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  • Posts Tagged ‘Mary Swanzy’

    AUCTION OF IMPORTANT IRISH ART AT ADAMS

    Saturday, March 21st, 2026

    Reflections by Paul Henry. UPDATE: THIS MADE 150,000 AT HAMMER

    Reflections by Paul Henry at Adams evening sale of Important Irish Art in Dublin on March 25 is enough to give us all pause for thought.  The catalogue cover lot is not typical of Henry’s work. The focus of the painting is the lake.

    Paul Henry is celebrated for his treatment of clouds, rapidly changing skies and the quality of light in the west of Ireland.  Painted in the 1930’s Reflections is redolent of that Ireland then, but this work is different.  The lake takes centre stage, the water dominates and the sky is a mere narrow band. In this particular artwork, estimated at €100,000-€150,000, you get a reflected sky. It shimmers on the lake surface.

    From the photo realism of John Doherty to a volumetric composition by Mary Swanzy the 124 lots with estimates from  €300 to €150,000 in this live and online auction hold a mirror to the many pathways that Irish artists have chosen to reflect their surroundings.

    Cathedral, Semur by Mary Swanzy UPDATE: THIS MADE 40,000 AT HAMMER

    Swanzy’s Cathedral Semur (€20,000-€30,000) displays the influence of Cezanne both in the colour scheme and the perspective.  Everything moves upwards towards the 14th century gothic cathedral elevated above the town centre.  The Maxol Family by John Doherty (€7,000-€10,000) is an acrylic on canvas with a set of blue petrol pumps on the side of the road, a once familiar scene now vanishing from our townscapes.  As if to underscore this a second work by Doherty – titled Abandoned in Bantry – depicts a no longer in use red petrol pump abandoned at a derelict site.  The acrylic on paper has an estimate of €1,500-€2,000.

    Child Scarecrow/Falling Kite by John Shinnors (€10,000-€15,000) shows themes the Limerick artist has revisited and drawn inspiration from.  The Sermon on the Mount by Evie Hone (€1,000-€1,500) is a watercolour from the estate of Leo Smith of the Dawson Gallery in Dublin.  There are abstract works by William Scott and Felim Egan, landscapes by Frank McKelvey and Charles Lamb and the auction offers works in bronze by Melanie le Brocquy, John Behan and Imogen Stuart.  The catalogue is online and bidding starts at 6 pm on Wednesday.

    The Maxol Family by John Doherty  UPDATE: THIS MADE 22,000 AT HAMMER

    WINTER ART SALE SEASON IN IRELAND ABOUT TO BEGIN

    Saturday, November 22nd, 2025

    Cubist Landscape by Mary Swanzy at Adams. UPDATE: THIS MADE €38,000 AT HAMMER

    Yeats, Henry, O’Conor, Clarke, O’Malley, Teskey, Jellett, Swanzy, Luke and other acclaimed Irish artists offer Ireland’s growing band of collectors an array of tempting choices at auction in the run up to Christmas.

    The major winter sales of Irish art get underway in earnest next week with evening auctions by Morgan O’Driscoll on November 24, de Veres and Gormley’s on November 25 and Adam’s on the following evening.  The sale of Important Irish Art at Whyte’s is on December 1.

    There is something for all levels of the market at auctions where estimates range from €200 to €300,000.  It is all art – teasing, lovely, intriguing, home and life enhancing.  Even if the important c1890 Paysage aux Arbes (Landscape with Trees) by Roderic O’Conor at de Veres (€200,000-€300,000) is beyond the budget these sales offer plenty of options at price points within the range of many of us.  O’Conor made this work at a key turning point in his career. The suggestion of striping in the foliage is a precursor to this feature in many of his later paintings..

    A Coastal landscape with Galway Hookers by Paul Henry at Adams (€150,000-€200,000) was in the collection of late Taoiseach John A Costello.  Believed to have been purchased directly from the artist in the 1930’s it is making its first every appearance at auction.

    Still Life with Frying Pan and Eggs (1973) by William Scott at Morgan O’Driscoll. UPDATE: THIS MADE 4,200 AT HAMMER

    An oil on canvas board by Yeats, Low Water, Spring Tide, Clifden (1906) leads Morgan O’Driscoll’s sale.  The estimate is €40,000-€60,000.  Morning Painting, Bahamas from 1983 by Tony O’Malley (€30,000-€50,000), Untitled by Sean Scully (€35,000-€45,000), Cardboard Leaves by Basil Blackshaw and St. Jean d’Acre entering Cork Harbour in 1853 by George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson are among the top lots in an online sale with 271 lots.

    The collection of former government minister Gemma Hussey and her husband Derry will form part of the offering of 132 lots at de Veres.  Bad News by the Dublin artist Patrick Tuohy (1894-1930) from their collection is estimated at €14,000-€18,000. The artist was educated at St. Enda’s School, established by Padraig Pearse, and did illustrations for the school magazine. Distant Bird Song (€15,000-€25,000) and Self Portrait, Physicianstown (€1,500-€2,000) both by Tony O’Malley, Fair Day, Slovakia by Mary Swanzy (€10,000-€15,000) and Portrait of a Woman by Mainie Jellett (€2,000-€4,000) are all from the Hussey collection.

    White Wings and White Water by Norah McGuinness at de Veres. UPDATE: THIS MADE 34,000 AT HAMMER

    Provence by William Crozier (€15,000-€25,000), Morons by Banksy (€15,000-€20,000) and Le Marche Flottant and Evening Drag by Arthur Maderson (€12,000-€18,000) are the leading lots at Gormley’s.

    The 150 lots at James Adam on Wednesday range from the late 19th century to the present day. In a Dublin Waxworks by Yeats (€70,000-€100,000) dated 1912 was previously in the collection of Garech Browne at Luggala.  The Dublin Waxworks on Henry St. opened in 1893 and was a popular venue until it was burnt down during the 1916 Rising.  An illustration by Harry Clarke from the 1925 publication of Goethe’s Faust (€30,000-€50,000) is one of 90 illustrations the artist made for the publishers George Harrap and Co.  There is a similar estimate on Lighthouse by Donald Teskey which dates to 2017.

    An Aubusson tapestry of Cuchulainn in Warp Spasm by Louis le Brocquy at Adams is estimated at €25,000-€35,000, as is Training Five Souls on Board, an oil on paper by Camille Souter (1929-2023). The artist had learned to fly aeroplanes and produced some of her best work on this theme. A Cublst Landscape by Mary Swanzy, Night Cargo by Hughie O’Donoghue and a bronze by Rowan Gillespie are all estimated at €20,000-€30,000.  Night Cargo is the catalogue cover lot.

    The sale of important Irish art at Whyte’s on December 1 will be led by The Great Sugarloaf, Co. Wicklow by Paul Henry and The Dead Tree by John Luke.  Each is estimated at €100,000-€150,000.

    Provence by William Crozier at Gormleys. UPDATE: THIS MADE 23,000 AT HAMMER

    INFLUENCE OF CEZANNE IN THIS WORK BY SWANZY

    Saturday, March 1st, 2025
    Mary Swanzy – La Route UPDATE: THIS MADE 36,000 AT HAMMER

    A total of 129 lots of Irish art, headed by a trio of works from Paul Henry, will lead Whyte’s sale of Important Irish Art at Freemason’s Hall, Molesworth St., Dublin next Monday evening (March 3). The top lot is Lake and Mountains, Connemara (€250,000-€350,000), described by Whyte’s as an exceptional example of Henry’s later work.  It dates to 1933-36.

    West of Ireland Landscape (€150,000-€200,000) is thought to be of Moyteogue and Achill head from the Keel to Dooagh road.  Cottages Connemara (€80,000-€120,000) is a fine illustration of the harsh reality of life in the locality during the era when Henry was painting.

    In the 1920’s the celebrated Irish artist Mary Swanzy was fortunate to be not overburdened with financial constraints.  She travelled widely to central and eastern Europe, Canada, Hawaii and Samoa, returning to Paris to exhibit. La Route at Whyte’s is similar to other French 1920’s scenes by Swanzy. With flattened perspective re-enforced by the road it shows the influence of Cezanne.  The work was included in her celebrated 2018-19 retrospective in Ireland and is estimated at €20,000-€30,000.  

    SNOWY LANDSCAPE BY NORAH MCGUINNESS AT BONHAMS

    Thursday, November 28th, 2024

    Norah McGuinness (1901-1980) – Snow on the hills, Rockbrook, Co. Dublin. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR €20,480

    The Irish Sale: Vision and Voice, open for bidding at Bonhams, runs until December 5 and is now on view in Dublin. The auction features female pioneers of Irish modernism like Mary Swanzy, Mainie Jellett and Norah McGuinness and artists like Sir John Lavery, Dan O’Neill and John Doherty among a collection of 82 lots.

    Mary Swanzy H.R.H.A. (1882-1978) – South of France landscape. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR €43,520

    OUTSTANDING IRISH ART AT DE VERES IN DUBLIN

    Monday, November 11th, 2024

    Roderic O’Conor, 1860-1940 – Breton Farmstead with Haystack, c1892 (€180,000-220,000). UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    Breton Farmstead with Haystack, a c1892 work by Roderic O’Conor, will highlight the Outstanding Irish Art evening auction at de Veres in Dublin on November 26. It is one of three oils by the artist in the sale, which also features leading lots by Walter Osborne, Jack B. Yeats, William Leech and Louis le Brocquy. There are important examples of work by Irish female artists Norah McGuinness, Mary Swanzy, Camille Souter, Grace Henry, Rose Barton, Letitia Hamilton, Nano Reid and Anne Madden. This will be the first in-room auction by de Veres since 2019 and it will be live online too.

    Mary Swanzy HRHA, 1882-1978 – Cubist Still Life with Yellow Jug (€40,000-60,000). UPDATE: THIS MADE 48,000 AT HAMMER

    PIONEERING IRISH WOMEN ARTISTS AT BONHAM’S

    Thursday, November 7th, 2024

    Mary Swanzy H.R.H.A. (1882-1978) South of France landscape

    Some of the most significant female figures in Modernism in Ireland will feature in The Irish Sale: Vision & Voice online at Bonhams from November 26 to December 5. A collection of 20 works by Norah McGuinness will be offered without reserve and the auction features Mainie Jellett and Mary Swanzy who were among Ireland’s first abstract painters.

    All three artists were pioneers of a national avant-garde and were strong supporters of modern art in Ireland. They all studied at Dublin’s Metropolitan School of Art and were widely travelled, influenced by the work of cubism, fauvism, symbolism and many of the modernist movements prevalent at that time.  Their works are held in many prestigious collections both in Ireland and the UK. Jellett together with McGuiness co-founded the Irish Exhibition of Living Art in 1944 which was formed in opposition to the dominance of more traditional institutions such as the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) and the National College of Art in Ireland. 

    There is art by Sir John Lavery, Dan O’Neill and John Doherty along with historical artefacts, literature and design.

    Kieran O’Boyle, Bonhams Head of Ireland and Northern Ireland commented: “We are delighted to be offering such a rich collection of works. Jellett, Swanzy and McGuiness were pioneers who blazed a trail for female artists and for Modernism in Ireland.  Interest among collectors has increased significantly over the last 20 years for Irish women artists, reflecting the long-overdue recognition of their historical and cultural contribution to Irish art.”

    Norah McGuinness (1901-1980) Delphi

    YEATS TOPS A SUCCESSFUL EVENING AT WHYTE’S

    Monday, May 27th, 2024

    Discovery by Jack B Yeats made €380,000 at hammer

    Top lots at Whyte’s sale of Important Irish Art in Dublin this evening included: Discovery 1952 by Jack B. Yeats (€380,000 at hammer €473,000 gross); Paul Henry – A Village in the West 1916-17 (€280,000 at hammer); Sir John Lavery’s Miss Alice Fulton at Paisley Lawn Tennis Club 1889 (€95,000 at hammer); Louis le Brocquy – Image of Samuel Beckett 1982 (€100,000); Mary Swanzy – In the Window 1920’s (€90,000 at hammer); The Fourth Estate 1945 by Jack B Yeats (€85,000 at hammer) and William Scott – One Pear 1979 (€60,000 at hammer). The sale grossed over €2 million with 80% of lots sold. It is expected that another 10% will sell by private treaty in post auction sales.

    In the Window by Mary Swanzy made €90,000 at hammer.

    ONLINE CHRISTMAS SALE AT WHYTE’S IS NOW LIVE

    Wednesday, December 6th, 2023
    MARY SWANZY HRHA (1882-1978) – BOAT IN THE BAY. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    Boat in the Bay, a creation in coloured pencils by Mary Swanzy, comes up as lot 116 at Whyte’s Christmas online art auction which runs until the evening of December 13. It is estimated at €600-€800. The sale is one view at Whyte’s on Molesworth St. from December 9 and the catalogue is online. There is a wide ranging selection of artists from Elizabeth Cope and Markey Robinson, Cecil Maguire and Kenneth Webb to Mabel Young and Moyra Barry, to Roderic O’Conor, Sarah Purser, Sir William Orpen, Jack B. Yeats, Beatrice Elvery (Lady Glenavy) and Mary Cottenham Yeats among more than 300 lots on offer.

    SWANZY AT JAMES ADAM SALE OF IMPORTANT IRISH ART

    Friday, March 11th, 2022
    Mary Swanzy HRHA (1882-1978) – Figures Gossiping UPDATE: THIS MADE 12,000 AT HAMMER

    This painting by Mary Swanzy is lot 12 at the James Adam sale of Important Irish Art in Dublin on March 30. It is estimated at 8,000-12,000. The live and online sale offers a rich selection of paintings and sculpture from some Dublin collections. A number of works have not been seen on the market for a very long time. Among the highlights are works by James Arthur O’Connor, Roderic O’Conor and Jack B Yeats. The catalogue is online now and viewing at St. Stephen’s Green gets underway on March 25.

    Modern British Art sale at Christie’s

    Friday, September 18th, 2020

    Works from a range of Modern British masters, including Elisabeth Frink, Bridget Riley, Graham Sutherland, Patrick Caulfield, Henry Moore and Walter Sickert come up at Christie’s Modern British Art sale on September 29. Irish art is represented by sculpture by F.E. McWilliam and paintings and drawings by Augustus John, William Orpen, Mary Swanzy and James Humbert Craig.

    Mary Swanzy, H.R.H.A. (1882-1978)
    Pink-roofed town, France (£6,000-8,000). UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £10,625