Heritage’s American Art Auction Realizes $6.14 Million, Led by Exceptional Rockwell Results

May 19 auction achieves 95% by value and sets Ed Mell still life auction record as collectors compete across Golden Age Illustration, Western and Modern American masterworks DOWNLOAD DIGITAL PRESS KIT DALLAS, Texas (May 20, 2026) — Heritage’s May 19 American Art Signature® Auction realized more than $6.14 million and achieved a 90% sell-through rate by lot and more than 95% by value, underscoring continued strength at the top of the American Art market and sustained demand for exceptional Illustration Art, Western painting and Modern works. The tightly curated auction drew nearly 400 bidders competing across 68 lots, led by major results for Norman Rockwell, Maurice Sendak, Ernie Barnes and others spanning the breadth of American Art. In total, 26 lots achieved six-figure prices. “I would consider this an exceptionally successful sale, and the market is clearly recognizing that,” says Aviva Lehmann, Heritage’s Deputy Chairman of Fine Art. “This was a true art sale, conducted in a fully transparent environment, working with real collectors who showed up and participated meaningfully.” The auction was anchored by an extraordinary group of works by Norman Rockwell, including the cover lot, Study for Cheerleaders (1952), which realized $600,000. Additional top results for the artist included Friend in Need (1949), which brought $500,000, and Willie Gillis in Convoy (circa 1943), which realized $300,000. “The fact that we offered and sold 18 major Rockwells is a feat that no other auction house could pull off,” Lehmann says. “The demand for great Rockwell material remains incredibly strong, especially when works come to market with this level of quality and freshness.” Illustration Art continued to demonstrate remarkable depth throughout the sale. Joseph Christian Leyendecker’s Newspapers over Books, circa 1910, realized $250,000, while two important Maurice Sendak works performed strongly: Wild Things are Happening: Seahorse for Bell Atlantic (1997) brought $175,000, and Preliminary Drawing for Max with Four Wild Things Hanging from Tree Branches (1993) realized $100,000. Among the sale’s strongest contemporary results was Ernie Barnes’ The Trick Shot (1983), which achieved $250,000, reflecting sustained institutional and collector demand for the artist’s work. The auction also established a new auction record for a still life by Ed Mell when Cactus Bloom sold for $112,000, surpassing the previous benchmark for the celebrated Southwestern painter. Additional highlights included Wolf Kahn’s Evening Near Small Point (1992), which realized $212,500, and Rockwell Kent’s Winter - Summer, Greenland (1932-33), which brought $137,500. G. Harvey’s evocative Dallas Remembered (1985) realized $93,750. Lehmann noted that the timing of the auction alongside the American Art Fair and Heritage’s American Art symposium in New York proved especially significant. “The exposure, relationships and connections made this week are invaluable, and they reinforce the momentum and continued evolution of the American Art category,” Lehmann says. The results continue Heritage’s strong position within the field, where the company maintains one of the industry’s highest sell-through rates for American Art and continues expanding the category through carefully curated offerings that bridge historical Illustration, Western Art and pre- and postwar American painting. Complete results can be found here. Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 2 million registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of 7,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit. For breaking stories, follow us: HA.com/Facebook and HA.com/Twitter . Link to this release or view prior press releases . Hi-Res images available: Christina Rees, Director of Public Relations and Communications 214-409-1341; CRees@HA.com