Leslie Hindman Auctioneers' autumn auction of Contemporary, Modern, American and European art September 12 achieved exceptional prices, realizing more than $2.7m.
The highlight of the sale was Wassily Kandinsky's Composition No. 26 from the estate of John and Valere Butterwick, which sold for $454,000 - towards the high end of its $300,000-$500,000 estimate.
Russian buyers competed aggressively for works sold to benefit the acquisition fund of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, with Natalya Nesterova's The Dragon Flies selling for $23,180.
The piece was only estimated at $800-$1,200, so this was a show of strength in the Russian art market.
Other contemporary highlights include Victor Vasarely's Photon B, which achieved $24,400 (doubling its estimate of $8,000-$12,000) and Ibram Lassaw's Apsaras,which achieved $29,280 (easily clearing the suggested $12,000-$18,000).
 Wassily Kandinsky's mesmerising Compositio |
The American auction session was headlined by Reginald Marsh's Spooks, fromthe collection of Majorie and Charles Benton, which realized $85,400.
Bidders fought over two Hudson River School paintings from the estate of Chicago collector H.M. Barbour, with an Alexander Helwig Wyant selling for $31,720 (trouncing its $3,000-$5,000 listing) and a Homer Dodge Martin luminist work achieving $21,180 against $8,000-$12,000.
European Impressionist paintings performed well, with Gustave Loiseau's Champ de blé selling for $85,400 and Pierre Eugene Montezin's Les Cygnes achieving $36,600. Jacques Martin-Ferrieres' Old Port of Marseilles with Notre Dame de la Garde realized $36,600, the second highest price for the artist at auction.
The prints session saw steady bidding, with Francis Bacon's Study for Bullfighter No. 1 selling for $54,900 (est. $35,000-$45,000). Andy Warhol continues to be in demand with his Mao achieving$32,240 (est. $20,000-$30,000), Flash Series achieving $34,720 and Flowers $12,000 (est. $8,000- $12,000).
Other highlights include Joan Miro's Le Matador, which achieved $36,600 (est. $20,000-$30,000) and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's Divan Japonais, whichachieved $20,740 (est. $10,000-$15,000).
