New & Noteworthy
Stay up to date with news, highlights, & features from across Freeman's.
Stay up to date with news, highlights, & features from across Freeman's.
By: Tanner Branson, Associate Vice President, Head of Department, Luxury Handbags & Couture
By Monica Brown, Senior Vice President, Head of Photographs
by Ariel Barken, Specialist, Jewelry & Watches
As part of our stewardship of this spectacular Abercrombie, we decided with the consignor to have the painting professionally cleaned by Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration to return the painting to as close to the color and finish that Gertrude intended as possible. The painting did not present with any condition issues, but the passage of time had resulted in an accumulation of grime and clouding of the varnish layer that was obscuring the full range of hues and meticulous detail that Abercrombie originally applied to the panel. Sure enough, removing the old varnish layer and the grime with it revealed the magnificent magically realistic paint surface just as Gertrude deemed it complete back in 1951. The following link will take you to a video capturing the conservation process and a conservation about the work between myself and conservator Julian Baumgartner. A longer form version of our conversation can be found here.
By April Matteini, Senior Vice President, Head of Department, Jewelry
By Ben Farina, SVP, International Representative, Asian Art
Tanner Branson, Associate Vice President, Head of Department, Luxury Handbags & Couture
Written by: Elizabeth Marshman Associate Vice President, Director, Trusts, Estates & Private Clients
Ben Farina SVP, International Representative, Asian Art
Freeman's is honored to present selections from the Estate of Rebecca Lee, an exceptional collection reflecting a discerning eye for luxury and craftsmanship.
Join us as we spotlight Corbin Horn, Senior Vice President, Head of Department, European Furniture & Decorative Arts, ahead of our two-day sale series. Learn about his journey in the world of furniture and decorative arts, notable achievements at Freeman’s, and his favorite lots from our upcoming sale.
Presented on July 14 in Freeman’s European Furniture & Decorative Arts auction in Chicago, Property from Strawberry Hill: The Collection of Ada and Barrie Regan, Hillsborough, California, highlights the refinement of tastemakers across generations. Lot 10 | A Louis XVI Style Marquetry and Gilt Bronze Mounted Occasional Table | Estimate $10,000 - $20,000 In 1912, Joseph D. Grant, the financier and San Francisco civic leader, commissioned architect Lewis Hobart to design and build "Villa Rose" on the San Francisco Peninsula. The 40-acre parcel in Hillsborough, California, remains one of the original historic Gilded Age estates, with lush gardens surrounded by wooded parkland. When Charles R. Blyth and his wife purchased the estate in 1936, they renamed it "Strawberry Hill," a reference to the home's pleasing pink color and a nod to Horace Walpole's Gothic Revival mansion in London. When Ada and Barrie Regan purchased the residence, it was in disrepair and required substantial attention to the interior and gardens. Once restoration was complete, Ada and Barrie Regan filled the home with wonderful Continental furniture and decorative objects. Lot 34 | A Steinway and Sons Baby Grand Piano | Estimate $7,000 - $9,000;| Lot 37 | Carl Herpfer (German 1836-1897) A Gentleman and Three Ladies Taking Tea at a Window | Estimate $7,000 - $9,000 Their appreciation for the home's architecture and history is evident in the collection they assembled, offered as lots 1 through 102 on July 14 and as another sequence of lots in our July 24, 2026,Interiors auction.
In anticipation of Freeman’s third annual Western Manuscripts and Miniatures auction on July 9, Christopher Brink, Associate Vice President, Head of Sale, and Senior Specialist, Books & Manuscripts, sat down with Senior Consultant, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Illumination, Sandra Hindman. Gain insights into market trends, Sandra’s expertise in the world of manuscripts and miniatures, and the ever-changing landscape of the category in the age of technology.
Eric C. Caren, one or the foremost private collectors of historical paper and documentary material in the United States, is widely regarded as "The Babe Ruth of Historical Collecting," reflecting both the scope of his holdings and the singular impact he has had on the market for primary-source history.
Join us as we spotlight Erin Rust, Associate Vice President and Specialist in Native American Art, ahead of our Native American and Southwestern Jewelry auction on June 15. Learn about her journey in the world of Native American art and jewelry, notable achievements at Freeman’s, and her favorite lots from our upcoming sale.
The first Patrick Mavros production studio was opened in 1983 on the family estate in the picturesque jungle of the Umwinsi Valley, Harare, Zimbabwe. Today, two generations of the Mavros family run the company which has expanded to include flagship stores in London and Harare and six boutiques throughout Africa. Although the company initially focused on jewelry, they expanded to include table decorations, luxury home goods, silver flatware, and small- to large-scale figurines, created from sterling silver and gold using the cire-perdue, or lost wax, casting method. The finely crafted Patrick Mavros oeuvre is exclusively conceived by family members, drawing inspiration from the natural beauty of African flora and fauna, and produced in Africa. Silver and gold used for all of the company’s creations is recycled from post-consumer sources, reducing the brand’s environmental footprint. Freeman’s is delighted to offer an expansive early collection of vintage Patrick Mavros sterling silver gorilla figurines and foliate table decorations in our June 16, 2026, Dining at Home sale. The collection includes fourteen members of the playful gorilla families, including a formidable large-scale sculpture of the “Chairman” and a few adorable infants. Over half of the marvelously detailed gorillas were cast in 1996 when the treasured line debuted, and many are now out of production. Posed in lifelike positions, the gorillas appear poised to spring into action. Completing a fantasy miniature jungle, the collection is rounded out by groups of botanically precise sterling silver palm tree- and bamboo-form candlesticks and a darting Springbok antelope that is part of Patrick Mavros’ line of freestanding, smaller-scale animal figurines. The Mavros brood is known for their commitment to environmental conservation and protection of the African wilderness. In 2016, they began raising awareness and funds for conservation of the pangolin, a remarkable scaled mammal threatened with extinction from illegal poaching. Although the pangolin remains the world’s most-trafficked mammal, thanks in part to the company’s activism, the species has gained significant protection measures from critical governments worldwide since 2020. Dining at Home Live Online | Chicago Jun 16 | 10:00 AM CDT