A strong French theme is evident in E.J. Ainger’s forthcoming weekly sale with a large selection of walnut and oak armoires and tallboys, double beds and a trumeau mirror from the European nation all up for grabs.

The auction, from 9.30am Tuesday May 30 at 433 Bridge Road, Richmond, also offers retro teak sideboards, leather top desks and drop front bureaus, a pair of Chesterfield armchairs and several large four-door wardrobes.

A new series of curated contemporary art auctions – the only one of its kind in Australia – has been introduced by Mossgreen.

The first in the series will be held from 6.30pm Sunday May 28 at its Sydney premises 36-40 Queen Street, Woollahra.

Mossgreen has teamed up with contemporary art auction consultant Melissa Loughnan to help with the sale, which includes key works created after 1970 by Australian and New Zealand contemporary artists.

Gabriele and Caterina De Meneghi landed in Australia with nothing but a couple of leather suitcases as part of the post World War II Italian immigration push, full of hope and more than a little trepidation.

Arriving on March 27, 1960 aboard La Flamina and docking at Port Melbourne, Gabi had been a member of the Italian partisans and was looking forward to a better life for his wife and two young children away from war-torn Europe.

Initially, the family settled in Noble Park and almost immediately his passion for collecting began.

A rare colour aquatint on paper by French artist Pierre Soulages called Untitled 1957 is one of the major attractions at Leonard Joel’s forthcoming Specialist Prints & Photography auction from 11.30am Thursday May 18 at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra.

Born in 1919 in Rodez, Aveyron, Soulages is known as “the painter in black” owing to his interest “both as a colour and non-colour”.

According to Soulages, when light is reflected on black, it transforms and transmutes it, opening a mental field all its own.