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  • Archive for November, 2019

    ERNIE O’MALLEY COLLECTION NOW ON VIEW AT R.D.S.

    Saturday, November 23rd, 2019

    The highlights are by Yeats but the Ernie O’Malley collection – which comes under the hammer at the RDS next Monday evening – represents a veritable who’s who of Irish art from the 1930’s to the 1950’s. The sale of 100 lots, by Whyte’s in association with Christie’s, includes work by Mainie Jellett, Evie Hone, Louis le Brocquy, Colin Middleton and Norah McGuinness.Ernie O’Malley, a revolutionary in Ireland from 1916-1922 who went on to publish two books detailing his experiences, knew all these artists and encouraged and patronised their early careers.  He met Yeats in Dublin in 1937 at the home of Constantine Curran and the two became friends, meeting and corresponding regularly.  Three Yeats paintings in the sale, The Enfolding Night, 1947, Reverie, 1931 and Evening in Spring, 1937 are each estimated at 500,000-700,000.There are other major Yeats’s in this sale as well as a range of sketches at prices which might encourage new collectors to own a work by the artist.  There are two of le Brocquy’s Tinker series from the 1940’s, Tinker Diviner (15,000-20,000) and A Young Tinker Woman (10,000-15,000).  Each one dates to 1945.Mainie Jellett’s The Land Eire is from 1940 and estimated at 30,000-40,000 and Colin Middleton’s (Group V) Saint John: Retrospect is estimated at 20,000-30,000.  Highlights have already been shown in New York and London and viewing at the RDS is from 10 am to 6 pm daily for the next three days. The auction is on Monday at 6 pm.

    The Land Eire by Mainie Jellett  UPDATE: THIS MADE 110,000 AT HAMMER A WORD RECORD PRICE FOR THE ARTIST

    AFFORDABLE IRISH ART AT MORGAN O’DRISCOLL ONLINE

    Friday, November 22nd, 2019

    More than 400 lots will come under the hammer at Morgan O’Driscoll’s online sale of affordable Irish art which gets underway at 6.30 pm on November 25. The catalogue is online.

    Mark O’Neill – Old town arch (1,500-2,000). UPDATE: THIS MADE 2,100 AT HAMMER

    TWO DAY SALE OF INTERIORS AND JEWELS AT SHEPPARDS

    Friday, November 22nd, 2019

    The two day sale at Sheppards at Durrow in Co. Laois on November 26 and 27 contains much that is unusual and of interest. The varied catalogue, titled Desire: Sparkling Jewels and Inspirational Interiors, is online. Lot 502 is this pedestal William IV dining table with four extending leaves above a conforming frieze, raised on cavetto and leaf carved pedestals. It is estimated at 8,000-12,000. Viewing gets underway in Durrow on November 23.

    UPDATE: THIS MADE 7,500 AT HAMMER

    MAORI BLADE PRESENTED TO DR CROKE AT FONSIE MEALY SALE

    Thursday, November 21st, 2019

    Among the more unusual lots at Fonsie Mealy’s Chatsworth Winter Fine Arts sale in Castlecomer on November 26 is this one. It is a 19th century Maori Pounamu green stone blade of about seven inches long. By tradition said to be used by a Maori chief it was subsequently gifted to Dr. T.W. Croke whilst he was Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand from 1870-1874. After this he became Archbishop of Cashel and Emly in Ireland and was an important figure in the Irish nationalist movement. He was a Champion of the Irish National Land League in the 1880’s and Croke Park in Dublin is named after him. The auction will include antique furniture, paintings, Old Masters, Irish art, silver, collectibles, taxidermy and a private Irish collection of Oriental ceramics and art.

    A 19th century Maori Pounamu green stone blade (600-800). UPDATE: THIS MADE 500 AT HAMMER

    AN IRISH CELLAR AT BONHAMS

    Thursday, November 21st, 2019

    A small private Irish collection to be sold at Bonhams fine wine sale in London on November 28 comes with an interesting history. The 23 bottles, with a combined upper estimate of £40,000, are the remains of an entire drinks cellar purchased in a private sale in 1955 for £500 – equivalent in buying power to £12,500 today. From the 1945 vintage there are bottles of Château Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut Brion and Cheval Blanc as well as a case of Château Latour 1948 (£6,000-8,000) and five bottles of Cheval Blanc 1948 (£4,000-5,000). Most of these wines are all that remain from a cellar purchased by the vendor’s father from his cousin, based on a valuation by Berry Bros. & Rudd, who had originally suppled many of them.

    The auction will be led by wines from a Paris cellar, with an emphasis on Burgundies from top Domaines, Coche-Dury and Jacky Truchot.

    UPDATE: Irish cellar sold for a total of £78,400 including buyer’s premium

    A case of Chateau Latour 1948

    ANOTHER GOOD DAY FOR ROWAN GILLESPIE AT LONDON AUCTION

    Wednesday, November 20th, 2019

    Bacchus by Rowan Gillespie made an above estimate £45,000 at Bonhams Modern British and Irish art sale in London today. Conceived in 1984 and cast in 1985 the top estimate for the 51″ tall polished bronze piece was £25,000. It was a good day for Irish art at Bonhams. Still Life with Fish by William Scott sold for £81,000, Bog Pool by Paul Henry made £63,000, Achill Cottage, Lough Corrib and Turf Stacks with Mountains both by Paul Henry sold for £35,000 and £19,000.

    Two Forms by William Scott made £16,000; Ardglass by Colin Middleton made £15,000 and The Smooth Red Rock by Daniel O’Neill made £10,000.

    Rowan Gillespie – Bacchus

    RTE’S SCOTT MURAL SELLS FOR £187,500 AT SOTHEBY’S

    Tuesday, November 19th, 2019

    RTE’s William Scott mural made a hammer price of £187,500 at Sotheby’s Modern and Post War British Art sale at Sotheby’s in London on November 19. This was well within the estimate of £150,000-250,000. Abstract Painting (Radio Telefis Eireann Mural) was commissioned by architect Ronald Tallon of Scott, Tallon and Walker in 1966.

    A second Scott in the sale, White with Black Predominating, from the Patrick and Antoinette Murphy collection sold for £275,000 at hammer. It was bought by the couple after they had seen it at the Trinity College, Dublin exhibition in 1973. He is a former chairman of the Arts Council of Ireland, she set up the Peppercannister Gallery in Dublin.

    William Scott – Abstract Painting (Radio Telefis Eireann Mural)
    William Scott -White with Black Predominating

    NOVEMBER SALE BY DOLAN’S ART AUCTION HOUSE IN LIMERICK

    Tuesday, November 19th, 2019

    There will be a varied selection of mostly paintings at Dolans sale of art and antiques in Limerick on November 24. The catalogue cover lot is by Arthur Madison and there is work by artists including John Brobbel, Carina Scott, Graham Knuttel, Sean Keating, Harry Kernoff, Kenneth Webb, John Behan. The sale will include a studio collection of Clare artist Michael Hanrahan, official artist for Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Ireland in 2011. There is a selection of antique furniture, rugs and collectibles. The sale is at Castletroy Park Hotel at 2 p.m. on November 24 with viewing from November 22.

    Fairground Waltzer by John Brobbel (2,800-4,500)

    PARIS OF THE WEST MAKES HAMMER OF £675,000 AT SOTHEBY’S

    Tuesday, November 19th, 2019

    A Paris of the West by Jack B. Yeats sold for a hammer price of £675,000 at Sotheby’s annual sale of Irish art in London today against an estimate of £500,000-800,000. The Man in the Moon has patience by Yeats made £325,000 at hammer over a top estimate of £250,000, Clare Island from Achill by Paul Henry made £150,000 over a top estimate of £120,000, Errigal, Co. Donegal by Paul Henry made £125,000 at hammer over a top estimate of £60,000 and Paul Henry’s A Showery Day, Connemara made £60,000 over a top estimate of £35,000.

    Other top lots included: The Stevedore by Yeats (£225,000); A Moonlit Breton Landscape by Roderick O’Conor (£150,000); The Bones by Jack B. Yeats (£100,000): The Owl Run by Hughie O’Donoghue (£93,750): Tain by Louis le Brocquy (£87,500): Cork Bowler by Gabriel Hayes (£81,250) and Failing Better a maquette by Rowan Gillespie sold for 80,255.

    A Paris of the West by Jack B. Yeats

    POLITICAL DIRTY TRICKS AND FIRST EDITION OF ULYSSES

    Monday, November 18th, 2019

    There is nothing new about dirty tricks in political campaigns as illustrated by lot 48 at Mullen’s Collectors Cabinet auction at Laurel Park, Bray on November 23. The newspaper billboard poster for the Star headlines: “Parnell cross-examined”.  This was at a special commission set up by Gladstone’s government to investigate various charges against Parnell and his Home Rule party.  The basis was a letter in The Times in which Parnell appeared to give explicit support, after the fact, to the Phoenix Park murders.  The commission sat for 128 days to November 1889.  The following February one of the witnesses, Richard Piggott, admitted having forged the letters, then fled to Madrid and shot himself. Parnell’s name was fully cleared.

    A first edition of Ulysses, a pro-Treaty campaign poster for the 1922 general election, an electric guitar signed by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits  and a leather flying helmet from a Polish Air Force bomber which crashed on the Carlow Laois border in 1943 are among the lots.  Viewing is from next Wednesday and the auction is at 11 am on Saturday.

    UPDATE: THIS MADE 650 AT HAMMER