It has been somewhat of a lean year for beautiful paintings by Margaret Preston at auction, and we have missed her presence and forgotten her magic. We had to wait until 18 November at Smith & Singer to view and have the opportunity to purchase one of her major paintings, so quite some pent-up demand then.
Her Rock Lilies, 1932 (Lot 4 ) arrived just in the nick of time before the end of the 2020 auction season. Estimated at $80,000 to $100,000, this charming work was one of the most sought after paintings of the evening pursued by multiple bidders, and sold for double the low estimate at $160,000 hammer price.
Thankfully, we do get to see excellent painterly examples of John Perceval’s work regularly enough in the auction room. Boats on a changing Tide, Mordialloc, 1968 (Lot 5 ), comes from a period when the artist was creating rich and colourful work. Fisherman’s Inlet, Tooradin, 1975 (Lot 60 ) from the Vera Kolman collection complemented this beautifully, a tapestry after the original painting from 1967, portraying an extraordinarily similar scene in a most comparable colour palette. The painting is of course a one-off, selling well for $90,000 on expectations of $80,000-120,000, while the tapestry was one from an edition of 6, selling exactly at the low estimate for $35,000.
Considering John Olsen is regarded as Australia’s greatest living artist, major paintings by him from the 1960s in particular still seem to have some way to go in the secondary market price-wise, especially when we are seeing prices of $2.9 million for Fred Williams for example. The sale of Spanish Encounter 2, 1960 is a case in point. As the only other major 1960s Olsen offered for sale in 2020, it sold at Deutscher + Hackett last week at the low estimate of $350,000.
Last night, People who live in Victoria Street, 1960 (Lot 6 ), is another great 1960s painting and just as colourful. It previously sold with Sotheby’s in 2006 for $210,000 and was now offered with hopes of $450,000-650,000. Determined bidding on the phone and from a wired-up room bidder saw bid increments reduced to $10,000, with the room bidder winning out by pushing the price up to $620,000 hammer, just below the high estimate. This is now the third highest price ever achieved at auction for a painting by John Olsen and might be a signal of things to come for what seems like an undervalued market.
The best of Arthur Boyd’s paintings never fail to resonate with buyers, and the power of Rocks in Budgong Creek, New South Wales, 1979, (Lot 7 ) was obvious. This monumentally large work measuring 183 x 175 cm shows a close-up with wonderful detail, almost enveloping the viewer in the scene. Several bidders showed great enthusiasm, and the $220,000-260,000 estimates looked much too low when it finally sold for $360,000.
Fred Williams’ attractive Lysterfield Landscape, 1968 (Lot 8 ) received attractive bidding and sold for $460,000, on hopes of $450,000-650,000. Meanwhile, there was very keen interest in a rare early Ned Kelly painting by Sidney Nolan. Ned Kelly: In the Bush, 1955 (Lot 9 ), was one of the 12 paintings exhibited at Nolan’s triumphant exhibition at London’s Redfern Gallery in May 1955, and therefore one of Nolan’s most significant works. Bidding demonstrated this too, with four phone bidders and one room bidder. The $550,000 to $750,000 estimates were met with strong bids in $50,000 increments, and the room bidder took the prize at $700,000. The painting is destined for a private collection in Queensland.
The market also liked a fresh to market 1940s landscape by Nolan. Wimmera Landscape, 1943 (Lot 11 ) was offered at $100,000-150,000 and sold comfortably mid-range at $130,000. The much more traditional seascape created 11 years prior, Elioth Gruner’s The Gulf, Avoca, 1932 (Lot 13 ) meanwhile carried the same estimates and sold for the same $130,000.
Elioth Gruner continues to charm Australian art collectors, especially with his beach scenes which resonate with the Australian psyche and offer a timeless view of the Australian coast. On the Sands (Lot 20 ) was estimated at $30,000-50,000, selling well above for $65,000. Silver Sea, Avoca (Lot 23 ) also had a very strong following from phone bidders. However it was a very determined bidder at the front of the room who succeeded in securing the sparkling painting for $95,000 hammer, $35,000 above the high hopes of $60,000.
Views of Olinda in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, Arthur Streeton’s home from the early 1920s, are always of appeal to Streeton aficionados. His A Southern View, Olinda, 1933 (Lot 14 ) had been in the family of the original owner since its purchase for 150 guineas at the Athenaeum Gallery in Melbourne in August 1933. Offered with wide estimates of $300,000-500,000, this special painting attracted special interest, and the successful phone bidder would no doubt be happy with their major Streeton purchase at $380,000.
With 19th century paintings generally not attracting buyers in last evening’s sale, Walter Withers’ After the Heat of the Day, 1891 (Lot 17 ) was a rare exception. Sold by Sotheby’s almost exactly four years ago on 23rd November 2016 for a hammer price of exactly $150,000, and with estimates of $150,000-250,000, in a touch of déjà vu, it sold again for $150,000 on the same estimates.
Del Kathryn Barton’s Of Pollen, 2013, maintains the position of highest price paid at auction for the artist, when Sotheby’s sold it in May 2018. This position was closely challenged last night when a room bidder bought lot 44 with the almost Dale-Frank-like title I have come to tell you that I have freed myself. You too can do the same (Lot 44 ), 2005-2006. This much larger painting with Kaliman Gallery and Martin Browne Fine Art provenance was listed at $300,000-400,000 and sold at the low estimate of $300,000 to an ageless room bidder, making this the second highest price at auction for DKB.
Another important female artist represented was Rosalie Gascoigne with a very typical work Banana Yellow, 1998 (Lot 45 ), which sold also at its low estimate of $90,000.
Unsurprisingly, Australia’s other contemporary female art world superstar was equally sought after. Cressida Campbell’s Wheat and Sky, 2016 (Lot 67 ) from the Vera Kolman collection was offered with estimates of $100,000-150,000, modest-looking for this hot artist. It sold $40,000 above the high estimate for $190,000, and the third highest price at auction for Campbell.
Major unsold lots:
Lot 10, Albert Tucker, Cannibal Pearce, 1968, est. $300,000-500,000
Lot 12, Fred Williams, Tree Stump, 1977, est. 350,000-450,000
Lot 15, Rupert Bunny, Portrait of Mlle Morel, 1895, est. $800,000-1,200,00
Lot 16, Frederick McCubbin, Golden Light, 1913, est. $350,000-450,000
Lot 18, Ethel Carrick, Watching the Fleet from the Domain, 1913, est. 250,000-350,000
Lot 22, Frederick McCubbin, A Quiet Study, 1886, est. $180,000-220,000
Lot 32, Arthur Boyd, Bridegroom and Bride, 1957-58, est. $120,000-140,000
Lot 35, Sidney Nolan, Ned Kelly, 1962, est. $120,000-160,000
Lot 43, Joel Elenberg, Anna, 1979, est. $220,000-280,000
