County Auction, Cavendish, c.1940

There is a touching personal note in the auction scene by Irwin Hoffman– he included his mother in the composition. Her name was Minna, and she is the woman holding a folded sweater at the far left of the canvas.

Each of the of outdoor auction paintings in The Orton Collection each tells a different story about the place where the auction is happening. In this scene, the auctioneer is standing on the back bed of a large truck as his stage, and the eagerness of the crowd to get a close look at the goods is evident. The 48-star American flag and the small children in the open hayloft door above imply a certain optimism. This farm might not be going entirely out of business, and that perhaps this is just an auction of odds and ends no longer needed or wanted to raise a little extra cash.

No longer a common weekend pursuit in the online auction era, Hoffman likely went to many country auctions like this one during his time in Vermont – they were, above all else, entertaining.

Hoffman likely enjoyed many country auctions like this one during his time in Vermont. No longer a common weekend pursuit in the online auction era, they were, above all else, entertaining.