Collector’s Guide to 2025 Auctions

Ed Ruscha (b. 1937), Standard Station, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn In Half, 1964. Oil on canvas, 65 x 121½ in., signed, titled and dated on the stretcher: ‘’Standard Station, 10¢ Western Being Torn In Halfp 1964 Edward J. Ruscha. Image courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd. SOLD: $68.26 million

While Christie’s 2022 sale Visionary: G. Paul Allen Collection, which made $1.6 billion, still reigns supreme as the most lucrative single-owner auction of all time, 2024 had exciting moments of its own. As was true in that record-smashing sale, where George Seurat’s Les Poseuses, Ensemble was the priciest piece at $149 million, and Andrew Wyeth’s Day Dream was the only American work to land among the top 10 when it sold for just over $23 million, European masters continue to dominate fine art auctions around the world.

One of the most notable examples from 2024 took place during another Christie’s auction in November. Held in New York, René Magritte’s L’empire des lumière led the sale when it achieved just over $121 million; whereas in the American category, Ed Ruscha’s Standard Station, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn in Half from 1964 was the star, selling for $68.26 million.

In the following special section, not only are we going to further acquaint you with a selection of the finest auction houses in the country, but will provide a comprehensive list of their 2025 sales. We’ll also look at the results of recent sales, highlights of 2024 and provide in-depth previews of auctions taking place this month and next. Then we’ll pass the baton to the true authorities in the auction sector to provide insights on the state of the market—past, present and, most importantly, future.

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A view of the crowd at a previous Coeur d’Alene Art Auction.

Coeur d’Alene Art Auction

11944 N. Tracey Road, Hayden, ID 83835 • (208) 772-9009 • www.cdaartauction.com

For the past 40 years the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction has specialized in the finest classical Western and American art representing past masters and outstanding contemporary artists, including Charles M. Russell, Frederic Remington, Maynard Dixon, Thomas Moran, members of the Taos Society of Artists and other fine Western artists. The auction principals have more than 100 years of combined experience in selling fine art and have netted their clients more than $400 million in the last 20 years alone. As the largest auction house in the country dealing in Western and American artwork, the auction house holds more than 160 world record prices and achieves consistent sales for its consignors with 96 percent of all lots sold on average at their three annual auctions.

Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, Open Range, 1942. Oil on canvas laid on board, 36 x 40 in., by Maynard Dixon (1875 -1946). Estimate: $800/1,200,000

Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, Dangerous Sport. Oil on canvas, 40 x 28 in., by Philip R. Goodwin (1881-1935). Sold at the 2024 auction: $786,500

Coeur d’Alene Art Auction’s 2025 in-person auction will be held July 26 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, and the 2025 live online auction will be held November 8.

Upcoming auctions:
Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, July 26, 2025, Reno, NV
Live Online Auction, November 8, 2025, Online

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Freeman’s | Hindman, The Blue House. Oil on canvas, 25 x 301/8 in., by Daniel Garber (1880-1958). Estimate: $150/200,000. Sold at American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists auction in June 2024: $152,400

Freeman’s | Hindman

2400 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 • (215) 563-9275 • www.hindmanauctions.com
Freeman’s | Hindman is a leading fine art auction house connecting cities nationwide to the global art market. With offices and salerooms throughout the country, the auction house conducts over 140 auctions annually.

Freeman’s | Hindman, Snug Harbor. Oil on canvas, 28¼ x 321/8 in., by Edward Willis Redfield (1869-1965). Estimate: $80/120,000. Sold at American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists auction in June 2024: $127,000

Freeman’s | Hindman, Winter in the Village. Oil on canvas, 24 x 24 in., by Fern Isabel Coppedge (1883-1951). Estimate: $60/100,000. Sold at American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists auction in June 2024: $114,300

Freeman’s | Hindman’s American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists sales feature works of modernism, American impressionism, Hudson River School, Ashcan, regionalism, plus other movements and genres. Freeman’s | Hindman sales have achieved exceptional results for renowned artists such as three generations of the celebrated Wyeth family (N.C. Wyeth, son Andrew and daughter Henriette, and grandson Jamie), Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood and Jasper Francis Cropsey; icons of American art and illustration like Norman Rockwell; graduates of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, such as Cecilia Beaux and Arthur B. Carles; and notable Philadelphia figures like William Glackens, Jessie Willcox Smith, and the Peale family (Charles Willson, Rembrandt and Raphaelle).

Upcoming auctions:
American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists, June 2025, Philadelphia, PA

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Grogan & Company, The Horse Show, S. Woodstock, Vermont, ca. 1949. Oil on canvas, 313/8 x 441/8 in., by Paul Sample (1896-1974). Estimate: $50/70,000. Sold in Fine Art auction, November 2024: $118,750.

Grogan & Company

20 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114 • (617) 720-2020 • www.groganco.com
Located in Boston’s historic Beacon Hill neighborhood, Grogan & Company is a high-end, full-service boutique auction house. The firm routinely achieves top prices at auction across all collecting categories of American artwork, and holds the record auction sales price for numerous New England artists.

Grogan & Company, Vermont Hill Farm. Oil on board, 36 x 45 in, by Eric Sloane (1905-1985). Estimate: $15/25,000. Sold in Fine Art auction, November 2024: $40,625.

The Grogan & Company team’s commitment to providing personalized attention to consignors, buyers and each item they handle, makes them leaders in the fine art and jewelry auction industries. Whether you live around the corner from their gallery or across the country, and whether you have a single object or an entire collection, they will treat you like a neighbor while commanding their global reach to maximize the value of your items. Call or email to receive a complimentary auction estimate.

Upcoming auctions:
Fine Rugs and Textiles, January 16, 2025, Boston, MA
Fine Art, May 3, 2025, Boston, MA
Jewelry, May 4, 2025, Boston, MA

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John Moran Auctioneers, Don’t Block the Driveway, 1953. Oil on Masonite, 31½ x 25½ in., by George E. Hughes (1907-1990). Art of the American West, November 2023. Estimate: $25/35,000 SOLD: $53,975

John Moran Auctioneers

145 E. Walnut Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016 • (626) 793-1833 • info@johnmoran.com • www.johnmoran.com
Since 1969, John Moran Auctioneers has brought together buyers and sellers of decorative and fine art, jewelry, fine furnishings and more. Moran’s biannual California & American Fine Art auctions feature works by artists such as Guy Rose, Edgar Payne, Granville Redmond, William Ritschel, Paul de Longpré, Armin Hansen, Maynard Dixon, Thomas Hill, Maurice Braun, Eyvind Earle, Sydney Laurence, John Marshall Gamble, Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel, Carl Krafft, Millard Sheets and many more.

John Moran Auctioneers, Poplars, 1932. Oil on board, 19 x 13½ in., by James Taylor Harwood (1860-1940). California & American Fine Art, May 2024. Estimate: $10/15,000. SOLD: $44,450

John Moran Auctioneers, Lucky Bag Girl, ca. 1910. Oil on canvas, 20½ x 18 in., by Joseph Christian Leyendecker (1874-1951). California & American Fine Art, November 2024. Estimate: $15/20,000. SOLD: $130,700

From their humble beginnings 50 years ago, John Moran Auctioneers has grown into a trusted, full-service auction house with an international reach. Their experienced team of knowledgeable specialists offers collectors or their clients the highest level of service, providing a customizable boutique approach, whether you are seeking a free auction valuation, formal appraisal or an estate liquidation plan.

Upcoming auctions:
California & American Fine Art, May 6, 2025
Art of the American West, June 3, 2025
California & American Fine Art, November 18, 2025
Art of the American West, November 19, 2025

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Leland Little Auctions, W.P.A. Workers Grading Playground.

Oil on canvas, 22½ x 38½ in., by Francis Speight (1896-1989). Signature Winter Auction, December 2023. SOLD: $77,000

Leland Little Auctions

620 Cornerstone Court, Hillsborough, NC 27278 • (919) 644-1243 info@lelandlittle.com • www.lelandlittle.com
Leland Little Auctions has specialized in the sale of fine high end collectible objects for over 20 years. Their mission is to provide collectors, estates and institutions with outstanding, world-class auction services.

Leland Little Auctions, Snowy Landscape. Oil on canvas, 31 x 41 in., by Walter Launt Palmer (1854-1932). Signature Fall Auction, September 2021. SOLD: $23,000

Leland Little Auctions, Bowery Nocturne. Lithograph, 12¾ x 17 7/8 in., by Raphael Soyer. (1899-1987), Prints & Multiples, May 2024. SOLD: $10,000

The strength of Leland Little Auctions is a team of experienced professionals dedicated to their fields that vary from fine art to fine wine and jewelry. Producing a successful auction is a complex operation, requiring expertise in departments. For every job, for each logistic, the Leland team brings to bear exceptional talent, experience and grace.

Their gallery space is elegantly designed with sophisticated spaces where collectors can meaningfully engage with department specialists and their carefully curated offerings, whether in person or online. Visit their website for a complete schedule of sales across a variety of genres.

Upcoming auctions:
Sporting Art, February 27, 2025
Fine Art, March 12, 2025
Sporting Art, May 29, 2025
Fine Art, June 11, 2025
Sporting Art, August 28, 2025
Fine Art, September 10, 2025
Sporting Art, November 20, 2025

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Morphy Auctions & Old West Events, Old West Show & Auction, Las Vegas, NV.

Morphy Auctions & Old West Events

www.oldwestevents.com
Old West Events, partnering with Morphy Auctions, will host the annual Old West Show & Auction on January 24 and 25, 2025. The event consists of a vendor sale and a live auction, with prestigious dealers and galleries from across the country represented in the vendor show. Both the show and auction will feature authentic Western and Native American artifacts for sale.

Morphy Auctions & Old West Events, The Chimney Sweep, Siberia. Oil on canvas board, 8½ x 5¾ in., by Leon Gaspard (1882-1964). Estimate: $3/4,000

Morphy Auctions & Old West Events, West and East – The Twain Meet. Watercolor, pen and ink, 10½ x 8½ in., by Will James (1892-1842). Estimate: $4/8,000

The Old West Show, founded by Western dealer Brian Lebel, is regarded as the premier vendor show in the Western collecting community, while the auctions regularly offer exemplary examples of highly collectible works from both contemporary and deceased fine artists like Edward Borein, Maynard Dixon, A.D.M. Cooper, Charles M. Russell, Edward S. Curtis, W.H.D. Koerner, Will James, Joe Beeler, Marjorie Reed, Olaf Wieghorst, William Moyers, Michael Coleman and many others.

Old West Events holds annual shows in Las Vegas in January and in Sant Fe, New Mexico, in June. Visit www.oldwestevents.com for additional details.

Upcoming auctions:
Las Vegas Old West Show & Auction, January 24-25, 2025, Las Vegas, NV

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Santa Fe Art Auction, Muir Glacier. Watercolor on paper, 141/8 x 24½ in., by Theodore J. Richardson (1855-1914). Estimate: $1.5/2,500 SOLD: $5,228

Santa Fe Art Auction

932 Railfan Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505 • (505) 954-5858 info@santafeartauction.com • www.santafeartauction.com
Santa Fe Art Auction has long been the preeminent auction house in the Southwest, serving thousands of registered bidders worldwide. As a leader in classic Southwestern, Western and Native American art, as well as American contemporary art, the auction house has evolved into a state-of-the-art operation based in an ultra-modern 16,000-square-foot facility in the heart of Santa Fe’s burgeoning Baca Railyard Arts District.

Santa Fe Art Auction, Earthenware and Apples, ca. 1930-1935. Oil on canvas, 247/8 x 217/8 in., by Henriette Wyeth (1907-1997). Estimate: $12/18,000. SOLD: $16,950

Santa Fe Art Auction, Miss Nancy Lane, 1925. Oil on canvas, 40¼ x 30 in., by John Young Hunter (1874-1955). Estimate: $12/18,000 SOLD: $14,760

A celebrated leader in the Western art circuit, Santa Fe Art Auction has routinely set record hammer prices for prominent classic and contemporary artists including Tony Abeyta, Gerard Delano, Charles Loloma, Gustave Baumann and Edward Curtis. The application of cutting-edge technology and expansion of in-house expertise have allowed Santa Fe Art Auction to service collections of increasing size and importance including Patsy + William Hutchison, Gregory Warren Nelson, Patricia Janis Broder, Joseph Pytka, Charles Loloma and Christopher Cardozo, to name just a few.

Upcoming auctions:
Native Arts, February 5-6, 2025
Works on Paper, March 12-13, 2025
In Focus: Exploring 20th Century Male Identity / Property of a Gentleman, April 9, 2025
Art of the West, May 2025
New Mexico Now, July 2025
Native Market, August 2025
Contemporary Art, Design and Photography, September 17-18, 2025
Signature Live Sale, November 7-8, 2025

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The entrance of Legacy Galleries in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona.

Scottsdale Art Auction

7176 Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 • (480) 945-0225 • www.scottsdaleartauction.com
Under the banner, Scottsdale Art Auction, dealers Mike Frost (Bartfield Galleries of New York City) and Brad Richardson (Legacy Galleries of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Santa Fe, New Mexico) joined together and presented their first sale on April 2, 2005, at Richardson’s Legacy Gallery on Main Street in Old Town Scottsdale. For almost 20 years, Scottsdale Art Auction has organized a Western art auction held in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona, in the spring of each year. Recent demand has triggered the addition of an online auction, yearly in August. Since its record-setting inception, Scottsdale Art Auction has collected more than 250 world auction records.

Scottsdale Art Auction, On the Hance Trail – Grand Canyon. Oil, 14½ x 20 in., by Thomas Moran (1837-1926). Estimate: $750/1,000,000

Scottsdale Art Auction, Nomads. Oil, 22 x 40 in., by Henry Farny (1847-1916). Estimate: $900/1,200,000

“Combining our various fields of expertise and taking advantage of our geographic diversity, we should be able to provide a valuable service to collectors and artists throughout the United States. Mike Frost is highly regarded for his knowledge of significant Western American masters,” says Richardson.

“Art auctions are fundamental to the art market,” Frost adds. “They are the trading floor for the secondary market and, in most cases, help to establish collector confidence and set the market for an artist’s work.”

Richardson notes that over the last several years, he has seen top quality works from major collections and artists’ studios gravitate toward auctions. “We believe that we are ideally situated to serve that process,” he says.

Upcoming auctions:
Scottsdale Art Auction, April 11-12, 2025
Scottsdale Art Auction, August 23, 2025
Scottsdale, AZ

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Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers, Morning at Narragansett-The Turn of the Tide, 1872. Oil on canvas, 20½ x 41 in., by Alfred Thompson Bricher (1837-1908). Sold in October 2024 Fine Art Auction: $337,500

Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers

49 Research Drive, Milford, CT 06460 • (203) 977-1711 • www.shannons.com
S1hannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers provides exceptional personalized customer service and unparalleled expertise in fine art. For over 25 years, Shannon’s has been leading the industry in sales of American art in all categories from the Hudson River School to abstract expressionism.

Each year, Shannon’s hosts two Fine Art auctions in the spring and fall. These sales include approximately 200 lots of paintings, drawings, fine prints and sculpture from the 19th century through modern and contemporary art. Promoted in full-color auction catalogs, the works featured in these auctions regularly achieve top sales results for historic American art.

Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers, Children at Play on the Beach. Oil on board, 12 x 16 in., by Edward Henry Potthast (1857-1927). Sold in October 2024 Fine Art Auction: $187,500

Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers, Patience. Oil on canvas, 24 x 20 in., by Robert Henri (1865-1929). Estimate: $80/120,000

For 2024, Shannon’s achieved the high prices for paintings by Edward H. Potthast ($187,500), Alfred T. Bricher ($337,500), Ernest Lawson ($125,000), Arthur W. Dow ($100,000), Alice Baber ($100,000), and more. As a complement to the fall and spring auctions, Shannon’s hosts two Online Fine Art auctions in January and June. These sales regularly feature works at an attractive price level for collectors entering the market. With only four dedicated Fine Art auctions per year, the specialist team at Shannon’s focuses on sourcing the highest quality consignments. Consignments at Shannon’s are invited year-round. Visit their website or follow them on social media for regular auction updates.

Upcoming auctions:
Online Fine Art Auction, January 23, 2025
Online, Fine Art Auction, April 24, 2025, Milford, CT
Online Fine Art Auction, June 26, 2025
Online, Fine Art Auction, October 30, 2025, Milford, CT

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Christie’s, Waterfall in the Woods with Indians, 1850. Oil on canvas, 17 x 23¾ in., signed with conjoined initials and dated lower left: ‘JFK.50’, by John Frederick Kensett (1816-1872). Estimate: $250/350,000

Christie’s New York

20 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020 (516) 961-3980 • www.christies.com
Christie’s American art department presents the annual sale of 19th Century American and Western Art on January 23. This curated auction of American paintings, works on paper and sculpture is led by several marquee collections, including Grand Views of America: Property from a Distinguished Private Collection, headlined by Thomas Moran’s stunning landscape Grand View Trail.

The sale will include important and fresh-to-market examples from the traditional 19th-century and Western genres, including several exciting new discoveries. A consistent market leader in American art, Christie’s holds countless world auction records, including the record for American art overall with Edward Hopper’s Chop Suey at $91,875,000 in 2018, and for any 19th century American painting, with the sale of Emanuel Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware for $45,045,000 in 2022.

Upcoming auctions:
Outsider Art, January 22, 2025, New York, NY
19th-century American and Western Art, January 23, 2025, New York, NY
Important Americana, January 24, 2025, New York, NY

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Sotheby’s, Yosemite. Oil on canvas, 20½ x 30¼ in., by Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902). Found in the Art of the Americas, Featuring the American West sale. Estimate: $700/1,000,000

Sotheby’s

1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021 (212) 606-7280 • caroline.seabolt@sothebys.com www.sothebys.com/americanart
Sotheby’s reaches every point of the worldwide art market, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris. With 80 locations in 40 countries, nine salerooms around the world, Sotheby’s conducts some 250 auctions a year in more than 70 categories. Their digital innovations allow clients to connect with them any time, from any place, on any device.

“Sotheby’s New York office is not only the headquarters for our global business,” says assistant vice president and American art specialist, Caroline Seabolt. “It’s also a place that welcomes collectors and art lovers. That’s true for our current headquarters on York Avenue, and it will remain a guiding principle as we move in 2025 to our new home in the Breuer Building.”

Upcoming auctions:
Art of the Americas, Featuring the American West, January 24
Modern Discoveries, February 2025
Modern Day Auction/ Contemporary Discoveries, May 2025