Cranston, RI, USA, September 30, 2023 — On Saturday, October 14th, at 10 am Eastern time, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers will present the illustration art collection of Carl J. Pugliese (American, 1916-1982), a painter, illustrator, sculptor, and historian who, from an early age, had a passion for the American West as well as United States military history, cemented during his four years of service in World War II.
Following his honorable discharge from the Army, Pugliese enrolled in the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he studied under Harry Fisk, Ben Dale, and Burne Hogarth, honing his own skills as an artist. Carl also had a passion for great illustration art and collected works by many of the most renowned artist-illustrators of the time.
The auction contains 150 lots of great illustration art, including works by Howard Pyle, Tom Lovell, J.C. Leyendecker, Dean Cornwell, John McDermott, and Herbert Morton Stoops, amongst many others. There are a large number of single Norman Price paintings/illustrations, as well as groups he did for books. Works for The Rogues Moon, Treasure Island and My Cousin Will Rogers are represented in this auction, as well as other great examples of Price’s work.
Pugliese was friends with many of the artists. In the collection are drawings and paintings signed to him. He had a keen eye and collected a large number of wonderful pieces. These will be coming to market for the first time in this auction.
A plaster and wood frame with gilt finish painting by Howard Pyle (American, 1853-1911), titled Death of Montcalm“ Painting, depicting French General Montcalm on horseback riding into the City of Quebec through the Saint-Louis gate with a crowd of civilians, soldiers, and wounded soldiers around him with blood on his shirt and his right arm in the air, 22 ½ inches by 13 ¼ inches (sight, less frame), has a pre-sale estimate of 5,000-$8,000.
Howard Pyle was an American illustrator, painter and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware but spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy. His 1883 classic publication The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood remains in print, and his other books frequently have medieval European settings, including a four-volume set on King Arthur. He is also well known for his illustrations of pirates. He founded the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art and Vincent van Gogh once wrote in a letter to his brother Theo that Pyle’s work „struck me dumb with admiration.”
An oil on illustration board Arctic exploration painting by Tom Lovell (American, 1909-1997), depicting a climber with a pick in one hand, a rope over his shoulder and wearing goggles, with vast snow and ice-covered mountains surrounding him, the board 27 ¼ inches by 28 inches, signed on the lower right corner, is expected to change hands for $2,000-$4,000.
Tom Lovell was an American illustrator and painter, as well as a creator of pulp fiction magazine covers and illustrations, and of visual art of the American West. He produced illustrations for National Geographic magazine and many others, and painted many historical Western subjects such as interactions between Indians and white settlers and traders. He was inducted into the Society of Illustrators‘ Hall of Fame in 1974. Lovell said, „I consider myself a storyteller with a brush. I try to place myself back in imagined situations that would make interesting and appealing pictures. I am intent on producing paintings that relate to the human experience.“
An oil on board painting by Dean Cornwell (American, 1892-1960), titled Explorers on a Ship Painting, depicts a group of armed men on a ship wearing pith helmets, and a woman, with the lower part of the sail, and crew in the bow. The painting measures 38 inches by 21 inches (sight, less frame) and should fetch $5,000-$7,000.
Dean Cornwell was an American illustrator and muralist. His oil paintings were frequently featured in popular magazines and books as literary illustrations, advertisements, and posters promoting the war effort. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, he was a dominant presence in American illustration. At the peak of his popularity, he was nicknamed the „Dean of Illustrators“. The renowned Artist and illustrator James Montgomery Flagg once said of him, „Cornwell is the illustrator par excellence. His work is approached by few and overtopped by none…he is a born artist.“
An oil on illustration board Norman Price (1877–1951), depicting a large group of Native Americans meeting with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during the Corps of Discovery Expedition, some looking on with distrust, plus a central figure on horseback, done for the book Meriwether Lewis: Trail Blazer written by Flora Warren Seymour, 26 inches by 17 ½ inches (sight, less frame), signed lower right corner, has a pre-sale estimate of $2,000-$3,000.
Norman Mills Price was a Canadian-American illustrator known for his work in historical subjects. He was born in Canada and studied there, in London and in Paris (at the Academie Jullian) before moving to the United States, where he worked as an illustrator in New York City. His art was characterized by detailed documentary research that served the dramatic qualities of his subjects and he was recognized for his richly textured use of pen and ink. At the time of his death, Price was honorary president of the Society of Illustrators in New York.
An oil on canvas mounted on board by J.C. Leyendecker (American, 1874-1951), titled Peeling Apples Study, depicting an old woman peeling apples for Thanksgiving with unfinished bowl and visible layout grid, painted for the Thanksgiving Saturday Evening Post Cover in 1925, 16 ½ inches by 11 4/4 inches and unsigned, is expected to hit $800-$1,200.
Joseph Christian Leyendecker was one of the most prominent and financially successful freelance commercial artists in the U.S. He was active between 1895 and 1951, producing drawings and paintings for hundreds of posters, books, advertisements, and magazine covers and stories. He is best known for his 80 covers for Collier’s Weekly, 322 covers for The Saturday Evening Post and advertising illustrations for B. Kuppenheimer men’s clothing and Arrow brand shirts. He was one of the few known gay artists working in the early 20th century in the U.S.
The event will be held live in the Bruneau & Co. gallery located at 63 Fourth Avenue in Cranston, as well as online via LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Bidsquare.com, bidLIVE.Bruneauandco.com and the mobile app “Bruneau & Co.” on iTunes or GooglePlay.
A preview will be held in the Cranston gallery on Thursday and Friday, October 12th and 13th, from 9 am to 4 pm Eastern time, as well as on auction day, October 14th, or by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call 401-533-980 or send an email to info@bruneauandco.com. In addition to live and online bidding, phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.
To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and the sale of the illustration art collection of Carl J. Pugliese slated for Saturday, October 14th at 10 am EST, visit www.bruneauandco.com.
About Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers:
Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions, with commissions as low as zero percent. Now would be a perfect time to clean out your attic. To contact Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers about consigning a single piece or an entire collection, you may send an e-mail to info@bruneauandco.com. Or, you can phone them at 401-533-9980. To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, please visit www.bruneauandco.com. Updates are posted frequently.