Mark Fraser, former Bonhams Australia chairman and now independent art advisor handling the Nolan estate, resumed his role as Bonhams auctioneer for this sale, selling 90% by lot and 114% by value, a total of $1.371 million hammer price for the 112 lots sold.
The following evening, Bonhams Australia’s director Merryn Schriever auctioned a mixed vendor sale of Australian art. As somewhat of a pre-test of the strength of the Brett Whiteley market, Untitled Painting III, 1961, (Lot 33 ), was offered at $150,000-250,000. These early abstracts by Whiteley are ever gaining traction, and this work was also heavily pursued, selling for $450,000 hp, in the process achieving the third highest price at auction for one of Whiteley’s major early abstract works.
Of the good mix of colonial pictures in the sale, George French Angas’ Eaglehawk Gully, Bendigo, 1852 (Lot 12 ), repatriated from a private collection in the UK and portraying a seminal moment at the Bendigo goldfields, created molten hot interest. The $60,000-80,000 hopes for the work were dashed quickly, selling for $340,000 hp and setting a new auction record for the artist. The consolation prize was one of the numerous lithographs printed from the original (Lot 13 ) and sold for $4,200 hp.
Bonham’s mixed vendor sale generated a sale through rate of 73% by lot and 127% by value, with a total of $2.18 million hammer price.
