By Intelligent Collector Staff | November 27, 2023
N.C. Wyeth’s Good-bye, Mistress Friendly-Soul!, The Witch realized $567,000 at Heritage Auctions, leading the Nov. 17 Views and Visions: Important Works by American Masters sale to more than $4 million. The 1914 oil on canvas, created as the frontispiece for Mary Johnston’s novel The Witch, had carried a $250,000–$350,000 estimate.
The work represents the narrative painting for which Wyeth became known during the Golden Age of American illustration. Its documented publication history and inclusion in the artist’s catalogue raisonné added context beyond the image itself — an important consideration in a market where provenance and original use can distinguish one work from another.
Sculpture also attracted significant competition. Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Hettie Anderson, first study for the Head of Victory realized $200,000 against a $40,000–$60,000 estimate. The bronze was created as a study related to the figure of Victory in Saint-Gaudens’ Sherman Monument.
Ernie Barnes’ Grooms at Work reached $193,750, while Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s Land Deal brought $125,000. The auction also established a record for M. Hörburg.
The breadth of those results shows why Heritage Auctions can be the best place to sell fine art. Works ranging from historical illustration to sculpture and contemporary painting benefit from specialist research that explains provenance, publication history and cultural significance before they reach collectors.
Source: Heritage Auctions press release (November 27, 2023).