Rich auction pickings in art and antiquities at Melbourne sale
Author: Richard Brewster | Posted: 11th March, 2022
It is rich pickings for collectors of art, antique furniture and historic antiquities at Christian McCann Auctions forthcoming onsite Melbourne sale with paintings and collectables that have never before seen the insides of an auction room.
The auction, which is in two parts at 31 Gordon Street, Hampton, begins at 12pm on Sunday March 20 – with the second section featuring Stewart Macciolli’s collection of Roman and Grecian antiquities and collectables designed for the late 1600s and 1700s Grand Tour market starting at 4pm.
A collector since his teenage years, Stewart developed a passion for ancient Rome treasures while travelling with his parents throughout Italy.
Stories of “The Grand Tour” – a time when mainly young Englishmen travelled on exploration and learning expeditions of Europe – long fascinated him.
As a result, Stewart started collecting look-alike antiquity artworks created as souvenirs for Grand tour travellers – and 50 items from his collection will be offered in the auction.
Key pieces include 2nd-3rd century AD Roman marble torso of Artemis (Diana) (lot 40) and, from the same period, a Roman marble mosaic panel (lot 44).
Other major items feature a Greek revival Attic red-figure Stamnos (lot 12) – on one side a fight scene with five males, one on the ground attacked by two men with sticks and clubs while two others intervene – on the other a fight scene with five figures including two nude men moving towards a wounded man with drapery being assisted by another and a female between them.
Lot 21, an 18th century Canosan painted Askos with bulbous body and tall spout, is another strong attraction.
Part one of the auction showcases a plethora of quality paintings and antiques from the property as the owners prepare to downsize.
Ethel Carrick Fox’s (1872-1952) Choosing a Bouquet,c1930 (lot 1) kicks off the auction in fine style with never before seen on the secondary market James Gleeson’s (1915-2008) The homecoming of Agamemnon, 2001 (lot 13), and Charles Blackman’s (1928-2018) Red and Yellow Jonquils, c1958 (lot 58) a boon for collectors.
Howard Arkley’s (1951-1999) Ornamentik, 1981 (lot 92) is another major find with plenty of other paintings to consider.
There are many antique clocks in the auction, none finer than an exceptional French Regence black and white marble mantel version (lot 64).
The furniture has to be seen to be believed, with none more eye-catching than the exhibition quality 19th century French kingwood vitrine (lot 44) or the outstanding 19th century French carved giltwood nine-piece salon suite with silk damask upholstery (lot 55).
