Norman Rockwell and others featured at Christie's American Art Sale

Christie’s New York has announced its 2013 sale of American Art that includes paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries. The sale will include works by some of the greatest American masters such as Milton Avery and Norman Rockwell among many others.

One major highlight of the sale is Milton Avery’s 1941 oil on canvas painting titled Evening Beach which features a man and a woman relaxing on the beach. The woman is lying on her stomach on a blue towel with her legs stretched out while the man sits closer to the water with hazy blue and green coloring capturing a sense of calmness. The painting is estimated to sell between $70,000 to $100,000.

Another notable work in the show is an exquisite painting by John Koch titled Portrait of the Artist’s Father where Koch portrays his father sitting in the living room of his New York City apartment while glancing up from reading a newspaper. Koch effectively captures natural light and detail in this piece that is estimated to sell between $60,000 to $80,000.

Norman Rockwell’s Study for ‘Portrait of Nehru’ portrays India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharal Nehru, which was featured on the cover of an issue of The Saturday Evening Post from 1963. Rockwell traveled extensively during the 1960s and is believed to have chosen Nehru for his subject as he strove to bring India’s citizens together and increase awareness of the poor. The painting features Nehru dressed in a white robe with a small red rose pinned on it and resting his finger on his cheek with a steadfast expression on his face. Behind him are two Egyptian paintings in upper left and right corners, and a crowd of India’s people. It is expected to sell between $20,000 to $30,000.

Also offered in the sale is James Guy’s Surrealist painting titled Scrimshaw (est. $15,000-$25,000), and a painting of a smooth, white seashell on the beach titled Shell on the Sand by Rebecca Strand Salsbury James (est. $10,000-$15,000). The auction will be held Feb. 27th at Christie’s New York, 20 Rockefeller Plaza. (212) 636-2000.