Bonhams & Butterfields’ inaugural “Made in California” sale was met with great enthusiasm, establishing new world auction records for West Coast artists: Joan Brown (her untitled oil on canvas bringing $139,250), Lee Mullican (an oil on canvas selling for $36,000), Manuel Neri (work on paper bringing $42,000), Beniamino Benevenuto Bufano (a cast stone sculpture fetching $48,000) and Wallace Berman (his untitled collage on board with positive image verifax bringing $54,000).

California painter E. Charlton Fortune has been a much-appreciated artist at Bonhams & Butterfields’ sales, the firm establishing and then breaking two world auction records for the artist. The first record was set in August when the painting Mending Nets was caught at $480,000 -then, the highest price ever paid at auction for Fortune. Bonhams & Butterfields made history a second time in December 2007 when her Late Afternoon, Monterey sold for $1,832,000. “Although works by Fortune are rare to public auction, they are becoming highly sought after,” says Scot Levitt. “Buyers are looking for pieces from the early part of her career, such as the example sold.”

The firm has continued to enjoy great success with both California and American artists, the December California and American Paintings and Sculpture sale totaling more than $7.1-Million. The sale established ten world auction records as competitive bidding affirmed the extremely strong global market for: Laura Adams Armer, Olaf Grafstrom, Norton Bush, William Keith, M. Evelyn Mccormick, Willis E. Davis, Ray Strong and Innocenzo Daraio.

Posted: 12|23|07 at 11:03 am. Filed under: Fine Art.