Online Melbourne art auction should help first time buyers

Buyers wanting to dabble in art for the first time should head to Melbourne-based Gibson’s Auctions Summer Art sale – its first online auction for the year – for an affordable start to their collections.

The auction, at 885-889 High Street, Armadale, will close from 10am Wednesday February 23 and features works by such Australian indigenous and internationally famous artists as Freddie Timms, Charles Blackman, Judy Cassab, John Perceval Leonard French, Rick Amor and Sidney Nolan.

One of the paintings – a work entitled Still Life – Magnolia and Michaelangelo circa 1947 (lot 62) by Noel Rubie (1901-1976) – was bequeathed and donated to the ‘Rice for Cambodia’ charity and all proceeds will be donated to this organisation.   

Two works by Freddie Timms (circa 1944-2017) – Owl Dreaming 1998 (lot 47) and Kurrirr Kurrirr circa 2006 (lot 49) – each carry the top auction estimate of $2000-$4000, with Singer’s painting Istanbul (lot 67) listed at $1000-$1500.

Sidney Nolan (1917-1992) has several works in the auction including Greece (lot 55), Figure and Desert Flowers (lot 54) and Descent From the Cross or Gallipoli Soldier 1960 (lot 57).

Robert Hague is another entry with his lithograph Trojan Hammer 2013 (lot 4) along with Aboriginal artist Hector Jandany’s (circa 1929-2007) Naraguhn (Hector’s Dreaming) (lot 51).

Lot 68, Geoffrey R Mainwaring’s (1912-2000) Studio Models 1978, is a strong attraction and Phyl Waterhouse’s (1917-1989) Old Houses, North Melbourne (lot 78) a reminder of the city’s early beginnings.

For lovers of Leonard French (1928-2017), The Chalice No. II Design 1964 (lot 53) could be right up their alley while Chris Kandis has an interesting painting entitled Phillip Island 2010 (lot 76).