Great last-minute consignments make Shannon's Oct. 27 fine art sale even better

Late additions to what was already a packed sale are promising to make the Shannon’s Fine Art Auction slated for Thursday, Oct. 27, an event to remember. New consignments by prominent artists – including a pair of collections dedicated to Modernism, a category that is particularly hot right now -- have poured in just over the last couple of weeks.

The auction already boasted original works of art by such renowned painters as Jasper Cropsey, Birge Harrison, Martha Walter, John White Alexander and others. The new additions pushed the number of lots that will cross the block to 213. The pre-auction estimates for all the artworks combined total $2.5-$3.5 million.

Following is just a small sampling of what has only recently been consigned:

An original painting by Thomas Moran, titled A View Near Cuernavaca, Mexico. Mr. Moran is regarded as the primary artist of the final decades of Western exploration, working both in watercolor and oil.

A still life rendering by Robert Spear Dunning. Mr. Dunning was a founder of the Fall River School in Massachusetts, which emphasized still life paintings, but he also painted portraits and landscapes.

An original oil painting by Mary Bradish Titcomb . Ms. Titcomb was born in New Hampshire but lived mostly in Boston and frequently traveled out West to paint. She did marine, landscape and portrait work.

An original painting by Worthington Whittredge. Mr. Whittredge was born in a log cabin in Springfield, Ohio, but went on to become one of the foremost painters in the First Generation Hudson River School.

An original still life by Severin Roesen . Mr. Roesen was known for his sumptuous, highly realistic still life renderings, done with a brilliant palette in the tradition of the 17th century Dutch and German painters.

Other paintings of interest will be by John George Brown, Walter Launt Palmer, Charles Courtney Curran, Richard E. Miller and F.A. Bridgman. Fine prints will feature examples by Marc Chagall, Joan Miro, George Bellows, Chuck Close, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Grant Wood and others.

Three lots carry pre-sale estimates of $100,000-$150,000 and are expected to attract intense bidder interest. The first is a luminist view of the Hudson River by Jasper Cropsey. Mr. Cropsey was known for his autumnal landscapes, allegorical paintings and botanical renderings. He is a product of the Hudson River School and is coveted by collectors.

The second is a tea party painting by Martha Walter (1875-1976), who painted in France, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania over the course of her rich and fruitful career. She was best known for portrait work, beach-child-park paintings and landscapes. A second painting by her – a beach scene – will also come under the gavel. It is expected to command $60,000-$80,000.

Lastly is a Birge Harrison rendering of Bryant Part in New York City. Mr. Harrison was born in Philadelphia and has been described as one of America’s leading tonalist painters. He specialized in moonlit landscapes, but he eschewed plein air work, preferring instead to paint from memory.