| The
Michael Ivankovich Auction Company is pleased to have been selected
by the Presbyterian Church of Toms River, NJ to offer at Auction an
extremely rare piece of original artwork by Bessie Pease Gutmann...Thank
You, God. This piece has been owned by the Church since it was donated
to them directly by Bessie Pease Gutmann circa 1950. Original Bessie
Pease Gutmann artwork is extremely rare, almost never enters the Auction
marketplace, and this represents a unique and unparalleled opportunity
for someone to acquire the original artwork which served as the prototype
for one of Bessie Pease Gutmann's most famous and best-selling prints...Thank
You, God. |
| First,
some background. Born in Philadelphia, PA on April 8, 1876, Bessie
Collins Pease soon moved with her family to Mt. Holly, NJ where she
lived for the next 20 years. With her artistic talent recognized early
in life, she entered the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (later
known as the Moore College of Art) where she began her formal art
training at the age of 17. She later trained under such noted artists
as William Merritt Chase and began working in the commercial and advertising
art field. She eventually met Hellmuth Gutmann who, together with
his brother Bernard, established in 1902 the commercial printing firm
of Gutmann & Gutmann. |
| By
1903, Bessie began working for Gutmann & Gutmann as a commercial
artist, and soon began expanding her creative work into such assignments
as book illustrations, calendar illustrations, commercial advertising,
magazine cover illustrations, and eventually began producing literally
hundreds of different art prints. |
| On
July 14, 1906 Bessie Collins Pease married Hellmuth Gutmann and became
Bessie Pease Gutmann. And over the next 50 years she went on to become
one of America's most famous artists and her adorable children art
prints are still actively sought after by collectors from around the
world today.With their Gutmann & Gutmann firm located in New York
City, Bessie and Hellmuth moved to nearby South Orange, NJ in 1909
where they raised three children. |
| On
February 6, 1924 the Gutmann's purchased a property on Ensor Place
in Island Heights, NJ, which overlooked Toms River (Barnegat Bay)
where they built a summer home. Their Island Heights home became their
annual summer retreat where they entertained friends and associates,
transacted business, and generally enjoyed the summer family lifestyle
associated with living at the New Jersey shore. And while at their
Island Heights home, the Gutmann family attended the Presbyterian
Church of Toms River. Hellmuth
Gutmann passed away on April 28, 1948. And nearing the end of her
artistic career, Bessie produced "Thank You, God" which
was copyrighted on January 19, 1951 and represented one of her last
copyrighted works. Although the exact date is not entirely clear,
at some point around 1950 Bessie Pease Gutmann donated the original
artwork for "Thank You, God" to the Presbyterian Church
of Toms River, in loving memory of her husband. Originally hung in
the Church's previous location, it was moved when their new Church
was built on Hooper Street in Toms River, where it has hung until
renovations were recently begun at the Church. |
| And
now, after residing with the Presbyterian Church of Toms River for
the past 50+ years, the Church has decided that the value of this
artwork might better serve the Church in other ways and they have
decided to offer this rarity at Auction. |
| At
the direction of the Presbyterian Church of Toms River, the Michael
Ivankovich Auction Company will offer Thank You, God as Lot #100 in
its September 16, 2005 Auction in Hatfield PA...with a minimum starting
price of $12,000. If we received an opening bid of $12,000...the reserve
will have been met and we will continue to sell the artwork to the
highest bidder. If we do not receive an opening bid of $12,000, the
artwork will be withdrawn from the sale and returned to the Church.
Proceeds from the sale of this artwork will be used to benefit the
Church's Building Fund. |
Considering
that Bessie Pease Gutmann published nearly 800 works of art between
1904-1950... considering that this is only the second original Bessie
Pease Gutmann to have ever been offered at Auction...considering that
Senorita, the only other original Gutmann artwork ever sold at Auction,
sold for $13,200 in 2003...and perhaps most importantly, considering
that this original artwork served as the basis for one of Bessie Pease
Gutmann's most popular and best-selling art prints...we feel that
the starting price is consistent with its rarity, condition, and today's
market value.
What is the true 2005 market value of this one-of-a-kind rarity? Collectors,
Dealers, and the Auction Marketplace will let us know on September
16, 2005. We hope that you will be able to attend the Auction in person.
If you are unable to attend the sale in person, or if you wish your
bidding to remain anonymous, arrangements can be made through our
company for Telephone or Absentee Bidding, or you can bid via eBay
Absentee and eBay Live Auctions. |
|
Medium:
In our opinion this original artwork was done in charcoal pencil
with a watercolor wash, which was a medium typically used by Bessie
Pease Gutmann.
Signature:
The artwork is signed "Bessie Pease Gutmann" l/l. There
is also a strong copyright (©) symbol adjacent to her signature
l/l on the image which, according to Dr. Victor Christie (nationally
renown Bessie Pease Gutmann authority and author) represents the
fact that her "Bessie Pease Gutmann" name had been copyright
and, as a result, her name was often accompanied by the © symbol.
|
|
Size:
The visible image showing through the original overmat measures
14.25"W x 19.5"H , and it is framed within a 21"W
x 27"H original circa 1950 frame.
|
Condition:
In our opinion the condition of the original artwork is excellent,
with strong colors, and no signs of any damage or blemishes whatsoever.
The original overmat contains the "Thank You, God" title
written l/c on the matting. And appearing l/r on the matting are the
words: "Given in Loving Memory of Hellmuth Gutmann, by Bessie
P. Gutmann". There is some age discoloration around the edges
of the overmat, typical of what you would expect to see with artwork
of this age and period which was overmatted with a non-acid free mat
board. None of the age discoloration extends into the visible image.
Authenticity
and Guarantee: In addition to our personal inspection of the
artwork, and the historical background provided by the Presbyterian
Church of Toms River, this work has been seen and authenticated
by Dr. Victor Christie. The Church is also compiling a historical
background letter on the history of this piece and that letter will
be posted here in its entirely upon its receipt by our company.
Preview:
This item will be available for preview on Friday, September 16th
from 2:00-4:00 PM. It will also be available for preview after the
start of the sale and up until the item is offered for sale. A private
viewing and inspection can also be arranged at our offices. Please
call ahead to schedule an appointment.
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|
Payment
Terms & Conditions: Our standard payment terms and conditions
apply including Cash, Bank or Certified Check, Visa or MasterCard,
PayPal, and Business or Personal Check. We reserve the right to
retain possession of the item until Business or Personal Checks
clear on buyers who are not established customers.
Special
Note: Much of the information in this background description
was found in two books by Dr. Victor Christie...Bessie Pease Gutmann:
Her Life and Works...and The Gutmann & Gutmann Artists: A Published
Works Catalog (4th Edition).
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