Millions of euro work of Irish art is due to come under the hammer at four pre-Christmas sales by Morgan O’Driscoll (November 23); Whyte’s (December 7); de Veres (December 8) and James Adam (December 9). More than 560 lots will come under the hammer at these sales. It is a mark of the improving condition of the Irish art market that no less than nine of them have estimates in excess of 100,000. Predictably the front runners are Jack B. Yeats, William Orpen, Walter Osborne, Paul Henry and William Scott. These stellar artists notwithstanding the upcoming sales offer an appetising selection by a wide variety of artists across all price points. The number of works with high estimates recalls an oft quoted phrase of modernising Irish Taoiseach Sean Lemass in the 1960’s – “a rising tide lifts all boats”. Irish art values are once again on the up and not before time.
