Menzies Art Brands

Menzies is excited about the potential for a new artist auction record for Australian artist Del Kathryn Barton’s painting Openly Song 2014 (lot 33) at its first sale for 2020 from 6.30pm Thursday February 27 at 1 Darling Street, South Yarra.

Chief executive officer Justin Turner describes the painting, which has never been auctioned before, as the best of her works to come onto the secondary market.

As Menzies chief executive officer Justin Turner confidently predicts a continuing upward trend in Australia’s secondary art market – based on strong performances over the past 12 months – the auction house prepares itself for a Sydney sale on September 26 hoping to achieve more than $8 million in revenue if all goes well.

“The real estate market also appears to be turning and there are a lot more apartments for sale than there are good paintings (of which supply is finite),” he said.

Rod Menzies is not one to stand still when it comes to buying and selling art.

Over the years, the chairman of top 500 Australian company Menzies International and co-founder of Menzies Art Brands has purchased impressive works by many of Australia’s leading artists including such household names as Brett Whiteley, John Brack and Russell Drysdale.

Rare and substantial works by an accomplished Australian colonial artist, providing new perspectives on important aspects of mid-19^th century Australian art and life, will be auctioned from 6.30pm Thursday March 28 by Menzies at its Sydney gallery at 12 Todman Avenue, Kensington.

Thomas Tyrwhitt Balcombe (1810-1861) was a well-known colonial identity, field surveyor and professional artist who won many awards and medals for his efforts – and whose works until recently were few and far between.

Jeffrey Smart’s Bus by the Tiber 1977-78 (lot 37) is a major highlight of Menzies forthcoming art auction from 6.30pm Thursday August 9 at Menzies Sydney gallery 12 Todman Avenue, Kensington.

Described by Menzies managing director Cameron Menzies as one of Smart’s best compositions from his finest decade of artistic endeavour, Bus by the Tiber is a painting resplendent with primary colour and captivating geometry and makes its maiden appearance at auction.

Art auction house Menzies is celebrating its 20^th anniversary in style with a sale of carefully selected paintings that include such iconic Australian artists as Russell Drysdale and Jeffrey Smart.

It has been a successful art journey for executive chairman Rod Menzies who began his Melbourne operation as Deutscher~Menzies in Malvern before purchasing the current premises at 1 Darling Street, South Yarra a few years later.

While eye-catching sculptures in the grounds of Rod Menzies spacious Stonington Mansion greeted guests as they arrived for Melbourne’s special guest viewing of Menzies forthcoming Australian & International Fine Art & Sculpture auction, the usual display of major art works on easels in the foyer was notably absent.

Menzies chief executive officer Justin Turner is confident the company’s forthcoming auction could realise almost $10 million (including buyers’ premiums) when 154 art lots go under the hammer from 6.30pm Thursday August 10 at 1 Darling Street, South Yarra.

There are plenty of strong works by top line Australian artists to back up his claim, starting with the catalogue cover piece – Frederick McCubbin’s Pastoral 1904 – purchased in 1971 by the current owners’ family at auction in Melbourne and expected to sell for $500,000-$700,000. 

The best selection of Australian Impressionist paintings to appear for some time in a Menzies sale features Charles Conder’s The Fortune of War 1888 (lot 45).

Art lovers who visit Stonington mansion in Malvern over the next few days to view paintings earmarked for Menzies forthcoming February auction will be struck on entry by the strong colour and highly stylised rendering of modern urban life in French 20^th century master Fernand Léger’s 1943 work China Town, which takes pride of place in the foyer.