THIS has been the best year ever on the Irish art market in terms of turnover and it continues on its merry way in the final run up to Christmas. The
James Adam sale of Important Irish Art in Dublin next Wednesday evening offers a selection that includes leading lots by Oisin Kelly, Roderic O’Conor, Gerard Dillon, Augustus John, Michael Farrell, Erskine Nicholl, Louis le Brocquy and Henry Moore.
The top estimate in this auction is for Oisin Kelly’s bronze Children of Lir cast in 1983 at the Dublin Art Foundry as an issue of two. It is from the original maquette for Kelly’s large scale bronze at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin dedicated by Taoiseach Jack Lynch in 1971. The other copy is on display outside the Taoiseach’s office at Government Buildings. This one is estimated at 30,000-50,000.
A bronze relief of a mother and child and reclining figure by Henry Moore is estimated at 12,000-16,000. The catalogue cover lot is another sculpture, F.E. MacWilliam’s Peace B from his Banners series (8,000-12,000) and there is sculpture by Rowan Gillespie, Rory Breslin, Imogen Stuart, Robin Buick, Edward Delaney, Eamon O’Doherty, Selma McCormack and James McIntyre.
Paintings range from a self portrait by Augustus John (20,000-30,000) to an interior still life by Patrick Hennessy (7,000-10,000) and a seated model by Roderic O’Conor (30,000-40,000) to Battersea Boy by Louis le Brocquy (10,000-15,000). There is a bright Malaga work by William Crozier (5,000-8,000) and a photo realist painting by John Doherty of part of two houses at Eyeries in west Cork (5,000-7,000). There are landscapes, portraits and studies by artists ranging from Gerard Dillon, Peter Collis, Dan O’Neill, George Campbell, Peter Curling and William Conor to Percy French, Edwin Hayes, James Arthur O’Connor and William Sadler. The catalogue is online. Here is a small selection:
Oisin Kelly RHA (1915-1981) Children of Lir UPDATE: THIS MADE 36,000 AT HAMMER
Patrick Hennessy RHA (1915-1980) Interior, Still Life with a Vase of Flowers on a Chair UPDATE: THIS MADE 6,000 AT HAMMER
John Doherty – Eyeries, west Cork UPDATE: THIS MADE 4,600 AT HAMMER
Howard Helmich (1845-1907) – Reluctant Pupil UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,200 AT HAMMER
An original pair of pince-nez glasses owned by James Joyce sold for a hammer price of 17,000 at 
