The "Art" In Arts & Crafts Shines At Rago's Auction

They've become the darling of Arts & Crafts collectors.

After years of languishing in the shadow of headline-makers Gustav Stickley, George Ohr, Charles Rohlfs and William Grueby, the 'art' in Arts & Crafts has finally begun to assume its rightful place.

Woodblock prints stole the show at the February 4th auction of Jerry Cohen, Suzanne Perrault, and David Rago in Lambertville, NJ, causing more than a few bidders to sit up and take note of such names as Gustave Baumann, William Rice, Arthur Wesley Dow and Frances Gearhart.

After the first fifty lots of art pottery sold with strong prices for twisted Ohr, statuesque Grueby, decorated Marblehead and very early Van Briggle, a color woodblock print, #20 of an edition of 125, done in 1946 by Gustave Baumann and entitled "Cottonwood Tassels," soared past its presale estimate of $6,000-$9,000 to finally sell for $21,960 (all prices include the buyer's premium). Pictured at top.

Just to demonstrate that this was no fluke, the next two Baumann prints, "Summer Clouds" (est. $5,000-$7,000) and "Processional" (est. $6,000-$9,000), were hammered down for $14,640 and $19,520 respectively.

In the same sale, nine woodblock prints by California artist Frances Gearhart also were offered, with several more than doubling their presale estimates. Inspired by California's mountains and rocky coastline, both Gearhart's "Incoming Fog" and "Morning - Elkhorn" (pictured) sold for $6,100 each. Later in the sale, "Spring Morning" went for $4,270, "Green Walled" sold for $5,490 and "In Glacial Majesty" was hammered down at $5,185.

Their diminutive size (most woodblock prints average around the size of a standard sheet of paper) did not deter collectors, who look for dramatic images incorporating multiple colors.

Rago's sale also demonstrated the continued surge in demand for the rare furniture designed and carved by Charles Rohlfs, as an unusual circular "oak coal hod" measuring thirty inches in diameter sold for $41,480, a barrel chair went for $13,420 and a five-drawer dresser for $12,200.

After the sale Jerry Cohen observed, "We saw broad competition for our Rohlfs items as a result of setting moderate estimates. Regarding the furniture end of the sale, which is my area of specialty, the strong areas were Gustav Stickley, Roycroft and Rohlfs, while other makers all sold well, but at affordable and attractive prices that were within the reach of most collectors."

He also added, "Where prices were weak, there was almost always a condition problem that led to the weakness, and where prices were strong, it was because of condition or rarity. Where both came together, prices were very strong. My overall take on the Arts & Crafts market, looking at the results of our sale, is that the market is very healthy and has found a good equilibrium."

For complete auction results, go to http://www.ragoarts.com.

Note: Those attending the Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference on February 18-20 will be able to learn a great deal about woodblock prints, as author Susan Futterman will present a seminar on Frances Gearhart, and antiques print dealer Steven Thomas will lead a Small Group Discussion on collecting the 'art' in Arts & Crafts.

http://www.arts-craftsconference.com

- Bruce Johnson