Turf Stacks in the West by Paul Henry comes up as lot 18 at Whyte’s sale of Important Irish Art on November 28. Measuring 16″ x 24″ it is estimated at €120,000-180,000. In the catalogue note Dr. Mary Cosgrove writes: “The subject matter and style of this painting points to the 1930s as the date of production, by which time Henry’s work was regularly exhibited in London, New York and Boston as well as at home. It had also been reproduced on internationally distributed railway posters. Although depicting the harsh realities of deforestation, depopulation, emigration and unemployment that the artist knew only too well from working with the Congested Districts Board, Henry’s landscapes appealed to Irish-Americans during the Depression, achieving better prices than in Ireland during its own economic crisis.”
The catalogue cover lot is Louis le Brocquy’s Image of W.B. Yeats, which also comes with an estimate of €120,000-180,000. Viewing for the sale is underway in Dublin and the catalogue is online.
