antiquesandartireland.com

Information about Art, Antiques and Auctions in Ireland and around the world
  • ABOUT
  • About Des
  • Contact

    • CHINA JUMPS TO 1ST PLACE IN WORLD ART MARKET

    April 7th, 2011

    THE painted scroll on the right is by QI Baishi.  The Chinese artist, who died in 1957, is currently the second best selling artist in the world at auction after Picasso.

    Over the last ten years China has jumped from ninth place in the world’s art market to first place in 2010 according to ArtPrice, which has just published its report for 2010.  The second strong trend to emerge last year is the evolution of the internet.  Around two and a half billion users have triggered a dramatic acceleration in on-line art sales.

    China is the largest auction market in the world, four of out the top ten selling artists are Chinese and 30 per cent of the top 50 artists are Asian.
    ArtPrice reports that 2010 was rich in events: after the strong price inflation between 2004 and 2008 and the severe market contraction from October 2008 to the summer of 2009, a rapid recovery followed, taking the market to unprecedented highs. In short… the decade saw a very substantial acceleration of the market and a considerable shift of its polarity towards Asia.
    After the previous art market meltdown in 1991, it took 4 years of patience before prices began to recover. This time round it took only 18 months. Between February and May 2010 the  top-end of the art market awoke from its crisis blues to return the best  auction results ever recorded in the history of art auctions.  Alberto  Giacometti and Pablo Picasso both set new global art auction records between February and June.
    The top ten artists of 2010 by auction revenue are: 1 – PICASSO Pablo (1881 – 1973) $361.5m; 2 –  QI Baishi (1864-1957) $339.2m;  3 –  WARHOL Andy (1928 – 1987) $313.5m; 4 –  ZHANG Daqian (1899 – 1983) $304.3m; 5 – GIACOMETTI Alberto  (1901 – 1966): $213.6; 6 –  XU Beihong   (1895 – 1953): $176.2m; 7 –  MATISSE Henri  (1869 – 1954): $174m; 8 –  MODIGLIANI Amedeo  (1884 – 1920): $139.8m; 9 –  FU Baoshi (1904 – 1965): $125.2m; 10 –  LICHTENSTEIN Roy (1923 – 1997): $112.5m.
    The picture on the right by  QI Baishi is entitled SWEET OSMANTHUS AND RABBITS.  The ink and colour on paper, hanging scroll was sold at Sotheby’s Fine Chinese Art sale in Hong Kong on April 5, 2011 for  3,860,000 HKD or 347,310.15 EUR.
    In China he is a household name.

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | Comments Off on CHINA JUMPS TO 1ST PLACE IN WORLD ART MARKET

    MASTERPIECE BY STUBBS AT CHRISTIE’S

    April 6th, 2011

    Gimcrack by Stubbs. (Click to enlarge) © Christie’s Images UPDATE: IT MADE £22,441,250

    A masterpiece of British art will be offered by Christie’s next July.  Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath, with a Trainer, a Stable-Lad, and a Jockey by George Stubbs (1724-1806) depicts one of the most popular and admired of all 18th century racehorses. From the collection of Lord Woolavinton, a whisky magnate, it is expected to make more than £20 million. The painting measures more than six feet across.

    John Stainton, Senior Director of British Pictures, Christie’s said: “This is a truly exceptional example of 18th century painting which holds immense importance on many levels – as an Old Master picture, as a great masterpiece of British Art, and as one of the finest sporting pictures ever painted”.

    Richard Knight, International co-head of Old Master and 19th Century Art at Christie’s said: “The sale of this masterpiece will be a cornerstone moment in the history of Christie’s. It is telling that as a result of the global nature of the 21st century art market, Stubbs, a very British artist, is set to join a small and select group who represent the most valuable old master artists ever sold, placing him alongside Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Turner.”
    Commissioned by Frederick St. John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke the work was painted in 1765.  Gimcrack won an impressive 28 of his 36 races was was unplaced only once. The painting will be offered at the Old Master and British Paintings evening sale In London on July 5.  The current auction record for Stubbs is £10.1 million paid at Sotheby’s last year for Brood Mare and Foals.
    UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £22,441,250
    See antiquesandartireland.com for December 11, 2010.

    Tags: ,
    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | Comments Off on MASTERPIECE BY STUBBS AT CHRISTIE’S

    IRISH PISTOLS AT BONHAMS ANTIQUE ARMS AND ARMOUR SALE

    April 6th, 2011

    A Fine and Rare Cased Pair Of Irish 40-Bore Silver-Mounted Flintlock Duelling Pistols By McCormick, Robert, Belfast. (click to enlarge)

    NO less than twelve sets of pistols, one Irish, are estimated to sell for between £2,500 to £60,000 feature at Bonhams Antique Arms and Armour sale on April 20.  From the early 17th century duels were often illegal in Europe, though in most societies where duelling was socially accepted, participants in a fair duel were not prosecuted, or if they were, rarely convicted.

    The goal of the honourable duel was often not so much to kill the opponent as to gain ‘satisfaction’, that is, to restore one’s honour by demonstrating a willingness to risk one’s life for it.
    Lot 464, an extremely rare cased pair of Irish silver-mounted flintlock duelling pistols, was made by Robert McCormick of Belfast.  Of very fine quality and workmanship they are dated 1791. The estimate is £10,000-15,000.
    Lot 456 is a very fine pair of flintlock duelling pistols by Robert Wogdon of London made in about 1785 for the Duke of Bedford. Such was Wodgon’s fame as a maker of duelling pistols that an anonymous Irish Volunteer penned a ‘Stanzas On Duelling’ inscribed to Wogdon the celebrated pistol-maker (1782) which reads in part:
    ‘Hail Wogdon! Patron of that leaden death
    Which waits alike the bully and the brave;
    As well might art recall departed breath,
    As any artifice your victims save.

    Posted in AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES | Comments Off on IRISH PISTOLS AT BONHAMS ANTIQUE ARMS AND ARMOUR SALE

    NEW RECORD FOR ISLAMIC WORK OF ART AT AUCTION

    April 6th, 2011

    Shahnameh or Persian Book of Kings (click to enlarge)

    An illustrated folio from the Shahnameh  or ‘Book of Kings’ established a new record for an Islamic work of art at auction at Sotheby’s on April 6.
    Made for Shah Tahmasp of Persia and universally acknowledged as one of the supreme illustrated manuscripts of any period or culture it made £7,433,250.  The illustrated leaf was chased by seven bidders and made nearly four times the estimate of £2/3 million.
    The Shahnameh is the Persian national epic. The illustrated leaf in ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper depicts Faridun in the guise of a dragon testing his sons.  It was completed at the royal Safavid atelier circa 1525-1535.  It was from the Stuart Cary Welch collection.
    Edward Gibbs, Senior Director and Head of Sotheby’s Middle East Department, said: “The sale of the Shahnameh leaf today represented a rare opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs of Islamic Art and bidders from across the globe competed tenaciously to acquire this unique work of extraordinary quality and beauty. The sum achieved of £7.4 million for the folio represents a new auction record for an Islamic Work of Art and is testament to the passion and taste of the true scholar-connoisseur, Stuart Cary Welch, who assembled this remarkable collection.”

    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES | Comments Off on NEW RECORD FOR ISLAMIC WORK OF ART AT AUCTION

    MONARCH OF THE AUCTION

    April 6th, 2011

    This magnificent specimen of Cervus Giganteus Hibernicus or Gigantic Irish Deer was the top lot at Mealy's Mallow Castle sale on April 5. It made 35,000.

    THESE 20 point Irish elk horns and skull, estimated at 10,000-15,000, made 35,000 at Mealy’s Mallow Castle auction on April 5.

    They had last changed hands at the Adare Manor sale in Co. Limerick in 1982.

    The top lot at the sale is believed to be at least 12,000 years old. They were excavated from a bog in the 19th century.  The Irish Elk became extinct during the last Ice Age around 11,000 years ago.

    The record for a set of antlers – £52,875 – was set at Christie’s in London in 2001.  That set had previously been at Powerscourt House in Co. Wicklow.

    Portrait of Thomas Wentworth sold for 6,500. (click to enlarge)

    Lot 603 at this sale was a portrait of Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Stafford, attributed to Anthony Van Duke (1599-1641). He served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1632 to 1639, was notorious for his harsh rule and dubbed “Black Tom” by the Irish. On his return to England he became leading advisor of  King Charles. His attempts to strengthen the royal position against Parliament resulted in his being  condemned to death. King Charles signed the death warrant and Wentworth was executed in 1641.

    Posted in AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES | Comments Off on MONARCH OF THE AUCTION

    PERCY FRENCH RETROSPECTIVE AT ORIEL GALLERY

    April 4th, 2011

    'Horse Drawn Barge on the Grand Canal Dublin' is the title of this 1896 work by Percy French. (click on image to enlarge)

    THE Percy French retrospective now on at the Oriel Gallery in Dublin features over 80 unique watercolours. This is the largest collection of his paintings ever assembled.

    A watercolourist of considerable note Percy French (1854-1920) is best known as one of Ireland’s foremost songwriters.
    Among the most famous songs which he wrote or collaborated with are Phil the Fluters Ball, Are ye right there Michael, Abdul Abulbul Amir, The Mountains of Mourne and Slattery’s Mounted Foot.
    After graduating as a civil engineer from TCD in 1881 he joined the Board of Works in Co. Cavan as an inspector of drains.   He was particularly prolific as a painter and songwriter around this period.
    Since it first opened its doors in 1968 The Oriel Gallery has successfully promoted his art.
    The retrospective, which runs until May 1, sets out to honour his achievement as an Irish landscape painter of merit, whose works have a gentle allure and captivating, atmospheric calm that is both understated and unique.
    It is comprised mostly of paintings on loan, but a small number of the works are for sale.

    Tags: ,
    Posted in ART | Comments Off on PERCY FRENCH RETROSPECTIVE AT ORIEL GALLERY

    JAMES ADAM IRISH ART SALE ON APRIL 6

    April 2nd, 2011

    Hay Barn by Damaris Lysaght at the James Adam sale in Dublin on April 6. It is estimated at 1,000-1,500. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 900

    The Bandstand by John Doherty at Adams on April 6. It is estimated at 2,000-4,000. UPDATE: IT MADE A HAMMER PRICE OF 4,200

    The Canal Dublin by Henry Healy at Adams on April 6. It is estimated at 1,000-2,000. UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR A HAMMER PRICE OF 2,200

    Two Shadows by Tony O'Malley at Adams on April 6. It is estimated at 8,000-12,000. UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR 8,000

    There are 241 lots at the James Adam Irish art sale in Dublin on Wednesday, April 6 at 6 p.m.  Here are four of them.  The entire catalogue is on line.

    Damaris Lysaght grew up near Doneraile in Cork, and studied at the Crawford Schools Cork, and NCAD. She won an Italian Government scholarship to study in Florence with Nerina Simi for four years.

    The Bandstand” (’97-’98)  by John  Doherty shows the bandstand at Dun
    Laoghaire Harbour prior to its renovation.

    The sale offers a small collection of works by  Henry Healy (1909-1982). He served as President of The Dublin Painters Society, Treasurer of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), on the selection committee of The Oireachtas Exhibitions and on the board of Governors of The National Gallery of Ireland. He was a well-loved teacher and held classes during the summer in Dooega, Achill Island where he had a cottage and in Dublin during the winter. He exhibited more than 130 works at the RHA and held solo shows at the Barrenhill, Gallery, Howth, the Taylor Galleries Dublin. A retrospective was held at The George Gallery Dublin in 1990.

    Two Shadows by Tony O’Malley Tony O’Malley HRHA (1913-2003) was previously on loan to the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

    See antiquesandartireland.com for March 25.  Click on any image to enlarge.

    Tags: ,
    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | 1 Comment »

    ART DEALER ALLAN STONE’S COLLECTION AT SOTHEBY’S, NEW YORK

    April 1st, 2011

    Franz Kline, Herald 1953-54 to be sold at Sotheby's, New York on May 9. The estimate is $2.5-$3.5 million. (click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE $2,322,500

    Willem de Kooning, Event in a Barn Painted in 1947, to be sold at Sotheby's, New York on May 9. It is estimated at $5/7 million. (click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE$4,562,500

    Work from the collection of  art dealer Allan Stone will be offered at Sotheby’s in New York in May.  The sale will be presented in two volumes on Monday, May 9, the night before Sotheby’s Contemporary art evening sale on May 10.

    Highlights of the first sale will comprise outstanding examples by the key artists represented and collected by Stone, including Willem de Kooning, John Chamberlain, Franz Kline and Joseph Cornell.  The second sale will be dedicated to the West Coast artist Wayne Thiebaud, whose work was first championed by Stone in New York more than forty-five years ago.

    The two sales are estimated to bring in more than $35 million.

    UPDATE: The two-part sale of The Collection of Allan Stone, brought a total of $54,805,500, well above the pre-sale high estimate of $46.8 million, and was 93% sold by lot. The auction was held 50 years after the founding of The Allan Stone Gallery and celebrated the artists represented and collected by this renowned New York dealer. The evening was led by John Chamberlain’s Nutcracker which sold for $4,786,500 and set a new record for the artist at auction. The sale was characterised by strong prices and global demand for U.S. West Coast artist Wayne Thiebaud

    Tags: , , , ,
    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | 1 Comment »

    ANTIQUES AND INTERIORS SALE AT HEGARTY’S, BANDON

    April 1st, 2011

    The antiques and interiors auction at Hegarty’s in Bandon, Co. Cork on Sunday, April 3 at 4 p.m. will include furniture, jewellery, silver, paintings and ceramics. This is a sale of around 500 lots.  There is a one-owner offering of six 19th century Victorian and Regency sewing and works tables, amassed over the past 20 years.

    The sale includes about 20 lots of jewellery and 20 garden items.  The catalogue is available on-line.  Hegarty’s are located at Parnell Business Park, The By-pass, Bandon and hold regular monthly sales.

    A c1810 rosewood foldover card table from Hegarty's sale in Bandon, Co. Cork on April 3. It is estimated at 1,500-2,500. UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR 1,250

    An Irish teapoy with scroll stretchers at Hegarty's. The estimate is around 900. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD.

    A Victorian library table at Hegarty's. It is estimated at 1,000-1,500. UPDATE: THIS WAS NOT SOLD.

    A 19th century rosewood bombe shaped writing desk at Hegarty's. It is estimated at 2,500-3,500. UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,900

    A c1870 walnut and marquetry inlaid work table at Hegarty's. It is estimated at 1,400-1,800. UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,050

    Tags: , , ,
    Posted in AUCTIONS, FURNITURE | Comments Off on ANTIQUES AND INTERIORS SALE AT HEGARTY’S, BANDON

    CHATEAU de GOURDON COLLECTION BRINGS IN 42,387,113

    April 1st, 2011

    The Chateau de Gourdon Collection realised 42,387,113 at Christie’s in Paris.  One of the finest private collections of early 20th century decorative art and design ever offered at auction was disposed of in a landmark series of five sales over three days at the Palais de Tokyo.  It was sold 84% by lot and 84% by value. The 860 lots at the Palais de Tokyo had a minimum estimate of 40 million euros.

    The sale viewing drew over 17,000 visitors in four days.  Buyers were 75 per cent European, 21 per cent American, two per cent Asian and one per cent Middle Eastern.

    See antiquesandartireland.com posts for March 30 and December 3.


    Tags: ,
    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES | Comments Off on CHATEAU de GOURDON COLLECTION BRINGS IN 42,387,113

    « Older Entries
    Newer Entries »