This view of Cork Harbour at sunset by George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson is among the main lots at the James Adam Country House Collections sale at Townley Hall, Drogheda on October 15. The magnificent work depicts men-o-war at anchor with a paddle steamer in the distance and is estimated at 50,000-70,000. The principal vessel is a Royal Navy ship of the line, probably the HMS St. Vincent. The top lot in this auction of over 720 lots is a three pillar Irish George IV dining table by Williams and Gibton wth an estimate of 50,000-80,000. Lot 283 is a writing desk from the Coromandel coast of India with links to the Penrose family formerly of Woodhill House in Cork. In inlaid rosewood and raised on an Irish 18th century stand the top is decorated with ivory floral marquetry on an ebony ground. It is estimated at 7,000-10,000. A George III giltwood mirror after a design by William Kent is estimated at 15,000-20,000 and a large pair of Doucai enamelled lotus vases is estimated at 20,000-30,000. The auction offers Irish and English furniture, silver, paintings and numerous lots of decorative arts. The catalogue is online.
Cork Harbour at sunset by George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Hard on the heels of their Country House Collections auction at Townley Hall on October 15 the Dublin firm of James Adam will offer what is described as the most important single owner auction of Irish art in Dublin on October 23. On offer is around 200 lots of paintings, prints and sculpture from the collection of Antoinette and Pat Murphy. The total estimate for the sale is over one million euro. It is a collection of breadth and variety ranging from works by Nathaniel Hone, Paul Henry and Jack B. Yeats to contemporary work by Barrie Cooke, Basil Blackshaw and Camille Souter. The catalogue is online.
William Scott – Two Pears (25,000-35,000) UPDATE: THIS MADE 61,000 AT HAMMER
With major works from Roderic O’Conor and Jack B. Yeats Irish art from Morgan O’Driscoll’s sale at the RDS in Dublin on October 21 goes on view in London on October 14 and 15. The venue is La Galleria on Pall Mall. Mr. O’Driscoll started London viewings for his most important sales of Irish and International Art in latter years and has found new buyers for Irish art as a result. The catalogue, which includes work by Andy Warhol, Bridget Riley, Tony Cragg, Alex Katz and Robert Motherwell, for the sale is online and London viewing gets underway at the RDS on October 18.
RODERIC O’CONOR RHA (1860-1940) – Seated Woman in a red dress/Le Divan c1925 (150,000-250,000) UPDATE: THIS MADE 110,000 AT HAMMER
A Bluthner boudoir grand piano is among the lots at a house sale by Sheppards in Cork on October 15. Nearly 700 lots from Carraganes House, Monkstown, Cork will come under the hammer. This was the home of the late businessman Michael Murphy who established the seed and agrichemical business Goldcrop through a management buyout of Sutton’s agricultural division in 1984. The catalogue for the sale, with a large selection of garden statuary and furniture, musical instruments, antique and contemporary furniture and collectible items, is online.
A Bluthner boudoir grand piano UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Sotheby’s has just concluded the autumn sales series in Hong Kong with 3,423 lots sold. The 20 auctions conducted over five days achieved a grand total of HK$3.35 billion / US$426 million. This was the sixth consecutive Hong Kong series to exceed US$400 million
Tad Smith, Sotheby’s CEO, commented: “Our successful sales series in Hong Kong followed the closing of our acquisition by Patrick Drahi, which returned Sotheby’s to private ownership last week after 31 years of public trading. The confidence of our consignors this season and the demand demonstrated by buyers throughout our week of sales is a strong market signal as we look forward to our marquee November sales in New York and beyond.”
Sanyu’s Nu sold for a record HK$198 million (US$25.2 million), setting a new benchmark for the artist.
ONE of the more unusual lots at the magnificent Country House Collections sale by James Adam is a painting of a famous horse complete with its skull. Valentine and Splendour are two historically important racehorses and each one is depicted in a pair of sporting paintings attributed to William Brocas. Valentine is best known for his performance at the 1840 Grand National in which he came third. A fence at Aintree is named after Valentine to this day. The horses’ skull is included in the lot which has come down through the Power family of Gurteen and Curraghchase.
More than 720 lots will come under the hammer at the James Adam sale at Townley Hall, Drogheda, Co. Louth on October 15.
VALENTINE from one of a pair of equestrian portraits estimated at 15,000-20,000 UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
The evening art auction at by de Veres in Dublin on October 8 offers an interesting selection to suit a variety of tastes. There is work from the studios of George Campbell and Patrick Leonard, international art by Patrick Caulfield and a selection of etchings by Sean Scully sit easily alongside work by artists like Richard Gorman, Ciaran Lennon and Cecil King. A private collection of 50 paintings collected over a lifetime is among the 173 lots on offer. There are several lots of contemporary design including a lounge chair and ottoman by Charles and Ray Eames, Wassily chairs by Marcel Breuer and a pair of Italian easy chairs in the manner of Ico Parisi. There is work by Gerard Dillon, Anne Yeats, Evie Hone, Sean Keating, Colin Middleton, Nano Reid, Eileen Meagher, Tony O’Malley, Alicia Boyle and many more. The catalogue is online.
Coastal View of the West of Ireland by George Campbell UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 400 AT HAMMER
With bidders from 46 countries across all continents Christie’s Contemporary Art evening sales achieved £89 million in London last night. The Post War and Contemporary sale achieved £64.5 million. Basquiat’s Four Big was the top lot at £8.6 million. There was much interest in work by ariists like Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Pierre Soulanges and Carl Andre. The Thinking Italian sale totalled £24.5 million and the top lot was Sacco by Alberto Burri which made £4.5 million.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for September 25, 2019)
Sigmar Polke (1941-2010) Alpenveilchen/Flowers SOLD FOR £5.6 MILLION
Banksy’s parliamentary primates made a record £9.8 million at Sotheby’s in London last evening. After a 13 minute bidding battle during which more than ten bidders competed for Devolved Parliament, which had a top estimate of £2 million. It was a new record for a work by the artist.
Jean Michel Basquiat’s Pyro sold for £9.8 million in a contemporary art evening sale which totalled £54.7 million.
Hurricane Lorenzo – now bearing down on the island of Ireland as a tropical storm – is a timely reminder of an auction in aid of the RNLI – the largest charity that saves lives at sea – in the seafaring town of Kinsale in Co. Cork on October 6. Auctioneer Aidan Foley will offer a selection of donated lots including artwork, jewellery, antique furniture, garden items and collectibles at The White Lady in aid of this worthy charity.
