The lives and loves of the Yeats family will be illuminated in letters, works of art and personal effects to be sold at Sotheby’s in London on September 27. The sale of over 220 lots from one of Ireland’s most internationally known families of the 20th century comprises the personal effects of John Butler Yeats and his four children, poet W.B., embroidery designer Lily, printing press pioneer Lolly and artist Jack. Highlighting the collection is an archive of 133 letters from WB Yeats to his life long friend and first lover Olivia Shakespear spanning over 40 years from 1894 to 1936. They offer drafts of his poems, advice on her novels, his work, life and reading and changes in Irish society in a total of about 350 pages. The estimate is £250,000-350,000.
The Runaway Horse is the most valuable of the 35 artworks by Jack Yeats in the sale. It is estimated at £150,000-250,000. The auction contains the largest ever offering of works by John Butler Yeats (1839-1922) whose eleven sketchbooks depict his family, the Irish countryside and celebrated contemporaries and friends such as John O’Leary, Hugh Lane, Sarah Purser and Mary Walker. His final self portrait commissioned by the New York lawyer, collector and patron of the arts John Quinn in 1911 is estimated at £30,000-50,000.
The property is from the three children of Michael Yeats (WB’s son) from the family home near Dublin. The family have made many generous donations to the National Library over the years including the WB Yeats medal for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Series of 133 letters signed by WB Yeats to his friend and early lover Olivia Shakespear (250,000-350,000) UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
John Butler Yeats – Jack in a straw hat £10,000-15,000 UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 10,000
John Butler Yeats – Self Portrait, New York (30,000-50,000) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £87,500