Australian comedian Barry Humphries "Sunday art works" an auction highlight

A true icon of Australian comedy and satire, the late Barry Humphries (1934-2023) was famous for the comedic characters he created who became internationally famous in their own right – none more so than Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson.

Not only was Humphries a comedy genius, he also was a dab hand as an artist, often referring to himself as a “Sunday painter”.

Auction goers will be able to see for themselves when several of his “en plain air” paintings from the Edward Clark Collection are auctioned over two days from 10am Saturday May 24 and Sunday May 25 at Melbourne-based Leski Auctions 727-729 High Street, Armadale.

Clark first befriended Humphries in 1964 when he opened an antique shop in Melbourne and quickly found the latter’s advice on decorative arts invaluable.

In 1989, Clark held an exhibition of Humphries landscape paintings, that included several of his early works, at his Golden Crust Gallery in Armadale.

One was the signed original 1968 Willie Weeties painting that is listed as lot 1195 in Leski’s Australian & Historical sale.

The watercolour, pastel and gouache work is featured with three 1989 silkscreen versions (26, 27, and 28/100 – respectively lots 1198, 1197 and 1196). 

Another of his paintings, an oil on canvas entitled Bedarra Bay and Island (lot 1199), carries a catalogue estimate of $10,000-$15,000.

Lorne (lot 1200), a colourful rendition of the popular Victorian Surf Coast destination painted in 1981 should attract plenty of attention, while Bali (lot 1202) is a 1988 tribute to the popular Indonesian resort frequented by many Australian tourists.

Interesting is the 1981 colour photograph of Barry Humphries (lots 1201 and 1217) in bathers at work painting on a beach by renowned Australian social and social documentary photographer the late Rennie Ellis (1940-2003).

Well-known Australian artist Charles Blackman (1928-2018) recorded his conte on paper portrait version of Barry Humphries circa 1963-64 in Paris – featured as lot 1207 in the Leski auction.

Other aspects of the Edward Clark Collection include various posters advertising Humphries in his various comedic roles.

The auction also contains artworks from Willi and Kevin Carney, owners of the Borough Galleries which opened in 1977 at Eaglehawk near Bendigo and held its last exhibition in 2010. 

These include William Beckwith McInnes’s (1889-1939) painting Figure in Pool (Lot 1218) and Leonard French’s (1928-2017) Caged (lot 1227).

Among the auction’s historical categories are silver, convict era, scrimshaws and other maritime memorabilia, pottery, glass, furniture and jewellery.

An interesting silver item is Alexander Dick’s circa 1830s colonial Australian fish slice (lot 1). A similar example is in the National Gallery of Victoria collection.

Born in Edinburgh, silversmith Alexander Dick (1799-1843) arrived on October 16, 1824 in Sydney as a free settler and shortly after established his own business.

Four years later, with business booming and two silversmiths and two jewellers in his employ, Dick was accused of receiving stolen goods from the home of colonial secretary Alexander McLeay by assigned convict Alexander Robertson, smarting from 25 lashes instigated by his employer.

Dick was found guilty and sentenced to seven years imprisonment but pardoned in February 1833 after new evidence was found and returned to his Sydney business.

Famous for a comprehensive range of Classical Revival pieces made either by him or under his guidance, Dick also was involved Australia’s first claimed to be gold find when in 1834 Polish explorer John Lhotsky brought samples for him to process.

Fellow silversmith from the same era Felix Lynn has a circa 1830 rare colonial Australian silver taper stick and snuff engraved with the Greenway crest (lot 3), one of a handful of his pieces to survive to the present day, also in the auction.