Heralded paintings by artist Osthaus no longer at Dana

Mar. 27--When a sale of hunting and fishing art at the legendary auction house Christie's was completed in New York late last year, one of the highlights was the price fetched by the work of an important Toledo artist of the early 20th century.

Waiting for Master, by Edmund Henry Osthaus, sold for $108,000, which was more than double some preauction estimates and a "world auction record for the artist," Christie's boasted in a news release shortly after the Dec. 8 sale.

But what the release didn't reveal was the identity of the seller of that painting and others in what Christie's described as an important private collection of works by Osthaus.

It was Toledo-based Dana Corp.

In the months before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection March 3, the auto parts supplier quietly sold the Osthaus paintings and "a few" works by other artists that decorated the firm's world headquarters in West Toledo for decades.

A company spokesman strongly denied that the sale was related to the filing three months later in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York.

"The sale of the art had absolutely nothing to do with bankruptcy," Chuck Hartlage said. "The decision to sell the art was made long before bankruptcy was being considered."

Proceeds from the Osthaus auction and other art sales "have been funneled to practical uses that actually generate a return," the spokesman added. Mr. Hartlage declined to identify other art that was sold.

By the late 1990s, Dana had amassed what was believed to be the largest local collection of works by the German-born Osthaus, who was described by Christie's as the "pre-eminent American sporting-dog artist."

For many years, the works of the artist, who died in 1928 at age 69, hung in the lobby of the firm's Dorr Street offices. The space was referred to as the "Osthaus gallery."

At Christie's December "sporting art" auction, 16 of the paintings sold for $661,000, according to art experts. The lowest price was $16,000. Four of the works brought in more than $50,000 each. Buyers weren't revealed.

"The superb group of works by Edmund Osthaus did very well," Clare Smith, Christie's assistant vice president and sporting art specialist, commented after the sale.

Osthaus came to Toledo from Wisconsin in 1885 at the invitation of Blade editor David Ross Locke to direct a local art academy.

Toledo retailer Rick Hyman, a collector who is a proponent of keeping works of local artists in Toledo, said he was sorry to see the Osthaus paintings leave the area.

But Dana "is a private entity and can do whatever it wants," he added.

It isn't uncommon for firms to sell art collected over the years, experts said.

"Oftentimes, collections either formally or informally are considered assets but nonperforming assets," said Dan Mills, a onetime corporate art curator who now directs the Samek Art Gallery at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa.

In many instances the works were purchased inexpensively years ago as an alternative to filling offices with decorative paintings and sculpture.

U.S. corporations began collecting art in large numbers in the late 1950s as a way to promote creativity among employees and create an enriching environment, said Judith Jedlicka, president of the nonprofit Business Committee for the Arts Inc. in New York.

In many instances, the value of the art has risen greatly. "It's a business decision to sell the art," Ms. Jedlicka said. "It's like closing down a facility or a manufacturing center. ... The company decides, 'We don't need this for our business operations any longer.' "

As for Dana, she said: "If they're in Chapter 11, I would venture to say they've done a heck of a lot more than sell off a select number of art works."

Contact Gary Pakulski at: gpakulski@theblade.com or 419-724-6082.

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