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Cottone Auctions, 120 Court Street, Geneseo, NY (2026)

11/17/2025

John F. Kensett (American, 1816–1872), a leading voice of American Luminism, was admired for his serene landscapes and coastal scenes where clarity, quietude, and measured light took precedence. Born in Cheshire, Connecticut, he began as a draftsman in his father’s engraving firm before pursuing painting independently. His first exhibition at the National Academy of Design in 1838 marked the start of a distinguished career. Travels through Europe with Asher B. Durand - and exposure to the atmospheric sensibilities of Thomas Cole and John Constable - further shaped his refined, meditative approach.
Working between New York and Connecticut, Kensett developed a devoted following for his tranquil views of Lake George, the New England shoreline, and Long Island Sound. From his Darien studio, he produced the works that would later form his celebrated “Last Summer’s Work.” Today, his paintings are held in major institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - affirming the lasting significance of his luminous vision.

Upcoming November 20th -
Lot 24: John F. Kensett (American, 1816–1872) Narragansett Coast
Oil on cavas, 14 x 24 in. Est. $60,000-$80,000

This atmospheric work by John Frederick Kensett — unsigned but deeply characteristic of his coastal vision — is likely referenced in the 1873 National Academy of Design memorial sale of the artist’s estate as lot 154. The piece also relates to the archival installation views from that same 1873 exhibition, underscoring its connection to early posthumous recognition and documentation. Literature: The Collection of Over Five Hundred Paintings and Studies by the Late John F. Kensett (1873).

11/13/2025

René Lalique’s Quatre Libellules (“Four Dragonflies”) is among the most celebrated and technically accomplished jewels of the Art Nouveau period, embodying the era’s fascination with nature, transformation, and light. Created around 1903–1905, this masterpiece combines plique-à-jour and paillonné enamel with gold and aquamarines to evoke the shimmering translucency of dragonfly wings hovering above an opalescent pool. The dragonfly was one of Lalique’s most emblematic motifs—an emblem of metamorphosis and the fleeting beauty of life—and this design marks a pinnacle of his work before his transition to glass. Each known example of Quatre Libellules displays slight variations in enamel color and gem selection, testifying to Lalique’s hand in their creation and rendering every piece unique. Surviving examples are exceedingly rare—only a handful are documented in museum and private collections—and when they appear at auction, they command premium prices, reflecting both their aesthetic and historical importance. Today, Quatre Libellules stands as a touchstone of Lalique’s vision, uniting natural poetry with the technical brilliance that transformed jewelry into fine art.

Upcoming Nov. 20th

Lot #: 14 - Fine & Rate Rene Lalique, Four Dragonflies (Quatre Libellules) Pendant Necklace & Brooch

Pendant 2 7/8 x 2 3/4 in. Chain 22 in.

Provenance: A Rochester, New York estate.

Est. - $40,000-$60,000

Catalog Note: Rene Lalique rendering sketch for design of (Quatre Libellules) pendant necklace, India ink and gouache on BFK-Rives paper. (Archival photo - collection unknown).

Literature: Sigrid Barten, Rene Lalique, Schmuck und Objets d’Art, 1890-1910, Munchen, 1977, p. 343-344 (for another related examples of the dragonfly and aquamarine motif). Rene Lalique, Bijoux d’exception 1890-1912, exh. cat., Musee du Luxembourg, Paris, 2007, p. 247 (for a related example in the collection of the Musee des Beaux-Arts, Quimper, France).

11/07/2025

Louis Comfort Tiffany (American, 1848–1933)
Peony Lamp, c. 1910
Tiffany Studios, New York
Leaded favrile glass and patinated bronze
Shade and base both signed “TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK”
—
This exceptional Peony lamp represents Tiffany Studios at the height of its artistry. Across the broad, domed shade, luxuriant blossoms unfold in a complex field of color—deep crimsons, soft mauves, and rich greens—set against an unusually vivid cobalt-blue ground glass. This blue, seldom seen in Tiffany’s floral lamps, heightens the chromatic drama and evokes the peony’s brilliance against a twilight sky.
The petals themselves are formed from “curtain glass”, a textured, hand-rolled favrile sheet prized for its subtle ripples and striations. In transmitted light, these undulating surfaces lend the flowers a sense of motion and depth, transforming the shade into a living, illuminated garden.
The 22-inch shade rests upon a telescoping bronze base whose organic contours mirror the floral theme, achieving the Art Nouveau ideal of harmony between structure and nature. For Tiffany, light was not merely a means of illumination but a vehicle for emotional resonance—“the beauty of light itself,” distilled into color, texture, and form.
—

09/24/2025

Auction starts tomorrow at 12 (noon) est.

“Saint Mary Magdalene”

Oil on panel, c. 1515 | 27 × 21½ in.
This luminous portrait of the penitent Magdalene is certified as an authentic Benson by Dr. Max J. Friedländer. Its compositional lineage ties it to examples in Bruges’s Groeningemuseum and the Royal Collection at Hampton Court.

Provenance: From the collection of Dudley Cutbill (London) → David Koetser Gallery (New York & Zurich, 1946) → Private collection, Rochester, NY

On the block: September 25, 2025

🔗 cottoneauctions.com — Saint Mary Magdalene
A rare opportunity to own a masterwork from Benson — a name only recently fully appreciated in the scholarship of the Bruges school.

09/18/2025

(1917–2009) was one of America’s most celebrated 20th-century realist painters, renowned for his evocative depictions of rural life, landscapes, and psychologically rich portraits. Working primarily in tempera and watercolor, his art often captures the quiet, sometimes stark beauty of the Pennsylvania countryside (Brandywine Valley) and Maine, with subjects ranging from ordinary people to intimate interior scenes. His most famous work, Christina’s World (1948), exemplifies his attention to mood, detail, and emotional narrative. Wyeth’s style bridges traditional realism with modern sensibilities, making him widely admired by the public and a sometimes controversial figure among critics.

The book — Andrew Wyeth: Close Friends (University of Washington Press, 2001) This volume focuses on Wyeth’s relationships with the African American community in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, who were frequent subjects in his paintings.

Upcoming: Andrew Wyeth (American, 1917-2009) "Adam and His Wagon, 1940"

Watercolor on paper. Signed 'Andrew Wyeth' (lower left).
13 1/2 x 17 1/2 in.

Literature Note: Wyeth, Betsy James, Andrew Wyeth: Close Friends, University of Washington Press, 2001, p. 58, illustrated.

Provenance:
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. N. Holland Jewett, East Aurora, New York.
Private collection.

Sep 25, 2025

Estimate: $60,000-$80,000

09/12/2025

Miyao Eisuke (宮尾栄助) was a prominent Japanese artist and founder of the Miyao Company during the Meiji period (1868–1912). He specialized in finely crafted bronze sculptures, especially okimono, depicting samurai, sumo wrestlers, fishermen, and mythological figures.

Known for rich patinas, gilded details, and dynamic compositions, his works were produced by skilled artisans under his direction. The Miyao Company gained international acclaim, exhibiting at expositions in Japan, Philadelphia (1876), and Chicago (1893).

Today, Miyao Eisuke’s pieces remain highly collectible, celebrated for their artistry and historical significance.

Upcoming:

Japanese Meji Mixed Metal Sumo Wrestlers

Workshop of Miyao Eisuke (Japanese: 宮尾栄助), Japan, Yokohama, Meiji period (1868-1912). Bronze; casting, engraving, gilding, patination; wood, lacquer (stand).
Ht. 14 in. Max 13 in. (on stand)

Sep 25, 2025

Estimate: $3,000-$5,000

09/12/2025

Japanese Meji Mixed Metal Wrestlers
Workshop of (Japanese: 宮尾栄助), Japan, Yokohama, Meiji period (1868-1912). Bronze; casting, engraving, gilding, patination; wood, lacquer (stand). Ht. 14 in. Max 13 in. (on stand)

Catalog Note: The sculpture composition of three figures, created by the workshop of Miyao Eisuke, depicts sumo wrestlers at the moment of grabbing the mawashi by the belt and a gyoji judge standing next to them. On the judge’s trouser leg there is a gilded relief rectangle with engraved hieroglyphs: “宮尾造” (Miyao zo) “created by Miyao”. The figures are permanently fixed on a rectangular wooden stand with four legs and a valance running along the perimeter, decorated with an image of the Ho-o bird and graceful plant curls, made with gold lacquer using the takamaki-e technique.

Literature Notes: Impey O., Fairley M. Metalwork in the Khalili Collection // Meiji no Takara Treasures of Imperial Japan (Nasser D. Khalili Collections of Japanese art). Vol. II. London: The Kibo Foundation, 1995. No. 108, 109.
Bordignon, Laura. The Golden Age of Japanese Okimono. Suffolk: 2010. - R. 258-267.
Catalogue of the exhibition in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, 11 November 2016 - 2 April 2017. Perfection in Detail. Art of Japan in the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Volume 2. St. Petersburg: Chisty List, 2016. Pp.
Beyond Imagination. Treasures of Imperial Japan of the 19th - Early 20th Centuries from the Collection of Professor Khalili. Moscow Kremlin Museums: 2017. Pp. 25-26.

Sep 25, 2025

Estimate: $3,000-$5,000

09/09/2025

The most influential collector was undoubtedly a remarkable woman named Marjorie Hemmendinger. An economist who had worked at the White House, the State Department and the World Bank, Hemmendinger switched careers in 1973, opening the Full Circle Gallery in Old Town, where she specialized in Japanese and contemporary furniture — including Isamu Noguchi’s iconic paper “Akari” lamps.

Hemmendinger (an original settler who passed away in 2020) put together a much-admired collection of Nakashima’s work in her own home on Marthas Road, and soon began featuring his pieces in her gallery, holding one-man shows for the still-little-known designer every year or so for the next fifteen years. She later would promote the work of his daughter Mira

Upcoming:

(b. 1942) Minguren II
New Hope, PA, 1991. American black walnut.
Signed / Full Circle / Nakashima, May, 1991.
15 x 46 x 32 in.

Provenance
Marjorie Hemmendinger, Full Circle Gallery, Hollin Hills / Alexandria, Virginia.
Collection of Joseph Dean and Darlene Barry, NYC / Washington, DC.

09/04/2025

Sally Michel Avery (1902–2003) was an American modernist painter whose work is celebrated for its lyrical simplicity and vibrant color. Born in Brooklyn, she studied at the Art Students League of New York before working as an illustrator to support herself and, later, her husband, the painter Milton Avery. Together, they developed a style rooted in flattened forms, bold color harmonies, and poetic distillations of everyday life. While often overshadowed by Milton during his lifetime, Sally maintained a steady practice of her own, producing paintings that reflect intimacy, warmth, and a refined sense of abstraction. Her work has been exhibited at major institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Wadsworth Atheneum, and is held in prominent collections worldwide. Living to the age of 100, Michel left behind a legacy that is increasingly recognized as integral to American modernism.

Sally Michel Avery’s cat paintings capture both her personal world and her refined modernist vision, making them especially appealing to collectors. Known for celebrating the quiet rhythms of domestic life, Michel found in cats a subject that embodied intimacy, grace, and independence. Their sinuous lines and compact forms suited her simplified style, while their presence offered opportunities to explore bold yet harmonious color harmonies.

Works such as Sleeping Cat (1966), Two with Cat (1983), and Cat Sitter (1992) distill tenderness without sentimentality, transforming everyday companions into lyrical studies of form and mood. For collectors, these paintings combine warmth and sophistication, offering not only a connection to Michel’s artistic legacy but also to the spirit of the Avery household, where art and life were inseparably entwined.

Sally Michel Avery (American, 1902-2003) Cat Lady

Oil on canvas. Signed and dated ‘Sally Michel 1978’ (lower right).
Signed, titled, and dated ‘1978’ (on reverse).
50 x 42 in.

Provenance
Private estate.

Auction Date
Sep 25, 2025

Estimate: $10,000-$15,000

08/27/2025

Alice Baber: Painting with Light

Alice Baber (New York / Sag Harbor, 1928–1982) believed that color was more than just pigment—it was a language of emotion, movement, and energy. A pioneering abstract painter, she layered translucent washes of oil to create luminous works that seem to glow from within.

At a time when women artists were often overlooked, Baber carved out her place among the leading voices of abstraction. Her paintings are now held in major collections including MoMA, the Whitney, and the Guggenheim—yet she still feels like a hidden treasure waiting to be rediscovered.

Her canvases are invitations: to feel color, to listen to light, and to see the world anew.

Reviews in Artnews and the New York Times in 1966 focused on Baber’s luminous colors—jumping, hopping, beating, and leaping “between islands to pulsate at different speeds, throbbing in one area, and then flowing easily” and drifting “lyrically over a white field toward a gentle vortex.”

Upcoming: “Green Around Green”
oil on canvas. 33 x 33 in.
$50,000-$80.000

Provenance: Artists for SEDF (Scholarship, Education and Defense Fund for Racial Equality, Inc.)
Collection of Michael & Frida Pauker, New York, New York. Michael Pauker, board chairman of the Barclay Knitwear Company Inc., which he had‐ founded almost a half century ago, believed to be one of the oldest and most successful manufacturers of men’s sportswear in the United States. In addition to an active business career, Mr. Parker spent considerable time and effort on many philanthropic causes. Following World War II, he was a participant in the campaign that was to bring many of the survivors of the N**i era to what was then Palestine. He was a past chairman of the March of Dimes, the United Jewish Appeal, the Greater New York Fund, a director of Maimonodes Institute, a founder of the Albert Einstein School of Medicine and a trustee of the Fifth Avenue Synagogue.

08/21/2025

Sean Scully (American/Irish, b. 1945) "Wall of Light Blue Corner, 2010"
Etching and aquatint with spitbite and sugarlift in colours on wove paper, with full margins. Signed 'Sean Scully '10' and titled. Numbered '32/50'.
29 x 30 in.
Est.

Some highlights for our September auction are posted now on our website, including another piece by Sean Scully. Check out cottoneauctions.com to see some of the items we will be offering!

08/18/2025

We hope everyone has had a great summer so far!☀️

Stay tuned - we are finalizing lots for our September 25th Fine Art, Antiques, & Clocks auction!✨️

This sale will feature an outstanding private southern collection of lamps by Duffner & Kimberly and Handel. Over 90 lots of American clocks, including the collection of Bruce Austin, Pittsford, NY. An Arts & Crafts collection from Fred and Jane Gram of Cuba, NY.

Pictured: Fine & Rare Walter H. Durfee Girandole Clock
Providence, Rhode Island, circa 1920. Ht. 46 in.
Literature Note: Burton, Owen H., Walter H. Durfee and His Curtis Girandole Clocks, The NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin, Feb. 2011. (Referenced)

Head to cottoneauctions.com to see some of our upcoming highlights!

Cottone Auctions

11/17/2025

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11/07/2025

09/24/2025

09/18/2025

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