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Orange is the title of this 1972 oil by Louis le Brocquy which features at the Morgan O'Driscoll sale in Cork on April 26

The top lot at the next Morgan O’Driscoll Irish art auction at the Radisson Hotel, Little Island, Cork on Monday, April 26 is a scorching Louis le Brocquy work entitled Orange. Painted in 1972 it bears the label Gimpel Fils Gallery on the back and is estimated at 50,000-70,000 euro.

Many of the works on offer are far more affordable with estimates from about 300 euro up.

The sale of 285 lots offers something for every collector at all price
ranges.  This is a buyer’s market and there is plenty of evidence to
suggest that more and more buyers are waking up to this fact.
This is a sale with much of interest
from William Harrington’s charcoal and wash drawing Chatting from 1973
(600-900) to a wooden sculpture of the Virgin Mary by Markey Robinson
estimated at 400-600 and a limited edition colour print by Picasso
entitled Au Bain estimated at 1,500-2,000.
Among the major works on offer are Going to Mass by Daniel O’Neill
which is estimated at
20,000-30,000, Morning South by John Shinnors (20,000-30,000), Wilton
by Sir John Lavery (10,000-15,000), Dunmanus Bay by Letitia M Hamilton
(10,000-15,000), Rock Pool, Connemara by Kenneth Webb (12,000-18,000),
Parkland by Basil Blackshaw (12,000-15,000) and Golden Frog by
Pauline Bewick (10,000-15,000).
Many lots have no reserves and Morgan O’Driscoll remarked that there
is value that has not seen for the last 10 years.

Viewing is from noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday April 25 and from 10 a.m. to the start
of the sale at 6.30 p.m on Monday, April 26.

Sir John Lavery's portrait of his wife Hazel in a gold turban

The Gold Turban is considered one of the finest portraits by Lavery of his wife Hazel (1880-1935). Painted in 1929, it is the most significant late portrait of one of Lavery’s most glamorous subjects and his favourite model. Estimated at £400,000-600,000 (€441,000-665,000), the picture showcases the artist’s skilful handling of paint in the sitter’s headwear – rendered in shimmering tones – luminescent skin and slash of red lipstick. These elements are accentuated by the contrasting dark background and costume.

Spanish Shawl by Louis le Brocquy

CHRISTIE’S will not hold a specific sale dedicated to Irish Art this year. The next sale of 20th Century British & Irish Art will be held on May 27 2010. As part of a re-organisation late in 2009 Christie’s made the decision to focus on British Art overall and not to offer dedicated sales of Irish Art.