Deutscher+ Hackett’s choice of Beaubois’ provocative work to launch their 165 lot auction with a $4.99 million low estimate sale provides, at the very least, a fresh injection of energy into a cautious and conservative market. The rest of the sale, however, is far less contentious and caters across all periods towards the current market’s strong classical leanings.
Song to Creation – Sky by Lloyd Rees (Lot 5 ) sits squarely in this paradigm and carries a distinctly reasonable estimate of $140,000-180,000 for a work of this period. A larger work from this major series, Song to Creation – Land 1969 sold for $420,000 hammer only two years ago at Deutscher-Menzies.
Arthur Streeton’s beautiful scene of Sydney Harbour (Lot 11 ) plays perfectly to the classical mood of the sale. Estimated at $250,000-350,000 Panoramic view of Sydney Harbour across Cremorne 1896 (Lot 11 ) this blue-chip painting is closely related to the National Gallery of Australia’s Rain over Sydney Harbour 1893 and is surely impervious to economic conditions.
Provocation of a milder kind returns in John Brack’s Woman and Dummy 1954 (Lot 7 ) est. $380,000-480,000). After almost 30 years in private hands, the reappearance of this striking and potent key period painting should engender much excitement amongst collectors and Brack fans. One imagines that the title itself could potentially stir feminists into action should they take issue with its possible connotations! However Helen Brack in the catalogue essay explains that the painting explores female innocence and experience. Feminists should note that pathos features strongly as well.
The theme of female portraiture continues with two views of Edith Anderson titled Nasturtiums c1912 (lot 12, est $380–480,000) and On the Balcony c1912 (lot 13, same estimate) . The sitter was inextricably intertwined with Australian artistic "royalty” marrying Penleigh Boyd soon after Fox, his close friend, painted her. Originally gifted by Fox to his favourite model, the paintings were passed down through the Boyd family and almost 100 years after their creation are being offered for the first time.
Norman Lindsay prefers a lustier take on womanhood. In stark contrast to the grace and poise Phillips Fox’s subjects, Ladies for Ransom c1938 (Lot 18 ), est $60,000-80,000 delivers a rollicking tale of piratical pleasures heaving with a bevy of buxom beauties and swashbuckling buccaneers.
Delivering temptation in another form is a vibrantly coloured floral still life by Margaret Preston from her golden period, Thunbergia (Black-Eyed Susan) 1929 (lot16), est $100,000-140,000. It reflects the more spare approach to composition typical of Preston’s paintings from the twenties, before more decorative elements weighed in. The painting was last offered by Sotheby’s in 2007 with the same estimate. Bought at $95,000 hammer, the vendor will be hoping to at least break even.
Very likely to pique interest is Still Life by Margaret Olley c1975 . This will be the second painting in as little as three days auctioned in the wake of the much loved artist’s recent passing. Leonard Joel will set the stage offering Still Life with Bottles c1975, a smaller work with an estimate at fifty percent less, but Deutscher+Hackett will have their sights set on repeating their April success when they set an auction record of $102,000 for Olley’s Plumbago 2000.
Over the last few years ‘stocks” have waned for works by the significant and distinct 20th century artist, Rosalie Gascoigne. Close to half the lots offered in the last three years have been passed in and of those sold, 80% have not reached low estimate. Maybe the pronounced formalism of Stooks I and II 1991-92 (Lot 29 ), est $180,000-240,000 with their emphasis on the vertical and horizontal will have a reassuring appeal and reset the artist’s index.
Sharing a similarily spare and eloquent language is Clement Meadmore’s Split Ring 1970 (Lot 28 ), est $60,000-80,000 which successfully combines a classical vocabulary with an elastic and dynamic mind.
Photographic collectors have a rare treat in store. A hitherto unseen print, by Max Dupain is on the market for the first time. The Bride 1936 (Lot 139 ) immersed in the surrealist language is an extremely assured image from a 25 year old artist. It ticks all the boxes; it is vintage, signed and originally from the estate of the artist. The only other existent examples of the print are held in public collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra deeming its estimate of $8-12,000 most worthy. Let’s hope all these factors conspire to save the photograph’s fate from that of the bridesmaid.
[1] Tino Seghal is a contemporary artist based in Berlin who represented Germany in the 2005 Venice Biennale. His work is bought and sold without any object being present. Upon the sale of his work he stipulates that there is no receipt, no written instructions issued, no catalogue or any form of recording made including photographs
