Bloomsbury Auctions, in New York, announces the sale of the William E. Fischelis Collection of Victorian-era works on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 10 a.m.
This immaculate single-owner sale, a culmination of over 40 years of thoughtful collecting, consists chiefly of 18th and 19th century British art, with the inclusion of French and American artist’s works as well. Although diverse in its foundation, the collection is an elegant representation of the Fischelis’s interest and passion for Victorian portraiture, accented with several pre-Raphaelite, female portraits, and landscape art. In addition to the paintings and sketches, the collection also boasts several bronze commemorative medals, assorted etchings, and a group of vintage Vanity Fair cartoons. Previously exhibited at the La Salle College Art Gallery in Philadelphia, the Fischelis’s collection was one assembled for personal enjoyment, and made up of pieces that, as William Fischelis put it, “please me aesthetically and, unfortunately, financially.” “One does not have to be an art historian to collect,” stated Fischelis, maintaining that, “in the end, what counts is whether you like the picture, not whether anyone else likes it.” Luckily, Fischelis’s selective taste formed a collection replete with images that appeal to a wide audience of art appreciators of both classic and modern tastes.
Highlighting the sale’s top lots are two portraits done by Octavius Oakley (1800-1867), featuring the Count and Countess of Aylesford- both 17 x 12 3/8 inches- paired together for an estimate of $10,000- $15,000. William Etty’s A Mohammedan – (13 ¾ x 10 ¼ inches)—estimated at $7,000-$10,000, also stands out as one of the sale’s top lots. Heads of Two Orientals by George Romney (1734-1802) —7 ¾ x 6 ½ inches – estimated at $4,000-$6,000, is one of the auctions most valued sketches.
ny.bloomsburyauctions.com