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Dolans will have an auction of Irish art, much of it very affordable, at Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork on January 18. There will also be some antique and collectible lots. The catalogue is still in the course of preparation. Here are a couple of artworks which will feature in the sale.
Norah McGuinness HRHA
1901-1980
FIELDS OF DONEGAL (1,400-1,800). UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 1,400
Michael Morris
b.1979
SUBURBAN VILLA (400-600). UPDATE: THIS MADE 600
Paul Cézanne, Vue sur L’Estaque et Le Château d’If UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £13,522,500
A masterpiece by Paul Cézanne, Vue sur L’Estaque et Le Château d’If, will be a highlight at Christie’s Impresssionist and Modern Art evening sale in London on February 4. Estimated at £8-12 million it is on the market for the first time since it was acquired in 1936 by Samuel Courtauld, founder of the Courtauld Gallery and Institute of Art in London. The painting remained in Courtauld’s private collection throughout his lifetime. It was painted c1883-1885, during one of the last visits that Cézanne ever made to L’Estaque, a fishing port and small seaside resort in his native Provence, where he sought inspiration repeatedly from the mid-1860s. This is a rare example on a vertical canvas of Cézanne’s treatment of this iconic motif.
Jay Vincze, International Director and Head of The Impressionist and Modern Art Department, Christie’s London said: “The exceptional quality, rarity and freshness of Vue sur L’Estaque et Le Château d’If provides collectors and institutions around the world with a once in a generation opportunity to secure an important and very beautiful masterpiece landscape by Cézanne. Acquired in 1936 by one of the 20th century’s greatest connoisseurs, the inspirational patron of the arts and generous philanthropist Samuel Courtauld, the provenance of this outstanding painting is exemplary. His legacy through the Courtauld Gallery and Institute continues to enrich and inform contemporary culture today and his early recognition of Cézanne’s genius gave rise to the greatest public collection of the artist’s work in Britain. We expect this painting to create great excitement internationally, from discerning buyers – both new and established – across Asia and Russia to Europe and America.”
Winston Churchill’s Despatch Box.
Winston Churchill’s despatch box from his time at Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1921-22 sold at Sotheby’s in London today for £158,500. Over the past four days more than 4,000 people flocked to Sotheby’s to view paintings, furnishings and works of art celebrating the life of the late Mary Soames, last surviving daughter of Winston Churchill.
Sir Winston Spencer Churchill
The Goldfish Pool at Chartwell, 1932
Oil on canvas, 25 by 30in.
est. £400,000-600,000
Copyright © Churchill Heritage Ltd UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £1,762,500
The salesroom was full to overflowing today and many lots sold above estimate. The despatch box made more than 30 times it estimate of £5,000-7,000. A c1930 Asprey humidor sold for £21,250 (1,000-1,500) and a photograph of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt inscribed by him to Mary Soames made £32,500 (£2,500-3,500).
The white glove sale realized £15.4 million over a top estimate of £5.5 million and set an auction record for a painting by Winston Churchill of £1.76 million for The Goldfish Pond at Chartwell which was the top lot.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for October 8, 2014)
Norah McGuinness (1901-1980) – Spring Planting made 1,600 at hammer.
An arresting feature of the current market for Irish art became apparent at James Adam in Dublin last night. The sale highlights – Spring Planting by Norah McGuinness and Hidden Landscape by Patrick Collins, made well over their estimates. There is no shortage of money or competition for the best works in todays market, selling everything else is hard work. Both were highlights of the ESB Collection which was offered on December 16. The sale of 148 works brought in 160,000 and 84.25% sold.
The McGuinness sold for a hammer price of 16,000 over an estimate of 5,000-7,000 and was the top lot at the auction. The Collins made 14,000 at hammer, over an estimate of 7,000-10,000. Forest Field by Colin Crotty sold for 1,300 over a top estimate of 700, Charles Tyrrell’s Spree made 8,000 at hammer, which was the top estimate. Another Tyrrell, Cross Flow, made 6,500 with an estimate of 5,000-8,000. The catalogue cover lot, Cecil Maguire’s Claddagh Quay, Galway sold for a hammer price of 9,000 over an estimate of 3,000-5,000. Fergus O’Ryan’s Autumn Flood, Annamoe broke its top estimate of 2,000 by making a hammer of 2,100 and John Skeltons The Road to the Sea, the Rosses made 2,100 over a top estimate of 1,500. Collecting Driftwood by John Skelton made 2,200 over a top estimate of 1,200 and a Still Life by Peter Collis made 1,600 over a top estimate of 1,200.
GIOVANNI ANTONIO CANAL, CALLED CANALETTO
Venice 1697 – 1768
LONDON, A VIEW OF THE OLD HORSE GUARDS AND BANQUETING HALL, WHITEHALL SEEN FROM ST. JAMES’ PARK
A view of London by Canaletto is a highlight at Sotheby’s sale of Important Old Master Paintings in New York next January 29. London, A View of the Old Horse Guards and Banqueting Hall, Whitehall seen from St. James’ Park is estimated at $4-6 million. The picture is a rare record of the Old Horse Guards (seen from across St James’s Park) which was demolished just months after Canaletto painted it (the prospect of its imminent demolition is what prompted Canalleto to paint and record it for posterity.) The building was then replaced with the large Palladian style grade I listed building that we know today. In May of 1746, Canaletto transferred his studio to London in pursuit of fresh challenges following two decades of prolific Venetian vedute painting.
It is from a group of paintings assembled by noted collector J.E. Safra. The 17 works represent a wide range of styles and genres including the Dutch Golden Age and 18th century Italian and French art. Most of them have been off the market for at least 20 years. They will go on exhibition in New York alongside Sotheby’s Old Master Week sales from January 24.
Alvin Langdon Coburn
‘Shadows And Reflections, Venice’
Alvin Langdon Coburn’s Shadow and Reflections, Venice 1905 sold for $965,000 at Sotheby’s sale of 175 masterworks to celebrate 175 years of photography in New York. The sale, which took in a total of $23.1 million, demonstrated that the market for classic photographs has never been stronger. The total exceeded the previous auction record for photographs by $6 million. There were world auction records for Alvin Langdon Coburn, August Sander, Tina Modotti, Julia Margaret Cameron, Lee Miller, Walker Evans, Martin Munkácsi, and others in the sale of the collection of Howard Stein.
Denise Bethel, Chairman, Sotheby’s Photographs, Americas, commented: “This record breaking sale has been a celebration of photography – the most profound, inventive, and beautiful artistic medium of our time. The masterpieces in the auction spanned the mid nineteenth century to the present day and featured the extraordinary talents that have always characterized the very best photographers. It is therefore entirely fitting that the proceeds will be used for the innovative educational work of Joy of Giving Something Foundation”.
What is possibly the rarest Irish Provincial silver mug to come on the market in the last 50 years – by Charles Begheagle whose work represents some of the earliest examples of Cork silver known to have survived – turned up at auction in New York last Sunday. The exceptionally rare c1693 Cork William III mug was bought by the Irish silver dealer William Crofton of L and W Duvallier, now based at the London Silver Vaults on Chancery Lane.
Mr. Crofton bought the piece for $6,500 dollars, but said he would have been prepared to go much higher. “The only other piece by this maker I have seen is the match to this mug in the National Museum of Ireland”, he said, adding that it would be very difficult to value the piece.
Charles Begheagle, a Huguenot, is believed to have been encouraged to settle in Cork by fellow Huguenot Robert Goble. He became Warden of the Goldsmiths Guild of Cork in 1693 and died in 1697. Few of his works are known and his name is one that would be recognised by only a small number of specialists. As he favoured repousse chasing it has been suggested that he may have chased the Cork Mace for Robert Goble, now at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The mug turned up in a lot of antique English hollow ware estimated at $400-600 at Clarke of Larchmont, New York, where it was sold on December 14. The makers mark CB was thought to have possibly been Charles Blair with what might have been the city mark for Edinburgh.
The mug by Charles Begheagle, repousse chased with children representing the Four Seasons.
The maker’s mark CB is clearly visible.
A set of eight Cork 11-bar chairs sold for 3,600 at Lynes and Lynes in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork on December 15. Demand for furniture and collectible items were strong at this auction of the second part of the collection of Patrick Cremin. The top lot was a Gillows cabinet which sold for 4,000. Elizabeth Brophy’s Watching the Birds sold for 1,250, a Georgian side table made 820, a pair of Georgian design wing back armchairs made 620, a pair of antique demi-lune side tables made 600, a pair of antique bedside lockers made 500 and an Irish Georgian brass fender made 950.
This set of Cork 11-bar chairs sold for 3,600.
Elizabeth Brophy – Watching the Birds sold for 1,250.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for December 10, 2014)
This Georgian mahogany and satinwood side table sold for 850.
A Bronze Bacchic Figure Supporting The Globe by Adriaen de Vries
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam was purchaser of the 1626 Bronze Bacchic Figure Supporting The Globe by Adriaen de Vries at Christie’s Exceptional Sale in New York last night. Purchased for $27,885,000 it was the top lot in the auction and set a world record for the artist and for any early European sculpture.
“Adriaen de Vries is the Dutch Michelangelo and his works are equally rare.Therefore it is absolutely great that we have been able to buy this fabulous sculpture for the Netherlands with the very generous support of many private donors and institutional funds.” said Wim Pijbes, General Director of the Rijksmuseum.
No other statue by de Vries has been in Dutch art collections until now. This bronze is considered to be one of his best works. It was rediscovered by chance in the courtyard of Schloss Sankt Martin (Austria) in 2010, where it had been since c. 1700. Most likely it was sold by the Dutch heirs of the sculptor after his death in 1626. Support from the Rembrandt Association (and the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfund), BankGiro Lottery, the Rijksmuseum Fund, the VSBfund, the Mondriaan Fund, a private donation and the Rijksmuseum International Circle, enabled the Rijksmuseum to acquire this important work of art.
Donald Johnston, Christie’s Head of European Sculpture, commented: The sale of Adriaen de Vries’s Bacchic Figure Supporting the Globe sets a new world record for any piece of early European Sculpture. This rediscovered bronze caught the imagination of a wide range of scholars, dealers and private collectors around the world, and we could not be more pleased that this masterpiece has ultimately found its way to the Rijksmuseum. We now look forward to building on the success of the de Vries with our upcoming sale of the Abbott Guggenheim collection of European sculpture and early clocks to be held by Christie’s New York on 27 January, and our stand alone sculpture sale in Paris on 16 June.
Tiffany – Wisteria Table Lamps. UPDATE: SOLD FOR $1,145,000 AND $2,205,000 RESPECTIVELY.
One of the most important private collections of Tiffany lamps to appear at auction in more than a decade will come up at Sotheby’s, New York on December 17. The group of seven lamps – comprising many of the firm’s most iconic and celebrated designs – was assembled over a period of 30 years by renowned Tiffany collector and dealer Sandra van den Broek, before being acquired by the present owner. The highlight of the group is two successively numbered Wisteria lamps – an extraordinary, nearly-identical pair whose harmonious coloration suggest that they were cut from the same sheets of glass. They are estimated at US$700,000 – 1 million each.
Jodi Pollack, Head of Sotheby’s 20th Century Design Department in New York, commented: “Every new generation of collectors rediscovers the genius of Tiffany – a testament to the unparalleled innovation, creativity and craftsmanship of the firm’s work. In recent years, it has been thrilling to see global interest in Tiffany from young collectors, who are pairing great works of art by modern and contemporary masters with the firm’s spectacular designs. The two are a natural fit.”
UPDATE: The 41 lot sale totalled $6,585,875
