A Time Capsule at Auction: The Collection of Dr. Percival Eaton Jr.
On June 8 and June 18, Freeman’s | Hindman will offer a remarkable chapter in American collecting history through the sale of the family collection of Dr. Percival Eaton Jr.—an intimate and meticulously curated trove of fine art that spans the golden era of the Provincetown and Pittsburgh art scenes.
From Pittsburgh to Provincetown
Lot 23 | Frank H. Desch (American, 1873-1934) Portrait of Dr. Percival Eaton, 1928
Born in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1862, Dr. Percival Eaton Jr. distinguished himself early in both medicine and public life. After graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1888, his studies took him across Europe before he established his career in Pittsburgh in 1891. There, he helped develop the Children’s Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh’s pediatrics department—pioneering contributions that earned him widespread respect.
Yet Dr. Eaton’s passions extended well beyond the clinic. A devoted supporter of the arts, he served for decades as director and later president of the Pittsburgh Art Society. This lifelong dedication to cultural enrichment would flourish even further in retirement, when he and his wife, Emily Craft Eaton, relocated to Provincetown—a place that would become both his home and artistic sanctuary. Settling into a handsome brick home on Commercial Street—still a local landmark today—Dr. Eaton immersed himself in Provincetown’s vibrant creative community. As director and treasurer of the Provincetown Art Association (now PAAM), he played a vital role in shaping the town’s artistic legacy.
Lot 43 | Courtland L. Butler (American, 1871-1952) The Path to the Sea, Provincetown
A Lesson of American Art Collecting
In his home, Dr. Eaton cultivated a deeply personal collection—around fifty works in all, many of them small in scale but rich in narrative. Never before seen at auction or exhibited publicly, the collection now serves as a time capsule of early 20th-century American art and its intimate ties to place and memory.
Lot 94 | George William Sotter (American, 1879-1953) The Barn
Among the most significant works are tied to Eaton’s Pittsburgh years, including a stunning nocturne by George Sotter (A Winter Night, $50,000–80,000), showcasing the artist’s signature pearly blues and hushed elegance. The painting was once exhibited at the prestigious Carnegie Institute—an indicator of its historical and artistic importance.
The heart of the collection, however, lies in Provincetown. Works by colony luminaries such as Richard E. Miller, Gerrit A. Beneker, Frank H. Desch, and Henri Hensche reveal Dr. Eaton’s close personal relationships with the artists he admired. Miller’s Seated Lady ($10,000–15,000) captures a moment of quiet domestic glamour, while Desch’s formal Portrait of Dr. Eaton, draped in black with bold red lapels, offers a striking window into the collector’s stature and character. Equally poignant are portraits of Eaton’s daughter, Mary “Mimi” Groves, a student of Hensche, and her family—images that reinforce how deeply this collection was woven into the fabric of family life.
Lot 16 | Richard Edward Miller (American, 1875-1943) Seated Lady; Lot 13 | Frank H. Desch (American, 1873-1934) The Blueberry Pickers, c. 1920; Lot 26 | Frank H. Desch (American, 1873-1934)The Pink Bow (Portrait of Patricia Groves)
The collection also reveals Eaton’s cosmopolitan taste, including Sunday Morning, Québec by Canadian artist Clarence Alphonse Gagnon ($30,000–50,000) – a peaceful, yet colorful and lightly humoristic snowscape depicting lined up sleighs before the Sunday service, which speaks to Eaton’s broader cultural ambitions, and his desire to introduce international art to American audiences.
Lot 32 | Clarence Alphonse Gagnon (Canadian, 1881-1942) Sunday Morning, Québec, c. 1921
Reflecting on their great-grandfather’s legacy, Josh and Ned Groves shared: “Growing up with this collection was such a privilege. Our grandparents, parents, and aunt all cherished the paintings and treated them as members of the family. After the Provincetown house was sold, these works became a lasting connection to Provincetown’s arts community. We are happy that they will find new, appreciative homes.”