Submitted by aarAdmin on Fri, 07/10/2020 - 00:00
Australia’s art auction world might have slowed because of the global coronavirus pandemic – but it is certainly not bowed.
Menzies held its first live auction since February 2020 on Thursday July 9 in Sydney with 38 committed buyers occupying reserved seating in its Kensington rooms and the remainder lining up to bid on the phone or via the internet.
“There was more online and phone bidding than usual and results were encouraging,” Menzies assistant art specialist Asta Cameron said.
The highest priced lot (29), Brett Whiteley’s Kurrajong 1981 – a fine example of his lyrical works in a less common vertical format, sold for a well-earned $875,000 including buyer’s premium on $700,000-$900,000 estimate.
The catalogue cover piece – Grace Cossington Smith’s Jug with Fruit in the Window (lot 28) – was even more spectacular, changing hands for $650,000 on a $300,000-$400,000 estimate, a fine result for a painting regarded as her most important work to be offered in the past five years at auction.
Charles Blackman was another Australian artist to fly with Boats at Williamstown (lot 26) bringing $225,000.
According to art specialist Tim Abdallah, the painting – from Blackman’s most sought after period (that of his Alice in Wonderland series) – is a must have acquisition for collectors, so it was no surprise to see it snapped up at the auction.
Aboriginal artist Lin Onus’s works are usually popular with auction goers and Mandiginingi (lot 31) was no exception, also going under the hammer for $180,000 ($225,000 with buyer’s premium) .
At $175,000 Garry Shead came in with the fifth top auction result for his Queen in Australia 1999 (lot 25), while another Blackman, Girl with Flowers, raced past its $60,000-$80,000 catalogue estimate to finish in the hands of the buyer for $112,500.
Tim Storrier, David Boyd, John Perceval and Frederick McCubbin all made the top 10 – Storrier for his Evening Fire Line (lot 33) at $66,250, Boyd for Explorer Thrown (lot 35) at $55,000, the same price as Perceval’s Fishermen and their Catch, Williamstown (lot 38) and McCubbin’s Cows Crossing McCauley Creek, Looking Towards Melbourne (lot 22) at $52,500.
The successful auction tenor was established from the opening lot when Jeffrey Smart’s Study for Redleaf roared past its $12,000-$16,000 estimate to change hands for $25,000.
Ray Crooke joined him on the same result with Family Resting by River (lot 10) and popular Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira’s Quarritana (lot 11) sold for $45,000 on a $20,000-$30,000 estimate.
Other above estimate results included Aboriginal artist Sally Gabori’s Dibirdibi Country (lot 14 - $18,750), Pablo Picasso’s Chouette aux Plumes (Feathered Owl) (lot 17 - $27,500), and three works by the Australian School (lot 44) showing Sydney Heads, Entrance to Port Jackson and View from Sydney Harbour of Government House and Fort Macquarie, which changed hands for $45,000 on an $8000-$12,000 catalogue estimate.
Konstantin Korovin’s Paris (lot 55 - $22,500) also figured in the strong results along with Robert Jacks’ Metropolis Revisited (lot 60 - $25,000), John Coburn’s Spring in the Air (lot 76 - $27,500) and Sali Herman’s Woolloomooloo Terraces (lot 79 - $22,500).
