Shannon’s to Auction Masterpiece by John White Alexander, One of America’s Most Celebrated Artists

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Summary

The auction will feature over 150 lots of quality paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture, with an emphasis on top-quality American art and fresh-to-the-market offerings, at shannons.com.

Press Release

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Milford, CT, USA, April 26, 2026 — Shannon’s announced their Spring Fine Art Auction scheduled for Thursday, April 30th at 6pm Eastern Time. The auction will feature over 150 lots of quality paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture, beginning promptly at 6pm Eastern Time.

With an emphasis on quality American art and fresh-to-the-market offerings, the Shannon’s spring sale will be a treasure trove of unique and exciting offerings. Bidding will be available on shannons.com, through their mobile app, by telephone, or by absentee. All of the works will be available for preview at their Milford, Connecticut, gallery.

A grandiose composition by John White Alexander, titled Her Birthday (1913), towers at almost 7 feet tall. Done late in his career, the work is a detailed example of the artist’s mature style, picturing three vignettes of women arranging a vase of flowers. This piece is being offered at an estimated price of $300,000-$500,000.

In addition to the Alexander, other Gilded Age portraiture includes a William Merritt Chase of Miss Mary Shepherd Lukens, titled Lady with a Rose. Offered at $80,000-$120,000, this large-format, 48 inch by 36 inch canvas depicts a woman in a ruffled white dress holding a pink rose. Chase won a prestigious Temple Gold Medal for this work when he exhibited it at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1901.

A rare Victorian sculpture bust of Beatrice Cenci by Harriet Hosmer will be included at an estimate of $30,000-$50,000. Hosmer became the first professional American female sculptor of the 19th Century. Most of her works are in museum collections, including a celebrated full-length sculpture of the same subject. Of her work, Susan B. Anthony commented, “Harriet Hosmer has done more to ennoble and elevate women than she possibly could have done by mere words.”

Other featured artists in the Contemporary American art category include Jim Dine, Oscar Bluemner, Dale Chihuly, Wolf Kahn, Milton Avery, Louise Fishman, Anthony Thieme, Ernest Lawson, Richard Hayley Lever, and Arthur B. Carles.

For the full details of the auction, please visit www.shannons.com or contact the gallery by phone at 203-877-1711 or via email at [email protected]