CHICAGO — Hindman’s May 10 American and European Art auction led with Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s (French, 1841-1919) “La Baie de Villefranche-sur-Mer,” a glimmering landscape done in oil on canvas in 1899. The 18-by-21¾-inch painting, which was from the Alexandria, Va., collection of Richard D. Simmons, attracted considerable interest, including from international bidders and the work sold to a buyer in Europe for $524,000, squarely within its $400/600,000 estimate. Not only does the painting have considerable exhibition and provenance history but it will be included in the forthcoming Renoir Digital Catalogue Raisonné. It was the cover lot of the 114-lot auction, which was 85 percent sold by lot and exceeded its aggregate low estimate with a cumulative total of $3,519,313. Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. A more comprehensive sale recap will appear in a future issue.
