La Chaise lorraine by Henri Matisse soared past its estimate at Sotheby’s in New York last night to sell for $48.4 million, the second highest price for any Matisse sold at auction. Four bidders competed for ten minutes for the work from the Barbier Mueller Collection. The Modern evening auction brought in $304 million, up 63% on the equivalent sale last May. This was the highest total for a Modern various owner sale since 2022. Picasso’s Arlequin (Buste) made $42.6 million and Van Gogh’s La Moisson en Provence made $29.4 million. Bidders from 31 countries took part.
GEORGIA O’KEEFFE – INSIDE CLAM SHELL MADE $8.9 million
Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) – Number 7A 1948 sold for $$181,185,000
Jackson Pollock, Constantin Brancusi and Mark Rothko propelled Christie’s to a record shattering sale in New York last night. Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S I Newhouse, co owner of Condé Nast, and the 20th Century evening sale totalled $1,121,126,500. The Newhouse collection made $631 million and sold 100% both by lot and value. The 20th Century sale made $490.3 million. After almost seven minutes of bidding, Pollock’s Number 7A, 1948 realised $181,185,000, nearly tripling the artist’s previous record. Brancusi’s Danaïde (circa 1913) inspired lively bidding before selling for $107,585,000. At the 20th Century evening sale Rothko’s No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe) made $98,385,000 setting a new record for the artist.
With bidders from around the world the evening set eight new records, including artist records at auction for Constantin Brancusi, Joan Miró, Alice Neel, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Records in medium were set for Henri Matisse, Aleksandr Rodchenko and Remedios Varo.
Together with three prior sales from Mr. Newhouse’s collection sold at Christie’s in 2018, 2019 and 2023, the Newhouse Collection reached a cumulative total of $1.05 billion, becoming the second highest in history after the collection of Paul Allen in 2022 — the only other collection to exceed $1 billion, also at Christie’s.
Roy Lichtenstein – Anxious Girl 1964 sold for $46,060,000
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for May 2, 2026)
Louis le Brocquy (1916-2012) – Travelling People 1945
This striking oil on hardboard by Louis le Brocquy is among the leading lots at Whyte’s sale of Important Irish Art on May 25. The estimate is €100,000-€150,000. The Traveller series which le Brocquy began in 1945 represented a breakthrough for the artist whose work over the decades involved a varied and deepening exploration of the human condition. For him, the Traveller group experienced exclusion based in prejudices for their difference from settled communities, and for their adherence to their nomadic way of life. Lot 45 at Whyte’s is one of the more significant examples from the series.
The auction, with works by Paul Henry, Jack Butler Yeats, Colin Middleton, Aloysius O’Kelly, Letitia Hamilton, John Luke, Kathleen Fox, Patrick Hennessy, Basil Blackshaw, Daniel O’Neill, John B. Vallely, Peter Curling, Cecil Maguire and many others, is now on view in Dublin.
A pair of circular gilt framed oval portraits (€1,500-€1,800), a heavily carved mahogany couch ( €1,000-€1,500) and a circular gilt mirror surmounted by an eagle will lend instant atmosphere to any interior. All can be found at Marshs online sale in Cork on May 23. A Georgian inlaid and crossbanded circular dining table (€1,000-€1,500), an early Georgian mirror door bureau bookcase (€700-€1,000), a Regency amboyna wood writing cabinet (€450-€500), sets of dining chairs and the law books from the library of a solicitors office in Cork are all available at Marshs, along with two sets of Italian Art Deco patio furniture, clocks, rugs, porcelain and interesting collectibles in a selection of 253 lots.
A pair of Irish George II style side tables with green marble tops. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
This pair of side tables is among the leading lots at Adam’s House to Garden auction in Dublin on May 19. The estimate is €12,000-€15,000. There are 470 lots of garden furniture, statuary and architectural salve in the sale. The catalogue is online.
A group photograph of students at Magdalen, Oxford, c. 1876 – Oscar Wilde is fifth from left on the second row with a dark top hat and facing the camera. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £5,308.80
An unrecorded photograph featuring Oscar Wilde has turned up in an auction of photographs, posters, postcards and autographs by Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Cirencester on May 20. Oscar arrived as an undergraduate in 1874 and graduated four years later, by which time he had become one of Oxford’s most recognisable figures, known for his wit and presence. The group photograph of students and teachers is estimated at £3,000-£5,000.
An exhibition Killarney davenport by James Egan. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A Killarney davenport exhibited at the RDS in the 19th century, a Cork silver coffee pot, a micromosaic panel of the Doves of Pliny, the Farnese bull and a French Empire eagle standard are among the collective delights at Sheppards Stradbally Hall sale in Co. Laois next on May 19-20.
The emphasis is on Irish country house provenance in an auction of great variety and more than 1,200 lots. It is on view at Stradbally Hall from today.
The most expensively estimated lots are a bronze of The Farnese Bull from the workshop of Antonio Susini (1543-1632) in Florence (€50,000-€80,000), a landscape dated 1792 by Claude Louis Chatelet (€45,000-€65,000), a pair of George III satinwood and marquetry cabinets on stands attributed to Ince and Mayhew (€40,000-€60,000), a Killarney davenport by James Egan purchased at the RDS exhibition in 1864 by the Corcoran family of Wexford (€40,000-€60,000) and a c1780 Adam breakfront bookcase from Temple House, Co. Sligo (€40,000-€60,000).
A George III Adam breakfront bookcase from Temple House UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Much more affordable, and highly collectible, is a 19th century grand tour micromosaic panel of doves after the celebrated Roman model of the Doves of Pliny in a gilt frame (€500-€800), a William IV rosewood and mother of pearl tea caddy (€150-€250) and a Napoleonic gilt bronze eagle standard from Dirk House in Co. Limerick (€500-€800) with provenance to Jean-Baptiste Lynch, Count of the first French Empire, Mayor of Bordeaux and peer of France who inherited the Chateau Lynch estate in 1779.
The 18th century Cork silver coffee pot is of baluster form. Made by Carden Terry it is estimated at €8,000-€12,000. Lot 242 is an 18th century portrait miniature of Lady Dunraven (€800-€1,200). A portrait of Norah Hill (1835-1920), Jane Austen’s Irish born grand niece, by John Joseph Slattery is estimated at €3,000-€5,000. A 19th century neo-classical statuary and white marble chimneypiece from Seafield House, Donabate is estimated at €5,000-€8,000 and an Adam chimneypiece is estimated at €8,000-€12,000.
John Joseph Slattery – Portrait of Norah Hill, Jane Austen’s Irish born grand niece UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A limited edition pair of lifesize Kingsale Hounds with bronze mounts on bases (€10,000-€15,000) heads up 67 lots of garden and outdoor pieces.
There is an estimate of €30,000-€50,000 on an 18th century Irish mahogany side table complete with lion mask. A pair of Irish William IV rosewood and gilt side tables (€20,000-€30,000), a Georgian two pillar dining table (€8,000-€12,000) and a William IV inverted breakfront serving table (€10,000-€15,000) hark back to the country house elegance of former times.
There is much to choose from in furniture from a Chinese Chippendale style four poster bed (€3,000-€5,000) and an 18th century Hepplewhite breakfront secretaire (€7,000-€9,000) to a Georgian brass bound plate bucket (€800-€1,200) and a pair of French Empire mahogany and parcel gilt torchéres (€800-€1,200). There are four classic cars, a Porsche 944 turbo, a 1997 Bentley Brooklands, a Lotus Elan and an Alfa Romeo sprinter. With estimates from €20 up the catalogue will reward a long slow perusal. The auction will take place at Stradbally Hall and online. It is divided into four segments for the convenience of buyers.
A baluster form dragon vase. UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,600 AT HAMMER
Mary Swanzy – Cubist landscape with trees c1927 UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR $35,200
Art by Evie Hone, Mary Swanzy, Louis le Brocquy, Gerard Dillon and Patrick Collins will be included in the sale of important fine art by Doyle New York next Wednesday (May 20). They are from the collection of Joseph M Murphy. A c1927 Cubist landscape with trees by Swanzy is, at $30,000-$50,000, (€25,420-€42,370) the most expensively estimated Irish lot. Composition with Guitar by Hone has an estimate of $20,000-$30,000 (€ 16,950-€25,420)while estimates for the other Irish pictures range from $6,000-$18,000 (5,080-€15,250).
A carved door from the Baule People UPDATE: THIS MADE 340 AT HAMMER
The Baule People from the Ivory Coast in west Africa are renowned for their artistry. A high relief carved door with figures and a large animal (€500-€1,000) at Gormleys auction of contents from Frankfort Castle, Dundrum, Dublin (once the home of hotelier P V Doyle) the evening of Tuesday May 19 is freighted with culture and centuries of tradition. The current owner recently sold the home after 30 years in residence. The auction offers a lifetime collection of antique furniture, tribal art and art by, among others, Patrick O’Reilly, Taylor Carson, Felim Egan and Craigie Aitchison. The most expensively estimated lot is an arresting still life entitled Joseph et ses Freres by Nathalie du Pasquier (€10,000-€15,000). The auction, curated by Niall Mullen, is now on view at Frankfort Castle.
Mark Rothko’s Brown and Blacks in Reds sold for $85.8 million at Sotheby’s white glove auction (100% sold by lot) of the collection of Robert Mnuchin in New York last night. It was the second highest price for a Rothko at auction. The Mnuchin collection made $166.3 million. The Now and Contemporary auction at Sotheby’s last night totalled €266.8 million, a 110% increase on last years sale. The combined total was $433.1 million. There were artists records for Kenneth Noland, Ding Shilun, Joseph Jaeger, Yu Nishimura and Florian Krewer.
The Mnuchin collection was characterised by deep bidding, averaging 12 bids per lot, with bidders participating from 24 countries. Artworks from the collection of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg totalled $50.7 million. The standout results continue a strong wave of 100% sold sales in recent months at Sotheby’s around the world, starting with the sale of the Karpidas collection in September last year, followed by six white-glove sales at Sotheby’s New York last season and further white-glove sales of Modern and Contemporary Art in Hong Kong and London in March.
(See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for April 5 and May 2, 2026)
