(Thomaston, ME) Over 50 outstanding Monhegan paintings, representing a diverse array of artistic styles, will be offered at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries Summer Fine Art & Antiques Auction on August 25 & 26. The George X. Schwartz Memorial Monhegan Art Collection will be the centerpiece of this group, with works by Andrew George Winter (NY/ME- 1893-1958), William Trost Richards (PA/RI, 1833-1905), Robert Van Vorst Sewell (NY/CA, 1860-1924), Eric Hopkins (NY, 1864-1932), Frank Alfred Bicknell (CT, 1866-1943), Alice Kent Stoddard (PA, 1883-1976), Constance Cochrane (PA, 1888-1962), and many others.

For the past 150 years, artists have been attracted to Monhegan Island, a peaceful haven located 10 miles off the Maine coast, to create paintings depicting the bold colors, beautiful scenery, and rugged lifestyle of this special place. Today, many of these works reside in museums and collections around the world. Mr. Schwartz spent many years supporting Monhegan’s lobster business, and he developed a deep appreciation for its art during his many visits to the Island.

Monhegan Museum Director Edward Deci noted: “Most of the movements in American art have had representatives on Monhegan, so many of the same island motifs have been rendered in vastly different styles. Kaja Veilleux and his staff at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries has assembled a remarkable group of early Monhegan art for their August 2012 auction.”

Thomaston Place owner and auctioneer Kaja Veilleux said: “We have the makings of a perfect Maine summer auction, with many wonderful paintings that symbolize our State’s brilliant artistic and nautical trade history. While it’s easy to participate in our sale on the phone or internet, I hope everyone will take the opportunity to come to our gallery and see these amazing items firsthand.”

The Schwartz collection includes works created over a period of 150 years on Monhegan and works by 35 different artists. Encompassing pieces executed in oil, watercolor, pastel, gouache, ink, and charcoal, there are works to fit most budgets, with auction price estimates ranging from $600 to $20,000.

The earliest artist to paint on Monhegan was Aaron Draper Shattuck (CT/NH, 1832-1928), who arrived in 1858. His work “Cliff Study - Granite Rocks of Maine” or “Monhegan” is a part of the Schwartz collection, and likely to be the first painting ever done on the Island. This work has been exhibited and published in numerous books and in the American Art Review.

An Andrew George Winter painting of lobstermen hauling traps in wintertime symbolizes Mr. Schwartz's livelihood, as he and his family knew the names of the lobstermen whose buoys are depicted in the painting. There are also paintings of “plein air” artists, a spectacular example of which is "Andrew Winter Painting Gull Rock," by Alice Kent Stoddard. This too has been exhibited and photographed in books about Monhegan Island art.

The Thomaston Place Auction Galleries August auction will also feature works by many other noted Maine artists. A complete, full color catalog, with detailed descriptions and photographs, is available, and all lots can be viewed at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ website, www.thomastonauction.com.

The gallery will be open for previews Monday, August 20 through Friday, August 24 (between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm each day) and from 9:00 and 11:00 am on Saturday and Sunday, August 25 and 26 before the sale. The auction will begin at 11:00 am on both sale days. In addition to live bidding in the auction hall, Thomaston Place accepts bids via absentee, telephone, and on the internet (via www.thomastonauction.com, www.artfact.com, www.invaluable.com and www.auctionzip.com). The buyer’s premium is 15%. Please call 207-354-8141 for more information, or to reserve seats in the auction hall.

Thomaston Place Auction Galleries is Maine’s premier auction and appraisal company located on U.S. Route 1 in Thomaston. Thomaston Place is a leader in discovering Maine’s antique and fine art treasures by offering Free Appraisals each Tuesday at the Gallery, creating fundraiser events for civic and charitable organizations using its unique Mobile Appraisal Laboratory, and providing house call appraisal services. Their expertise in researching and marketing antiques and fine art has earned Thomaston Place the respect of buyers, collectors and experts worldwide.

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