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    • IMAGES OF BOWIE EVOLING INTO CHARACTER BY BRIAN DUFFY

    April 12th, 2017

    BRIAN DUFFY (1933-2010)
    David Bowie, Aladdin Sane, Contact Sheet, 1973 – CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2017

    A contact sheet by late London Irish photographer Brian Duffy (1933-2010) documenting David Bowie evolving into the character Aladdin Sane for the 1973 album of the same title is part of Christie’s Photographs auction on May 18.

    The sale will showcase the broad spectrum of those practising in the medium from icons of 20th century photography such as Richard Avedon, Guy Bourdin and Erwin Blumenfeld, to the fashion photographers Steven Meisel and Patrick Demarchelier as well as contemporary artists Richard Mosse, Taryn Simon and Julie Cockburn. Highlights include Helmut Newton’s Private Property Suites I, II and III, the complete set from his personal collection, that capture familiar faces from the worlds of art and fashion – Andy Warhol and David Hockney and the models Charlotte Rampling  and Raquel Welch (1984, £200,000-300,000).  Prices range from £2,000 to £200,000. The Bowie contact sheet is estimated at £10,000-15,000.

    William Eggleston
    Untitled – CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2017

    Erwin Blumenfeld
    Solarized Profile with Jewelry, New York
    1946 – CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2017

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    PAUL HENRY’S SAILING BOAT ON A LOUGH TOP LOT AT MORGAN O’DRISCOLL

    April 11th, 2017

    Paul Henry’s tranquil Sailing Boat on a Lough, possibly Achill Sound in 1916-17, was the top lot at Morgan O’Driscoll’s Irish and International art auction in Dublin last night. It mad a hammer price of 62,000. Other top lots included The Park Pond by Frank McKelvey (24,000),  Torso by Louis le Brocquy (24,000), Jack the Lad by Basil Blackshaw (18,000), The Dark Pool by William Crozier (16,000), 9.13.02 by Sean Scully (16,000) and Ventral by Mark Francis (10,000).  Tribal Dance by Michael Flatley failed to find a buyer in an auction where 67% of lots were sold.

    Sailing boat on a Lough by Paul Henry sold for 62,000 at hammer.

    BASIL BLACKSHAW – THE DUST SETTLES SOLD FOR 16,000 AT HAMMER

    PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973) – PICADOR (1953) (120/500) SOLD FOR 2,200

    Curved Oar Boat III by John Behan madd 3,800 at hammer.

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    SLEEPER LOT MAKES 120,000 OVER ESTIMATE OF 500-800 AT JAMES ADAM

    April 10th, 2017

    ITALIAN SCHOOL (19TH CENTURY)
    Jesus Wearing the Crown of Thorns

    Jesus Wearing the Crown of Thorns, an oil on copper panel measuring just  34 cm by 24 cm made a hammer price of 120,000 at the James Adam interiors sale in Dublin yesterday. It had been estimated at 500-800.

    A number of bidders had registered to bid on the phone and on the internet for the lot.  Eventually there was a bidding battle for the work between two internet bidders, neither of whom had actually viewed the painting.

    The work came from an institution that was having a clear out. Auctioneer James O’Halloran said he spotted it in a corridor because of the fantastic frame in which it was contained.  It was labelled “Italian School” and 19th century.  Copper is notoriously difficult to date, and it is now assumed that the work is from the 17th century.  The artist remains unknown at this stage.

    The work aroused strong interest from Italy and it is now leaving Ireland.  It is what auctioneers describe as a “sleeper”, a lot where the bidding unexpectedly takes off once it opens. This 120,000 hammer price followed a five minute bidding battle.

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    THE MOST VALUABLE EARRINGS EVER SEEN AT AUCTION

    April 10th, 2017

    The most valuable earrings at auction, ever.

    THE most valuable earrings ever to appear at auction comes up at Sotheby’s in Geneva on May 16.  The Apollo and Artemis diamonds, one Fancy Vivid Blue, one Fancy Intense Pink, are to be offered separately as individual lots.  The Apollo Blue, internally flawless and 14.54 carats, is estimated at US$38-50 million, the 16 carat VVS 2 clarity Artemis Pink at US$12.5-18 million. The Apollo Blue is the largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction.

    David Bennett, Worldwide Chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, said: “’The Apollo and Artemis Diamonds’ will be the stars of our May sale in Geneva – by far the most important pair of earrings ever offered at auction. These exquisite coloured diamonds are enormously rare and each is a wonderful stone in its own right. Together, as a pair of earrings, they are breathtaking. We have named them after Apollo and Artemis, a twin brother and sister of great power and beauty who were among the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. These are diamonds of great distinction, with extraordinary presence, and we are honoured that Sotheby’s has been chosen to bring them to auction in May.”

    UPDATE:  They sold for a combined world record total of $57 million. They were renamed The Memory of Autumn Leaves ($42 million) and The Dream of Autumn Leaves ($15 million).  The auction realised $151.5 million.

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    OPERA MEMORABILIA FROM THE MET AT CHRISTIE’S

    April 10th, 2017

    Rare musical manuscripts and memorabilia from the Metropolitan Opera Guild collection will come under the hammer at Christie’s in New York on June 15.  Highlights, including the sole surviving autograph musical manuscript by Schubert for his Piano Sonata in A flat Major ($350,000-500,000), will be previewed in London from April 19-27 and in Hong Kong from May 26-29.  In addition two pieces of jewellery will be sold in the Magnificent Jewels auction on June 20. The sales will benefit the Opera Guild and the Metropolitan Opera.

    Among around 90 lots is a selection of autograph material from some of the most important composers of the Western classical tradition from the Baroque to the 20th-century. Additional highlights include annotated manuscripts and letters by Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Also included is Enrico Caruso’s Cartier gold eyeglass case with glasses and Arturo Toscanini’s Gubelin open-faced pocket watch. Most manuscripts come from the carefully assembled gift of Edwin Franko Goldman (1878-1956), renowned American composer and trumpeter with the Metropolitan Opera.

    SCHUBERT, Franz (1797-1828). Autograph manuscript signed for his piano sonata in A-flat major, D. 557, May 1817 ($350,000-500,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE $475,500

    AN ART DECO CORAL AND DIAMOND TIARA, BY CARTIER ($200,000-300,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE $775,500

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    FIRST EDITION OF SYNGE’S THE ARAN ISLANDS AT SOTHEBY’S

    April 9th, 2017

    A 1907 first edition of Synge’s The Aran Islands with drawings by Jack B. Yeats comes up at Sotheby’s in New York on April 24.  The limited edition is one of 150 large paper copies signed by both Synge and Yeats. This classic account of the people of the Aran Islands was important milestone in modern Irish publishing. It was the only book published by Maunsel and Co. to include hand colouring of an artist’s work. It is estimated at $7,000-10,000.

    The signatures of Synge and Yeats

    An illustration by Yeats from the book.

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    AN AT HOME SALE AT JAMES ADAM

    April 7th, 2017

    There will be an interiors At Home auction at James Adam in Dublin at noon on April 9.  The catalogue, which is online, lists 400 lots.  Here is a small selection:

    DUTCH SCHOOL (18TH CENTURY)
    Figures at a table in an interior with a basket of vegetables (500-800)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 600 AT HAMMER

    A FRENCH KINGWOOD AND LEATHER INSET SHAPED RECTANGULAR WRITING DESK (300-400)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 350 AT HAMMER

    A PAIR OF 19TH CENTURY SEVRES PORCELAIN URNS (800-1,200)  UPDATE: THESE MADE 650 AT HAMMER

    IRISH FIVE-PIECE SILVER TEA AND COFFEE SERVICE, Dublin 1966, mark of Larry Gunning (1,200-1,800)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,400 AT HAMMER

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    A BONO SELF PORTRAIT SKETCH AT HEGARTY’S IN BANDON

    April 7th, 2017

    THE SELF PORTRAIT BY BONO.

    A Bono self portrait sketch comes up at Hegarty’s sale in Bandon next Sunday.  The sketch by the globally known lead singer with U2, songwriter, venture capitalist and philanthropist is situated in a most un rockstar like position on the catalogue between a tall glass cabinet with gilt wood decoration and a large chesterfield leather sofa.

    Lot 29 in a sale due to start at 4 p.m. is a pen sketch signed in the centre by Paul “Bono” Hewson.  It measures 17″ x 13.75″ approximately.

    Dated 2007, it comes complete with a certificate of authenticity.  More than 300 lots will come under the hammer.

    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for April 2, 2017)

    UPDATE: THIS MADE 380 AT HAMMER

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    SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG SPRING SALES TOTAL OVER $400 MILLION

    April 6th, 2017

    The Macallan in Lalique legacy collection

    The series of Spring sales at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong this week totalled US$406.1 million.  This is equivalent to the strong sales results recorded last year. Sotheby’s cel Tad Smith said: “Outstanding results in our traditional categories of Chinese ceramics and painting were joined by records across a range of collecting fields including western contemporary art and jewellery”.

    With increased participation from mainland China and buoyant demand from collectors in Asia and the west the series established records for the Pink Star diamond, the Xuande fish bowl, a piece of western Contemporary art sold in Asia, a record per carat price for a fancy intense blue diamond and a record for any whiskey lot ever sold at auction with The Macallan in Lalique which sold for US$989,423.  There was increased online purchase with an 80% increase in lots over HK$41 million sold online.

    (See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for April 4, April 3 and March 29)

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    THE MOST EXPENSIVE PAINTING SOLD SO FAR IN IRELAND THIS YEAR

    April 5th, 2017

    Still Life by William Scott (1913-1989)

    A 1973 Still Life by William Scott made a hammer price of 140,000 at de Veres sale in Dublin last night to become the most expensive painting sold in Ireland so this year. Chased by at least six bidders it was bought by an Irish private collector who lives abroad.  Though this was the most successful Spring art sale at de Veres for the past ten years, bringing over a million euro, Rory Guthrie commented that the art market in Ireland remains unpredictable.

    The good news is that this 160 lot auction aroused a lot of interest, particularly in the Irish collection of the late Michael Carroll of AIB.  A private collection like this always creates interest and all but two of the 75 lots in this part of the auction sold, mostly for above estimate. A close friend of  artists Tony O’Malley and Cecil King, Michael Carroll bought many of his works from the Dawson Gallery and latterly the Taylor Galleries.

    From the Woods Shadow by Jack B. Yeats made a hammer price of 82,000, Muingingaun (Maiden Stream) by Hughie O’Donoghue made 35,000, Jack’s House (Pink) and Jack’s House (Blue) by Basil Blackshaw made hammer prices respectively of 27,000 and 25,000, Eden, a tapestry by Louis le Brocquy made 24,000 and Connemara Mare by Patrick Hennessy sold for 16,000.  Tranquility by Kenneth Webb made 13,000 at hammer, Sawers Belfast by Hector McDonnell made 8,000, Head of a Traveller by Blackshaw made 15,000, Figures Connemara by Charles Lamb sold for 15,000, Spring Rooks by Tony O’Malley made 16,000, West Cork Waterfall by William Crozier made 8,000, Isobel by Daniel O’Neill made 15,500, Thinking of the South (France) by Camille Souter made 13,000, La Maternite by Evie Hone made 10,000, Interior by Tony O’Malley made 11,000 and Harbour Scene by Patrick Collins made 16,000.

    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for March 16, 2017)

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