William Joseph McCloskey Paintings & Artwork for Sale | William Joseph McCloskey Art Value Price Guide

Mar. 26, 2023
WILLIAM J. McCLOSKEY (American, 1859-1941)
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Table top still-life with grapes Oil on canvas Signed lower right and inscribed "Los Angeles" and dated 18- - h. 20 w. 24 in. overall: 25-1/4 x 29-1/4 in. (frame) [In Situ Item] This Item will not be on display in our saleroom during our preview period. If you wish to view it in-person please make a request with the gallery.
Butterscotch Auction Gallery LLC
Jan. 19, 2023
WILLIAM J. MCCLOSKEY (1859-1941) Oranges in Tissue Paper oil on canvas 12 x
Est: $120,000 - $180,000
WILLIAM J. MCCLOSKEY (1859-1941) Oranges in Tissue Paper oil on canvas 12 x 16 in. (30.5 x 40.6 cm.)
Christie's
Dec. 04, 2022
WILLIAM J. McCLOSKEY (American, 1859-1941)
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Table top still-life with grapes Oil on canvas Signed lower right and inscribed "Los Angeles" and dated h. 20 w. 24 in. overall: 25-1/4 x 29-1/4 in. (frame)
Butterscotch Auction Gallery LLC
Sep. 25, 2022
WILLIAM MCCLOSKEY (1859 - 1941): PORTRAIT OF ALBERTA BINFORD
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
1895; oil on canvas, unframed; signed "W.J.- A.B. McCloskey" and dated lower right; 30 x 25 inches
Abell Auction
Nov. 16, 2021
William J. McCloskey, (1859-1941 Orange, CA), "Wrapped Oranges," 1890, Oil on canvas laid to canvas, 8" H x 18" W
Est: $200,000 - $300,000
William J. McCloskey (1859-1941 Orange, CA) "Wrapped Oranges," 1890 Oil on canvas laid to canvas Signed and dated lower right: W. J. McCloskey; titled on a label affixed verso 8" H x 18" W Provenance: George H. Colony, Keene, NH Gifted in 1894 to Miss Chamberlayne School for Girls, Boston, MA, by the above in honor of his daughter Catherine Jane Chamberlayne, School Founder & Principal William Morrell Art & Antiques Hyman Kaufman Antiques, Boston, c.1930s Estate of Dr. John Grider, acquired from the above By descent to the present owner
John Moran Auctioneers
Jul. 25, 2021
William J. McCloskey (American, 1859-1941), "Lady Apples in Overturned Basket"
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
William J. McCloskey (American, 1859-1941) "Lady Apples in Overturned Basket" oil on board signed lower right, verso with "Berry-Hill Galleries, Inc." exhibition labels. Framed. 9-1/4" x 12", framed 20" x 23" Provenance: Sotheby's, New York, New York, May 28, 1987, lot 10; Berry-Hill Galleries, New York, New York; Christie's, New York, New York, December 5, 2002, lot 43; Sotheby's, New York, New York, October 2, 2018, lot 115; Private collection, New York. Exhibited: New York, Berry-Hill Galleries, The Apple of America: The Apple in 19th Century American Art, May-June 1993.
New Orleans Auction Galleries
Jul. 19, 2020
William J. McCloskey (American, 1859-1941), "Wrapped Oranges"
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
William J. McCloskey (American, 1859-1941) "Wrapped Oranges", 1897 oil on canvas signed and dated lower right, verso with a 1953 letter from "Bloomington National Bank" estate administrator detailing provenance. Framed. 10" x 17", framed 16-1/4" x 23-1/2" Provenance: William H. Buskirk (1819-1906), Nashville, Tennessee/Bloomington, Indiana - by repute, purchased for his tavern in Nashville, before 1906; by descent to his daughter Amanda (1855-1934) and her husband, Dr. John P. Tourner (1854-1930), Bloomington, Indiana, 1906 to 1934; by descent to his brother, Dr. Francis F. Tourner (1859-1944), Bloomington, Indiana, 1934 to 1944; Bloomington National Bank, Estate of Dr. F. F. Tourner, 1953, no. 49271; Collection of Professor Vergil A. Smith (1900-1970), Bloomington, Indiana; Raymond C. Kilmer (1901-1968), Castleton, New York, thence by descent to his niece. Notes: William McCloskey and his wife Alberta Binford were two prolific American artists in the late 19th century. They collaborated for fifteen years, often painting portraits in tandem, and creating similar still life compositions. McCloskey, a portrait artist by trade, studied under Thomas Eakins at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts before moving West to Denver, Colorado in 1882, where he met Alberta, a gifted autodidactic with a predilection for flowers. By 1884 they were married and spent the next fourteen years living a nomadic existence, traveling extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe; the true scope of their versatility still eludes art historians as it is reported that Alberta painted numerous genres in twenty-seven states. Between 1884 and 1898 when the couple separated, the McCloskeys spent most of their time on the East and West coasts, with extended sojourns in Paris and London. In Los Angeles in 1884-1885, they received numerous commissions and were pivotal figures in the budding art community. From portraiture to flowers, their paintings innately evoked the verisimilitude of the sitter's comportment or subject with startling crispness and brilliancy of color that required no additional objects or setting. In France, the celebrated painter Leon Gerome, and mentor of Eakins, was so impressed that he issued a letter of recommendation lauding the "great sense of truth" and "sincere impression of nature" one gets from their oeuvre. The McCloskey's work did not receive the same acclaim in New York, where they resided from 1886-1892, though they produced the oeuvre for which they are most renowned - their still-lifes of wrapped fruit. Los Angeles may have been the epicenter of the booming citrus industry where migrant workers found ample work in orchards, but it was the waxed produce, delicately wrapped in tissue that christened the shop windows of New York that captivated the couple. Oranges and other sub-tropical fruits were expensive, rare commodities given mostly as gifts or during the holidays; the pristine tissue doubling as a gift wrap carefully placed by packaging workers instructed in the intricacies of fruit folding to prevent bruising or soiling. Perhaps nostalgia for California, or fascination with turn-of-the-century commerce drew the McCloskeys to the subject. Whichever the impetus, it inspired them to paint variations of the same composition for almost three decades. Like the painting offered here, each one is a tromp l'oeil masterpiece that delights in tricking the eye through its nuanced play on the same recurring textures - bright, taut fruit (often ensconced in a crisp, crinkled wrapper), the polished hardwood surfaces on which they sit become reflective pools of fruit, and the crushed velvet indigo or sable backdrop.
New Orleans Auction Galleries
Nov. 16, 2019
Painting, After William J. McCloskey
Est: $100 - $200
After William J. McCloskey (American, 1859-1941), Still Life with Tissue Wrapped Oranges and Grapes, oil on board, unsigned, 19th century, board (unframed): 12"h x 20"w
Clars Auctions
May. 22, 2018
WILLIAM J. MCCLOSKEY (1859-1941) - Wrapped Oranges
Est: $300,000 - $500,000
WILLIAM J. MCCLOSKEY (1859-1941) Wrapped Oranges signed and dated 'copyright 1901 NY W.J. McCloskey ' (lower right) oil on canvas 10 x 17 in. (25.4 x 43.2 cm.) Painted in 1901.
Christie's
Mar. 27, 2018
WILLIAM JOSEPH McCLOSKEY (California/Oregon/Colora
Est: $800 - $1,200
WILLIAM JOSEPH McCLOSKEY (California/Oregon/Colorado, 1859-1941) oil on canvas, portrait of a young woman. Signed "W.J. McCloskey" lower right and dated 1922. Image measures 24" x 20". In a gilt wood frame; 28.5" x 24.5" overall. McCloskey had a portrait studio in Los Angeles and moved to Oregon around 1924.
O'Gallerie
Nov. 19, 2017
Painting, William McCloskey
Est: $120,000 - $180,000
William Joseph McCloskey (American, 1859-1941), "Lemons," oil on canvas, label (Wiley's Art Store, Hartford, Connecticut), canvas: 9.5"h x 20.75"w overall (with frame): 15"h x 26"w. Note: Accompanied by booklet, "Gill's Twenty-Seventh Annual Exhibition - Original Paintings 1904, Stadden Art Galleries, Springfield. Mass." which lists the painting (no: 73, pg. 42). Also accompanied by a letter of authenticity from John F. McGuigan Jr (April 2005).
Clars Auctions
Jun. 11, 2017
WILLIAM JOSEPH McCLOSKEY, (American, 1859-1941), Valencia Oranges, 1889, oil on canvas, 11 x 24 in., frame: 20 x 33 in.
Est: $80,000 - $150,000
WILLIAM JOSEPH McCLOSKEY (American, 1859-1941) Valencia Oranges 1889, oil on canvas signed and dated W.J. McCloskey 1889, l.r. 11 x 24 in., frame: 20 x 33 in. Provenance: William O''Leary & Co. Fine Arts, Detroit (label verso); Babcock Galleries, New York (property of Rebecca Dalesio, wife of Babcock Gallery director Carmine Dalesio) (label verso); private collection, Sedona, Arizona. Exhibitions: First Fine Arts Exhibition of the Detroit International Fair, Detroit, Michigan, September 17 - 28, 1889, cat. no. 163. Listed as no. 163 on pg. 38, stamped 163 on stretcher bar, partial label verso with title, artist''s name, and cat. no. 163. Accompanied by a copy of the exhibition catalogue. Other Notes: A 1889 work titled "Valencia Oranges" is recorded in the catalogue of known artworks in Nancy Dustin Wall Moure''s monograph ( Partners in Illusion: Alberta Binford and William J. McCloskey, The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Santa Ana, CA, 1996, cat. no. 89.16W). That work was no. 184 at the American Art Galleries, New York "Fifth Prize Fund Exhibition", 1889.
Grogan & Company
May. 13, 2017
†In the Manner of William Joseph McCloskey (1859-1941), "Wrapped Lemons," early 20th c., oil on canvas, presented in a gilt and gesso..
Est: $300 - $500
In the Manner of William Joseph McCloskey (1859-1941), "Wrapped Lemons," early 20th c., oil on canvas, presented in a gilt and gesso frame, H.- 10 5/8 in, W.- 19 5/8 in.
Crescent City Auction Gallery
May. 22, 2014
William J. McCloskey (1859-1941)
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
William J. McCloskey (1859-1941) >Apples in a Basket <br>signed and dated 'W.J. McCloskey/1895' (lower right) >oil on canvas <br>8 x 18 in. (20.3 x 45.7 cm.)
Christie's
May. 21, 2014
William J. McCloskey1859 - 1941
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
signed and dated W.J. McCloskey, NY 1889 (lower right),oil on canvas,11 by 24 inches,(27.9 by 61 cm)
Sotheby's
Mar. 25, 2014
William Joseph McCloskey (1859-1941 Orange, CA)
Est: $10,000 - $20,000
''Girl in Red Hat'', signed and dated lower right: W.J. McCloskey 1922, titled on a gallery label verso, oil on canvas laid to canvas, 20'' H x 16'' W, est: $10,000/20,000.
John Moran Auctioneers
Nov. 09, 2013
William McCloskey Peaches Still-Life Oil on Canvas
Est: $300 - $600
William McCloskey. title - unknown. Depicting peaches still-life,oil on canvas,framed. measurements - 10 1/2" x 17", with frame - 15" x 21".
Hampton Estate Auction
Apr. 17, 2012
William J. McCloskey (1859-1941 Orange, CA)
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
Apples on a Table, signed and dated lower right: William J. McCloskey 1896, oil on canvas. est:$80,000/120,000. Note: Painted with typical exacting and exquisite detail, the present still life is a fresh to market example of the artist's trompe l'oeil painting style. McCloskey and his wife Alberta Binford McCloskey (1863-1911) both focused on table top still life as a main subject of their work and utilized compositions that included ''well lit fruit in a triangular arrangement, resting on a highly-reflective mahogany table top, and backed by a darkly obscure plush or velvet drape. Many of the works have an extended horizontal format . . . The frequency of this theme for the artists must prove that it was a popular seller, and indeed the uniqueness of the subject, the striking color combinations . . . must have been very appealing'' (N.D.W. Moure, ''Partners in Illusion: Alberta Binford and William J. McCloskey, Santa Ana, CA, 1996, p. 19). According to the 'Catalogue of Known Artworks' listing in Moure's book, McCloskey executed two other still lifes in 1896 utlizing the same type and amount of apples. Each example from this series features subtle differences in the way the artist carefully arranged the fruit on the dark mahogany surface. Provenance: Private Collection, Sacramento, CA; by descent in the family
John Moran Auctioneers
May. 19, 2011
WILLIAM J. MCCLOSKEY 1859 - 1941
Est: $250,000 - $350,000
WILLIAM J. MCCLOSKEY 1859 - 1941 WRAPPED ORANGES ON A TABLETOP signed W.J. McCloskey and dated copyright 1897, l.r. oil on canvas 11 by 24 in. (28 by 61 cm)
Sotheby's
May. 19, 2011
WILLIAM J. MCCLOSKEY 1859 - 1941
Est: $100,000 - $150,000
WILLIAM J. MCCLOSKEY 1859 - 1941 APPLES ON A TABLETOP signed W.J. McCloskey and dated 1896 , l.r. oil on canvas 11 by 24 in. (28 by 61 cm)
Sotheby's
Feb. 17, 2009
William J. McCloskey (1859-1941 Orange, CA)
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
William J. McCloskey (1859-1941 Orange, CA) Portrait of a woman in a black lace dress and fur, possibly the artist's daughter-in-law, signed and dated lower right: W.J. McCloskey 1922, oil on canvas, 24'' x 20''. Provenance: Private Collection, Oregon 24'' H x 20'' W Visual: Generally good condition with a few scattered spots of paint loss. Blacklight: A 2'' vertical area of touch-up in the right center quadrant and an area of touch-up on the figure's left shoulder. oil on canvas
John Moran Auctioneers
Feb. 19, 2008
William Joseph McCloskey (1859-1941 Orange, CA) Florida Oranges
Est: $100,000 - $150,000
still life - oranges and paper wrappers, signed and dated lower right: W.J. McCloskey 1891, signed and dated again on an artist's label affixed to the stretcher, oil on canvas, 8'' x 18'', est:$100,000/150,000. Exhibited: 'Annual'', National Academy of Design, New York, NY, April 6 - May 16, 1891, no. 435, ($100). Literature: N. Moure, ''Partners in Illusion: Alberta Binford and William J. McCloskey'', Santa Ana: Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, 1996, no. 91.6.W., p. 93. Provenance: John W. Greene; The Auction for British War Relief, The Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, FL, March 1941, donated from the above; Dr. and Mrs. M.T. Field, purchased from the above; Robert Burkhardt, Kutztown, PA, acquired from the above, by 1965; Private Collection, Saratoga Springs, NY, acquired from the above, 1970s (see attached provenance documents)
John Moran Auctioneers
Dec. 05, 2002
William J. McCloskey (1859-1941)
Est: $300,000 - $500,000
Lady Apples in Overturned Basket signed 'W.J. McCloskey' (lower right) oil on board 91/4 x 12 in. (23.5 x 30.5 cm.) PROVENANCE Sotheby's, New York, 28 May 1987, lot 10. Berry-Hill Galleries, New York. EXHIBITION New York, Berry-Hill Galleries, The Apple of America: The Apple in 19th Century American Art, May 6-June 26, 1993 NOTES Executed circa 1896. Like many still life paintings, William McCloskey's Lady Apples in an Overturned Basket is at once a straightforward depiction of apples, as well as a complex and beguiling compositional exercise, exhibiting McCloskey's great skill at being able to convince us that a painting of ordinary objects in ordinary situations is worthy art. Apples, oranges and lemons in particular, and fruits in general make up the majority of McCloskey's body of work. In the present work a large basket of apples is tipped over on the shiny wooden surface of a table. The central oval of the basket provides the anchor for McCloskey. Apples spill out somewhat randomly, but the basket's shape governs the painting and is reiterated by each of the apples, which operate as compositional reminders. The napkin lining the basket rigidly extends outwards from the rim, providing a frame for what little implied action there has been. Bisecting the picture vertically is the wicker handle of the basket, providing yet another visual balance. In McCloskey's art, there is also a careful and calculated slight lack of symmetry. The apples have only spilled to the left side of the picture, and the basket's lining is illuminated from the left side, casting the right side into shadow. In general the apples on the right are redder, again contributing to the darker tone on that side and affecting how we experience the picture overall. "The sense of 'rightness,' of careful balance, in McCloskey's compositions bespeaks Eakins, as does the sense of drama. McCloskey's fruit is richly colored and always dramatically lighted, so that it shines out within a darkness - dark background and dark wooden support - just as Eakins' figures glow radiantly from their surroundings." (W. Gerdts and R. Burke, American Still Life Painting, New York, 1971, p. 166).
Christie's