Are the days of old returning to the Australian auction room? This was the indication auctioneer Martin Farrah gave on the night of the Menzies sale of 24 July in Melbourne; he clearly seemed much buoyed by the spectacular result of sister company Lawsons for the Cammack sale of fine art and antiques at the beginning of the month, and also Leonard Joel's success with the 173 works from Pro Hart's estate on 22 July. The room was packed, many were left to stand and watch proceedings, and the mood seemed one of expectation and anticipation.
Chairman Rod Menzies was also in an ebullient mood after the signature lot of the sale, Brett Whiteley's Gauguin (Lot 40 ), which he purchased at Sotheby's in New York in May this year for US$ 1.037 million incl. buyer’s premium, sold for a hammer price of $1.4 million to an unknown bidder in the room, returning a handsome profit on his gamble.
Perhaps the previous owner of the painting might now regret the decision of not directly consigning the work to an Australian auctioneer in light of this result.
John Coburn's Untitled, 1958 (Lot 2 ) was the first painting to surpass its estimates of $8,000-$12,000, with the interest in this small early painting by Sydney's king of abstraction pushing it to $15,500 hammer
Albert Namatjira cleared the expected $15,000-$20,000 for lot 16, selling at hammer $21,000, but the beautiful Grass Trees (Lot 17 ), an unusual vertical landscape, almost doubled its low estimate, selling for a spectacular $38,000 hammer
Margaret Olley has been extremely popular in recent sales at Bonhams and Sotheby's, however her fortunes were mixed last night. The two best pictures sold well, while two passed in. Yellow Lupins in Interior, 1991 (Lot 29 ) sold with good interest at $67,500 hammer on estimates of $65,000-$85,000, and the colourful and wonderfully composed Bauhinias, 1965 (Lot 122 ), sold at $40,000 exactly mid-range of its $35,000-$45,000 estimate.
The more subdued colours - or perhaps the estimates - put off prospective purchasers for Still Life With Objects, c1990 (Lot 55 ), on estimates of $60,000-$80,000, and equally Coffee Pots, 1991 (Lot 88 ), estimated at $45,000-$60,000.
The Christmas in July theme worked wonders for the final bidder on Grace Cossington Smith's Christmas Tree, 1953 (Lot 30 ). This light, bright and joyful picture was purchased for $100,000 hammer, just above its $90,000 low estimate.
Arthur Streeton's Study for Still Glides the Stream, 1887-88 (Lot 31 ), failed to ignite any interest in this monumental and early painting estimated at $240,000-$300,000.
Meanwhile, Rick Amor's large bronze Running Man, 2001 (Lot 32 ), was a different story, and the auctioneer was pleased to announce a new record price for the artist after selling it for $120,000 hammer
Jeffrey Smart's Waiting Containers, Syracuse Harbour, 1977 (Lot 33 ), always looked like a winner. This small but perfectly formed oil far exceeded its $120,000-$150,000 estimate, finally selling for $190,000 hammer
The first of the three yellow and major Whiteley paintings on offer, Table and Fruit, 1978 (Lot 34 ) sold comfortably for $440,000 hammer at mid-estimate of $380,000-$480,000, the lack of the artist's distinctive signature not deterring anyone.
Russell Drysdale's The Young Ringer, 1957 (Lot 35 ) has been offered three times in the last five years before: in March 2009, it sold for hammer $ 420,000; in September 2011 selling for $400,000 hammer and in December 2012 for $360,000 hammer
Last night, there was strong interest again, culminating in Australian Galleries' Stuart Purvis the last man standing (at the very back of the room as it happens), securing the work a little under its low estimate of $360,000 for $350,000 hammer
The reflected light and memories of those halcyon days were enough for the purchaser of Arthur Streeton's Tea in the Garden, Grange Road, 1930 (Lot 37 ), secured at the low estimate for $100,000 hammer. Shown in 2001/02 at the Passionate Gardener exhibition at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, it has again been requested for an exhibition there, this time for a tea time themed show.
If Brett Whiteley and Margaret Olley were not offering enough tables with fruit on them in this auction, then Charles Blackman was here to take up the slack. The enormous Figure with Still Life (Lot 38 ) at 130 x 180 cm sold for $10,000 below its low estimate at $100,000.
John Brack's much offered Finale, 1973 (Lot 39 ) didn't sell on the $400,000-$600,000 estimate - but look out for it again in 2016.
No doubt Mr Menzies would also have been delighted with Whiteley's more sparsely populated The Orange Table (Lot 41 ) selling for $750,000, the mid-range of its estimate of $650,000-$850,000.
Frederick McCubbin's 100 year old Spring Morning, 1914 (Lot 42 ) found favour on the night, selling exactly on its low estimate of $420,000. However, Tom Roberts’ late but large A Kentish Landscape, 1922 (Lot 43 ) failed on its $100,000-$150,000 estimate - perhaps a bit too wintery and grey looking for most.
The Russians are coming, but they didn’t come clamoring for Konstantin Kryzhitsky’s River Estuary with Farm Labourers (Lot 45 ). A pity the work didn’t sell, but the $200,000-$280,000 estimate was always going to be on the high side of bullish given the artist’s auction history internationally. However, this was a major painting by the artist with a fascinating provenance though clearly in need of some conservation work.
Norman Lindsay’s fortunes at auction waxed and waned last night, with Mantilla, 1941 (Lot 46 ) failing to reach its $75,000 low estimate, while the vendors of the more difficult Keepers of the Bull, c1937 (Lot 28 ) were happy to meet the market when it sold for $40,000 hammer
The somewhat faded Untitled, 1926 (Lot 101 ) failed on the ambitious $30,000-$40,000 estimate. However the last three lots of the night brought a late flourish for three etchings by Lindsay, with some competitive bidding, in particular Desire, 1919 (Lot 149 ), was highly desired – two females kissing appearing an ever popular subject. On estimates of $2,500-$3,000, the image elicited bids to a final hammer price of $9,500.
Peter Booth’s images are always powerful and arresting, and Painting, 1996 (Lot 51 ) was no exception. Estimated at $90,000-$120,000, it was a good buy at $80,000.
Paintings by Louis Buvelot are rather rare to market, and if overestimated, often fail. This untitled, though aptly bracketed Settler’s Cottage (Lot 56 ) was enticingly offered at $14,000-$18,000, and had no shortage of interested parties, and soared $6,000 above the high estimate, selling for $24,000 hammer
Middle Harbour, 1952 (Lot 66 ), a rather ill defined and rough sketch produced late when Margaret Preston was 77 years old, still however offered both lovely composition and colour, and that was enough for many bidders. The work achieved a healthy $32,000 hammer, not far off its high estimate of $35,000.
Another late career work was Uplands at Gumeracha, 1947 (Lot 69 ), created by Hans Heysen in his 70th year. This stunning little oil painting sailed above its high estimate of $12,000, selling for $18,000 hammer
Perhaps somewhat underrated in the auction room due to the dominance of his landscapes, Hans Heysen’s Still Life of Gladioli, 1927 (Lot 72 ) with its extravagantly loaded glass vase of flowers, silver bowl and yellow gloves suggests that an exhibition of the artist’s still lifes might be in order, such is the enduring quality of this work. It sold for $32,000 hammer, so now less expensive than an Olley still life.
Success with 1930s art and the modern woman is still very much in evidence: The Yellow Dress (Lot 71 ), Bernard Hall’s very modern woman seemed to carry on the very yellow theme of the sale, even though the dress actually looked very green. Nonetheless, this 1930 Archibald entry – the sitter now unknown – was keenly fought, finally selling for a whopping $23,000, almost double its high estimate of $12,000.
Art consultant Ian Rogers was also keen to bolster those modern women artists, this time bidding and securing Eveline Syme’s The Lily Tower, Siena, 1930 (Lot 87 ) for his client on the phone for $17,000 hammer, or more than double the top estimate of $8,000. Mr Rogers was at it again for Dora Wilson’s Amalfi, c.1930 (Lot 103 ), to secure another Italian scene for $5,500 hammer on estimates of $2,800-$3,500.
Contemporary art took more of a back seat in this 150 strong lot sale. Amongst those selling were lot 78, a good example of a Dale Frank, and the buyer getting a bargain at $34,000, $4,000 below its low estimate.
Bill Henson’s Untitled 1998/99 (Lot 79 ) sold mid-range at $18,500, and Michael Johnson’s Celtic Spell, 2005 (Lot 109 ) successfully claimed by its new owner at $41,000, hammer
At the time of publication, the sale total was not available.
