spot. A master hand is his in throwing the fly, floating for deer, or making the canvas glow with life!" Jim B. Blossom, who first purchased this painting from the artist, was Tait's "congenial camping companion for many seasons." Robert Rose was an attorney and director of First National Bank in Binghamton, New York, who died in 1933. This iconic painting of native brook trout captures the perfect moment before the angler nets two trophy fish on flies. The angler has brought the native brook trout into the shallows which are set against green lily pads and flora in the background. This work is, in many ways, the piscatorial version of Winslow Homer's "Right & Left," which hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Tait's most closely related 1864 painting, "American Speckled Brook Trout," is in the collection of Princeton University. Provenance: Jim B. Blossom Collection Robert H. Rose Collection T. Arthur LaRoche Sr. Collection Literature: Warder H. Cadbury and Henry F. Marsh, "Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait: Artist of the Adirondacks," 1986, pp. 86, 88, 216, no. 71.16.
Name The Sporting Sale 2024
Auctioneer
Type Internet Absentee Bidding
Date(s) 6/16/2024 - 7/10/2024
Auction Date/Time Info
Thursday, July 11, 10 AM, lots 1-253 Friday, July 12, 10 AM, lots 254-459
Preview Date/Time By appintment at our gallery.
Checkout Date/Time Please email info@copleyart.com to schedule a pick up or to arrange shipping.
Location
Buyer Premium Buyer's Premium 20%
Description
This is a two-day, LIVE auction. Lots 1-253 will be sold on Thursday, July 11, at 10 AM and lots 254-459 will be sold on Friday, July 12, at 10 AM. HiBid is only for online absentee bids and it will close at 5 PM the night before the sale. For LIVE online bidding, please register through Copley Live, Bidsquare, or Live Auctioneers. To arrange phone bidding or for more information please contact info@copleyart.com. Copley’s Sporting Sale 2024 will feature 450 lots of the finest 19th- and 20th-century American, sporting, and wildlife paintings, etchings, antique decoys, bird carvings, bronzes, fishing collectibles, and folk art. The auction will offer works by Frank Benson, Aiden Lassell Ripley, Ogden Pleissner, A.F. Tait, Edmund Osthaus, Bob Kuhn, Ken Carlson, E.I. Couse, and George Browne. Decoys and bird carvings by Elmer Crowell, James Holly, Tom Chambers, Harry Shourds, and Charles Perdew, among others.
1 Your bidding on items indicates your acceptance of the following Terms and Conditions of Sale by Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC. These terms are subject to amendment before or during the sale. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC operates as an agent of the seller only, and is not responsible in any way in the event the seller or buyer fails to fulfill their respective agreements. In all instances the auctioneer’s interpretation of these conditions is final and binding on all bidders. 2 All bids are per lot as numbered in the catalog unless otherwise announced by the auctioneer. The sales price shall consist of the final bid price plus the buyer’s premium, plus any applicable sales tax. A buyer’s premium of 20% (23% for online bidding) of the final bid price up to and including $1,000,000, plus 15% of the final bid price over $1,000,000, will be applied to each lot sold, to be paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. 3 The auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid that, in his opinion, is not commensurate with the value of the lot. 4 The auctioneer has the sole right to re-offer a lot and/or settle disputed bids. The record of sale kept by the auction house will be taken as final in the event of dispute. Additionally, items may be withdrawn at any time prior to the offering of each lot. 5 Except with respect to the guarantee for decoys as set forth below in paragraph 6, all goods are sold “as is” and all sales are final with no exchanges or refunds. 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Please note that the auctioneer reserves the right to amend these written reports verbally from the podium at the time of sale. Please note that absentee bids may not be executed on decoys that are affected by any amended condition reports. Since opinions can differ in the matter of condition and age, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC will be the sole judge in the matter of refunds. If we fail to identify a flaw that significantly impacts the decoy’s value, the purchaser may return the decoy. Duration of Guarantee: Any request for refund of any decoy lot in the auction must be within 48 hours of receipt of the decoy. It is the purchaser’s responsibility to examine the decoy and identify in writing any flaw or flaws that significantly impact the value of the lot. In order to be eligible for the guarantee, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC must receive payment for the decoy within 7 days of the conclusion of the auction. 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Neither the auctioneer, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, nor the consignor is responsible for the accuracy of any printed or verbal descriptions. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC strongly encourages clients to personally examine lots prior to the auction so as to best determine condition of lots. Due to the high volume of condition requests, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC reserves the right to reject requests at its sole discretion. All weights and measurements are approximate. 10 Some of the lots in this sale carry reserves or minimum selling prices. This is a confidential figure set by the consignor and the auction house below which a lot will not be sold. The reserve will not exceed the low estimate, and the auction house will execute the reserve bids by bidding for the consignor. Estimates are subject to change at any time prior to the offering of each lot. 11 Absentee and telephone bids will be executed when possible as a convenience to customers; the auction house will not be held responsible for any errors or failures to accurately execute bids. All absentee and telephone bids must be received at least 24 hours before the start of the sale. 12 Buyers wishing to pick up items after the auction at our office may do so only by appointment. We kindly ask that all items be removed from our warehouse within 30 days of auction end to avoid a $5 daily storage fee. 13 Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. Upon request, we will provide a list of shippers who deliver within the United States and overseas. Once your payment has cleared, items may be released for shipment. Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyers should allow up to four weeks for shipment. 14 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC may, at its discretion and at the buyer’s request, package and ship sold items as directed by the purchaser. In such instances 1) the buyer shall prepay all related expenses, and 2) the buyer agrees that all packaging, handling, and shipment is at the sole risk of the purchaser, and Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC shall have no liability for any loss or damage to such items. Buyer should allow up to four to five weeks for shipment. 15 Some property sold at auction can be subject to laws governing export from the United States, such as items that include material from some endangered species. Import restrictions from foreign countries are subject to these same governing laws. Granting of licensing for import or export of goods from local authorities is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Denial or delay of licensing will not constitute delay or cancellation in payment for the total purchase price of these lots. 16 Bidding increments will normally follow the pattern below, but may vary at the sole discretion of the auctioneer: Estimate Increment To 950: 50 1,000 – 2,400: 100 2,500 – 4,750: 250 5,000 – 9,500: 500 10,000 – 24,000: 1,000 25,000 – 47,500: 2,500 50,000 – 95,000: 5,000 Over 100,000 at auctioneer’s discretion 17 Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC is the owner of the images of each lot offered for sale, and may use such images at any time at its sole discretion for advertising, publicity, and for archival purposes. 18 If you are bidding as an agent for another individual or company, and you execute a bid on behalf of someone else under your bidder number, then you are responsible for the settlement of that account. 19 In no event will the liability of Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC to any purchaser with respect to any item exceed the purchase price actually paid by such purchaser for such item. 20 Any legal disputes arising from this auction shall be settled in the court system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Your bid must adhere to the bid increment schedule.
Bid Amount Bid Increment
0.00 - 950.00 50.00 USD
950.01 - 2,400.00 100.00 USD
2,400.01 - 4,750.00 250.00 USD
4,750.01 - 9,500.00 500.00 USD
9,500.01 - 24,000.00 1,000.00 USD
24,000.01 - 47,500.00 2,500.00 USD
47,500.01 - 95,000.00 5,000.00 USD
95,000.01 - 9,999,999.99 10,000.00 USD
Currency USD
Buyer Premium Buyer's Premium 20%
Payment Terms
Invoices will be emailed out after the sale. Payment is due and payable upon receipt of invoice and a monthly service charge of 1.5% will be added to unpaid balances beginning 30 days after the sale date.
Pick up by appointment at our office. Copley does not offer in-house packing or shipping. For clients who require shipping, please complete our Shipping Release Form and return it with your payment. The form includes a list of shippers we frequently work with. Lots not picked up or shipped within 30 days of the auction will be charged a $5 daily storage fee.