Deutscher and Hackett

Two magnificent collections of Australian Aboriginal art are the backbone for Deutscher and Hackett’s first stand-alone Aboriginal art auction in Melbourne for some time from 7pm Wednesday March 18 at 105 Commercial Road, South Yarra.

Three of the more valuable works catch the eye in Deutscher and Hackett’s forthcoming Melbourne art auction from 7pm Wednesday November 27 at 105 Commercial Road, South Yarra as much for the diversity of the subject matter as for the nationality of the artists behind them.

The first is Yellow Legs, 1969 (lot 13) by iconic Australian artist John Brack (1920-1999) – one of the country’s leading modernists.  

One of Australia’s largest private collections of Roy de Maistre paintings will be offered for auction from 7pm Wednesday August 28 by Deutscher and Hackett at Sydney’s Cell Block Theatre, National Art School in Forbes Street, Darlinghurst.

Part of Glen Iris couple the late Ken and Joan Plomley collection of modernist art and comprising the first 36 lots in the auction, the paintings were assembled largely because of the former’s close connection with the de Mestre family through his great-uncle Etienne de Mestre, Roy’s father.

Among the prolific offering of quality works by leading Australian artists at Deutscher and Hackett’s forthcoming art auction from 7pm Wednesday April 10 at Sydney’s National Art School in Forbes Street, Darlinghurst, is a small number of paintings from the estate of Singapore-based Australian architect, the late Kerry Hill.

Hill, who died after a short battle with cancer in August last year aged 75, was well feted by his profession – winning the Australian Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal in 2006 and the Singapore President’s Design Award four years later.

In hindsight, it was probably a stroke of luck that two young French artists were the only ones left of the five who in 1800 left France with French explorer Nicolas Baudin on a “Voyage de decouvertes aux terres australes” (Voyage of discovery to Terra Australis).

Three of the artists jumped ship when the two vessels, Geographe and Naturaliste, reached Mauritius as Baudin faced a wholesale exodus of scientists and sailors – eventually rejigging his crews before sailing for what is now Cape Leeuwin on the Western Australian coast. 

A generous philanthropist and supporter of the arts, Australian media proprietor the late James Fairfax spent many years donating art works to major Australian institutions such as the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the National Gallery of Victoria.

In 1841, his grandfather John Fairfax founded the Sydney-based media empire known today as Fairfax Media.

James Fairfax, who died in January this year aged 83, used both his publishing business and extensive business travels to build an extensive and iconic art and decorative arts collection.

Deutscher and Hackett will auction part III of the Laverty Collection from 7pm Wednesday April 5 at the Cell Block Theatre, National Art School, Forbes Street, Darlinghurst in Sydney.

Passionate art collectors for many years, Colin and Liz Laverty’s collecting lives were turned upside down in 1988 when they attended the World Expo in Brisbane.

It was there they were captivated by a large group of Aboriginal Papunya Tula paintings on display.

Back in Sydney, they set about gaining as much knowledge as possible about Aboriginal art through books and catalogues.

Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly – Outlaw, 1955 carries the highest estimate ($1.2-$1.8 million) of the iconic works among the Robert Gould Collection earmarked for auction through Deutscher and Hackett from 7pm Wednesday March 15 at Sydney’s National Art School in Forbes Street, Darlinghurst.

Fascinated by the 19^th century bushranger’s exploits, Nolan’s depiction of Kelly’s armoured mask as a black square has become internationally recognised.

Works from several family collections highlight Deutscher and Hackett’s forthcoming Important Fine Art and Aboriginal Art Sydney auction from 7pm Wednesday December 2 at Cell Block Theatre, National Art School in Forbes Street, Darlinghurst.

The first 20 lots belong to Sydney’s Ure Smith family and are of great historical significance.

Colin McCahon’s work Paul to Hebrews 1980 is one of the more fascinating pieces of art to be auctioned from 7pm Wednesday May 6 by Deutscher and Hackett at 105 Commercial Road, South Yarra.

Comprising written passages from the Bible on three sheets of Steinbach paper using synthetic polymer paint, the painting is one of two biblical texts that dominated the final period of McCahon’s oeuvre (the first being a Letter to the Hebrews in the 1970s).