Corban Walker – UNTITLED VUSD 006, 2005. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
This unique pigment inkjet print by Corban Walker comes up as lot 74 at de Veres contemporary art auction for Pallas Projects which runs until May 11. Walker represented Ireland at the 54th Venice International Art Biennale, 2011. He received the Pollock Krasner Award in 2015. His work is in the collections of Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Mitsubishi Estate Co. Tokyo and other important collections. The Crawford Art Gallery in Cork presented a survey of his work in 2022. The fourth Pallas Projects/Studios have run since 2014, will help the cutting-edge arts organisation continue their mission to support grassroots arts initiatives, emerging artists and maintaining artists studios. The sale features work by over 80 established and up and coming Irish artists. The catalogue is online and works are on view at the City Assembly House at South William St. in Dublin.
Sonja Landweer, 1933-2019 – SEED. UPDATE: THIS MADE 11,000 AT HAMMER
This unique bronze comes up at de Veres at the studio auction of Sonja Landweer and Barrie Cooke, now open for viewing at de Veres on Kildare St. in Dublin. Lot 34 is estimated at 1,500-2,500. The sale includes works from the studios of the two artists and is comprised of 75 works by Sonja, 30 paintings by Barrie Cooke, as well as pieces collected and items from the studio. The couple established themselves at Jerpoint in Thomastown Co Kilkenny where they fostered a hugely creative community, co-founding the Kilkenny Arts Festival. The timed online auction takes place on April 25 from 6 pm.
John Shinnors – White Ship, Estuary, October. UPDATE: THIS MADE 7,000 AT HAMMER
Art by John Shinnors, Pauline Bewick, Carey Clarke, Tony O’Malley and William Crozier features at de Veres timed online March Irish art auction which runs until next Tuesday (March 28), There are 142 lots on this interesting catalogue, including three late 1950’s gouaches of scenes in France by the late Cork artist John O’Leary. The sale much to whet the appetite at across the board rates.Colourful watercolours by the late Pauline Bewick are full of the joy of spring, there is a particularly cheerful work titled Bog Cuts by Brian Bourke, an interesting Lake Study by John Luke, a watercolour of harbour boats in Spain by William Crozier, colourful works by Mary Theresa Keown and Desmond Carrick,, flower studies by Stella Steyn, Brigid Ganly, Carey Clarke, Phoebe Donovan and others, still lifes, abstractions and a collection of oils by Richard Kingston.
Dublin Horse Show 1928 by Sir John Lavery. UPDATE: THIS MADE 105,000 AT HAMMER
This 1928 painting of the Dublin Horse Show by Sir John Lavery was once gifted by Hazel Lavery to the Irish playwright Lennox Robinson. It is among the highlights at de Veres timed online auction of Outstanding Irish Art which begins to close from 6 pm today. The auction features a collection of Irish 18th Century Landscape paintings including works by Sir William Ashford, George Barrett, James Arthur O’Connor and Natahaniel Grogan as well as five Irish side tables from a private collection in Cork.
UPDATE: It was a successful evening at de Veres. Among the top hammer prices were: Paul Henry – Cottages by the Lake (€75,000); Roderic O’Conor – Landscape with a view to the sea (€70,0000; Jack B Yeats – The train through the woods (€60,000); William Ashford – Rocky River Landscape (€55,000); William Scott – Deep Blues (€50,000); Sean Keating – Unloading the turf (€50,000) and landscapes by George Barrett, James Arthur O’Connor and James Coy each made €40,000.
Morning Prayer, Cottage Interior, Co. Cork, 1901 by James Brenan at Whyte’s. UPDATE: THIS MADE 9,500 AT HAMMER
Collectors of Irish art have an array of choice across all price levels in the run up to Christmas. The fun gets underway on Tuesday as timed online Irish art sales at Sotheby’s and de Veres get underway with artists and sculptors from F.E. McWilliam, Rowan Gillespie, Roderic O’Conor, Patrick Scott and William Crozier at Sotheby’s to Tony O’Malley, John Shinnors, Donald Teskey, Sir John Lavery and Colin Middleton at de Veres.
Still Life and Window by Tony O’Malley at de Veres. UPDATE: THIS MADE 44,000 AT HAMMER
The selection at de Veres includes a collection of Irish 18th century landscapes and Irish Georgian tables from a private Cork collection as well as oils by Paul Henry, Jack Yeats, Roderic O’Conor and many eminent artists.The online sale at Sotheby’s will introduce a strong representation of contemporary Irish artists and sculptors to worldwide clients.
Irish highlights at Sotheby’s sale of Modern British and Irish art in London next Wednesday include two early oils by Yeats, Going to the Races, 1917 (€230,400-€345,600) and Sunday Morning, 1921 (€172,800-€288,000) and The Fisherman’s Cottage c1950 by Gerard Dillon (€92,170-€138,300).
Woman of Kinsale by Patrick Hennessy at Sotheby’s. UPDATE: THIS MADE £7,560
Viewing for Whyte’s evening sale of Important Irish Art on November 28 gets underway in Dublin next Wednesday. There are major works by Paul Henry, Louis le Brocquy, Mainie Jellett, Walter Osborne, Sean Keating, Mary Swanzy and Roderic O’Conor. Morning Prayer, Cottage Interior, County Cork, 1901 by James Brenan (1837-1907), headmaster at the Cork School of Art in the 1860’s, is the only known oil painting to show a canopy bed with a boarded, canted roof. The art historian Dr. Claudia Kinmonth reports that these highly functional beds endured throughout Ireland well into the 20th century as they enabled poor families to huddle together and stay warm. At a time when TB was rampant they were condemned by medics. Lot 6 is estimated at €10,000-€15,000.
Currachs Returning, Moonlight, Connemara Coast by Ciaran Clear at Morgan O’Driscoll. UPDATE: THIS MADE 6,600 AT HAMMER
Artists from Kenneth Webb and Norah McGuinness to Sean Scully and Mainie Jellett will feature among the highlights at Morgan O’Driscoll’s current online sale of Irish art. This continues until November 29 and like all the sales mentioned in this piece, the catalogue is online. The appetising selection includes work by Ciaran Clear, Martin Gale, Charles Harper, George Campbell and Arthur Maderson.
The autumn/winter art selling season will draw to a close with an evening sale of important Irish Art at James Adam in Dublin on December 7. There are 144 lots in total with two works by Yeats and an important triptych by John Shinnors entitled Line. This is a response by the Limerick artist to a painting by the British post impressionist Frank Bramley entitled Domino at the Crawford Gallery in Cork.
Touch Vessels by Niamh Barry at Adam. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
With notable exceptions like Eileen Grey and Joseph Walsh Irish designers tend to get overlooked when it comes to auctions of design. Upcoming timed online sales of design at de Veres in Dublin on November 1 and at Adams on on November 8 feature the sort of designer pieces from the middle of the last century and later that are increasingly in vogue here.
There is a wide selection of Danish, Italian and French work available but where are the modernist Irish designers? Artists like Felim Egan and Cecil King, couturier Sybil Connolly whose designs were used on porcelain by Tiffany and Co. and craft makers like the Dixon Carpet Company of Oughterard, established as V’Soske Joyce in 1957 were ahead of the curve. Did they flourish in isolation? Hardly. We have designers, craftspeople and innovators in plenty who remain relatively unknown or overlooked. Half a century ago, when the Kilkenny Design Workshops was in its infancy, the international view was that the Irish produced only remarkable writers and poets. That theory has been debunked enough to make one wonder whether as yet unheralded Irish designers are waiting to be discovered. Innnovative designers of every sort feature at crowd pulling events like the annual Crafts Fair at the RDS – the next one runs from November 30-December 4.
Intrusion by Cecil King at de Veres. UPDATE; THIS MADE 2,200 AT HAMMER
One of the most expensive pieces at Adams is from an Irish artist that few of us have heard of. Niamh Barry’s “Touch” vessels – hand raised, mirror polished, patinated and brushed solid bronze – are estimated at €20,000-€30,000. After graduating in ceramics from the NCAD in 1991 Niamh Barry turned to metalworking and began translating the natural landscape into metal forms. After decades of perfecting her craft critical acclaim followed her representation by Todd Merrill, the Manhattan dealer in 20th century design. Then her debut at Art Basel Switzerland led to a steady stream of commissions. Her work has been exhibited in London, New York, Switzerland, Dubai, Toronto, Miami and at a solo exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland.The catalogues for the sales at Adams and de Veres feature stylish design pieces for every nook and cranny of the contemporary home and are online. There will be viewing at de Veres this Bank Holiday weekend and viewing gets underway at Adams on November 5.
Oval centre table estimated at just €400-€600. UPDATE: THIS MADE 600 AT HAMMER
Just like Patrick Kavanagh you might meet your object of desire on Raglan Road on an autumn day. In the case of the poet it was a lady whose dark hair would weave a snare which he might one day rue. In yours and mine, more prosaically, it could just be something from the timed auction that de Veres is running at 25 Raglan Road until September 19. The auctioneers say this entire sale offers a window into the mind of an interior designer and that this is an opportunity to pick up pieces as new. The mix of antique, modern and contemporary furniture is complemented by lighting, prints, mirrors, soft furnishings, porcelain and household items. One of the most expensively estimated lots is an Andrew Martin sofa (€1,000-€2,000). Mirrors, chairs, curtains, dressing tables, lamps, lined curtains, chests of drawers and porcelain are all very reasonably estimated, many at under €300. There will be viewing at the house next Friday, Saturday and Sunday week. The catalogue is online now.
Direct Provision by Brian Maguire at Morgan O’Driscoll. UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,100 AT HAMMER
The autumn Irish art selling season gets underway in a spirit of optimism this month. It kicks off with Morgan O’Driscoll’s online sale on September 12 and there will be auctions of Important Irish Art at Whyte’s, and Adams on September 26 and 28 respectively. At James Adam the belief is that there has never been a better time to sell Irish art. Price records continue to be broken at auctions. Sales of Important Irish Art at Adams in 2021 and 2022 have grossed over €8.5 million to date. The sale at Adams on September 28 will include art by Norah McGuinness, Roderic O’Conor, Daniel O’Neill, Louis le Brocquy and Hughie O’Donoghue.
The selection at Whyte’s is appetising. Here you will find work by Jack Butler Yeats, Roderic O’Conor, John Lavery, Seán Keating, Norah McGuinness, Harry Kernoff, Mainie Jellett, Colin Middleton, Grace Henry, William Scott, Pauline Bewick, Louis le Brocquy, John Shinnors, Donald Teskey, Joseph Edward Southall, Bob Dylan and many others. At the time of writing the catalogue for de Veres sale is not to hand. This is an auction house that rarely disappoints and you are likely to find a particularly good selection of fine contemporary Irish art.
Rivermouth by Jack B Yeats at Whyte’s. UPDATE: THIS MADE 180,000 AT HAMMER
With monthly online sales interspersed with auctions of Important Irish and International Art shown in normal times for viewing both in London and New York Skibbereen based Morgan O’Driscoll keeps the ball rolling more than any other auctioneer of art in Ireland. The online catalogue for the auction next Monday offers much to choose from. The selection ranges from Yeats, Harry Kernoff, Nano Reid, May Guinness and Colin Middleton to Pauline Bewick, Felim Egan, Tony O’Malley and the French born Los Angeles based Mr. Brainwash whose work he has been successfully selling in latter years.
Contemporary art is driven by the experiences of contemporary life. The artist Brian Maguire never shirks difficult subjects. He is driven by the struggle against inequality and violence and is represented in this sale by a challenging work entitled Direct Provision. It features faces, bright eyes and white teeth against a darkand brooding ground. The acrylic on paper is estimated at €2,000-€3,000. Now firmly established as a first world country where refugees seek a haven it is no harm to be reminded that we Irish among the dispossessed not too long ago. John Behan’s unique bronze Famine Ship, lot 89 at Morgan O’Driscoll with an estimate of €8,000-€12,000, is a reminder of a dark and risky past that still exists for others today. In the 21st century the focus has shifted from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and the English Channel.
John Behan – West of Ireland, Famine Ship at Morgan O’Driscoll. UPDATE: THIS MADE 16,000 AT HAMMER
Djinn lounge chair by Olivier Mourgue. UPDATE: THIS MADE 400 AT HAMMER
Anyone travelling by air this summer quickly learns one harsh truth. Those of us paying the piper do not call the tune. Which makes one lot at de Veres online art and design auction, which runs until July 12, of great if impractical interest. It won’t fit in your carry on bag but lot 16 at de Veres is this Djinn lounge chair by Olivier Mourgue for Airborne International. Just the thing when your flight has been cancelled and you have been abandoned. The estimate is just €400-€600. There are chairs by Charles and Ray Eames and Ligne Roset, Italian sofas, contemporary tables and antique desks but most of the 146 lots in this sale are artworks. All of them are at highly affordable prices as this is one of a number of sales by de Veres designed for those who are dipping their toes into the market for the first time. Among the art lots are a number of mid century set designs by Reginald Grey for theatres like The Gate, The Globe and The Pike.
A Lament (The Funeral of Harry Boland) by Jack B Yeats. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
The auction of outstanding Irish Art and Sculpture which runs until June 14 at de Veres offers significant works by Roderic O’Conor and Jack B Yeats alongside artists from David Godbold, Tony O’Malley and Norah McGuinness to contemporary artists like Hughie O’Donoghue and Elizabeth Magill to the sculptures of Sandra Bell, Patrick O’Reilly and F.E. McWilliam.
A Lament (The Funeral of Harry Boland) by Yeats is, at €250,000-€350,000, the most expensively estimated work closely followed by The Breaking Wave by Roderic O’Conor (€200,000-€300,000). There are estimates from €500 up in this auction of 126 lots including more than 50 works of sculpture. It all adds up to an auction of quality with something for all tastes. The catalogue is online and the sale is now open for bidding.
