Hugh Douglas Hamilton RHA (1739-1808) – Portrait of “Colonel Hugh O’Donel (1760-1799) sold for €77,000 at hammer.
This portrait of Colonel Hugh O’Donel by Hugh Douglas Hamilton was the top lot at Fonsie Mealy’s sale of contents from Newport House, Co. Mayo. It made a hammer price of €77,000. The post is derived from the Apollo Belvedere at the Vatican. In 1793 with the threat of a French invasion, O’Donel raised a company of troops and became Lieutenant Colonel of the South Mayo Militia. Two years later in 1795 he was elected to the Irish House of Commons representing Donegal town. Along with his brother, Captain James Moore O’Donel (also elected to Parliament in 1795) he joined the parliamentary faction who strenuously opposed the proposed Act of Union with Great Britain-saying he would never surrender Ireland’s legislative independence. For his passionate opposition, and the Militia, to the Act of Union he was dismissed by the government from his colonelcy in 1799. The Lord Lieutenant, Lord Cornwallis, who suppressed the Rebellion of 1798, had offered him a peerage to vote for the Union but he refused. Hugh O’Donel died M.P., in Tralee, Co. Kerry in 1799.
Among the other top hammer prices a Georgian gilt rococo mirror made €50,000; a set of Giant Irish Elk antlers made €46,000; Waiting for the Steamer, Aran Islands by Sean Keating made €40,000; a Georgian dining table made €9,500; a portrait by Hugh Douglas Hamilton of Captain Henry Charles Sirr made €9,500 and a Regency chandelier made €5,200.
John Astley c. 1756 (1724 – 1787) – Portrait of Thomas Pepper, of Ballygarth Co. Louth (1733-1790)
This portrait by John Astley of Thomas Pepper of Co. Louth made a hammer price of €11,000 at the opening day of Fonsie Mealy’s two day auction of contents from Newport House in Co. Mayo. It had been estimated at €3,000-€5,000. A pair of 19th century Meissen vases estimated at €4,000-€6,000 made €9,500 at hammer and a 1911-1915 bracelet set with 19 half sovereigns made €8,500. The 19th century Irish School Hillsborough family portraits made €7,000 at hammer as did Marnock’s Strand by Nathaniel Hone, a portrait of Thomas, Earle of Leghorn attributed to Pompeo Batoni and a Kilkee coastal scene by Nathaniel Hone. The auction continues at The Grace Hotel Westport and online today.
This untitled work by Atsushi Kaga, originally from Tokyo and now living and working between Ireland and Kyoto, was the leading lot at Adams Mid Century Modern sale on October 20. It made a hammer price of €24,000 over a top estimate of €12,000. Brick Screen by Eileen Gray made €9,500 at hammer, a vintage steamer trunk by Louis Vuitton made €8,000, Tangram by Patrick Scot made 6,500, Sun from the Icarus series by Anne Madden made 6,500, a teak extending circular dining table by Hans Olsen made 5,500 and Farmhouse North Mayo by Donald Teskey made 4,600.
This beautiful lacquered wood and brass brick screen by world renowned Irish designer Eileen Grey (1878-1976) is at Adam’s Mid Century Modern auction in Dublin on October 20. The freestanding piece functions both as a movable wall to divide living spaces and an abstract modern sculpture with solid shapes and empty space. It is one several works by Grey in a sale of 264 lots that offers art, furniture, lighting and collectibles like circular c1970 cocktail bar on wheels by Pierre Cardin, a dressing mirror by Alain Delon and an armchair in the form of a leaf by Fabrizio Cornelli for Mirabili, Italy c1980. Eileen Grey’s screen is estimated at €10,000-€15,000. UPDATE: THIS MADE 9,500 AT HAMMER
Guinness man mural by John Gilroy. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A large scale mural from The Dock Green pub in Leeds by renowned artist John Gilroy, best known for his Guinness advertising campaigns, is the top lot at Victor Mee’s October collectors and advertising sale on Wednesday October 21. Rumour has it that Gilroy was a regular and painted the mural as an ode to the pubs previous history in lieu of drinking debts. The building which housed it was once a police station. It became a pub in 1961 and the mural was there until it closed in 2014. Gilroy’s Guinness work is highly collectible and this one has an estimate of €80,000-€100,000. There are 923 lots in the sale.
Sir William Orpen – Portrait of James Hugh Smith-Barry. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
An Orpen Smith-Barry portrait, Giant Irish Elk antlers, an Irish 18th century mahogany side table, a pair of large Meissen vases, Tribal art and a fine set of 19th century ornithology studies are among the delights at Fonsie Mealy’s two day sale of contents from Newport House in Co. Mayo next on October 20-21.
From four poster beds to Russian icons to Nubian torchéres and an August Edouart silhouette portrait of Daniel O’Connell the auction of 890 lots is full of variety and interest. What else can be expected, given that this fine mansion overlooking Clew Bay functioned both as a fishing lodge and an Irish country house hotel over many years. There is every opportunity to see for yourself as viewing at Newport House opens from noon to 5 pm today and tomorrow and from 10 am to 5 pm on Monday.
A pair of 19th century Venetian carved Nubian torchéres. UPDATE: THESE MADE 3,200 AT HAMMER
The live and online auction takes place at The Grace Hotel, Westport at 10.30 am on the following two days. The leading lot is a full length portrait of Colonel Hugh O’Donel MP (1760-1799) with family connections to Red Hugh O’Donnell (1572-1602) by Hugh Douglas Hamilton (€80,000-€100,000).
The Orpen portrait of James Hugh Smith-Barry of Fota (1816-1856) was painted posthumously though you would never guess. Based on a sketch by James Rannie Swinton made in 1854 it was commissioned by his son Arthur Hugh Smith-Barry (1843-1925) – created Baron Barrymore in 1902 – for Fota House. Barrymore paid Orpen £84 and ten shillings for a portrait now estimated at €15,000-€20,000.
There is a similar estimate on an impressive set of Giant Irish Elk antlers with 20 points and skull once at Powerscourt.
Waiting for the Steamer, Aran Islands, a c1950 oil on canvas by Sean Keating (€30,000-€50,000) is one of a number of West of Ireland themed paintings including a Coastal Scene of Kilkee, Co. Clare by Nathaniel Hone (€6,000-€8,000), Slievemore Mountain, Achill Island by Harry Epworth Allen (€3,000-€4,000), Cloudland, Connemara by Maurice MacGonigal (€2,000-€3,000) and Near Maam Cross, a watercolour by Peter Knuttel (€120-€140). Inevitably there are some specimen pike, salmon and trout mounted in showcases.
A Georgian gilt rococo mirror. UPDATE: THIS MADE 50,000 AT HAMMER
A fine Georgian gilt rococo mirror after a design by Thomas Johnson, whose mirrors always told stories to children in the 18th century, is estimated at €20,000-€30,000. A Georgian dining table (€8,000-€10,000) and an Irish 18th century side table (€4,000-€6,000) lead a selection of furniture with reasonable estimates.
Among the leading statement pieces are a pair of 19th century Venetian carved and parcel gilt Nubian torchéres (€4,000-€6,000) and a pair of 19th century Meissen Schneeballen vases and covers with birds (€4,000-€6,000). Tribal art includes a Zulu headrest, a Papua New Guinea cult figure, a Maori bust and an 18th century gavel with a grotesque mask handle used in Dublin’s Hellfire Club.
For the ease of viewers the catalogue is divided into sections in various categories such as silver and plate, jewellery and timepieces, objets d’art and miniatures, religious artefacts, oriental art, library, bar and outdoor effects and individual rooms like the dining room, study, stairwell, reception and the downstairs drawing room.
An Irish 18th century mahogany side table. UPDATE: THIS MADE 3,500 AT HAMMER
PAIR OF CANTONESE 18TH CENTURY EXPORT PORCELAIN VASES AND COVERS
This pair of Cantonese vases made a hammer price of €30,000 over an estimate of €2,000-€3,000 at Adams Townley Hall Country House Collections sale in Dublin yesterday. With a height of 68 they are decorated with views of figures in a court interior and panel of flowering foliage and insects. The covers have finials modelled as temple dogs.
The top lot of the auction was Concert (Three Figures) an oil on canvas by Adam de Coster (1586-1643), regarded as one of the most refined painters of the Flemish Baroque. It made €60,000 at hammer over an estimate of €40,000-€60,000. An Irish 18th century mahogany side table made €38,000, a George III giltwood pier mirror made €36,000, a Louis XIV gold coronation medal made €22,000, a laughing mask by Jean Joseph Carriès made €22,000 and a portrait of the racehorse Bloomsbury with Sam Templeman Up by John Frederick Herring senior made €18,000.
ADAM DE COSTER (1586-1643) – Concert (Three Figures). UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 60,000 AT HAMMER
Portrait of Col Hugh O’Donel by Hugh Douglas Hamilton. UPDATE: THIS MADE 77,000 AT HAMMER
A full length portrait of ‘Colonel Hugh O’Donel’ MP (1760-1799) by Hugh Douglas Hamilton in a pose derived from the Apollo Belvedere at the Vatican is the leading lot at Fonsie Mealy’s sale of contents from Newport House, Co. Mayo on October 20. Hugh was son of Sir Neal O’Donel of Westport, a lineal descendant of Sir Niall Garbh O’Donel (1568-1626) who married the sister of Red Hugh O’Donnell. The portrait is estimated at €70,000-€100,000. There will be viewing at Newport House for three days from October 17. The live and online auction is at The Grace Hotel in Westport.
A c1765 Irish George III giltwood mirror from Hamwood. UPDATE: THIS MADE 36,000 AT HAMMER
Marvellous mirrors, fabulous furniture, super silver and a furious fight are among the alliterative delights at Adam’s annual Country House Collections at Townley Hall sale on October 13.
The annual event – one of the highlights of the Irish auction year – this year offers 604 carefully curated lots. It is on view from today and for the next three days at Townley Hall near Drogheda.
The fairest mirror on the wall comes with a price tag of around €40,000-€60,000. This is the estimate for an Irish George III giltwood pier mirror in the manner of Matthias Lock originally owned by the Hamilton family of Hamwood, Co. Meath. It is illustrated in Irish Furniture by The Knight of Glin and James Peill published by Yale University Press in 2007 and in Country Life in 2006. Hamwood was the childhood home of celebrated artist sisters Letitia (1878-1964) and Eva (1876-1960) Hamilton.
A large 18th century Irish giltwood mirror attributed to John and Francis Booker is estimated at €15,000-€20,000. A carved and stone painted pier mirror in the manner of William Kent has the same estimate.
18th century Irish mahogany side table. UPDATE: THIS MADE 38,000 AT HAMMER
An 18th century Irish mahogany side table, similar to one illustrated in Irish Furniture, is estimated at €40,000-€60,000. A pair of 19th century carved mahogany side tables (€30,000-€40,000), a four pillar D end dining table in the manner of Gillows (€20,000-€30,000), an Irish George II architects table and bureau cabinet (€15,000-€20,000), a pair of satinwood inlaid card tables (€15,000-€20,000), a pair of 19th century Irish satinwood, harewood and marquetry commodes (€10,000-€15,000) and a pair of Irish George III carved armchairs (€10,000-€15,000) are among many lots of seriously fine furniture worthy of attention.
A pair of Irish George II silver soup tureens and covers in the rococo style by Robert Holmes, Dublin 1755 (€20,000-€30,000), a set of four Irish silver candlesticks by Jacob West, Dublin c1780 (15,000-€20,000), a c1901 Sheffield surtout de table (€10,000-€15,000) and a fine Victorian silver tea service (€8,000-€10,000) owned by Maud Gonne and a c1770 Cork silver coffee pot by John Warner (€5,000-€7,000) are not the sort of silver lots that you might happen across every day.
The most expensively estimated lot of the auction is a carved George IV white marble chimney piece and polished steel grate (€50,000-€80,000).
The Cork artist Nathanial Grogan (c1740-1807) is regarded as one of the most important Irish genre painters of the late 18th century. An oil on board by Grogan – “Fight at the Inn” – is inspired by a scene from Tom Jones by Henry Fielding published in 1749 in which a furious man hunting Mrs. Fitzpatrick has been wrongly directed to a room at an inn where Tom is entertaining Mrs. Waters. The estimate for this highly charged and comical oil on board is €4,000-€6,000.
A pair of c1755 Dublin silver soup tureens and covers by Robert Holmes. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
The auction offers a variety of collectibles from a pair of monumental timber doric columns and green painted obelisk garden planters to portrait miniatures, a sketchbook by George Petrie, a c1830 Worcester Flight Barr and Barr dessert service, a 17th century Antwerp tortoiseshell and marquetry table cabinet and a 19th century giltwood and pietra dura Florentine circular table.
This is not just an auction for the super rich. Among a plentiful selection of lots for under €500 is a Victorian brass postal scales, a Georgian library chair, a lion’s mask door knocker, a stick barometer, a Victorian papier maché tea caddy, Edwardian steamer trunks and a set of five Victorian copper and brass pans.
The live and online sale gets underway at 11 am on October 13 at Adam’s at St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin.
A pair of green painted obelisk garden planters. UPDATE: THESE MADE 1,000 AT HAMMER
PAIR OF ANGLO-INDIAN CARVED TABLES. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
This pair of Anglo-Indian carved tables on carved dragon legs are at the timed online sale currently running at Adams Blackrock in Dublin. The estimate is €700-900. Online only sales of antiques and furniture, Irish paintings and jewellery and watches will all end from 7 pm on October 7.
