A Nor’ Western Town by Yeats is the most expensively estimated Irish artwork at Sotheby’s upcoming sales of Irish art. The sales are being presented in two formats formats, ‘Modern British & Irish Art’ and ‘Irish Art’, as part of British and Irish Art sale week, uniting the best of Modern British, Scottish and Irish art.
The Irish works are highlighted by an important group of 17 paintings from The Collection of Sir Michael Smurfit,
formed over the course of thirty years. This offering forms the second instalment of Irish works from Sir Michael’s
collection to be presented at auction by Sotheby’s, following the sale of a group of pictures in the September 2020
Irish Art sale. The 17 works carry a combined pre-sale estimate of £1.1 – 1.7 million / €1.3 – 2 million.
In total, across both sales, over 70 Irish lots will be offered, spanning the 19th century to the present day and across
media from paintings to sculpture to ceramics. The sales feature many of Ireland’s most famous painters, including
Jack B. Yeats, John Lavery, William Orpen, Paul Henry, Louis le Brocquy and Gerard Dillon, alongside a diverse
selection of works by exciting contemporary artists, such as Heaven is a Place on Earth by Jack Coulter, recently
featured in Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30 Europe 2021/ Arts & Culture’. The majority of works on offer are emerging onto the market from long-held private collections, and many of them are making their first appearance at auction.
Modern British and Irish art, with nine Irish artworks, will feature at a live auction at Sotheby’s on November 23. An online auction of Irish art with 66 lots runs from November 17-23. They will be on display at the RHA in Dublin from November 18 – 23.
