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THBJohn Singer Sargent
About Seller
PO Box 2135
Asheville, NC 28802
United States
Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Brunk Auctions has been conducting sales of fine and decorative arts for over 30 years. Auctions are held in our North Carolina sale room but attracts a global audience. Founded by Robert Brunk in 1983, the auctions became well known for their integrity and profes...Read more
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About Auction
LiveSep 10, 2025
Assembled over the course of many years by a collector with great taste and great means, the sale features an important oil portrait by John Singer Sargent, painted in Paris in 1880. Other notable American paintings are included in the sale, including Potthast, Sully, Cornoyer, Shattuck, and Gaugengigl. In addition, fine Americana featuring numerous samplers, folk art, portrait miniatures, furniture and other accessories will be featured. The accoutrements of fine dining and entertaining are also included, featuring fine china, stemware, and silver by notable makers like Herend, Tiffany, Meis Brunk Auctions support@brunkauctions.com
View Full Catalog (209)
- Lot Description
(Italian/America, 1856-1925)
Peter Augustus Jay, 1880, signed and dated upper left "John S. Sargent 1880", oil on canvas, 18-1/4 x 15 in.; fine period ornate carved gilt wood frame, possibly original, 28 x 24-3/4 in.
Provenance: Collection of the Sitter, until 1933; by descent to his widow, Mrs. Peter Augustus Jay; Private Collection; Meredith Long & Company, Houston, Texas (label verso); Collection, New York, NY; Adelson Galleries, New York, NY (label verso); Vose Galleries, Boston, Massachusetts, (label verso), June 2015, accompanied by copy of sale invoice for $2,200,000.00; Property From An Important Estate, Maryland
Provenance note: the exact order of galleries listed in provenance is somewhat speculative
Exhibited: Sixth Biennial Exhibition of Oil Paintings by Contemporary American Artists, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., December 17, 1916-January 21, 1917, no. 206; Privately Owned, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., February 10-March 30, 1952, no. 268, ill.; Portraits of Children, 1860-1960, Portraits, Inc., New York, NY, April 18-May 9, 1960, no. 52.
Literature: Downes, William Howe. 1925. John S. Sargent: His Life and Work. Boston, Massachusetts, p. 263; Mount, Charles Merrill. 1955. John Singer Sargent: A Biography. New York, p. 429, 1967 ed., p. 337.; McKibbin, David. 1956. "A Complete Checklist of Sargent's Portraits," in Sargent’s Boston. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, p. 103.; Ormond, Richard and Elaine Kilmurray. 2016. John Singer Sargent: Complete Paintings. New Haven: Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art by Yale University Press, p. 50, 239.; Gallati, Barbara Dayer. 2004. Great Expectations: John Singer Sargent Painting Children. Brooklyn, New York: Brooklyn Museum in association with Bulfinch Press, p. 156.
Note: Peter Augustus Jay was four years old when he was painted by Sargent in Paris. He was a direct descendent of both John Jay and John Jacob Astor, both American "royal" dynasties. This was a seminal period in Sargent's career, and his portraits were changing the very nature of Academic art. Painted with the classic Sargent light, and his bold and immediate brushstrokes, the portrait is intimate in scale and directly engages the viewer. Sargent conveys a childhood of ease, happiness, and obvious privilege, which brings the portrait into direct relationship with his most important society portraits.
- Provenance
Collection of the Sitter, until 1933; by descent to his widow, Mrs. Peter Augustus Jay; Private Collection; Meredith Long & Company, Houston, Texas (label verso); Collection, New York, NY; Adelson Galleries, New York, NY (label verso); Vose Galleries, Boston, Massachusetts, (label verso), June 2015, accompanied by copy of sale invoice for $2,200,000.00; Property From An Important Estate, Maryland
Provenance note: the exact order of galleries listed in provenance is somewhat speculative
- Shipping Info
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Purchased items will be available for pick up or shipping from our Asheville, North Carolina auction facility within ten business days of the auction, or will be assessed a storage fee of $5.00 per day, per item. Purchaser agrees that packing and shipping is done at the purchaser's risk and that the purchaser will pay in advance all packing expenses, materials, carrier fees and insurance charges. At our discretion, items will either be packed by an agent such as a packaging store or Brunk Auctions. Please allow two weeks for shipping after payment is received. Shipment of large items is the responsibility of the purchaser. We are happy to provide names of carriers and shippers if a purchaser so requests. Brunk Auctions will have no liability for any loss or damage to shipped items.
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- Condition
lined, areas of retouch near mouth, possible surface dirt; frame with minimal wear Note - Brunk Auctions makes every effort to offer accurate and thorough information, but encourages prospective bidders to inspect items in person whenever possible. Condition statements are provided as a courtesy for general guidance and should not be considered complete or definitive. They do not represent a warranty or assumption of liability by Brunk Auctions. Certain condition issues may not be specifically noted in the report but may be visible in the accompanying photographs, which are considered part of the overall condition report. Please refer to our Terms of Sale for complete information and contact us for additional photos or information as needed.
