Birger Sandzén’s Cedar and Red Rocks Achieves $130,900 at Circle Auction

In 2019, Circle Auction realized one of the strongest public sales for a Birger Sandzén painting in recent years. Cedar and Red Rocks, a 36″ x 48″ oil on canvas capturing the iconic red sandstone formations of Garden of the Gods, sold for $130,900 (including buyer’s premium), against a $80,000–$120,000 estimate. This six-figure result places the painting in the top 10% of Sandzén auction records, affirming both the demand for his work and Circle Auction’s role as a trusted venue for significant regional art.

The Artwork: Cedar and Red Rocks and Its Place in Sandzén’s Oeuvre

Painted around 1922, Cedar and Red Rocks exemplifies Birger Sandzén’s hallmark style: thick, expressive impasto, vibrant color harmonies, and a majestic rendering of the American West. The scene depicts a lone cedar tree growing through the fiery red sandstone cliffs of Garden of the Gods near Manitou, Colorado, a location the artist returned to often in both oils and prints.

This composition closely relates to Sandzén’s Red Rocks and Cedars in the Garden of the Gods (1922–23), which is part of the Spencer Museum of Art’s permanent collection. It also appears as the subject of a drypoint etching (Red Rocks and Cedars, Greenough Drypoint #3), showing how central this landscape was to Sandzén’s creative vision.

Measuring 36″ x 48″, the scale of Cedar and Red Rocks contributes to its visual impact, and its desirability at auction. Larger Sandzén oils rarely come to market, and when they do, they command competitive bidding from collectors and institutions alike.

A Record-Tier Result for Sandzén’s Work

While many Birger Sandzén paintings sell in the $10,000–$50,000 range, only a handful break into six figures. The $130,900 result for Cedar and Red Rocks places it among the top 10% highest prices ever realized for his work at auction.

This result reflects:

• The exceptional condition and scale of the piece

• Its direct provenance from the Sandzén estate

• The enduring popularity of his Garden of the Gods subjects

• The increasing recognition of Sandzén as a foundational figure in American regionalism

For collectors, this result underscores the market’s appetite for top-tier Sandzén oils and positions Circle Auction as a trusted platform for consigning them.

What Makes Sandzén’s Garden of the Gods Paintings So Valuable

Birger Sandzén’s paintings of Colorado’s red rock formations are among his most coveted subjects. These works combine bold, Fauvist-inspired color with the rugged drama of the Western landscape. Collectors prize them for their:

• Signature brushwork: heavy, sculptural impasto that gives his paintings a three-dimensional quality

• Luminous palette: rich purples, oranges, and greens that bring the rock formations and cedar trees to life

• Cultural significance: Sandzén’s unique blend of Swedish artistic heritage and American landscape traditions

• Rarity: especially in large formats, works like Cedar and Red Rocks are increasingly scarce on the market

When paintings of this caliber appear at auction, they often generate strong competition among private collectors, museums, and Sandzén scholars.

Email our team at info@circle-auction.com, call us at 913-403-0032, or follow the evaluation link below. Whether your painting was inherited, purchased directly from the artist, or discovered tucked away in a collection, we would love to learn more about it.

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