Auction houses like Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips and others offer free admission to selling exhibitions for a few days before each auction. From time to time I will select notable auction lots to bring to your attention. This blog feature is not endorsed by the auction house nor written by any kind of art expert. Just idle musings that I hope encourages you to visit an auction house yourself to see what’s on view and available in New York City.

Periodically NYC auction houses feature blockbuster sales focused on a collection and artifacts from a notable family.  Christie’s is currently featuring selections from the estate of Peggy and David Rockefeller.  It is always fun to see these mega-sales and the free exhibits that accompany them.  It is open now at their Rockefeller Center home and you should stop by to browse, even if you cannot afford to buy.

My featured lot is from their American Art collection that sells May 9 in the evening and features works by artists such as Gilbert Stuart, Alexander Calder, Edward Hopper and Georgia O’Keefe.  I chose lot 438 by Winslow Homer entitled “Where are the Boats?”  If you have seen my other Lots to Talk About series you know I am not featuring them for artistic or academic reasons.  The accompanying essay by Christie’s notes:

Most likely painted from sketches after his return to New York in 1883, Where are the Boats? depicts three fisherwomen awaiting the return of their husbands and sons. The women stand strong near the edge of a cliff, one actively seeking out the boats on the horizon while the other two industriously continue their knitting.

The reason this lot caught my modern eye is because the two industrious women appear to be checking their smart phones.  Is there an app for boat returns?  Visit Christie’s to find out!

As always you can find more at http://www.walterthinnes.com and on Twitter @walterthinnes

TOMORROW: Show reviews!