Auctions | September 13, 2017

Lincoln Consignments Accepted for Dec. 2 Historical Americana Auction at Heritage

Lincoln Ferro.jpgDALLAS, Texas (Sept. 12, 2017) - A rare and exceptional Abraham Lincoln: Life-size Portrait by Penrhyn Stanlaws (est. $1,500+) is just one of the many standout lots featured in Heritage Auctions’ Dec. 2 Americana & Political auction. Consignments of quality material relating to the life and times of Abraham Lincoln are being accepted until Oct. 11, 2017. The auction comes a year after Heritage’s $2.4 million special auction dedicated to the life and times of Abraham Lincoln.

The 25-by-30-inch oil-on-canvas is a half-length portrait of Lincoln, seemingly modeled on the Feb. 9, 1864 photograph by Mathew Brady, clutching a green cloak. The portrait is considered one of the most accurate images of Lincoln ever created.

Stanlaws used several references to complete the artwork: Volk's Lincoln life mask of 1860, physical descriptions (including that given by Lincoln himself), 120 photographs of Lincoln and one description "given me personally by an usher in Ford's Theatre on that fateful night."

Two more bronze likenesses of Lincoln on offer in the auction include an 11-inch bust of our 16th president (est. $2,500+), signed "Jo Davidson 1943" on back of Lincoln's collar. One of the preeminent sculptors of his time, Davidson’s unique piece in that he traditionally only worked from live subjects. “To complete this bust in a way that would have been satisfactory to him must have been a great struggle - he strived to capture not only a subject’s likeness but character as well. It is a really unique piece that is not a typical example of Davidson’s method,” said Don Ackerman, Consignment Director for Heritage Auctions.

The second bronze is an approximately 24-inch tall life-sized bust of Abraham Lincoln by Louis Mayer (est. $10,000+). The piece is signed on the side by the artist: "Louis Mayer © 1916", and has a lovely, greenish-brown patina with excellent detail. This marks the first time Heritage ever has sold a full-body Mayer statue of Lincoln.

Not to be outdone, the auction also holds a Lincoln & Hamlin: Ferrotype Jugate (est. $3,000+), inscribed in small letters below the busts "Lincoln and Hamlin" in near-mint condition.

To consign your material to be auctioned alongside these items Dec. 2, visit Heritage Auctions’ Historical Americana portal to meet the Oct. 11, 2017 consignment deadline.

Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

The Internet’s most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has over one million registered bidder-members, and searchable free archives of four million past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos.