Heritage to Auction Important Harriet Frishmuth Sculptures from Aronson Estate!

Dallas, TX: Harriet Whitney Frishmuth was born on September 17, 1880 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A student of such renowned artists as Auguste Rodin and Gutzon Borglum, Frishmuth's reputation and career grew steadily throughout the first several decades of the twentieth century, with exhibitions at the National Academy of Design, the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, the Salon in Paris, the Golden Gate International Exposition (1939-1940) and the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors. Her favorite models were dancers, especially Desha Delteil - immortalized in Frishmuth's most famous work, The Vine - a model particularly popular with artists for her ability to hold difficult poses for long periods of time. The final exhibits of Frishmuth's work took place in New York City in 1929, but she remained active in the art world for many years following. Frishmuth passed away in 1980 at the age of 99.

A proponent of the Beaux Arts style - Frishmuth was exceptionally critical of modern art, often calling it "spiritless" - her works can now be seen in some of the world's leading museums and collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Dallas Museum of Art, and Ohio University's Kennedy Museum of Art.

"Many of the Frishmuth bronzes in our current auction come from the The Estate of Charles N. and Josephine R. Aronson," said Dr. Edmund P. Pillsbury, Chairman and Managing Director of Fine and Decorative Arts for Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries. "Aronson, the founder of the Aronson Machine Company and the designer of the Aronson Estate in Arcade, New York, is also the author of Sculptured Hyacinths (1973), the first serious text on the life and work of Harriet Frishmuth. He is also the founder of the Frishmuth Gallery, and the pieces included in this outstanding collection include several rare casts, Peter Pan and Pou Pou specifically, that have never before been offered at public auction, as well as beautiful fountains, such as Playdays and Reflections, and several small sculptures, including Desha and Star."

"One of the most important aspects of this collection," Pillsbury continued, "is that many of the pieces from the Aronson Estate were obtained directly from the artist herself, such as Pou Pou, which was the artist's personal cast of her pet cat. Indeed, many of these pieces had an intense personal meaning to Frishmuth. For example, in 1980, Ruth Talcott, Frishmuth's longtime partner, donated a cast of Peter Pan to the New Britain Museum of American Art in the artist's memory. The selection of this piece - originally commissioned in memory of Frishmuth's cousin, Florence Frishmuth Craig, by her husband Frank Craig - as a memorial to Frishmuth shows just how important a piece Peter Pan was to the artist and those who knew her well."

"This is an exceptional opportunity for anyone interested in the work of one of America's greatest sculptors," Pillsbury said. "I'd invite prospective bidders to visit our website, www.HA.com, where they can examine full-color enlargeable images of each lot, read our complete and informative catalog descriptions, and even place their bids online from the comfort and convenience of their home or office."

Highlights of the auction include:

The Star
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (1880-1980), American
Modeled 1918; Edition of 345
Bronze with green patina
Incised: HARRIET W. FRISHMUTH 1918 / ©
Foundry Mark: #306 GORHAM CO FOUNDERS / Q505
20 inches high (with base)
ESTIMATE: $10,000 - $15,000

Desha
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (1880-1980), American
Modeled 1927; Edition of 99 or 100.
Bronze with green patina
Incised: HARRIET W. FRISHMUTH 1927 ©
Foundry Mark: ROMAN BRONZE WORKS INC.NY.Y.
14.5 inches high (with base)
ESTIMATE: $10,000 - $15,000

Pou Pou (Pooh Pooh)
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (1880-1980), American
1941
Cement with industrial paint
22.75 inches high
ESTIMATE: $10,000 - $20,000

Peter Pan
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (1880-1980), American
Modeled 1935-36; Edition of 10.
Bronze with brown patina
Incised: HARRIET.W.FRISHMUTH.1936
Foundry Mark: ROMAN BRONZE WORKS INC. N.Y.
9.75 inches x 14 x 26 inches
ESTIMATE: $150,000 - $200,000

Playdays
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (1880-1980), American
Modeled 1924; Edition of 32.
Bronze with weathered green patina
Incised: HARRIET W FRISHMUTH SC - ©
4 Feet 6 inches high
ESTIMATE: $100,000 - $150,000

Reflections
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (1880-1980), American
Modeled 1930; Edition of 12.
Bronze with naturally weathered green patina
Incised: HARRIET W FRISHMUTH - © / 1930
4 Feet 6 inches high
ESTIMATE: $125,000 - $150,000

An American Bronze Figural Group: Rhapsody
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (American 1880-1980)
Cast by Gorham Co. Founders, Providence, Rhode Island
Circa 1925
Bronze and marble
Marks: HARRIET W. FRISHMUTH, C 1925, GORHAM CO. FOUNDERS, QFGT
12.5 in. high
Literature: Charles N. Aronson, Sculptured Hyacinths, Vantage Press, Inc., 1973, pages 156-157
ESTIMATE: $30,000 - $40,000

An American Bronze: Crest of the Wave
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (American, 1880-1980)
Cast by Gorham Co. Founders, Providence, Rhode Island
Circa 1929
Bronze with brown and vestiges of green patina, on a black marble plinth
Marks: lower back Harriet W. Frishmuth / ©1925 / Gorham Co Founders / QFHL
21 in. high
Entitled Crest of the Wave, depicting a young woman balanced with one foot on the crest of a wave amid fish, one knee slightly bent and her right arm stretching toward the sky as she glances down and to the left; from an edition of two hundred Literature: Charles N. Aronson, Sculptured Hyacinths, Vantage Press, Inc., 1973, p. 158-161
ESTIMATE: $15,000 - $25,000

An American Bronze: Laughing Waters
Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (American, 1880-1980)
Cast by Gorham Co. Founders, Providence, Rhode Island
Circa 1929
Bronze with brown patina, on a black marble plinth
Marks: lower back 1...©29 / Harriet W. Frishmuth / Gorham Co Founders QGOA
16.12 in. high
Entitled Laughing Waters, depicting a young woman balanced with one foot on rocks, one knee bent and her arms swinging to the right as she glances to the left, one hand clasping a fish; from an edition of forty Literature: Charles N. Aronson, Sculptured Hyacinths, Vantage Press, Inc., 1973, p. 183-185
ESTIMATE: $20,000 - $30,000

Heritage Auction Galleries' Fine Decorative Arts, Furniture and Tapestries auction will be held April 26 & 27, 2007, at their world headquarters in Dallas, Texas. For more information, please visit www.HA.com.

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of fine and decorative arts are invited to www.HA.com/Sell. Or simply email Dr. Pillsbury at EPP@HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Customer Service at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 150, or visit www.HA.com/Catalog to order by email.