Menzies Art Brands

With the aim of achieving a new auction record for contemporary artist Del Kathryn Barton – at the same time moving her into the category of the only living female Australian painter to reach more than $1 million for one of her auction works – Menzies is holding a single-lot sale from 6.30pm Thursday November 27 in its Sydney gallery at 12 Todman Avenue, Kensington.  

If this occurs, it will more than double Barton’s existing auction record of $430,000 hammer price or $527,727 including buyer’s premium.

While many of Australian icon Brett Whiteley’s (1939-1992) paintings are well-known to the secondary art market, every now and again one that hasn’t been seen for years comes into contention.

Such a work is Sketch of a Magnolia 1977 – a vibrant still life held in the same family collection since its acquisition in 1978 from Melbourne’s Joseph Brown Gallery.

The painting is a major feature (lot 41) of Menzies forthcoming auction from 6.30pm Wednesday August 20 at Menzies Gallery, 1 Darling Street, South Yarra.

Fifty-seven-year-old leading Australian artist Lisa Roet is fascinated with the relationship between humans and primates, travelling to remote areas in Borneo to further her knowledge, and unashamedly uses the monkey as the muse for her sculpture creations.

Based in Melbourne, one of her ape sculptures is part of the famous McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery near the outer suburb of Frankston.

When Australian art scene icon Brett Whiteley (1939-1992) arrived in February 1960 in Rome on an Italian Government Travelling Scholarship, he was not quite 21 years old.

After brief stints in Paris – where he met his muse and future wife Wendy – and Florence, in November that year they moved to London and the now legendary Ladbroke Grove of Notting Hill.

Australian art auction house Menzies has a knack for firsts when it comes to major art sales.

It’s 6.30pm Wednesday November 20 Melbourne auction at 1 Darling Street, South Yarra is no exception – with a work by iconic Australian modern artist Jeffrey Smart (1921-2013) entitled The Cable Coils 2000-01 (lot 38), carrying an estimate of $650,000-$850,000 and featuring on the catalogue front cover, making its first auction appearance.

Collectors will have the opportunity to remember Bruce Armstrong, one of Australia’s most important sculptors who died earlier this year aged 67, when Menzies online auction of Prints & Multiples closes from 6.30pm on Wednesday August 28.

His bronze sculpture entitled The Cricketer, conceived in 1987 and cast in 2021, (lot 14) is among more than 80 works on offer from some of Australia’s best artists.

Always seen as one of Australia’s leading modern 20^th century artists, Sidney Nolan (1917-1992) became a household name through his stunning depictions of infamous outlaw and bushranger Ned Kelly who, dressed in his legendary iron suit of armour for a shootout with Victorian police at Glenrowan, was hanged aged 25 on November 11, 1880 at Old Melbourne Gaol.

With no million-dollar estimate paintings at its March 27 Melbourne auction, Menzies is relying on the pulling power of iconic Australian artists Charles Blackman (1928-2018) and Brett Whiteley (1939-1992) to bring buyers through the doors of its recently renovated 1 Darling Street, South Yarra premises for a 6.30pm start.

Blackman’s Day Dream 1958 (lot 33) carries the auction’s highest catalogue estimate of $200,000-$250,000.

Menzies chairman and head of private sales Cameron Menzies is chuffed to be celebrating the company’s 25 years in the art auction industry and its 100^th sale by auctioning 36 paintings belonging to the ANZ Bank collection – given that, as one of the big four Australian banks, it has always been such a staunch presence in its business aspirations.

“These paintings are representative of its Australia-wide and international collection which numbers several hundred works,” he said.