Submitted by aarAdmin on Fri, 11/24/2023 - 00:00
When he was alive, John Brack (1920-1999) certainly used his time while head of the Melbourne’s National Gallery School, now the site of the State Library Victoria, to great effect.
Lunchtimes were often spent walking around the city observing commercial shopfront displays of various businesses.
One of the results of these endeavours was the painting entitled Wig Shop Window, 1974 (lot 14) which sold on November 22 at Deutscher and Hackett’s Sydney auction for $797,727 including buyer’s premium – easily within its catalogue estimate range and with one telephone bid of $650,000 – having originally been acquired in the 1970s by fellow painter Leonard William French directly from the artist.
The auction realised $6,195,273 with buyers’ premiums, with 84 per cent of the paintings selling – 100 per cent by value.
Seven excellent Ian Fairweather (1891-1974) works (lots 5-12), all belonging to Australian art scene pioneers Joe and Rose Skinner who in 1958 established the commercial Skinner Galleries in Perth, Western Australia, sold well within or above their catalogue estimates.
The gouache on paper works mainly feature scenes from Soochow and Foochow, cities based in mainland China – the latter the capital of Fujian Province.
The first three of the Fairweather paintings each sold for $98,182 and include Cornsifting, Soochow 1945-47, Canal, Foochow 1945-47 and Landscape with Horses c1936.
Rosalie Gascoigne (1917-1999) featured prominently with The Fall, 1981 (lot 18) which changed hands for $490,909 – again easily within its catalogue estimate range.
Another popular auction artist is Cressida Campbell and her Interior with Red Ginger, 1998 (lot 17) was another pleasing result, bringing an above estimate $331,364 and Spotted Gums, 1999 (lot 16) a within estimate $165,682.
Other notable works included Margaret Preston’s (1875-1963) Phlox, 1925 (lot 1) that sold for an on target $270,000 when the buyer’s premium is taken into consideration.
Albert Tucker (1914-1999) is a proven auction performer and Explorer Evening, 1965 (lot 20) was no exception, selling for $220,909.
Spanish legend Pablo Picasso’s (1881-1973) coloured crayon on paper entitled Nu Assis, 1962 (lot 36) didn’t quite reach its catalogue estimate but still changed hands for a credible $177,955.
Additional highlights include John Glover’s (1767-1849) Study of Oak Trees, c1840 and Carrol Jerrems (1949-1980) silver gelatin photograph entitled Vale Street, 1975 – each bringing $171,818.
