Bidspirit auctions | Lion & Unicorn Auction Oct 12, 2025

Lion & Unicorn, Oct 12, 2025. 382 lots, estimates 50 - 25000 $.


Lion & Unicorn -

The Robert H. Baer Archeology Collection presents a once-in-a-generation offering of fine art, historic works on paper, and objects reflecting a life devoted to discovery and preservation. Maritime art anchors the collection with 19th century oils of ships at sea, stormy harbors, and coastal sunsets by artists such as Henriette Herminie Gudin, James Gale Tyler, and British Romanticists. Complementing these are watercolors of Clovelly and Devon, etchings by Frederick L. Owen, and sepia-toned studies that capture the drama of seafaring life.


Landscape and portraiture form another pillar of the collection, including works by Hudson River School artists, Thomas Mower Martin?s Canadian Rockies, and May Electa Ferris Smith?s Sierra waterfalls. European highlights range from William Russell Flint watercolors to Noel Harry Leaver?s Tunisian scenes, with British, French, and Ukrainian countryside studies enriching the offering. Portraits span 18th and 19th century aristocrats, naval captains, and Prussian officers, alongside Vanity Fair caricatures and early lithographs that document cultural and political life of the era.


The sale also showcases rare works on paper by Arthur Szyk, including World War II political cartoons and allegorical studies, as well as etchings after Turner, mezzotints after George Romney, and Rococo drawings of Madonna and Child. Mid-century pieces such as J. Contini?s Egyptian Revival watercolors bridge classical and modern sensibilities. From oil paintings to chalk drawings, this archeology of art uncovers a diverse trove that traces centuries of human expression and discovery, making it a collection of extraordinary depth and breadth.


Learn More about Dr. Robert H. Baer at www.baercollection.com



Lots in this catalog (382)