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  • Archive for May, 2010

    NEW WORLD AUCTION RECORD

    Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

    PICASSO'S Nude, Green Leaves and Bust made a new world record for a work of art when it sold at auction in New York on May 4, 2010

    Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” made $106,482,500 million at Christie’s in New York on Tuesday evening May 4, a new world record for a work of art sold at auction.

    The large-scale painting of Picasso’s mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter was the highlight of a world-class collection assembled by the late Los Angeles art patrons Frances and Sidney Brody.

    The sale is a strong indicator of growing confidence in a recovering art market. Nude, Green Leaves and Bust was estimated at between $70 million and $90 million. The previous record of $104.3 million was set in February by Giacometti’s “Walking Man I” at Sotheby’s in London.

    There were 69 works on offer in this sale and 56 of them found buyers.  The sale total was  $335,548,000  or 258,317,960 euros.

    Some fund managers who specialise in alternative assets have predicted that art prices will rise by about 40 per cent in the next two years.

    Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

    WEBB AT WOODWARDS IN MAY

    THIS landscape by Kenneth Webb is among the lots at Woodwards on May 12 (click on image to enlarge)

    GOOD quality art and furniture features at the Woodwards sale in Cork on Wednesday May 12 at 6 p.m.
    The top art lots are a landscape by Kenneth Webb estimated at
    6,000-7,000 and an archetypal image by Arthur Armstrong estimated at 3,000-4,000.

    The main furniture lots are a pair of Sheraton inlaid demi-lune side
    tables,  a Georgian bureau bookcase, a twin pillar mahogany dining
    table, a Georgian rosewood library table and a Georgian chest on chest all estimated at 2,000-3,000.

    The sale includes 220 lots from five residences in Cork city and west
    Cork. Among the furniture is an Irish Georgian Sheraton inlaid bowfronted sideboard (700 – 1,000), a Georgian inlaid corner display  cabinet (1,500 – 2,000),  a Sheraton secretaire (1,000-2,000),  a Georgian teapoy (700-1,000), a Regency rosewood card table (1,000-1,600), a Georgian kneehole desk (1,000 – 1,500), a Georgian side cabinet (700 – 1,000), a William IV dwarf bookcase (200-300), a Georgian walnut lowboy (500-800), a Georgian linen press (500 -1,000), a pair of Victorian hall chairs (300-500), an inlaid Georgian cellarette (300-500), a Georgian bowfront chest of drawers (600-900) and a rosewood circular dining table (1,000-2,000).

    There is a William Harrington drawing of Cornmarket St., Cork
    (1,000-2,000), as well as works by Robert Ballagh, George Campbell, John Morris and others.

    Viewing is from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday May 8 and 9 and  from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, May 10, 11 and 12.

    WHAT PRICE ROMANTIC HIDDEN KERRY?

    Romantic Hidden Kerry by Thomas F. O'Sullivan, published by The Kerryman in 1931

    THE top lot at the Tralee Book Sale on May Bank Holiday Monday was  Romantic Hidden Kerry, by Thomas F. O Sullivan.

    The first edition hardcover published by the Kerryman  in 1931 made a hammer price of  550.

    A leather bound volume entitled “Killarney Legends” edited by T. Crofton Croker Esq. 1831  made 120 plus buyers premium.
    The sale also included some modern signed first editions and Irish language books, postcards, ephemera, medals and militaria.

    The book sale was a new departure for auctioneer Tom O’Connell.  He reports that though the crowds were much smaller than at his regular general auctions there was a good deal of interest over the internet, with internet bidders from all over the country.

    Depending on availability of suitable items he is planning to do this sort of sale, including Irish language books, about three times a year from now on.

    Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

    The first Wednesday of May spring evening sale of Impressionist and Modern Art at Sotheby’s New York brought a total of $195,697,000.

    Forty-three works achieved prices over $1 million, ten works exceeded $5 million, four works brought prices over $10 million, and two works sold for over $15 million. The sale was 87.7% sold by lot and 92.4% sold by value.  Asian buyers took four of the top ten lots.

    Two artist records were set: Isamu Noguchi’s Undine (Nadja) made $4,226,500 and Salvador Dalí’s Spectre du soir sur la plage made $5,682,500.

    The evening’s top price was achieved by Henri Matisse’s spectacular Bouquet pour le quatorze juillet, the artist’s emotional celebration of the first Bastille Day following World War I, which made $28,642,500.