S otheby’s is honored to present Property from the Estate of S. Hallock du Pont, Jr. (1936-2021), an assemblage of works that spans more than three centuries and was brought together through the ingenuity and passion of its owner. Called “Hal” by his family and close friends, Mr. du Pont was known for his love of adventure. Throughout his life, Mr. du Pont pursued a wide range of interests that included science, photography, aviation and sport shooting with zeal, and he explored the world to enjoy them. Indeed, the Collection is in many ways the fruit of Hal’s widely traveled life. This is nowhere better illustrated than in the three works by N.C. Wyeth that highlight the Collection, as Hal spent his childhood in Pennsylvania’s idyllic Brandywine Valley, where the artist lived and worked during his celebrated career. Each painting is an outstanding example of this beloved artist’s gift for storytelling and ability to visualize the details of a complex narrative in a single image.
Hal’s keen eye and spirit of adventure extend to every work in the Collection. From Grant Hacking’s images of wildlife from the African savannah, to W.H.D. Koerner’s cowboys and rock climbers, to James A. Fetherolf’s majestic interpretations of the American West, the works from the Collection truly attest to the pursuit of quality and joie de vivre with which Hal lived every aspect of his life.
