Kriner Reception and Auction Great Success

We have mentioned in previous posts that we (Wickliff Auctioneers) were honored to have been selected to conduct the Sally Brant Kriner artist's estate auction.  We remain so honored, and pleased that so many patrons and bidders chose to join us on Thursday for the reception and on Saturday for the auction.

Jaime Sweany, Brown County Art Guild, presenting

Our preview and reception was a joyful event and was attended by many of the Kriner descendants, as well as board members of the Brown County Art Guild and other art patrons, both new and previous clients of ours.  All in attendance enjoyed hors d'oeuvres, music of Bill Lancton and a wonderful presentation by Guild Executive Director Jaime Sweany.  Additionally, everyone enjoyed a special song by Sue Wickliff, accompanied by Bill, in Sally's honor.  Sue sang the Ella Fitzgerald classic, "They Can't Take That Away From Me", much to the delight of the Kriner family, who shared that Sally did, in fact, 'sing off key'!

The auction was well-supported by our Wickliff buyer clientele, but also by individuals acquainted with the Guild, and others who knew Sally or had previously purchased paintings from her.  Nearly everyone registered stayed for the entire session, including bidding on the uncatalogued collection of books, vintage frames and unfinished paintings.

Top Seller- Lilacs, 32x36, $3100

The previous record for a Sally Kriner painting had been achieved two times by two different companies, including ours, at $400.  That record was eclipsed many times over, supporting our previous statement that most folks had not seen the quality of paintings that Sally had squirreled away in her studio, many inscribed on the back, 'keep', or 'not for sale', and many of those were some of her best paintings.  The record sale was a $3,100 price achieved for a 32 x 36 canvas depicting lilacs in a vase; lilacs were among Sally's favorite flowers to paint and she was quite adept at capturing the beauty of those flowers, as well as that of roses and peonies.


We have had multiple comments from buyers regarding how honoring they thought the auction and reception were, and that the entire weekend was quite enjoyable.  Our company is pleased to have provided a bit of insight into not only the paintings of Sally Kriner, but into the legacy of Brown County art and artists which she so proudly embraced and encouraged.  Thank you to the Kriner heirs for trusting Wickliff Auctioneers, and thank you, Sally...

Kriner Estate Auction A Rare Opportunity

How many times we have heard the disdain of regret from art collectors who did NOT purchase a painting in the estate sale of a well-known, accomplished Indiana artist...  Our May 12 auction of the work of Sally Brant Kriner (IN, 1911-2011) gives buyers a chance to redeem themselves.

Sally was the longest-tenured member of the Brown County Art Guild in Nashville, IN, and the influence the Guild's founders had on her painting style is uncanny, even to the least-trained eye.  Her painting entitled "Marie's Peonies", which sells in the estate auction, is her interpretation of the Marie Goth painting that is currently in the window at the Guild gallery.  Sally was friends with, and learned from, Goth, and her still life execution mimics style and brush strokes of Marie's still life paintings.  Sally's strength was in florals and still life paintings, and Marie's influence on her is quite remarkable.

Some of Sally's landscapes also remind us of VJ Cariani landscapes, and although she never achieved his expertise (as few have), it is evident that, at some point, she learned from him and applied some of his techniques in her own landscapes.  There are some nice Indiana landscape paintings available. 

We also see a few of Sally's paintings that are reminiscent of Leota Loop's still life paintings, but far fewer mimic that style.  One thing Sally did share with Loop was the extensive use of Ginny frames.  Several of Sally's paintings are housed in the desirable Ginny frame, and a few 'Ginnys' are available for purchase in the uncatalogued portion of the auction. 

In 1954, Marie Goth, V. J. Cariani, Carl Graf, Genevieve Goth Graf, Curry Bohm, Dale Bessire, Georges LaChance and other notable artists formed the Brown County Art Guild, Inc. , and Sally's affiliation there trumped those artists in terms of years as a member.  Sally's estate auction is a tip-of-the-hat to the heritage of fine art in Brown County, and her commitment to continuing the legacy in the style and manner of her predecessors is visible in her art and in her Freeman Ridge studio, which contained paintings by some of those aforementioned artists.  Some were in deplorable condition, and most would have destroyed them, but Sally maintained those paintings, perhaps as an homage to those historic artists.  Some of those paintings sold in our April auction, the rest will sell in the May 12 session, right alongside Sally's paintings, just as they've been for many years.

There are also some treasures to be found in the uncatalogued session, featuring art and art supplies, Sally's still life subjects (vases, figures, etc.), vintage frames, paint brushes, canvases and more, including some unfinished Marie Goth portraits. 

A lovely story about Sally, written by our friend Rachel Perry, is available here.  We are pleased to represent Sally's art and legacy at the May 12 auction.