John Moran Auctioneers

John Moran Auctioneers is a Southern California-based auction house and appraisal company that conducts monthly sales of fine art, jewelry, silver, period furnishings, and tangible estate property. They specialize in American paintings and sculpture, particularly California plein-air Impressionism and Regionalist watercolors, which are sold to the public in their 'California and American Art' Auctions, held thrice annually.

Background

Founded in 1969, Moran’s currently services the greater Los Angeles area, conducting sales in Pasadena, California, while maintaining offices in nearby Altadena. John Moran remains the family-owned-and-operated company’s president and principal salesman, and is considered among California’s most experienced fine art auctioneers. Moran’s free public auctions are held at the Pasadena Convention Center, and important items are simultaneously offered worldwide over the internet via 'ArtFact Live!'. Moran’s main sources of merchandise are private collections, trusts, estates, and, occasionally, museums. One of the largest estates the company has handled comprised over 20,000 items and took over one year to liquidate.

California Art

Recognized as one of the premiere venues for the sale of California and Western United States art, Moran's has offered specialized sales in this collecting area since 1990. On June 19, 2001, they became the first auction house to publicly sell a California painting in excess of $1 million, when ‘Early Morning, Summertime’ by Guy Rose, realized $1,210,000 (including buyer’s premium). They subsequently established many other new auction records for renowned California landscape art painters, such as Granville Redmond, whose ‘Eucalyptus with Poppies and Lupine’ sold for $517,500 (including buyer’s premium) on February 20, 2007.

Records with other American Artists

John Moran has also established sales records for American artists outside California, including the 19th century New Jersey artist John F. Peto, whose ‘Old Time Letter Rack’ sold for $805,000 (including buyer’s premium); and Russian-American Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955), whose oil-on-canvas portrait, ‘The Wood Engraver’, achieved a record hammer price of $950,000, on February 19, 2008.

In addition to its auction venues and appraisal practice, Moran's coordinates what it calls related 'concierge-level services'; including the insurance, packing, shipping and storage of property; restoration and framing for fine art, charitable donations and liquidator referrals.

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