More than 1,800 lots will come under the hammer at a three day sale in Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath on August 15, 16 and 17. Matthews of Kells will conduct the on the premises contents auction online. Viewing gets underway on August 13. Pictured is a an overview of some of the lots to be sold.
Say it Loud spotlights 22 exceptional emerging and mid career contemporary Black artists around the world. The online virtual exhibition presented by Christie’s in New York until August 18 takes its title from the iconic James Brown song “Say it Loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud” . It is the first in a series of exhibitions and educational programming by Christie’s CSR Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives. Each of the artists uses their medium as a guiding force to construct images of identity, and to showcase the vulnerability of identity. The artist Josh Paige, born in Brooklyn in 1990, does this conspicuously with Target Practice (1), a digital print made this year. The arresting image shown here is from an edition of five and it is available via Christie’s for $500.
Baigneuse Assise, a soft ground etching by Pierre Renoir, comes up at the James Adam online Works on Paper sale which runs until August 10. From an edition of 1,000 a complete with the artist’s stamped signature, it is estimated at 800-1,200. The sale of 435 lots includes old Irish maps, engraved views and etchings, handcoloured Cuala Press prints, art, various documents, photographs and books.
Online auctions at Sotheby’s, where year to day sales in 2020 have reached $2.5 billion, have already exceeded $285 million. This is driven by innovation and adaptation in time of pandemic. Sotheby’s report more than 30% new bidders across all sales and that more than 30% of all bidders and buyers are under 40. Nearly 20% of new bidders and buyers are from Asia.
Private sales have totalled $575 million and live summer auctions in June and July achieved $1.2 billion.
Art, antique furniture, collectibles and toys will all come under the hammer at Dolan’s two day summer auction in Connemara on Bank Holiday Monday and on August 4. Art on offer ranges from contemporary work by John Shinnors to some Connemara scenes by Kenneth Webb. There is a wide range of both established and emerging artists and no shortage of landscapes from the hugely scenic area around Ballyconneely like a watercolour entitled Market Day, Roundstone by Lady Kate Dobbin.
This annual summer event in Connemara has a big local following and always attracts plenty of the visitors from around the country who holiday here. Among the 310 lots on offer on Monday is a Victorian writing table by the London firm of Howard and Sons in Oregon pine. This company specialised in bespoke furniture and this piece comes complete with an inbuilt leather foot rest. Curiosities include a mahogany Victorian penny slot machine from a 19th century pub and there is a Chipperfields Circus model set by Corgi and an early 20th century rocking horse.One of the more expensively estimated lots, at €10,000-€14,000, is The Sparrow, a 1984 oil on canvas laid on board by the renowned Limerick artist John Shinnors. There is a bronze by John Behan entitled Launching the Currach. An earlier treatment of the local area is Carraroe, Connemara by Charles Lamb. There is work by well known artists like Sean Keating, Markey Robinson, George Campbell, Maurice MacGonigal, Robert Egginton, Norman Teeling, Cecil Maguire, Arthur Maderson and Mark O’Neill.
A portrait of a young woman by Sir Peter Paul Rubens was the top lot at Christie’s Classic Art evening sale in London. It made £3,965,250 in a sale which brought in £21,157,250. There was global participation with buyers from 22 countries across five continents. The auction was sold 90% by value and 74% by lot.
THE summer art and collectibles sales by Dolan’s at Ballyconneely in Connemara on August 3 and 4 are now on view, and the auctions will be online only at 12.30 p.m. on each day. There is a range of Irish art, including various treatments of the landscapes of the west of Ireland, included among work by established and emerging artists.
There was a welcome shot in the arm for the fundraising efforts of a hospital in Bethlehem this evening thanks to a very generous charitable donation by the anonymous street artist Banksy. His trio of found seascape paintings reworked into a pointed response to the refugee crisis sold for £2,235,000 at Sotheby’s cross departmental global online Rembrandt to Richter sale. The tripartite work by Banksy, Mediterranean Sea View 2017, features empty orange life jackets symbolising European bound migrants who drowned.
Donated by the artist the paintings had been estimated at £800,000-1.2 million. They were the focus of spirited bidding. Since being created they have hung above the fireplace of Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem in Jerusalem’s West Bank. The proceeds will go towards a new acute stroke unit and children’s rehabilitation equipment at the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation.
The flagship summer Rembrandt to Richter sale realised £150 million.
A small self-portrait by Rembrandt van Rijn made £14,549,400 setting a new auction record for a self-portrait by the artist at auction at Sotheby’s marquee sale in London today. It was chased by six bidders. The previous record of £6.9 million for a self-portrait by the artist was in 2003.
Rembrandt recorded his own physiognomy in no fewer than 80 paintings, etchings and drawings, throughout his career. Dated to 1632, this self-portrait of the artist aged 26-years, was created at a pivotal moment in his life, when he was just establishing himself in Amsterdam and enjoying new-found commercial success. The work is one of only two self-portraits in which he shows himself formally dressed. Self-portrait, wearing a ruff and black hat is one of only three remaining in private hands. Sotheby’s believe it is the only one ever likely to come to auction.
More than 300 lots including a Georgian solid oak Welsh dresser will come under the hammer at Hegarty’s online sale in Bandon at 6 pm on July 28. The Georgian dresser, with open shelves and six small drawers, is estimated at €2,600-€2,800; a 19th century Irish oak and mahogany inlaid dresser has an estimate of €700-€1,000. Other prime furniture pieces include a c1790 satinwood card table with canted corners (€800-€1,000), an early 19th century simulated rosewood chaise longue (€1,400-€1,600) and a Georgian Chinoiserie corner cabinet (€2,500-€3,500). An 18 carat white gold ring with fancy yellow pear shaped diamond surrounded by two rows of brilliant cut diamonds is estimated at €2,300-€2,600, a hand knotted Tabriz rug has an estimate of €1,400-€1,500 and a set of silver condiment containers is estimated at €50-€100.
