From several broken records to nearly a dozen single-owner collections, 2023 at Freeman’s brought many noteworthy successes.
In nearly forty auctions across diverse collecting categories, Freeman’s 2023 sale season brought distinguished successes, from record-breaking results to the presentation of nearly a dozen single-owner collections.
Outstanding Single-Owner Collections Bring Noteworthy Results
Freeman’s kicked off the year with The Personal Collection of Vladimir Kagan, a rare opportunity to own the works of one of the 20th century’s most inventive and influential designers—an opportunity collectors recognized as such. The white-glove sale meant that every well-loved item in Kagan’s iconic collection now enjoys a new home with new owners.
![Specialist Michael Hartman sitting on a sofa from the The Personal Collection of Vladimir Kagan](https://colossal-chubby-zipper.media.strapiapp.com/Kagan_Collection_Display_Michael_a4e6169e56.jpg)
This success set the precedent for several other strong single-owner collections throughout the year, from the Wedgwood Collection of Dr. Ellis F. Rubin and Suzanne Borow Rubin to the Mira Nakashima Collection of Geoffrey Halaburt, the Estate of Angela Gross Folk, and the Papageorge Family Collection.
The latter helped catapult Freeman’s American Week to new heights, achieving $7M over four consecutive sales this June. N.C. Wyeth’s Jetty Tree (Port Clyde, Maine) headlined the week’s American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists sale; strong market demand drove the sale price eight times above its presale high estimate to achieve a record-breaking $2,450,000. The painting was on long-term loan to the Brandywine Museum of Art before arriving fresh to market at Freeman’s.
“Works like Jetty Tree were important to Wyeth, as they provided him the opportunity to transcend the constraints of commercial work to create personally meaningful compositions,” says Freeman’s Chairman Alasdair Nichol. “Clearly, this work and its subject matter resonated with collectors. We’re honored to bring impactful canvases like this to market, and delighted that it far exceeded expectations.”
![N.C. Wyeth's Jetty Tree](https://colossal-chubby-zipper.media.strapiapp.com/N_C_Wyeth_Jetty_Tree_a2671ac840.jpg)
In keeping with the Wyeth family’s tradition of artistic excellence, Henriette Wyeth’s Portrait of Peter Hurd (sold for $138,600) also broke previously held auction records for the artist; Henriette was the daughter of N.C. and sister of Andrew Wyeth, and an acclaimed American Realist.
Strong Market Results for Books and Manuscripts
The year saw consistently strong results in Freeman’s Books and Manuscripts sales, with particular demand for rare and early Americana, as well as objects with impressive provenance. The department’s leading lot—a volume from the personal library of George Washington that achieved a remarkable $441,000 in May—bears this out. As books from Washington’s library seldom come to auction, this volume represented a very rare market appearance, with corresponding results: the first edition of The Transactions of the Royal Humane Society exceeded its presale high estimate of $18,000 by more than 24 times following a spirited bidding war.
“The market for presidential books, documents, and autographs is quite strong, and this exceptional result really drives that home,” says Darren Winston, Head of Freeman’s Books and Manuscripts department. “As rare as material like this is, it’s still Freeman’s bread and butter, right in our wheelhouse, and we’re thrilled with the result.”
![A close-up of George Washington's signature on the Transactions of the Royal Humane Society](https://colossal-chubby-zipper.media.strapiapp.com/George_Washington_Transactions_of_the_Royal_Humane_Society_Signature_2843e63859.jpg)
Additional Books and Manuscripts sales throughout the year boasted similarly strong collector interest, with a rare, inscribed, highly sought-after 1924 first edition of Ernest Hemingway’s in our time selling for $277,200 in February, and the department’s November sale achieving a 98.8% sell-through rate.
Consistent Demand for Pennsylvania Impressionists
Collectors eagerly anticipate Freeman’s twice-yearly American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists sales, and with good reason: Freeman’s remains the nation’s premier destination for works by New Hope School artists.
The market for Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings is robust and competitive, as evidenced in several of Freeman’s 2023 standout sales: Fern Coppedge’s autumnal Bucks County scene, The Mill at Bowman’s Hill (October), blew past its presale estimates to achieve $138,600 in June, and in the same sale, canvases by Daniel Garber, Edward Redfield, and George Sotter commanded strong prices.
Three paintings by Francis Speight—who studied under Garber at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art—exceeded presale estimates in the department’s December sale. The Philadelphia-area landscapes, particularly a striking scene of the city from the Manayunk Bridge, captivated collectors and achieved a total of $185,220.
Looking Ahead: Freeman's Winter 2024 Season
In January 2024, Freeman’s will present the first installation of What Do You See? The Collection of Sidney Rothberg, an esteemed single-owner collection that brings many works to the public for the first time in over four decades. Rothberg’s singular eye and penchant for experimentation birthed an extraordinarily diverse collection, with highlights from Paul Klee, Odilon Redon, and Chaïm Soutine, as well as underappreciated artists like Alice Baber and Bob Thompson.
![Oedipe by Odilon Redon](https://colossal-chubby-zipper.media.strapiapp.com/Rothberg_Odilon_Redon_Oedipe_2119a95c75.jpg)
With a full roster of sales bringing everything from jewelry and design to Americana and Asian art to market, Freeman’s 2024 sale season features unmissable opportunities for collectors across categories.