After a 90+ minute delay of our expected departure, we were on the road with what the meteorologists refer to as ineffective sunshine glaring through the windshield. That’s sunlight with all the brightness but no warming effects. Despite encasing ourselves in the cab of a 26’ Penske that we would call home for the next 9 days, it was a good day to travel. A few hours passed and we were at our first of 20+ stops our journey would afford us. As with every business, we too get the occasional eccentric. The client had given me the warning prior to my arrival that only one person would be allowed in because he was nervous about people in his house. In sidestepping through the very cramped quarters, I suspected nothing had been moved or even touched since his wife passed two years ago. She was the collector. I knew immediately that we operated at different levels and that we wouldn’t be able to do anything for him. Still, I was cordial and inquired about other possibilities perhaps hidden beneath the rubble and informal stacks that had taken on lives of their own.

Another day and several hundred miles logged. Life on the road has its moments. Winter weather, landscape and larger vehicles don’t always go together. But sometimes technology helps avoid potential pitfalls, like warning us of a snow covered winding inclined dirt road that a 26’ truck loaded with (among other things) a 1.5 ton cannon would have difficulty navigating. Had we not been warned, it no doubt would have been a messy white knuckle ride. The client taxied us to his home and business was conducted, but not before the parking brake in his Subaru gave way on his very steep driveway (with my travel partner still inside). It caught again 10 feet down the driveway and all was well, but I suspect the box truck would not have been so fortunate. He drove us back to our truck and we continued on.

A few more days and a few more miles. A delivery here and a pickup there. Life on the road means long days and some sore body parts. I sometimes get a kick out of people’s well-intended hospitality. “Please, have a seat.” I often reply with the same friendly response: “Well, if it’s all the same to you, I would prefer to stand. I’ve been sitting for days.” Truthfully, I welcome a chance to just walk around and see the things people have spent years (and oftentimes many tens of thousands of dollars) acquiring. There is a visible pride in them when you take a sincere interest in sharing their excitement.

It’s a great surprise when you think the world has been picked over and there are no new discoveries to be had, so it’s refreshing to be proven wrong again and again. We had the pleasure of talking with one woman whose husband collected rare coin-operated machinery. She also caught the collecting bug and had walls lined with hundreds of vintage and antique toasters. One would think there could be only so many varieties, but again, each one showed a uniqueness from one to the next. When this collection eventually makes its way to the auction block, I suspect it will make quite a splash.

This trip also afforded us a very pleasant collection tour belonging to a longtime advertising and coin-operated machine customer/client whose penchant for only the finest condition is legendary in the business. He is very proud of the fact that he is so particular about condition and welcomes any derisive comments about his personality that relate to his noteworthy perfectionism. While I have seen a number of similar examples in other collections, one would be hard pressed to find ones in better shape. His collection went far beyond just great condition but contained tremendous diversity in form and subject matter including rarities of which only a small handful are known to exist. I felt privileged to be one of the precious few allowed in his house because he once refused a bona fide sheik entry who wanted to buy one of his treasures.

Not all stops are as glamorous as this one. Sometimes, despite taking all the necessary precautions, taking all the proper steps, confirming and reconfirming, you don’t always get what you came for. One recent stop that I thought was “in the bag” ended up in in disappointment. Upon arrival, I was shown things in no way resembling items previously discussed. When I asked about those items, she sheepishly announced, “Oh, I sold those items before you got here.” I love this business.

Eight times a year, visitors travel from all over North America and various parts of the world to attend nationally and internationally recognized auctions at James D. Julia Auction House in Fairfield, Maine. The diverse offering of quality antiques, fair and honest representation, the excitement and thrill of participating live is what continually draws these bidders. Over the years however, a number of visitors have found reasons to extend their stay. Some have even relocated. Maine has tremendous wealth of offerings. Mountain vistas, breathtaking ocean views, over 2500 lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams teaming with many species of sport fish including the renowned Eastern Maine brook trout and Land lock salmon. For well over 150 years now, drawn by the beauty, the hunting, the fishing, the hiking, and in general, the extraordinary opportunity for those experiences; travelers from all over North America and the world have made Maine a destination spot to visit. Why not consider extending your stay next time you visit us for one of our special auctions? Here is a small sampling of some of our favorite spots and destinations.

https://www.jamesdjulia.com/area/

Sincerely,
Jim Julia
President

Many so-called “primitive” portraits of the first half of the nineteenth century are extraordinarily captivating in their abstract, imaginative, and seemingly humble execution. Their beauty and charm lie in the manner in which the artists used colors and perspective. While the most prized primitive portraits show degrees of ingenuity and a divorce from reality that appeal to today’s aesthetics, there was an appreciation for the images many years prior. Early-twentieth-century artists Robert Laurent, William Zorach, Elie Nadelman, and Charles Sheeler recognized the abstract qualities of American “primitives” and not only collected them, but drew inspiration from them.

The often asked question, “But is it a good likeness?” doesn’t apply exclusively to folk portraits. In modern portraiture the likeness often bears little resemblance to the actual sitter, though we still see the result as an appealing work of art. The same can be said for primitive folk portraits. More important than attaining a likeness was the fact that the artist probably achieved his goal of painting an image that pleased the sitter and his or her family.

Primitive portraits were generally painted by itinerant artists who worked for food and lodging or who rented their facilities, staying in an area until all interested subjects had been painted before moving on. They occasionally advertised their services in newspapers, offering additional skills such as fancy, sign, and coach painting to broaden their potential for income. Some artists charged different rates depending on how much a sitter was willing to spend, which was reflected in whether the finished product had more or less realism and modeling. Some itinerant artists painted at a rate of two or three portraits per day, providing little opportunity to correct errors or attempt significant over-painting. Most of these artists did not sign their names. When they did, it was usually on the back of the canvas, with information about the sitter, location, or date. As a result, most attributions are based on rare signed examples, documents, or family histories.

Portraits by academically trained artists of this era are generally quite realistic: facial features are modeled with subtle shading, highlights, and coloring; the body is anatomically correct, with a natural pose; the perspective is accurate; and fabrics are identifiable, and backgrounds, furnishings, and accoutrements are attentively detailed.

In contrast, primitive portraits usually show a linear format with flat facial features; a pose, frequently stiff, that is turned three-quarters or is fully frontal; minimal shadowing to indicate the direction of light; simplified versions of hands, ears, hair, and disproportionately sized heads; arms and legs extended from bodies in distorted directions; sometimes greater attention paid to details of clothing and backgrounds as compared to the face; backgrounds may be either plain and free of objects and scenery or, conversely, a fanciful rendition. Though artists had varying skills, with some having modest academic training, most primitive folk portraits exhibit some or all of the above characteristics.

Primitive portrait painters occasionally used the same props in their images, “dressing” the sitters in the same outfits and reusing pieces of jewelry. Many primitive artists didn’t focus on extraneous details, either because they felt they were not necessary or were not trained to recreate them. But some artists paid close attention to their sitters’ personal idiosyncrasies and to the background and fixtures.

In 1980, Tom Armstrong, former director of the Whitney Museum, noted that early “folk artists display much greater creativity and artistic ability than they have previously been credited.” He was summarizing the change in appreciation and recognition of folk paintings that started in the mid-twentieth century among art historians, collectors, and dealers; works that had been admired decades earlier by modern artists. While many folk portraits are relatively crude, having been described as “ancestor paintings” until the 1960s and ‘70s, most of the primitive artists of the first half of the nineteenth century clearly had a desire to improve their abilities, which was often reflected in their changing styles.

Many primitive, or folk, artists of the period from 1800 through the 1850s were truly talented and creative individuals. Through their work they exhibited artistic expression and created a true original American art form.

By David Krashes
Antiques & Fine Art Magazine

Three highlights include 19th century Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery, an important painting by America’s “Dean of Illustrators” Dean Cornwell, and a remarkable, highly ornate pair of Meiji period Usuba bronze vases.

Fairfield, ME, January 7, 2015 – James D. Julia, Inc., one of the nation’s top ten antique auction houses, is excited to present these extraordinary items in conjunction with the company’s three day Antiques, Asian, and Fine Arts Auction to be held February 4th-6th, 2015. This event is a rare opportunity for collectors, historians, and museums around the world to obtain the finest artwork, historical artifacts, and decorative items to come to market in recent memory.

One of this auction’s most historically interesting items is lot #2197, An Extremely Rare Silver Congressional Medal For The Survivor Herbert W. Leach of the Jeannette Arctic Expedition of 1879-1882. Estimated at $10,000 to $20,000, this silver medal is 1-1/2″ in diameter and 3-1/2” long with its ribbon. The front is illustrated with the 3-mast ship with sails rolled and anchored to ice, and a group of men and dogs abandoning the ship and attempting to save some of its supplies. The reverse is decorated with an outer band of writing which reads Jeannette Arctic Expedition 1879-1882; below this at the top center is engraved To Herbert W. Leach. The bottom half reads, In Commemoration of Perils Encountered and as an Expression of the High Esteem in which Congress Holds His Services and Act Approved Sept. 30. 1890. The medal hangs from an ivory silk ribbon, and is attached to a back pinned name plate in the form of a spread wing eagle.

This medal was produced for either the survivors or the next of kin of those who had perished in the expedition. Eight gold and 25 silver medals were struck by the Philadelphia Mint and were probably designed by Charles Barber or George Morgan, engravers to the mint. The story of the expedition was told in the 1882 book Arctic Lost Ship Shipwreck Jeannette. The account of the expedition caught the attention of the American public and caused Congress to act with this medal.

Although this auction features many outstanding paintings, one oil on canvas illustration by Dean Cornwell (American, 1892-1960) truly is in a class by itself. This work, lot #1109, is titled The Opium Den and is estimated at $15,000 to $25,000. The painting measures 30” x 36” and is housed in a simple thin black frame. It is able to communicate an entire story in one single moment; every inch comes to life through the careful placement of furniture, accessories, and cultural symbols. Its dark blue pallet adds additional layers of mystery and intrigue to the piece. The Opium Den is signed Dean Cornwell ’21, with other inscriptions, some illegible.

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Dean Cornwell became one of America’s premier illustrators; he was often referred to as the Dean of Illustrators. Cornwell trained at the Art Students League with Harvey Dunn, the protégé of the renowned illustrator Howard Pyle. Believing that a good illustration was only possible after producing a good painting, Cornwell’s work became highly sought after. His art regularly appeared in popular magazines including Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, and Good Housekeeping. He also illustrated the works of authors including Ernest Hemingway and Somerset Maugham, and his advertisements for major companies including Seagram’s, Coca-Cola, and General Motors were household icons of the 1930’s and 1940’s. A muralist as well, Cornwell’s work was featured in the 1939 World’s Fair and at Rockefeller Center in New York. Cornwell’s works have been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Chicago Art Institute, and the National Academy of Design.

Julia’s has an outstanding reputation for its Asian art expertise and offerings, and the selections in this sale will again delight its global clientele. A particularly handsome and stately Asian lot in February’s event is #3172, a Pair of Important Usaba Bronze Vases, which are estimated at $6,500 to $7,500. This Meiji period (1868-1912) duo is detailed with a mixed metal inlay of gold, silver, and various alloys; each measures 23-1/2” high and 13” in diameter. The vases are composed of seven individual fitted elements and have dramatic handles in the form of branches and snakes. The bases are decorated with fish, waves with auspicious emblems, clouds, flowers, brocade patterns, dragon rings, and floral galleries. The central areas feature warriors in armor in garden scenes, while the flaring mouth sections are dramatically accentuated with flowers, spider webs, and fallen leaves.

These three exceptional lots were discovered through Julia’s Woburn, Massachusetts office, which delivers first rate identification, valuation, and auction services to customers in the Boston and southern New England areas. According to Bill Gage, Senior Consultant, “Our upcoming winter auction features a plethora of simply marvelous treasures from around the world. This congressional medal, Cornwell painting, and Meiji vase pair could be the crown jewel in any collection – but are just the tip of the iceberg of what’s on offer at this can’t miss event. In only a few years, our Woburn office has established itself as a leading area auction resource, and I am particularly proud that we are able to attract the highest tier consignments such as these three!”

About James D. Julia:
James D. Julia, one of the top ten antique auction antique houses in North America, is headquartered in Fairfield, Maine. The company also has an office in Woburn, Massachusetts. In business for almost five decades, the company conducts high-end antique, collectible, and decorative arts auctions throughout the year. Julia’s has routinely establishes new world records through its sales events. The company consists of four key divisions, including rare firearms; fine and Asian art and antiques; lamps and glass; and important toy, dolls, and antique advertising. Each division is regarded for its excellence and is staffed with world-class specialists to insure fair and professional authentication, identification, and valuation services. For more information please see www.JamesDJulia.com.

Contact:
Bill Gage
Senior Consultant
James D. Julia, Inc.
(781) 460–6800
bgage@jamesdjulia.com