PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOSTON, Mass. – February 20, 2008 – www.skinnerinc.com - Skinner, Inc., one of the nation’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, will host an auction of American and European Paintings & Prints sale on Friday, March 7th in its Boston gallery. The sale will offer more than 900 lots in total with the prints & photography session beginning at noon, followed by the paintings & sculptures session at 4 p.m.

Prints & photography
Kicking off the day’s event is the print session of the sale. Featured twice a year at Skinner, this sale’s print selection will not disappoint. Works of note include Spring – New Mexico by Gustave Baumann (lot 10, est. ,5/3,500); Thomas Hart Benton’s Down the River, edition of 250 (lot 25, est. ,5/3,500); Der Seiltanzer by Swiss artist Paul Klee, total edition of 300 (lot 170, est. /30,000); and Tower Door, edition of 50, by Stow Wengenroth (lot 278, est. /3,000).

Photography highlights within the first session include works by David Hockney, Robert Rauschenberg, Edward Steichen, and Carleton Watkins.

American Paintings
The sale’s American painting offerings include several impressive landscapes such as The Gorge in Autumn (lot 670, est. /25,000) by Frank Weston Benson, a member of “The Ten” and one of the leading American Impressionist artists; Hawaiian View (lot 589, est. /22,000) by David Howard Hitchcock; and View on the Schuylkill (lot 524, est. /18,000) by Thomas Doughty, who, along with Thomas Cole, pioneered the movement of landscape painting which would evolve into the Hudson River School. Other highlights include Charles Ephraim Burchfield’s Fallen Tree (lot 850, est. /50,000), which recalls Burchfield’s tree and insect motifs; and Study for Keith Farm, Chilmark (lot 687, est. /15,000), by Thomas Hart Benton, which was a study for Benton’s 1951 oil on canvas Martha’s Vineyard landscape Keith’s Farm.

Two coastal views of importance are John Whorf’s Foggy Morning, Provincetown (lot 727, est. /20,000) and Anthony Thieme’s Gloucester Harbor (lot 700, est. /30,000). Other pieces expected to draw significant interest include New York Winter (lot 800, est. /80,000) by Guy Carleton Wiggins, known for his depictions of streets of Manhattan in winter and son of artist Carleton Wiggins; A Walk Through the Fields (lot 824, est. /50,000) by Impressionist painter Philip Leslie Hale, whose style was strongly influenced by Claude Monet; Frederic Remington’s Seated Man Holding a Walking Stick (lot 594, est. /25,000), which comes from the artist to his widow to Dr. Roland J Mulford, then by descent within his family to the present owner; and finally, Ernest Martin Hennings’ Taos Pueblo Indian (lot 593, est. /125,000). Henning first traveled to Taos in 1917, where he worked for the remainder of his career, producing paintings inspired by the landscape and people of New Mexico, specifically the Pueblo Indians. His artistic style evolved there, with his palette brightening, reflecting the warm sunlight of the area.

The Frank Stanton Collection of Peanuts® Artwork

The sale also features a rare collection of Charles Schulz “Snoopy” and other “Peanuts” animations. Nineteen lots of Schulz’ material (lots 604-622, with 0 at the low end to ,000 at the high), come from the collection of past CBS president Dr. Frank Stanton to benefit the Animal Rescue League of Boston and the New England Wildlife Center. The collection includes depictions of the Peanuts gang in original illustrations for the Peanuts ® daily and Sunday comic strips, advertising and color separation proofs, and hardcover and softcover books.”

Charles Schulz’ Peanuts strip was one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, running in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries worldwide. 17,897 strips were published in all, boasting a readership of 355 million. Schulz became acquainted with Frank Stanton when Stanton first approached him to purchase a piece of his work. The two later developed a long-standing friendship which inspired the first broadcast of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” on CBS in 1965. Stanton, one of the television industry’s founding fathers, served as president of CBS for 25 years, longer than any other network TV head. Throughout his tenure at CBS, Stanton was an eloquent and successful defender of the First Amendment and the initiator of the first modern presidential debates. Stanton passed away in December of 2006, leaving behind the collection of animations, many of which were affectionately address and signed by his dear friend Charles Schulz.

Finally, an extensive selection of Bernard Corey works will be offered (lots 738-752, estimates ranging from, 000 on the low end to ,200 at the high) as well as a wide offering of Robert Henry Logan pieces (lots 647 – 664, estimates ranging from 0 at the low end to, 800 at the high). A strong group of modern works will also grace the sale, with property of the Chrysler Museum of Art to benefit acquisition funds.

European Paintings
Farm in Winter (lot 426, est. 0/250,000) by British artist John Frederick Herring, best known for his sporting scenes and depictions of animals, is expected to generate significant interest. Other highlights include Korlat (lot 865, est. /120,000) – the word roughly translating from Hungarian to English as “barrier,” with architectural connotations – by Victor Varsarely, widely considered a pioneer of Op Art; and Mending the Nets/An Italian Costal View (lot 560, est. /50,000) by Rubens Santoro who is best known for his beautifully detailed Italian landscapes.

Preview and catalog information
Previews for the auction will be held from 12 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 5th, 12 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6th, and 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 7th. Illustrated catalog #2399 is available by mail for ( for foreign requests) from the subscription department at 978-779-6241 x240. It is also available at the gallery for . Prices realized will be available at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. For more information, visit www.skinnerinc.com. Skinner’s site also allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, and order catalogs online.

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About Skinner
Skinner, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art. With expertise in over 20 specialty collecting areas, Skinner draws the interest of buyers from all over the world and its auctions regularly achieve world record prices. Skinner provides a broad range of auction and appraisal services, and it is widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the auction business. Skinner’s appraisal experts regularly appear on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, and its specialty departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, American & European Paintings & Prints, European Furniture & Decorative Arts, 20th Century Design, Fine Ceramics, Fine Jewelry, Couture, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Works of Art, Fine Wines, Rare Books & Manuscripts, Science & Technology, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, American Indian & Ethnographic Art, Fine Judaica, Antique Motor Vehicles, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, and Discovery. Skinner galleries are located in Boston and Bolton, Mass. For more information on upcoming auctions and events, visit Skinner’s web site www.skinnerinc.com .

Posted: 02|20|08 at 8:00 pm. Filed under: News.