This month at Hess Fine Art, Katrina and I are delighted to have been selected to present two remarkable pieces for our upcoming auction, each with exceptional provenance.
We’ve received an original silhouette of Governor David Rittenhouse Porter crafted by distinguished 19th-century artist Auguste Edouart. What makes this piece particularly significant is its direct family lineage—consigned by the governor’s great-great-great-great-granddaughter herself. Porter guided Pennsylvania from 1839 to 1845, steering the state through economic recovery after the panic of 1837, modernizing the state militia, advancing infrastructure through canals and railroads, and skillfully resolving the Buckshot War conflict.
Additionally, we’re pleased that a Tampa retiree asked us to auction a magnificent Ralph Eugene Cahoon Jr. oil painting, impressively sized at 35 inches wide. The Tampa retiree’s grandfather, a Massachusetts industrialist, acquired it directly from Cahoon. Our consignor fondly recalls the painting hanging in his grandfather’s living room, where he “stared at it every day.” The artwork exemplifies Cahoon’s distinctive folk art style, portraying a charming scene of mermaids and sailors frolicking along a shoreline.
As one of Florida’s largest regional auction houses, we are always grateful and still excited to offer historical pieces to the world. We hope to achieve more than the modest estimates: $3,000–$5,000 on the Edouart and $18,000 to $25,000 on the Cahoon.
