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Barridoff Galleries, Portland, Maine

Barridoff's Annual Summer Auction Yields Over $4.5 Million

by Rose Safran

Barridoff Galleries' summer art auction on the evening of August 4 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland, Maine, got off to quite an impressive start. Fine art consultant William Edward O'Reilly called the sale and smoothly moved lots right along, adding touches of familiar humor—those George Hathaway remarks about the Maine artist who never slept—as well as some new lines. "Ee-Baaaay," O'Reilly nearly sang, acknowledging his approval of the relatively new competitor as he finalized several on-line sales through Artfact.com, which contracts with eBay Live Auctions. O'Reilly had been Barridoff's auctioneer for many years prior to the past several years, when auction house owner Rob Elowitch decided to handle sales himself.

"Sometimes clients want to talk to Rob during the bidding, and he has to be available," commented Elowitch's wife, Annette, when asked about the reversal. Certainly, with 20 phones operating, in-house competitors to the left and right, on the aisles and in front and back and roaming, order bids, and on-line bidding at the computer, the auctioneer's job has become increasingly demanding. Alert and professional, O'Reilly was very much up to the tough task.

It is still Barridoff owner Rob Elowitch's game, however, and he invariably puts together an interesting sale, a colorful catalog, and is everywhere present-taking notes, accommodating customers, entering an occasional bid, and even manning a telephone at times. When Elowitch tossed in a bid and interrupted O'Reilly, asking, "How much am I?" Bill O'Reilly's good humor interposed, "You're still trouble. And you're not even doing it anymore!" Only in Maine.

"Rob likes to establish interest right at the beginning," said Annette Elowitch, who assists her husband in organizing the popular event, which attracts Mainers such as U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe and Portland Museum of Art director Daniel O'Leary, who were present this year, as well as dealers and collectors from away, including dealers from New York City representing clients.

The sale totaled over $4.5 million (including the 18.5% buyer's premium up to $150,000 and 10% over that amount). This total exceeds previous Barridoff auctions by over $1 million. Six lots sold in the six-digit range, and many others in the high five-digit range. There was strong telephone bidding throughout. The on-line bidders appeared to take the lower, more budget-priced paintings. According to an elated Rob Elowitch, some auction records were made.

"Rob was right to put those two little Robert Salmon [1775-1844] paintings at the beginning of the auction," said Annette Elowitch, stating that she had at first questioned his decision. Small proved big as the first Salmon, a schooner, sailed out at $148,125, followed by its cousin at $94,800, both significantly above their high estimates.

Just a few lots later, at lucky number seven, a dramatic visual interpretation of Dutch Men of War ships by the Dutch marine painter Ludolf Backhuysen (circa 1631-1708) met with strong competition. It went to a telephone bidder in England, becoming the auction star at $375,750.

Some 20 lots later, a beautiful Venice scene by the Spanish painter Martin Rico y Ortega (1833-1908) sold over estimate at $154,050. Also strong was a pastoral landscape by the 19th-century Dutch artist Marinus A. Koekkoek, which fetched $73,470. A small (8¾" x 13") oil and gouache on canvas of La Bastille, neige by Edouard Léon Cortès sold for $31,995, more than we've seen some of his larger Paris paintings sell for. And the seats in the Holiday Inn, many of them reserved, weren't even all occupied yet, although the auction had begun, offering the European lots first.

Barridoff has learned to accommodate overseas telephone bidders by opening with European paintings and starting the auction at 6 p.m., an hour earlier than formerly. Some buyers interested primarily in the American paintings, which follow the European ones, now tend to preview the auction, reserve their seats, leave for dinner, and return a little after the start of the auction.

About an hour into the sale, the American lots were offered. Many good sales were achieved. A 1951 Study for Hibiscus Alley by Harpswell, Maine, artist Stephen Etnier (1903-1984) at $26,070 was one of eight Etnier paintings in the sale, seven of which found customers, selling in a range from under five digits to $53,325 for Basin Point, (second version).

Other sales included an Emil Carlsen (1853-1932) impressionistic woodland scene that brought $59,250; a Guy Wiggins (1883-1962) snowy, flags-a-flying Winter, Wall Street, $71,100; a Bruce Crane (1857-1937) winter twilight woodland scene, $21,330; an Emile Gruppe (1896-1978) Rockport, Massachusetts, scene, $52,140; an unframed Edward Darley Boit (1840-1915) view of Monte Carlo, dated 1886, $47,400; a Johann Berthelsen (1883-1972) impressionistic snow-filled Fifth Avenue, $14,220; a Mariquita Gill (1861-1915) oil on canvas Sunlight on a Haystack, $16,590; a Louise Brumback (1872-1929) oil on canvas May Day, Boston, which appears to be the Public Garden, $17,775; and a small (8" x 10") Charles Woodbury (1864-1940) oil on board depicting Ogunquit, Maine, bathers, $16,590.

Among the Modernist works, an oil by Ilya Bolotowsky (1907-1984), Composition K, inscribed "Red + Black vertical" and dated 1966, sold for $23,700. The Island by Reuben Tam (1916-1991) sold over estimate at $8887.50. Marsden Hartley's 1909 Landscape No. 22 sold for $177,750.

There were many sales around $10,000, and some paintings even sold under $1000. Barridoff continues to offer affordable paintings for local dealers, especially of Maine art appealing to Maine collectors, many of whom were present.

Dan O'Leary was delighted to be able to buy for the Portland Museum of Art two Harrison Bird Brown (1831-1915) oil paintings of Cushing Island in Maine's Casco Bay, showing waves crashing against rocky cliffs (probably White Head), both of which had been exhibited at the Portland Society of Art, the predecessor to the present museum. He paid $10,072.50 for each. Other works by the Portland-born artist were available for considerably less. O'Leary also purchased, this time for his personal collection, at $8769, one of three paintings by Karl Schrag (1912-1995), Big Meadow in Moonlight, which depicted a village in the background.

John Heliker (1909-2000) was represented by three works. The highest-selling one was an interior view of a woman in a Yellow Jacket that brought $11,257.50. A clown's tragic face by Walt Kuhn, an addenda item, was the evening's final sale at $13,035.

As mentioned in M.A.D. in 2005, the Barridoff art auction, held every summer, is a true Maine success story. This Portland-based family business—Rob and Annette's daughter and son were on hand, one manning a telephone and the other the computer—has proven itself successful in selling a wide range of fine art, American and European.

After the auction, Barridoff Galleries posted some of the results on line, and also posted lots that failed to find customers, for which it invites offers. There was some post-auction activity reported. The buy-in rate at the auction was 27%. Some significant art failed to sell: a charcoal drawing of a mother and child by Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) (est. $15,000/25,000); a portrait of a horse by Alfred James Munnings (1878-1959) (est. $80,000/120,000); a large oil of a winter logging scene by Anthony Thieme (1888-1954) (est. $60,000/90,000); and Portrait of Helen 1960-64 by Karl Knaths (1891-1971), with her elongated arms framing a suggestion of a face (est. $12,000/18,000).

For further information, contact Barridoff Galleries at (207) 772-5011; Web site (www.barridoff.com).