The sale got off to a solid start with some good results, however the beautiful and large Max Gimblett, Dionysus (Lot 11 ) failed to sell which was disappointing. Gimblett is difficult to sell at auction and this one would have set a record price if it had have sold on its low estimate at $65,000, so it was disappointing to see the lack of interest.
The Terry and Moira Wood Collection comprised lots 12-26 in the sale and theirs was an eclectic mix of contemporary, traditional and modern. The most publicised works were by Peter Siddell, including his only painting of the Titirangi gallery Lopdell House (Lot 12 ). Estimated at $50,000-$80,000, it sold for $57,500 hammer with more clients preferring the classic Siddell image titled Villa (Lot 14 ) which sold for $37,500 against a low end of $25,000. Other works to do well from this collection were the 19th century landscapes by James Peele (lots 21,22,23) which all went well over estimates with many interested parties involved in the bidding.
The painting by Frances Hodgkins titled Monastery Steps, (Lot 30 ) was the first significant highlight of the auction. Most of Hodgkins’ works are watercolours, and oil paintings, as this one is, infrequently appear on the market To have an exceptional subject from her best period was a double stroke of luck. Starting conservatively at $200,000 against a low end of $250,000, the bidding rose steadily with split bids and knock out bids between John Gow, bidding on behalf of clients in the room and a telephone bidder. After a good few minutes, the bidding finally finished at $320,000, just $5,000 shy of the artist’s second highest price at auction and was knocked down to John Gow. After showing his bidding card, he went over to talk to a very sweet, elderly couple who had been perched in the corner of the room, wedged in next to the water cooler. They didn’t even have their own copy of the auction catalogue and they are the lucky new owners of this fabulous painting.
The stand out painting of the sale was the gem of a work by Raymond McIntyre, Untitled Farm Scene, (Lot 32 ). This incredible work has the feel of a woodblock print, flattened out with blocks of colour, beautiful emerald green colouration and hard-edged lines. It was just a tiny thing at 15 x 11 cm, a true connoisseurs painting, but it had lots of interest to realise $20,000 against a low end of $15,000.
Finally it was the turn of the much lauded, much publicised work by Horace Moore-Jones, Simpson and his Donkey (Lot 34 ). You could be forgiven that this painting and title seems somewhat familiar. Another version of this work was sold by IAC in March this year for a record price of $220,000 but this is the larger, better known version which was been on loan to the Auckland War Memorial from the Commerce Club in Auckland.
The Commerce Club was reluctantly selling the work to fund essential repairs to the building and after the War Memorial had issued a statement in the press that they would not be bidding at auction for the work, everyone was keen to see who would be there on the night to bid. The low end estimate was $300,000 which is where the bidding started, then went steadily between the room and phones up to $420,000 where it finally landed. The private buyer of the work wishes to remain anonymous, however the auctioneer, Richard Thompson was able to announce from the rostrum that the work was staying in New Zealand, dispelling fears expressed in the media that it could be bought by an overseas buyer and leave the country.
The same buyer then went on to purchase the next lot, the original photo from which the painting of ‘Simpson and his Donkey’ was painted. Also owned by the Commerce Club, The Donk (Lot 35 ) sold for a staggering $32,000 against a low estimate of $10,000.
Other big spenders on the night were the Rotorua Energy Trust who purchase paintings related to the history of the Rotorua area and display them at the Rotorua Art Gallery. John Perry, bidding on their behalf, secured, C F Goldie's Past and Present, (Lot 43 ) and the very rare and unique work by the Scottish artist Doris Clare Zinkeisen A Princess of the Antipodes – A Maori Princess of Rotorua (Lot 45 ). These works were both unusual, the C F Goldie, especially was a step away from how we usually imagine his work so it was good to see these both finding permanent homes.
As usual, the colonial and historical results were solid and pleasing, and great results were achieved for some quirky and interesting paintings along the way. The sale did feel quite long and there were certainly some lower value items at the end which were better suited to a different sale but apart from that it was a bumper result for International Art Centre. They have managed to sell the two highest priced paintings at auction this year in one sale and even more impressively, neither were by C F Goldie and Colin McCahon who usually take out top spots in the top 10 lists. This was one of the most successful sales in the 45 year history of the International Art Centre.
At the end of the sale, the total realised was $1,535,490 hammer, representing 74% sold by lot and 100% by value.
