Pennsylvania Impressionists the Talk of Freeman’s | Hindman’s Garden Party, Leading the Way in the Firm’s Nearly $700k Sale of The Collection of Renny Reynolds

Fine art, particularly pieces by Pennsylvania Impressionists, drove a $693,632 day in Freeman’s | Hindman September 21 auction Garden Party: The Collection of Renny Reynolds. The collection of the famed landscape architect who literally wrote the book on party planning featured a remarkable collection of fine art, alongside 18th- and 19th-century American furniture, folk, and decorative arts, and over 150 volumes from Reynolds’ personal library on garden design and architecture.

“Throughout this whole sale process Renny, along with his partner, Ateeq, have been an utter delight to work with,” said Alasdair Nichol, Freeman’s | Hindman’s Executive Vice President and Deputy Chairman. “Renny’s love for the beauty and spirit of his home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania shown through in every piece from the beautifully painted landscapes that donned his walls to the charming frogs and dogs that adorned his carefully curated antiques.” 

As a landscape architect, Reynolds has long championed the beauty and joy of gardens, turning his career into a lifestyle. His journey began in the 1960s with the opening of his first shop in New York City, soon followed by a commission from fashion icon Bill Blass to design a penthouse terrace garden. Over time, Reynolds’s client list grew to include Giorgio Armani, Diana Ross, Andy Warhol, and others. He planned legendary events at Studio 54—including the launch of Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium—and orchestrated receptions at the White House for Presidents Ford, Nixon, Reagan, and Clinton following his tenure in Washington. In 1972, he founded Renny Design for Entertaining, later Renny & Reed, and in 1992, published The Art of the Party, often referred to as “the party planner’s bible.” His achievements were recognized in 2008 with the Great American Gardener Award, the American Horticultural Society’s highest honor.

Daniel Garber (American, 1880-1958)
Sycamore and Elm, 1932
Sold for $57,600

A Vibrant Pictorial Language

Reynolds’ deep affinity for the Impressionist painters of Bucks County, whose works mirror his reverence for both natural and designed landscapes, led to an exceptional collection that bidders couldn’t wait to get their hands on. The fine art section was the star of the day with 97% of lots offered in the category selling. Not surprisingly, it was the Pennsylvania Impressionists in particular that stole the show with the top 20 sale prices of the day, headlined by Daniel Garber’s (American, 1880-1958) 1932 work Sycamore and Elm (lot 4), which sold for $57,600 against a $50,000 low estimate.

Other notable Pennsylvania Impressionists lots included:

·       Lot 18 | George William Sotter (American, 1879-1953)
Roadside House
SOLD FOR $44,800

·       Lot 15 | Walter Elmer Schofield (American, 1867-1944)
January Day, c. 1906
SOLD FOR $41,600

·       Lot 3 | Charles Rosen (American, 1878-1950)
Late Sunlight, 1907
SOLD FOR $38,400

·       Lot 24 | Fern Isabel Coppedge (American, 1883-1951)
In Full Bloom
SOLD FOR $28,800

Record Breaking Results

The firm managed to set an auction record for artist Bernard Badura (American, 1896-1986), selling Summer Haystacks (lot 6) for $20,480 and record the highest price for a Robert A. Darrah (RAD) Miller (American, 1905-1966) painting in over a decade, selling Sunset (Lot 5) for $17,920. Freeman’s | Hindman is no stranger to auction success for Miller, holding six of the top ten auction prices for the artists since 2005, including the top four prices since 2012.