Christie’s to host auction of 19th century American art

Christie’s Rockefeller Center in New York City will present “19th Century American & Western Art,” an auction on Jan. 18 featuring works from two significant private collections.

According to a report in Barron’s Penta, the auction will offer works from the Morton and Norma Lee Funger Collection, which includes Hudson River School paintings from groundbreaking artists including Thomas Cole, William Michael Harnett, Martin Johnson Heade and Eastman Johnson. Also being auctioned is Western artwork from an unnamed collection that includes paintings by Albert Bierstadt, Eanger Irving Couse, James Earl Fraser, Ernest Martin Hennings and Thomas Moran.

Public exhibition of the works begins on Jan. 12 by appointment at Christie’s Rockefeller Center galleries.

“This is an extremely strong sale and a great snapshot of where the market for American Art is right now,” said Edward Lewine, a Christie’s spokesperson. “We’re meeting today’s collectors where they are with the innovative strategy of separating historic American art sales like this one from American Modernism, which we’ll be offering later in the new year.”

Thomas Moran’s “Afterglow, Green River, Wyoming,” courtesy of Christie’s