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  • Archive for October, 2010

    PATRICK O’REILLY, IRISH SCULPTOR

    Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

    A cathedral of cans by Patrick O'Reilly. (click to enlarge)

    Gossip by Patrick O'Reilly. (click to enlarge)

    A twenty five foot cathedral constructed from over 5000 empty baked bean tin cans takes pride of place at an exhibition by Patrick O’Reilly at the Oliver Sears Gallery, Molesworth St., Dublin.  “Six Impossible things before Breakfast” is the title of the bronze and metal objects exhibition. It is borrowed from a famous passage in Alice in Wonderland. Kilkenny born O’Reilly has his main studio in Drumcondra’s St. Alphonsus Church.

    This show demonstrates unusual versatility in multiple media.  The exhibition runs until November 20.

    BANK OF IRELAND ART AT ADAMS, DUBLIN

    Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

    Blue Bottle and Apples by Camille Souter, estimated at 7,000-10,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE 14,000

    Clouds at Sunset by Paul Henry, estimated at 30,000-50,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE 55,000

    Cecil King, Baggot St. Series exhibited at Cork Rosc 1980, estimated at 4,000-6,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE 3,200

    Patrick Graham self-portrait, estimated at 2,000-4,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE 4,600

    THESE WORKS FROM THE BANK OF IRELAND ART COLLECTION WILL BE OFFERED AT ADAMS IN DUBLIN ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24.  THERE WILL BE 155 LOTS IN THE SALE.

    SEE POST ON antiquesandartireland.com FOR OCTOBER 13.

    The Liffey Upstream by Barrie Cooke, estimated at 3,000-5,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE 4,200.

    SOTHEBY’S SHOW STRONG CONTEMPORARY RESULTS

    Sunday, October 17th, 2010

    Andy Warhol’s Dollar Sign. (click to enlarge)

    The Sotheby’s October sales series of 20th Century Italian Art and Contemporary Art brought in  £40.1 million, far surpassing the total for Sotheby’s equivalent sales series in October 2009 of £20 million.   The  sale of six paintings from the Jerry Hall Collection of art brought in £2,489,775, and exceeded pre-sale expectations of £1.5 million.

    Andy Warhol’s Dollar Sign was gifted by the artist to Jerry Hall in recognition of her help with the production of his television show, Warhol TV.  It  sold  for £217,250, far above its high estimate of £120,000-150,000

    POST-WAR, CONTEMPORARY AND ITALIAN ART SUCCEEDS AT CHRISTIE’S

    Thursday, October 14th, 2010
    The Christie’s evening auctions of Post-War and Contemporary Art and The Italian Sale in London on October 14 realised a combined total of £38,213,050 / €43,371,811. The top price was paid for Cavaliere by Marino Marini (1901-1980) which led record-breaking Italian Sale.   It made £4,465,250 /€5,068,059, a world record price for the artist at auction. In total, 6 lots sold for over £1 million and 18 for over $1 million.
    An epic butterfly painting by Damien Hirst – I am Become Death, Shatterer of Worlds – made £2,169,250 /€2,462,099, the top price in the post war and contemporary sale.  It had been estimated at £2.5 million to £3.5 million. In this sale 40% of lots sold above estimate and record auction prices were established for Ged Quinn, Kelley Walker, Otto Piene, Roman Opalka and Liza Lou.
    The corresponding auctions in October 2009 realised a combined total of £17 million, with 3 works selling for over £1 million and 5 for over $1 million.
    Francis Outred, International Director and Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Christie’s Europe: ‘This is an exciting week in London as art lovers from around the world congregate in London for the events and sales surrounding Frieze. We have welcomed thousands of people through our doors for our exhibitions of modern and contemporary art this week, which have included the works offered this evening as well as highlights from New York. The buzz surrounding this week was evident in the saleroom which had a great atmosphere and which gathered a packed crowd, including many collectors new to Christie’s.”

    MEATH AUCTION AT LOUGHCREW

    Thursday, October 14th, 2010

    An Irish William IV astral glazed breakfront bookcase by Mack, Williams and Gibton, estimated at 15,000-25,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR 14,000.

    Curraghs at Roundstone by Eva Hamilton (1876-1960), estimated at 6,000-9,000. (click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR 9,000

    ANTIQUE Irish furniture features strongly in a 589 lot sale at Loughcrew, Oldcastle, Co. Meath on Sunday October 17 at noon. The sale will be conducted by auctioneer Damien Matthews who has a number of pieces by the Dublin makers Mack, Williams and Gibton.

    The origins of this firm can be traced to the latter part of the 18th century when John Mack established a cabinet-making business in Abbey Street, Dublin. Around 1801 he was joined by Robert Gibton, who had also worked as an auctioneer.  By 1803 the business had moved to larger premises in Stafford Street and in 1806 was appointed `Upholsterers & Cabinet Makers to his Majesty, His Excellency and Lord Lieutenant and His Majesty’s Board of Works’. Robert Gibton was succeeded by his son, William Gibton. A former apprentice, Zachariah Williams, who had married Robert Gibton’s daughter, joined the management creating the new partnership of Mack, Williams & Gibton, which retained its Royal Warrant for many years.
    There are around 30 paintings on offer and a collection of jewellery from a titled lady.
    Viewing is on Friday and Saturday October 15 and 16 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to the start of the sale at noon on Sunday, October 17.  Around three miles from Oldcastle, Loughcrew is under one hour from the M50 exit at the M3/Cavan junction.
    UPDATE:  Around 65 per cent of lots on offer in this sale found buyers.

    Good Morning Mr. Goya by Colin Middleton is estimated at 5,000-8,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE 6,000

    This set of eight Victorian Chippendale style dining chairs is estimated at 2,500-3,500. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: THEY MADE 2,400

    IRISH BANK ART AT ADAMS

    Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

    A Gerard Dillon work from the Bank of Ireland collection (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE 50,000

    A fascinating auction of Irish art with a strong emphasis on the 1970’s is due to come under the hammer at James Adam in Dublin on November 24. This is the first of what will be a series of sales in

    A le Brocquy head from the Bank of Ireland collection (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE 50,000

    coming years of the Bank of Ireland Art Collection.

    Long before the foundation of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) the bank developed one of the largest and most impressive corporate collections in the country. Bank of Ireland started to collect Irish art in the 1970’s and won a European award in 1978 for the quality of its collection. In latter years the group donated significant pieces, including its only work by Yeats, a late oil entitled Eileen Aroon, to IMMA.
    Proceeds from the first major Irish corporate collection to be sold will go to charity. Overall the collection of around 2,000 works is valued at between four and five million euro.  The rest of the collection is to be auctioned piecemeal over a number of years.
    When putting together the lots for this first sale Adams set out to be comprehensive.  “We wanted to be representative of what was in the collection and to ensure there would not be a large number of works by one particular artist”, Adams Director Stuart Cole said. Highlights are to go on view at the Ava Gallery, Clandeboye, Belfast from October 21 to November 11, and around 50 works will be toured to the Glucksman Gallery in Cork from October 28 to October 31.  The entire sale will be on view at James Adam in Dublin from November 20 until the auction on Wednesday, November 24.

    SOTHEBY’S TO SELL MAJOR BACON ART WORK

    Monday, October 11th, 2010
    Sotheby’s will offer Francis Bacon’s Figure In Movement in New York in November.  This is the most significant Bacon painting to appear at auction in several seasons. The 1985 portrait of a man twisting and writhing, demonstrates the artist’s genius in painting the human figure in motion.  It was given by Bacon to his doctor in the year it was painted.
    Figure In Movement has been in the same collection ever since. It featured in the 2008 landmark exhibition Francis Bacon: A Centenary Retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which began at Tate Britain. It was also shown at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. The painting has been on extended loan to Tate Britain for the past decade.  It comes up at Sotheby’s Evening Sale of Contemporary Art on November 9, 2010 in New York.  It is estimated to sell for $7/10 million.
    UPDATE:  It sold for $14,082,500 including buyer’s premium.


    MEALY’S FINE AND DECORATIVE ARTS

    Sunday, October 10th, 2010

    This George 11 fold over card table, possibly Irish, will be offered at Mealy's on Tuesday, October 12. It is estimated at 2,500-3,500. (click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: IT was bid up to 1,900 at which point it was withdrawn.

    This late 18th century lowboy is estimated at 700-1,100. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT made 900

    A two day fine and decorative arts sale takes place at Mealy’s in Castlecomer on Tuesday and Wednesday October 12 and 13.  Around 650 lots come under the hammer on Tuesday, including furniture, paintings, clocks, ceramics, glass, prints, carpets, chimney pieces, light fittings, bronzes, silver and plate.

    On Wednesday there will be around 450 lots of reproduction furniture, Victorian and Edwardian pieces, glass, prints and paintings.  Most lots will be sold without reserve and estimates are realistic.

    IRISH ART AT ADAMS

    Sunday, October 10th, 2010

    The Bog Road by Paul Henry estimated at 40,000-60,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR 72,000

    St. John's Point Lighthouse and Cliffs by Stephen McKenna estimated at 4,000-6,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR 3,800

    THESE works of art are among the 141 offerings at the James Adam sale of Irish art in Dublin on Wednesday October 13  at 6 p.m. Estimates are considerably lower than would have been the case a couple of years ago.

    The most expensively estimated paintings are Nathanial Hill’s Breton Peasants at a convent door (1884) estimated at 50,000-70,000, John Shinnors Over the Island, Coastal Composition 2007 estimated at 50,000-70,000 and Paul Henry’s The Bog Road estimated at 40,000-60,000.  This is a sale with something for everyone and estimates from 400 euro up.  The Hill work made 45,000, a new record for the artist, the Henry sold for 72,000 and the Shinnors failed to sell.

    Daughter of Lir c1923 by Joseph Higghs, estimated at 15,000-20,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT REMAINED UNSOLD

    Golgotha Good Friday by Tony O'Malley, estimated at 10,000-15,000. (click to enlarge) UPDATE: IT WAS UNSOLD

    UPDATE:  This turned out to be a very successful sale which achieved a 74 per cent sold rate, higher than had been achieved in other Irish art auctions of late.

    It brought in a hammer price of 460,000, which amounts to more than 550,000 when fees are added.

    SEE IRISH ART PRICES NOW FOR MORE RESULTS

    TREASURES IRISH ART ATHLONE

    Sunday, October 10th, 2010

    English Setter at work by Grace Cunningham (click to enlarge)

    Clonegal Corot by Mark O'Neill (click to enlarge)

    Treasures Irish Art in Athlone are regular attenders at Hibernian Antique Fairs around the country.  Among the newly acquired fresh to the market paintings they are bringing to current fairs are Clonegal Corot by Mark O’Neill and English Setter at Work by Grace Cunningham.

    Hibernian Antique Fairs will be at the West County Hotel, Ennis, Co. Clare on Sunday November 17, at the Carlton Hotel, Tralee, Co. Kerry on Sunday October 31 and at the Park Hotel, Roscommon on Sunday November 7.  Fairs runs each day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.