Thomaston Place Auction Galleries is hosting its most significant auction of the year this weekend, featuring an extraordinary collection of eight original works by three generations of the renowned Wyeth family alongside a valuable Andy Warhol print. The four-day Summer Grandeur sale includes more than 1,500 diverse objects, but the highlight comes on Sunday with paintings by N.C. Wyeth, his son Andrew Wyeth, and grandson Jamie Wyeth, with estimated values ranging from $30,000 to $500,000.

Kaja Veilleux, owner and auctioneer of the gallery, emphasized the rarity of having all three Wyeth generations represented in a single sale. "The only other place you could find that many is if you go to one of the museums in Maine," Veilleux said. All eight Wyeth works come from the estate of the late Linda L. Bean, granddaughter of L.L. Bean founder Leon Leonwood Bean, who was an avid art collector and close friend of the Wyeth family.

The collection includes two significant oil paintings by illustrator N.C. Wyeth. One depicts his house in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, from around 1920, while the other is "Custer's Last Stand," a 1930 painting portraying a scene from the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. The latter piece bears a personal inscription "To Martin Pyle from NCW," adding to its provenance and value.

Five works by Andrew Wyeth, celebrated for his realistic scenes, form the centerpiece of the collection. The most valuable piece is "Gone Ashore," a watercolor depicting a figure in a sunlit bedroom, estimated to fetch between $400,000 and $500,000. Veilleux described the masterpiece enthusiastically: "There's a window open, there's a slight breeze coming through her hair and over her shoulder, the sunlight coming through the window. It's a masterpiece of Andrew Wyeth's figural painting of that period."

Representing the third generation, Jamie Wyeth contributes "Star" (1999), a mixed-media work featuring one of his favorite subjects – a seagull. The younger Wyeth's inclusion is particularly fitting, as the auction also features work by his good friend Andy Warhol. However, the Warhol piece has a completely different origin story than the carefully curated Wyeth collection.

The Andy Warhol print of Marilyn Monroe came to the auction house through what Veilleux calls "a lucky break." A seller who had purchased a storage unit brought a wooden crate to one of Thomaston Place's free appraisal days, a longtime tradition for the gallery. "We unscrewed the crate, and there it was," Veilleux recalled. "Lo and behold, in this original Plexiglas protective frame, was this Andy Warhol of Marilyn." The 1967 screenprint, signed in pencil and numbered 13 out of 250 from a portfolio of 10 prints, carries an auction house estimate of $30,000 to $40,000, though Veilleux believes it could sell for as much as $100,000.

The Summer Grandeur sale represents an unusually ambitious undertaking even for Veilleux, who has been in the auction business for more than four decades. While his summer sales typically run three days, this four-day extravaganza is unprecedented in scale. The diverse inventory includes antique furniture, contemporary artwork, a 1989 limousine, a 1956 Ford Thunderbird, and even a metal model of a boat used in the production of the 1925 film "Ben Hur."

The logistical challenge of the extended sale requires careful preparation from Veilleux and his staff, who must monitor bids coming in by phone, online, and in person. With items selling every 35 to 40 seconds during active periods, the pace is relentless. "I try to have a decent night's sleep and a good breakfast," Veilleux said, "because I won't eat again once I start for eight hours." The weekend promises to be a significant event for both the auction house and collectors seeking rare opportunities to acquire works by some of America's most celebrated artists.