Auction house Christie’s has consigned a collection of Impressionist works by Bill and Dorothy Fisher to be sold at a major auction in November.
The Governor Fisher Foundation’s donation includes works by Paul Signac, Camille Pissarro, Eugène Boudin, Pierre Bernard, Alfred Sisley and Henri Matisse, with a total estimated value of “more than $10 million.” Proceeds from the sale will support “the local cultural enrichment of the community” in Marshalltown, Iowa, including the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center.
“Bill and Dorothy Fisher and the Fisher family have demonstrated their love and commitment to their hometown of Marshalltown through decades of generosity and have served as an example of the importance of giving back to the community,” Fisher Governor’s Foundation board member David Tank said in a press statement. “We are excited to work with the Christie’s team to recognize and honor this legacy and allow us to continue their good work and vision for Marshalltown for many years to come.”
The top lot is that of Paul Signac Leaudet of Quimper (1922-1923), estimated at $6 million to $9 million. The artist was an “enthusiastic amateur sailor” and this pointillist work was painted in the medieval town of Quimper in Brittany, France. especially, Leaudet of Quimper The book has been in the collection of Bill and Dorothy Fisher for more than sixty years.
“This painting perfectly showcases the artist’s unparalleled color abilities, with an impressive richness of color and detail captured in rich emerald and sapphire tones punctuated by warm jewel tones, capturing a magnificent radiance,” Imogen Kerr, co-head of Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sales, said in a press statement. “We are really pleased to bring it to the market this autumn, especially for such a benevolent and worthy cause.”
Works from the collection will be sold as part of Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sale on November 17 and Impressionist and Modern Art Works on Paper Day Sale on November 18. A press release from the auction house noted that “most of the works in the Fisher Collection” are more than 50 years old.
Bill Fisher served as president of Fisher Governor Company, which designed, manufactured and supplied control valves and regulators to a variety of industries. Bill and his wife, Dorothy, supported the arts in his hometown of Marshalltown and throughout the United States. The couple’s patronage included the creation and curation of “an impressive collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art,” which became known as the Fisher Art Collection and is now displayed in a dedicated museum at the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center.
