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    • THE GREATEST WINE SALE EVER ACHIEVES $21.9 MILLION

    May 23rd, 2016
    The wine sale in progress.

    The wine sale in progress.

    THE KOCH CELLARS

    THE KOCH CELLARS

    In what has turned out to be the greatest wine auction ever the cellar of William J. Koch achieved a total of $21.9 million over three days at Sotheby’s. This set a record for a wine collection sold at auction. It was  a white glove sale with 2,729 lots 100% sold and buyers from 23 countries.  Highlights included the sale of ten bottles of Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 for $343,000: six magnums of Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux 1989 Henri Jayer for $171,500 and 12 bottles of Montrachet Domaine de la Romanee Conti 1978 for $147,000.

    William I. Koch commented:  “Collecting and enjoying wine has been one of the great joys and loves of my life. It is very gratifying to see so many people from around the world that share my passion”.

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    MINING FOR SILVER AT LOTABEG SALE

    May 22nd, 2016
    An Irish George I silver coffee pot by John Hamilton c1720

    An Irish George I silver coffee pot by John Hamilton c1720  UPDATE: THIS MADE 14,000 AT HAMMER

    The most expensively estimated piece of silver at Mealy’s sale of contents of Lotabeg House in Cork on May 24 is a George I silver coffee pot by John Hamilton.  It is estimated at 15,000-20,000. The auction is strong in provincial Irish silver including a rare Republican silver strawberry dish by William Egan (5,000-8,000).  Republican silver made in Cork during the Irish Civil War could not be sent to the assay office in Dublin and is of great interest to collectors.  Other Cork pieces include a set of bright cut dessert spoons by William Reynolds (650-800),  a Cork crested salver by George Hodder (1,500-2,000) a George II silver punch ladle by William Bennett (2,000-3,000), an asparagus tongs by Carden Terry (2,000-3,000), a double bowl marrow scoop by John Warner (800-1,000), teaspoons by Jane Williams (150-250) and a set of 12 silver table forks by Carden Terry and Jane Williams (5,000-7,000).

    Politically sensitive photographs taken by Captain Jack Hart, brother of the owner of Lotabeg during the Chinese Revolution of 1912, have generated huge international interest. Lot 559 depicts beheadings and victims of torture as well as scenes from the daily lives of members of the British Army. UPDATE: The album went to an internet bidder for 1,700

    (See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for May 14, May 1 and April 27, 2016)

    An Irish exhibition carved yew wood centre table by Arthur Jones Dublin (12,000-18,000)

    An Irish exhibition carved yew wood centre table by Arthur Jones Dublin (12,000-18,000)

    A plain Chinese gree jade bowl with Qianlong mark (5,000-6,000)

    A plain Chinese gree jade bowl with Qianlong mark (5,000-6,000)

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    GEORGIA O’KEEFFE’S LAKE GEORGE REFLECTION TOPS CHRISTIE’S AMERICAN SALE

    May 20th, 2016
    Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) Lake George Reflection © 2016 Georgia O'Keeffe Museum / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

    Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) Lake George Reflection © 2016 Georgia O’Keeffe Museum / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

    Georgia O’Keeffe’s Lake George Reflection was the top lot at the Spring sale of American art at  Christie’s in New York on May 19. It sold for $12,933,000 in a sale which achieved $42,737,500 and made artists records for Max Weber ($1.9 milion0 and Rebecca Salsbury James ($509,000).   Estimated at $8-12 million this was the second highest price paid for an O’Keeffe.  Lake George Reflection was inspired by O’Keeffe’s frequent visits to the family home of Alfred Stieglitz. There were 98 lots in the sale.

    Active bidding was seen from established collectors to new buyers with nearly 200 registered bidders across every region in the U.S. and considerable online participation.

    Elizabeth Beaman, Head of Department, American Art, remarked: “Impressive prices were realized for major American modernists, Georgia O’Keeffe and Max Weber, and 19th-century masters, John Singer Sargent and Alfred Jacob Miller alike. The range of prices realized shows a broad interest in the category from new buyers to established collectors. We are also pleased to see active online participation, continuing momentum from our mid-season online-only sale in March.”

    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for April 27, 2016)

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    A PHOTO OF THE REAL MARILYN MONROE

    May 20th, 2016
    Marilyn Monroe - Richard Avedon

    Marilyn Monroe – Richard Avedon

    A 1957 image of what photographer Richard Avedon considered to be the “real” Marilyn Monroe sold for £77,500 at Sotheby’s Icons of  Fashion Photography  sale in London on May 19.  Avedon, who aimed to reveal the true character of his subjects, recalled that whilst photographing Monroe at his studio she danced and sang and flirted and did this thing that made her Marilyn Monroe.

    “And when the night was over and the white wine was over and the dancing was over she sat in the corner like a child with everything gone”.  Monroe permitted him to take the photograph. He said he would not have taken it without her consent.  The top lot of the sale was Mouth (For L’Oreal) New York by Irving Penn. It sold for £221,000.

    The auction featured works by mid 20th century modern fashion photographers Irving Penn and Richard Avedon alongside images by Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin and Peter Lindberg as well as contemporary photographers like Miles Aldridge and David LaChapelle.  Around 60% of lots found buyers in an auction that realized £1,422,375.

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    MUCH TO INTEREST COLLECTORS AT DE VERES

    May 19th, 2016

    With highly desirable works by artists like Roderic O’Conor, Mary Swanzy, Jack B. Yeats and John Shinnors the Irish art auction at de Veres in Dublin on May 25 offers much to interest collectors. Whether it is a small Blackshaw or a large oil this is a sale of 150 lots that will appeal to collectors in a market short of top quality supply. The catalogue is online. Here is a small selection:

    Mary Swanzy - A view of Semur en Auxois (30,000-50,000)

    Mary Swanzy – A view of Semur en Auxois (30,000-50,000)  UPDATE:  THIS MADE 41,000

    Jack Butler Yeats - A Riverside Inn (1946) (70,000-90,000)

    Jack Butler Yeats – A Riverside Inn (1946) (70,000-90,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 66,000

    Patrick Scott - Gold Painting (10,000-15,000)

    Patrick Scott – Gold Painting (10,000-15,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 18,500

    John Shinnors - Badgers, Her Place (25,000-35,000)

    John Shinnors – Badgers, Her Place (25,000-35,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 26,000

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    OPPENHEIMER BLUE MAKES NEW WORLD RECORD

    May 19th, 2016
    The Oppenheimer Blue

    The Oppenheimer Blue

    There was a new world record for any jewel sold at auction at Christie’s in Geneva on May 18 when the Oppenheimer Blue sold for US$57.5 million. The 14.62 carat stone was acquired after a bidding battle that lasted nearly 25 minutes.  This was the largest fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction.  It was named in honor of its previous owner Sir Philip Oppenheimer who for many year controlled the Diamond Syndicate in London.  By some reckonings only one in 200,000 stones mined is blue. The colour, clarity, traditional cutting style and provenance of this particular diamond is exceptional. It had been estimated at US$38-45 million.

    Jewels from the collection of Gabriela Princess zu Leiningen totaled US$22.5 million and were 100% sold. The sale total was US$169,528,430.

    (See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for March  30 and 31, 2016)

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    A NEW WORLD RECORD FOR ANY JEWELLERY SALE

    May 18th, 2016

    There was a new world record for any jewellery sale at Sotheby’s in Geneva on May 17.  The auction of magnificent jewels and nobel jewel realized US$175,097,419.  The auction was led by the Unique PInk, a rare fancy vivid pink diamond of 15.38 carats which sold for US$31,561,2000.

    A new record was set also for an online purchase in a live auction at Sotheby’s when a pair of fancy blue and orangy pink diamond earrings sold for US$6 million.  The auction was viewed online by people from 155 countries and there were participants from 45 countries, 25% of these from Asia.   And there was a 41% increase in lots sold online compared to the equivalent sale last year.

    David Bennett, Worldwide Chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, commented: “Exactly one year after having set the world record for a jewellery sale, Sotheby’s Geneva has raised the bar once again with a great sale and a great result for the Unique Pink. It is difficult to imagine a diamond that better illustrates the term Vivid Pink than this outstanding stone. The colour is simply astonishing and, for its size, it is in my experience truly unique. We set out to curate a sale that would speak to today’s collectors and the response has been overwhelming – confirmation, if ever it were needed, that when you have the right material, demand is as deep as it’s ever been. This was a sale that had the perfect mix of great gemstones and jewels, the vast majority of which were sourced from private collections.”

    The Unique Pink sold for US$31.5 million.

    The Unique Pink sold for US$31.5 million.

    These diamond earrings set an online record price of US$6 million at Sotheby's.

    These diamond earrings set an online record price of US$6 million at Sotheby’s.

     

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    WHYTE’S TO OFFER VALUATIONS AT ART EXHIBITION

    May 18th, 2016
    Séamus Ó Colmáin (1925-1990) NELSON'S PILLAR, 1966 from Whyte's sale of Important Irish Art on May 30

    Séamus Ó Colmáin (1925-1990) NELSON’S PILLAR, 1966 from Whyte’s sale of Important Irish Art on May 30

    WATER LILLIES BY TOM SCOTT FROM THE EXHIBITION

    WATER LILLIES BY TOM SCOTT FROM THE EXHIBITION

    The 138th annual exhibition of the Dublin Painting and Sketching Club – Ireland’s  largest group show – continues at the Concourse Gallery, County Hall, Dun Laoighaire until May 21.  Experts from auctioneers Whyte’s will be in attendance on May 20 between 1pm and 4pm to offer valuations of private collections of paintings.

    The 2016 exhibition features amongst the broad range of nearly 300 fine works by more than 80 member artists, a number of paintings specially created as a visual tribute to and inspired by the poems and literary works by Irish authors of the past 100 years. As is the Club’s custom, each themed picture carries a written caption, explaining the painter’s response to the original work.

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    FINE PERIOD INTERIORS AT JAMES ADAM

    May 17th, 2016

    Silver, paintings, costume jewellery, clocks, porcelain, prints, Chinese and Japanese ceramics, books, maps and collectible items will come under the hammer at the James Adam sale of fine period interiors in Dublin on May 22.  The catalogue, which lists 469 lots, is online.  Here is a small selection:

    AN EDWARDIAN SATINWOOD BUREAU CABINET (2,000-3,000)

    AN EDWARDIAN SATINWOOD BUREAU CABINET (2,000-3,000)  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    PIETRO FRAGIACOMO (1856-1922) On the Lagoon, Venice (4,000-6,000)

    PIETRO FRAGIACOMO (1856-1922)
    On the Lagoon, Venice (4,000-6,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 34,000 AT HAMMER

    AN ITALIAN WALNUT AND MARQUETRY INLAID CASSONE, 17TH CENTURY, (1,200-1,800)

    AN ITALIAN WALNUT AND MARQUETRY INLAID CASSONE, 17TH CENTURY, (1,200-1,800)  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    A LARGE CHINESE SIX FOLD INLAID EBON SCREEN each panel decorated with mother of pearl diamond field and set with four carved jadeite reliefs depicting houses, urns, cows, camels etc. (1,000-1,500)

    A LARGE CHINESE SIX FOLD INLAID EBON SCREEN each panel decorated with mother of pearl diamond field and set with four carved jadeite reliefs depicting houses, urns, cows, camels etc. (1,000-1,500)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,100 AT HAMMER

    FRANZ BERGMAN (AUSTRIAN, 19TH CENTURY) A pair of cold painted bronzes depicting standing blackamoor figures Signed and dated 'F. Bergman, 1882' (400-600)

    FRANZ BERGMAN (AUSTRIAN, 19TH CENTURY)
    A pair of cold painted bronzes depicting standing blackamoor figures
    Signed and dated ‘F. Bergman, 1882’ (400-600)  UPDATE: THESE SOLD FOR 850 AT HAMMER

    A GEORGE I PLAIN PINT SIZED SAUCEPAN, London 1715, possibly Richard Greene (1,000-1,500)

    A GEORGE I PLAIN PINT SIZED SAUCEPAN, London 1715, possibly Richard Greene (1,000-1,500)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,400 AT HAMMER

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    PICASSO CUBIST MASTERPIECE AT SOTHEBY’S IN JUNE

    May 17th, 2016
    Picasso - Femme assise

    Picasso – Femme assise  UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £43.3 MILLION

    Picasso’s Femme assise, hailed by Sotheby’s as the most important Cubist painting to come to auction in decades, will lead the Impressionist and Modern art sale at Sotheby’s in London on June 21. Painted in 1909 it is from the series that revolutionized Picasso’s working methods.

    It was painted in the summer of that year when Picasso travelled to the remote village of Horta de Ebro in his native Spain. The village was accessible only by mule.  Here he created a number of canvasses based on his love Fernande Olivier.  Femme assize is one of a small number of portraits from the series remaining in private hands.   Sotheby’s has not released an estimate for the work.

    Helena Newman, Global Co-Head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Department, said: “Cubism not only underpins Picasso’s entire creative output but also marks a defining moment in Modern Art.  Whilst major paintings from other key periods by Picasso have appeared on the market in recent years, it has been decades since a Cubist painting of this calibre has been offered at auction, since virtually all the significant works of this period are in international museums and institutions.  Femme assise, painted in 1909, is one of the artist’s greatest masterpieces to be sold in a generation.”

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