The way Edward McGuire paints portraits, Patrick Hennessy captures the essential essence of a red rose or William Conor evokes atmosphere can be overlooked in art auction catalogues where the big guns dominate. You can’t blame Yeats, Orpen, Henry, le Brocquy et al – all of whom loom large in major Irish art sales at Whyte’s and Adams in Dublin next week – for stealing the attention. There is a great selection of scorching works by these artists at the upcoming sales. Yeats, in particular, dominates this time around for the sheer number and quality of his works on offer.
Nevertheless it is heartening to see estimates on the up for artists who, though not exactly overlooked, might have been somewhat eclipsed. This is a rising market and the tide has lifted many boats. Edward McGuire’s portrait of legendary musician Paddy Moloney dates to 1982 and depicts Moloney seated, uileann pipes in hand, with a faraway look as if waiting to perform. It is estimated at €20,000-€30,000 at Adams evening sale on May 31. No less arresting is a small 1964 oil on canvas of a bouquet of roses by the Cork artist Patrick Hennessy. You can practically savour their scent. It comes up at Whyte’s evening sale on May 29 with an estimate of €3,500-€4,500. With an Indian ink and colour wash William Conor evokes the festive atmosphere of race days of yore like no one else in two works at Adams. These small drawings are each estimated at just €800-€1,200. Art is for everyone and estimates like this show that art auctions – even major sales – can be for everyone too even if the sales in the hundreds of thousands or more grab the headlines. You don’t need to be a millionaire, you do need to really look and see what is waiting there ready to enhance your home, your life, your world.
If money is no object then a trio of magnificent oils by Yeats at Whyte’s is worthy of the attention of any well heeled collector. Glory to the Brave Singer is a late visionary work and shows a reclining woman pointing to a songbird. The estimate is €300,000-€400,000. This sale offers 122 lots with major works by Paul Henry, Mary Swanzy, Roderic O’Conor, Camille Souter, Louis le Brocquy, Francis Bacon, Sidney Nolan, Patrick Collins, Evie Hone, Tony O’Malley and many more.There are wonderful examples of the best Irish 19th, 20th and 21st century Irish art and sculpture among the 180 lots at Adams. A 1945 oil on panel by Yeats, Near the Docks, is estimated at €100,000-€150,000 and there are eight works on paper by the artist from a private Irish collection at estimates of from €1,500 to €15,000. There is art by Gerard Dillon, Daniel O’Neill, William Conor, Colin Middleton and Frank McKelvey, John Shinnors, Hughie O’Donoghue, Philip Flanagan, Basil Blackshaw, Camille Souter, Rowan Gillespie and others in a sale which will appeal to a wide variety of tastes. Both auctions are on view over this weekend and the catalogues are online.
