Sir Winston Churchill, TheBridge at Aix en Provence (1948) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £1,702,500.
The Bridge at Aix en Provence by Sir Winston Churchill will highlight Christie’s Modern British Art evening auction in London on October 20. The painting was originally gifted to the Swiss paint manufacturer Willy Sax who supplied Churchill with his artistic materials and would become a lifelong friend. Churchill had already been using oil paint produced by Sax Farben, a family run paint manufacturer just outside of Zurich, when the pair formed a strong bond after their first meeting in Switzerland in September 1946. The resulting relationship ensued for the rest of their lives. The scene depicted in The Bridge at Aix en Provence would have been especially appealing to Churchill, not only due to his love of painting water, but also because this particular vista was also visited by Paul Cézanne, who inspired Churchill. The painting is estimated at £1,500,000-2,500,000.
An early Irish walnut tea or silver table, a Sheraton sideboard and an Irish Georgian longcase clock are among the prime lots at Lynes and Lynes online sale in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork on September 18. Just over 400 lots will come under the hammer at an auction which Lynes and Lynes has been putting together since last April. The sale includes two executor house contents and lots collected from residences throughout Munster. There is an Irish Georgian mahogany and brass banded turf bucket ( €600-€1,000); an Irish Georgian mahogany tall boy (€1,000- €1,500); a gilded serpentine console table with marble top (€1,000-€1,500): an Irish Georgian secretaire bookcase (€2,000-€3,000); an Irish Georgian mahogany and satinwood corner cabinet (€1,000-€1,500); an Arts and Crafts oak side cabinet (€800-€1,200) and a large 19th century wardrobe with light and dark walnut panels (€1,000-€1,500).
Some of the lots available including an Irish Georgian sideboard and a 19th century overmantle mirror.
The Irish walnut tea table is complete with carved frieze and shell decoration and is estimated at €4,000-€6,000, the Sheraton sideboard at €1,000-€1,500 and the Georgian longcase clock, by J. Burdon, Dublin at €1,500-€2,000.There are collectibles including two stuffed pheasants cased by Rohu, Cork, an old metal Tri-ang pedal car, a Guinness Time outside wall clock and a large silver cup from the North Kildare Harriers Point to Point in 1925 There is silver and plate, mirrors, some garden furniture, porcelain and cloissonne ware and an Irish Connemara made drawing room rug (€300-€500) as well as some coins and books.
An early Irish walnut tea table and an Irish Georgian turf bucket UPDATE: THE TABLE MADE 3,400, THE TURF BUCKET MADE 1,000
Siobhan Hapaska is one of a very small number of Irish artists who feature at TEFAF online fair. This not to be missed event runs until September 13 with no less than 255 leading global dealers available to everyone at the click of a keyboard. It offers masterworks across all collecting categories. Us is the title of this piece by Hapaska at Hidde van Seggelen’s gallery, previously based in London and operating out of Hamburg since 2018. Hidde van Seggelen is chairman of TEFAF. Hapaska uses a variety of synthetic and natural materials to create work that ranges from abstract to hyperrealistic. Born in Belfast in 1963 Hapaska’s art is in numerous public and private collections including Tate Modern and the British Council. In Ireland she is represented by the Kerlin Gallery.
Siobhan Hapaska – Us Image copyright the artist and Kerlin Gallery.
Inspired by Mughal architecture this brooch is designed as a jewelled ‘fragment’. It features an Old-European cut diamond weighing 4.82 carats surmounted by a faceted Colombian Emerald drop weighing 9.77 carats. The brooch is mounted in Platinum, signed BHAGAT. This Fragment Brooch by BHAGAT Diamonds of Mumbai is now on display at TEFAF online.
BHAGAT produces fewer than 60 pieces a year and works with a strictly limited but opulent palette of precious gemstones, often rare and important stones in vintage cuts, and platinum. The essence of BHAGAT’s originality lies in the manner in which classical Indian forms and motifs are united with a contemporary sensibility that, while it combines aspects of east and west, is entirely original. Now in its fourth and fifth generations, BHAGAT is run by Viren along with his two sons, Varun and Jay. In recent years their works have been displayed at The Kremlin State Museum in Moscow, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Victoria & Albert Museum in London, The Miho Museum in Kyoto, The Grand Palais in Paris, The Palazzo Ducale in Venice and the Palace Museum in Beijing.
Horse paintings by Basil Blackshaw usually attract plenty of interest. This one comes up as Lot 21 at Morgan O’Driscolls Irish art online auction which runs until the evening of September 13. The oil on board measures 12″ x 14″ and is estimated at 4,000-6,000. There is an Emer Gallery, Belfast label on the back. The sale offers a wide variety of art and sculpture including Everyday Life (2019) by the French born Los Angeles based street artist known as Mr. Brainwash exhorting us all to: “Follow Your Dreams”.
UPDATE: THE BLACKSHAW MADE 4,000 AT HAMMER, EVERYDAY LIFE BY MR. BRAINWASH MADE 16,000 AT HAMMER
This 1798 hand coloured etching by the British caricaturist James Gillray is of Napoleon Buonaparte hearing of Nelson’s victory at the Battle of the Nile and swearing by his sword to extirpate the English from off the Earth. It comes up as a rather timely lot 9 at the Collector’s Cabinet sale by Mullen’s of Laurel Park, Bray on September 11 with an estimate of 200-300. A number of commemorative events and auctions are being held around the globe this year to mark the bicentenary of the death of Napoleon. The online sale at Mullens offers 546 varied lots militaria, historical memorabilia, 275 lots antiquarian books and modern books including signed first editions, sporting memorabilia and more. UPDATE: THIS ETCHING MADE 340 AT HAMMER
ONE of the most historic items at the Howth Castle sale, the great sword of Howth, made a hammer price of 40,000 at day two of Fonsie Mealy’s Howth Castle contents sale today. It has been estimated at 10,000-15,000. The auctioneer announced that it would be staying in Ireland. According to tradition, it was used by Sir Armoricus Tristram, who arrived at Howth with Sir John de Courcy in the year 1177. It has been in the St Lawrence family for many generations and a more sober assessment dates the sword to the late 15th century, so it may well have been borne by Sir Armoricus’s descendant Sir Nicholas St Lawrence, 16th Lord & 3rd Baron Howth. He commanded the “billmen” (wielders of a fearsome chopping blade mounted on a strong staff) at the battle of Knockdoe in 1504, in which the army of the Lord Deputy, the Earl of Kildare, defeated that of Ulick Burke, Lord of Clanricarde. The Sword is first recorded in an inventory of 1748.
Again on the second day of the sale at Howth Castle there was competitive bidding from Ireland and abroad for once off items of rarity. A George IV silver gilt model of the Warwick Vase by Philip Rundell, London, 1820 made 24,000 at hammer and an Irish William IV silver gilt Warwick Vase by Richard Sawyer junior Dublin 1836 made 23,000. Each had been estimated at 8,000-12,000. An Irish George II silver salver by John Hamilton, Dublin 1726-27 made 21,000 over a top estimate of 7,000. A jewel cut breast star of The Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick together with a small ceremonial sword made 32,000 at hammer over a top estimate of 10,000. William Ulick Tristram St. Lawrence, 4th Earl of Howth (1827-1909) was appointed knight of the order in May 1884.
EMERALD AND DIAMOND BRACELET, CIRCA 1945. UPDATE: THIS MADE €30,000 AT HAMMER
THIS c1945 em emerald and diamond bracelet is one of the highlights at Adams evening and online sale of fine jewellery and watches in Dublin on September 14. The geometric open work design bracelet with graduated cabochon emeralds is estimated at 30,000-40,000. There is a similar estimate on a pair of fancy coloured diamond and pendant earrings. With everything from a c1960 bow diamond brooch by Bulgari (18,000-28,000) to a tri coloured trinity gold ring by Cartier (800-1,000) the sale of 102 lots caters for a variety of budgets. The catalogue is online.
THE opening day of the sale of contents from Howth Castle exceeded all expectations. There has been huge international interest in an auction of contents from a home that has been in the same family for 800 years. Again and again prime lots far exceeded the top estimate. Late in the day a pair of early 18th century Delft vases sold for 38,000 at hammer, 38 times the top estimate of 1,000. A pair of c1738 Irish carved giltwood and gesso side tables made 168,000 over a top estimate of 50,000.
An important mid 18th century Irish decanter stand sold for a hammer price of 48,000 at Fonsie Mealy’s sale. As was the case with many lots this was after a battle between a telephone bidder, probably Irish, and an internet bidder from the UK. It went to the internet. Regarded as one of the finest examples of early Irish furniture it had been estimated at 20,000-30,000. A set of prehistoric Giant Irish Elk antlers and skull made 23,000 on the hammer over a top estimate of 18,000. The Georgian mahogany dining table on two quadruple centre pods and two outer tripod bases made 29,000 at hammer and the full length portrait of Jonathan Swift by Francis Bindon made a hammer price of 234,000 which was less than the estimate of 300,000-500,000. The good news is that an Irish bidder fought off international competition and this painting will be staying in Ireland.
A Louis XVI French ormolu mantel clock by Regnault of Paris with two matching candlesticks – a gift from Marie Antoinette to her lady in waiting Marie Therese de Barmont – made 28,000 at hammer. It had been estimated at 4,000-6,000. An allegorical 18th century Irish School relief depicting the taking in 1575 of Lord Howth’s grandson and heir to the castle by Grace O’Malley, Ireland’s pirate queen, made 25,000 at hammer over a top estimate of 12,000. After protracted negotiations the child was returned and one condition was that the gates of Howth should never again be shut at dinner time.
The sale continues on September 9.
One of a pair of c1738 Irish carved giltwood and gesso side tables which sold for 168,000 over a top estimate of 50,000THIS PAIR OF EARLY 18TH CENTURY DELFT VASES MADE 38,000 AT HAMMER OVER AN ESTIMATE OF 700-1,000
(See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for August 12, August 23, August 31 and September 4, 2021)
The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) has virtually gathered a community of collectors, institutions, and art lovers from around the world for todays preview of TEFAF Online 2021. The fair will open to the public tomorrow and runs until September 13. This second edition of TEFAF’s digital fair brings the rich stories behind each work of art to life through TEFAF Collections, robust virtual programming, and the unsurpassed scholarship of over 267 top exhibitors.
“TEFAF Online 2021 is a celebration of expertise, art and storytelling.” said Charlotte van Leerdam, Managing Director of TEFAF. “We are grateful that our community is able to come together safely online during this time to enjoy the beauty of these works and continue participating in the top levels of the international art market from wherever they are in the world.”
THIS SMALL PLATE IN LACQUER WITH GEOMETRIC DECORATIONS AT GALERIE MARCELPOIL IS BY THE IRISH DESIGNER EILEEN GRAY (1878-1976)
