Freeman’s presents Part II of Lehman Brothers Collection in December 6th Auction on Artfact Live!

(Boston MA) Artfact Live! is pleased to announce the Freeman’s sale of Fine American & European Paintings, including Part II of the Lehman Brother’s collection, on December 6, 2009 is available for online bidding exclusively through Artfact Live! The auction offers almost 250 lots including: American and European paintings, bronzes, sculptures, and more. If you can’t join the live auction action in Philadelphia, PA, visit Artfact.com, or its sister site in the UK, Invaluable.com, to login or register free to bid live online at this exceptional auction. If you’re not ready to bid, simply watch the activity live from the auction floor using the Artfact Live! console.

Part I of Freeman’s sale of the Lehman Brothers’ Collection took place on November 1st and was a great success. All 283 lots from the collection sold totaling $1.35 million— double the presale estimate of $500,000 to $750,00. Online bidders, from 33 countries, accounted for 28% of total sales with 114 lots selling for $665,125— 79 of which sold to in-house bidders through Freeman’s Infinite Bidding™ site. Launched in September 2009, Artfact’s Infinite Bidding™ system allows auction houses like Freeman’s to host live auctions on their own website, while broadcasting simultaneously with Artfact and its UK sister site Invaluable. This online demand helped boost sales well above what are now considered modest pre-auction projections.

Highlights of the sale include:

The top lot, Lot 221, is a beautiful landscape in oil on canvas entitled “Quarries at Byram” by Daniel Garber (American, 1880-1958). It was one of the last pieces removed from the artist’s home studio. Bidding for this work opens at $100,000.

Lot 55, is an oil on canvas by Emile-Othon Friesz (French, 1879-1949). The work, "Le Marché aux Chevaux à Falaise," depicts a market scene with soft lines and delicate color. Bidding begins at $20,000.

Lot 109, "Laughing Waters", is a whimsical bronze by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (American 1880-1980). The piece depicts a dancing nymph and dates from 1929. It is covered with brown patina and mounted on a black Belgian marble base. Bidding opens at $10,000.

Highlights of Part II of the Lehman Brother’s collection, Lots 61-93:

With the highest estimate from Part II, Lot 93 is a New York City snowscape by Guy Carleton Wiggins, (American 1883-1962). Done in oil on canvasboard, it is entitled "The Plaza in Winter, 1959" and shows a hansom cab silhouetted against the snow-covered trees of central park. Bidding for this work opens at $7,500.

Lot 60 is a bronze sculpture entitled "Anthropomorphic Bean" by F.E. McWilliam RA, (Northern Irish 1909-1992). It is a relatively large piece at 30¼ in. high and relates to a series of 'Bean' sculptures produced by the artist from 1965 to 1966; all of which are characterized by swelling organic forms. The work has been in storage since 2001 when it was removed from 3 World Financial Center, New York, New York days after 9/11. Executed in 1965 the piece is covered in a gold patina and it is signed and numbered 'McW 1/5' on base. Bidding begins at $4,000.

Lot 73 is the nautical oil on canvas "Yachts off Ochre Point, Newport" by Edmund Darch Lewis, (American 1835-1910). The work is signed and dated 'Edmund D. Lewis 1880' bottom left and inscribed with title on verso. Bidding opens at $3,000.

To research fine art, view over 55 million auction price results and over 500,000 artist pages at http://www.artfact.com and search the industry’s leading auction database. For instance, Guy Carleton Wiggins’ artist page lists 630 past auction prices for his works as well upcoming works at auction, biographical information and a list of other artists who work in the same style.

Since the departure of eBay Live Auctions, Artfact Live! has taken the lead in the live auction arena by partnering exclusively with the world’s most prestigious auction houses to host their online auctions. As it continues to build the world’s most affluent and knowledgeable bidding community, Artfact offers free registration, offering unlimited access to Artfact Live! partner auctions and free searching of the past 12 months of price results in its auction records database. Artfact’s Advanced Search allows users to narrow searches by entering keywords, price range, auction date range, or auction house name.

About Artfact
Founded in 1989, Artfact is the largest global marketplace of fine and decorative arts, antiques, collectibles, and estate auctions. On January 1, 2009, Artfact launched Artfact Live! and Invaluable Live!, its proprietary live auction bidding platforms, enabling users to bid in real-time on auctions being held around the world by its prestigious auction house partners. Currently, over 1,000 fine auctioneers actively list their catalogues with Artfact.com and its U.K. sister site Invaluable.com, reaching the Artfact community of more than 10 million knowledgeable collectors and dealers worldwide. Artfact's industry leading database includes more than 55 million complete auction results totaling more than $197 billion in value, including information on more than 500,000 international artists. In 2006, Artfact acquired RFC Systems, the leading provider of enterprise software developed specifically for the fine art and antique auction house industry. RFC helps prestigious auction houses around the world manage their businesses by automating their day-to-day operations.


Editor’s Notes
- Additional background information available.
- Interviews with Doug Ellinger, VP Marketing, dellinger@artfact.com, (617) 746-9882
- Complimentary media subscriptions to the Artfact database available.