- Auction:
Spring 2023 - Viewing:
Live Auction, In Person & Online - Online Bidding:
www.liveauctioneers.com
www.invaluable.com
- Absentee Bidding:
By e-mail, mail and telephone - Links:
Bidder Agreement Form
Absentee Bid Form
Terms & Conditions
THE AUCTION
During the tumultuous 1960’s, a young sculptor from Brooklyn headed for the eastern-most tip of Long Island where, in the charming hamlet of Orient, New York he purchased a beautifully detailed nineteenth century seven bedroom farmhouse for his young family. Once arrived, he proceeded to acquire, and move to his property, the sizable old school house that served generations of Orient children. There in a tranquil, pastoral setting within minutes of ocean and bay beaches, and with the school house re-designed as his studio, that sculptor rose to prominence.
Robert Berks passed away in 2011. For nearly half a century, his Orient studio became the dynamic hub where world leaders, and great and accomplished figures from such diverse fields as science, literature and entertainment converged to have their likenesses forever captured in Berks distinctive Impressionist sculpted busts.
It was there in this great setting that this true Renaissance artist sculpted American presidents from Lincoln to Kennedy, and from Johnson to Nixon to Reagan. Dr. Martin Luther King was sculpted by Berks as were Pope Paul VI and Albert Einstein. Other subjects ranged from Ernest Hemingway to Leonard Bernstein, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Carson.
Described by the New York Times as “the Capital’s Michaelangelo,” Berks was the first sculptor to have his work featured on the cover of Time Magazine. His sculptures can be found in many prominent museums including the National Portrait Gallery. The artist’s full figure of Albert Einstein is the dominant feature of Washington’s memorial to the great thinker, his tableau of Mother Hale for NYC’s Hale House embodies the spirit of that inspirational place, while Berk's powerful bust of President John F. Kennedy is the centerpiece of the Capital’s Kennedy Center.
Only ninety miles from New York City, Orient and the adjacent Orient Point (home to the ferry that shuttles passengers to New England) remains a remote, almost magical place. A large percentage of the fewer than one thousand Orient residents include other prominent artists and accomplished individuals in diverse fields extending from publishing to the world of finance.
This unique, unreserved auction will be featuring the real estate propertyty itself with its handsome home and extraordinary studio on just under three open Orient acres, approx. two hundred examples of Robert Berks’ sculpture plus many paintings, drawings and other works of art by this multi-dimensional man.
Advance offers for the property could result in a pre-auction sale, so If you have interest in the real estate, please contact us at your soonest convenience. Real Estate brokers will be protected. We can easily arrange for a viewing at any time. And of course, we would be pleased to answer any other questions you might have.
If you have interest in the real estate, please contact us at your soonest convenience. We can easily arrange for a viewing at any time. And of course, we would be pleased to answer any other questions you might have. The auction will be conducted live at the Orient property while absentee bidders will be able to participate on Liveauctioneers.com or Invaluable.com.
HOME & STUDIO
The eastern end of Long Island, approximately 80 - 90 miles from New York City - has long been known for its beauty. Bordered by ocean and bay beaches, the area might well be America’s foremost destination for weekenders and those wishing to escape the hectic pace of city life.
Ending in two finger-like projections or “forks,” the Island’s South Fork contains the culturally rich and trendy towns collectively referred to as The Hamptons. The North Fork, originally a farming region, has seen a shift from fields of potatoes to lush, award-winning vineyards. As the land has evolved, so has the population. Today, the North Fork is home to accomplished and sophisticated people from every walk of life.
At the North Fork’s eastern-most end, just a few miles from the ferry that links travelers to New ‘England, is the beautiful hamlet of Orient. With fewer than a thousand residents, Orient is perhaps the least populated North Fork village. It is also, arguably, the North Fork’s most desirable spot.
On an expansive, open property set within the hamlet’s farmlands and just minutes from several pristine beaches, sculptor Robert Berks established his family’s homestead and studio. Now, for the first time in nearly sixty years, that property is for sale.
Originally built for the prominent Hallock family in 1867, the largely unrestored and quite sizable home (it has up to seven bedrooms), has beautiful features throughout. High ceilings, tall windows, and interesting arches and moldings just begin to give one a sense of a home that is very much a vision of centuries past.
In 1967, Robert Berks, a true Renaissance figure, took on the task of moving what had been the Orient School house (then a mile distant on the Main Road) to his property where he turned it into a large, picturesque and fully functional artist’s studio. Bolstering it with massive steel supports, adding greenhouse-like additions and installing a lift, the studio is now ready for another century of use, be it as an artist's or musician’s or a wide variety of other possible uses.
Together, the home and studio, on just under three spacious and beautiful Orient acres will, for its future owner, be a place to be treasured. Although the property is included in the late Spring, 2023 auction, Guernsey’s is making it clear that the Berks family will consider pre-auction offers which might result in the sale of the property and its removal from the auction block. Accordingly, should you have possible interest in this special place, please contact Guernsey’s to arrange for a private viewing.
Home
Studio
SCULPTURE
Robert Berks passed away in 2011. For nearly half a century, his Orient studio became the dynamic hub where world leaders, and great and accomplished figures from such diverse fields as science, literature and entertainment converged to have their likenesses forever captured in Berks distinctive Impressionist sculpted busts. Though artist Robert Berks was clearly best known for his sculptural works, through the years he built a solid inventory of paintings on canvas, and paintings and drawings on paper. Only occasionally exhibited locally, the artist made no effort to bring this art to the world’s attention. Hence, they remain largely unknown… until now. Those who would like to participate in this auction can view the full catalogue online, and leave advance absentee bids, as well as bid in real time as the sale is taking place at www.liveauctioneers.com and www.invaluable.com. All lots in the catalogue can be bid on through these online platforms prior to - and during - the auction, provided that the bidder has completed the separate online application process at Liveauctioneers.com or Invaluable.com. and been approved for bidding. Interested bidders should also review the Terms & Conditions, as well as the Bidder Agreement form, and the Absentee Bid form.
It was there in this great setting that this true Renaissance artist sculpted American presidents from Lincoln to Kennedy, and from Johnson to Nixon to Reagan. Dr. Martin Luther King was sculpted by Berks as were Pope Paul VI and Albert Einstein. Other subjects ranged from Ernest Hemingway to Leonard Bernstein, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Carson.
Described by the New York Times as “the Capital’s Michaelangelo,” Berks was the first sculptor to have his work featured on the cover of Time Magazine. His sculptures can be found in many prominent museums including the National Portrait Gallery. The artist’s full figure of Albert Einstein is the dominant feature of Washington’s memorial to the great thinker, his tableau of Mother Hale for NYC’s Hale House embodies the spirit of that inspirational place, while Berk's monumental figure of Supreme Court Judge Louis Brandeis presides of Brandeis University’s campus.
Of all Berks’ subjects, it was his work with the Kennedy family that the artist has become most associated with. Robert was so distraught by the assassination of President Kennedy, that he immediately began work on the bust that has become one of the most recognized pieces of art on the planet. Berks’s sculpted head of the late President has often been duplicated. Indeed, his eight foot tall monument is the centerpiece of Washington’s Kennedy Center. Berks later went on to sculpt Jospeh Kennedy and, sadly, Robert Kennedy when also was killed. The Robert Kennedy bust can be clearly be seen to the right of President Biden when he speaks from the White House.
When Robert Berks died in 2011, approximately two hundred of his sculptural works remained in his studio. There were maquettes (studies) for works in progress, unfinished examples, and completed versions of his work. Today they remain, about to become featured in the upcoming auction. There are examples in clay and plaster, bronze and resin - the rock-hard material the artist preferred.
Examples of Berks’ sculptures can be seen here. For those attending the auction in person, the work to be sold will all be on display in precisely the position it was found at the time of the artist’s passing. His now iconic figures, along with his occasional abstract work, will all be part of what certainly will be a memorable auction.
John F. Kennedy
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Ronald Reagan
ARTWORK
Many of Berks’ brilliantly colored Abstract Expressionist paintings are quite noteworthy, and we think It fair to assume that in the coming years, some of this art will end up in fine museums. The reader should be reminded that Robert Berks did these works at a time (1950’s and 1960’s) and in the same geographical space (eastern Long Island) where such famed artists as Jackson Pollack and Willem deKooning lived and worked.
The auction will contain nearly two hundred examples of Berks paintings and drawings, a few of which can be seen here.
ONLINE BIDDING
LINKS