The Gilded Age
Highlighting the eclectic collecting sensibilities of the American elite of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Freeman’s July 14 The Gilded Age auction is led by two atmospheric oil-on-canvas cityscapes by Edouard Léon Cortès, as well as a number of important landscapes and portraits by Spanish, Russian, and Ukranian painters. The sale showcases the luxurious design objects of the era, from sterling silver Tiffany & Co. candelabra sets and an ornate carved giltwood convex mirror to impressive sterling silver flatware and coffee and tea services. With sumptuous Kurdish and Persian rugs and Chinese export porcelain—as well as ancient Greek and Etruscan pottery and sculpture—the selection on offer puts the wide-ranging Eastern and Western influences of the Gilded Age front and center.
