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Art Archives on Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants, Fine Art Auctions, Art Valuations This is where you'll find older information from our other webpages, but which we still would like to have available for you. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us via email, send us a general enquiry or a specific question regarding an artwork. 21 April 2009: Where there is Pain, there may be Gain David this time is not only inspired by exceptional art, but also by furniture: see the end of this admittedly rather long newsletter, where he manages to combine early Australian colonial with iconic contemporary Australian design, with a quiz thrown in… However, let’s start with some general observations, before delving into the offerings at Bonhams and Goodman and Sothebys. Fine Art Reporting Marginalised Is anyone really interested in the sales of fine art anymore? Well, judging by the mainstream press, not really. They seem to be largely uninterested in more in depth reporting on fine art sales. After Peter Fish of the Sydney Morning Herald retired, his weekly half-page in Saturday’s paper was not replaced. When Terry Ingram retired from the Australian Financial Review, there has also been significantly reduced reporting there. Although Terry still contributes to the Fin Review, the space seems to be limited to just one tabloid page. That leaves The Australian which is irregular. I am still rather surprised at this lack of press. Auction houses such as Sothebys, Deutscher and Hackett, Bonhams & Goodman, Menzies Art Brands and a large number of smaller 2nd tier art auction houses no doubt spend an absolute fortune on advertising in the mainstream press every year. In my opinion, there is a large reporting gap in the market, which in the future may well be filled by a web designer, and advertisers will be happy to follow, newspapers will wonder why. Bonhams and Goodman and Sothebys sales Judging by the art goodies coming on to the market at the Sothebys sale on 4th and 5th May and Bonhams and Goodman on 6th May – all in Melbourne, we may be seeing some serious pain on the financial markets forcing the sale of some of these pictures – some seriously good ones indeed. This may enable some serious gains for cashed-up individuals looking to buy very good art for very good (lower) prices. Bonhams & Goodman first: We have gotten used to expect several good Albert Tuckers in their offering, but seven works by Arthur Streeton and ten by Norman Lindsay is unusual. Well, I want to start with their Frederick McCubbin, lot 12 – what a fabulous find. A beautifully atmospheric picture, magnificent light – I look forward to viewing. It’s large at 138 x 70.3 cm, and the estimate, hold your breath, is $ 800,000 to $ 1,200,000. When you know that his similar-size work ‘Childhood Fancies from 1905 sold for $ 1,920,000 (including buyer’s premium) in September 2007, maybe you will think it’s not such a bad price. Lot 27 is a lovely Thea Proctor, divine composition and subject matter, and with an estimate of $ 7,000 - $ 9,000 it’s a steal. It is most unusual to see so many Norman Lindsay oils in one sale together: lot 30 The Pirates’ Return; lot 31 Mantilla and lot 32 Magnolia Summer look to be the best of these. Lots 40 and 41 offer us two works by Russell Drysdale, and very nice to see ones that we have not seen previously, as they come from the estate of the late Margaret Jarrett. ‘The Drover’s Wife’, lot 40, is the star lot of the sale, deservedly receiving the front catalogue cover treatment. This new to the market work of beautiful quality and presence should easily surpass its conservative estimate of $ 300,000 - $ 400,000. Indeed, there are some very fine paintings included, namely lot 42, Lloyd Rees' Midsummer Pastoral, 1945, is Rees at his best, estimate $ 70,000 - $ 90,000. Also, lot 45, Justin O’Brien’s Nativity, 1950, estimate $ 25,000 - $ 35,000, with a spectacular colour palette. It will be very interesting to see what the William Dargie of ‘The Queen’ lot 47 sells for. The estimate is certainly cautious enough at $ 50,000 - $ 70,000.Does this fit into the National Portrait Gallery’s mandate? I don’t know. They might be more interested in the purchase of lot 67, Albert Tucker’s ‘Yosl Bergner’ from 1985, from the ‘Faces I have met’ series – very powerful indeed. Finally, two excellent early and colourful John Coburn works, again from the Jarrett estate. Coburn’s early work never seems to do that well, perhaps because of a darker palette. Lot 51, Festival of Lights, 1958, and lot 52, ‘Reaching for the Moon, 1958, are not affected by this, and are very reasonably estimated at $ 8,000 - $ 12,000 each. Exciting pictures continue to flow at Sothebys Sothebys effectively are offering us two sales of fine art on 4th and 5th of May. Such is the standing of the collection of Ken and Rona Eastaugh that they have dedicated a complete catalogue to it. This sale kicks off on 4th May in fine style with a magnificent little beach scene by Elioth Gruner, ‘Tamarama Beach’, circa 1920, estimate $ 50,000 - $ 60,000. Lot 2 ‘Do you want a model, sir?’ by Bernard Hall, is a most intriguing image and should do well, estimated at $ 12,000 - $ 15,000. Lot 4 is a Tom Roberts, yes, it’s a late work by the master, but this imagery of lumberjacks at work is iconic stuff and should supply this work with enough interest from buyers, especially at this estimate of $ 28,000 - $ 38,000. Lot 13, Circular Quay, by Arthur Streeton, from 1893 was, according to the catalogue, the last painting that Ken Eastaugh purchased before he died. A wonderful painting, and everything you would want in a Streeton work. Sothebys, not surprisingly, used it as the front cover image for the whole catalogue. Comfortably estimated at $ 200,000 - $ 300,000, watch this one fly. Other exciting and valuable pictures in the collection include John Peter Russell’s Pecheur sur Falaise, lot 17, estimate at $ 500,000 - $ 700,000 and Rupert Bunny’s Femme Lisant, lot 26, at $ 180,000 - $ 250,000. With a lesser budget, there are also some lovely pictures, including lot 34, Dora Meeson’s On a Chelsea Balcony from 1912. It is a large work with 91.5 x 78.5 cm, and priced at 25,000- $ 35,000. Lot 45 is a large watercolour and gouache by Ellis Rowan, 80 x 38.5 cm, Crepe Myrtle, consistent and refined as one would expect, and priced well at $ 2,000 - $ 3,000. Lot 49 are two charming little Piguenit vistas of Lane Cove river, each one measures 12.3 x 25 cm, and the estimate is $ 8,000 - $ 12,000 for the pair. Maybe you have always wanted a work by Hans Heysen: lot 55 is a rather nice example, small at 32.5 x 39.5 cm, showing his mastery with watercolour: ‘Red Gums of the Flinders’ from 1929, with beautiful colour and reasonably priced at $ 10,000 - $ 15,000 estimate. Sothebys 5th May mixed vendor offering is to be opened by a Joan Miro inspired work by John Coburn, lot 200. It is a large work from perhaps his most sought after period. Although not typical in design, the colours are vibrant, measuring 122 x 153.5 cm. This oil on canvas from a corporate collection should do much more than its $25,000 - $ 35,000 estimate. Lot 207 by Russell Drysdale is all the more interesting given that coincidentally a very similar work, which was also in the same Macquarie Galleries exhibition of 1945, is being sold by Bonhams and Goodman as lot 41 of their sale. The work is the same size has been given the same title in the catalogue entries ‘Small Landscape’. From the look of the catalogue, the Sothebys painting is the more appealing and has better provenance. However, the price difference is massive: Sothebys estimate $ 280,000 - $ 350,000 and Bonhams and Goodman $ 80,000 - $ 120,000. Will the Bonhams picture spoil the chances of the Sothebys Drysdale? We will have to wait and see. Sothebys appear to have pulled off a major coup and changed some Australian art history as well with the sale of the New South Wales Sketchbook ‘Sea Voyage, Sydney, Illawarra, Newcastle, Morpeth’ lot 213. It consists of 26 watercolours and assorted other drawings and sketches and has been almost 200 years in the same family of the artist. They were previously attributed to Sophia Campbell (1777 – 1833) and with the input of no less than ten different researchers for the cataloguing of this work, the attribution has now shifted to Edward Close (1790 – 1866). Sothebys write in their catalogue entry: ‘This reattribution represents a substantial shift in the canon of early colonial art. The twin sketchbooks were first published by Joan Kerr in 1975, and Sophia Campbell entered and settled in the art-historical literature as a spirited pioneer and exemplar of that important category of colonial artist, the amateur female sketcher. After more than 30 years, Prof. Kerr’s attribution can be shown to be more optimistic than precise. Not without some regret, the lady vanishes. However, as works by Edward Close, both the present work and the National Library sketchbook can now be matched to his signed Newcastle panorama and Mitchell Library scrapbook, and thus reveal him fully as a most complex and intriguing artistic and social personality, and one of the most accomplished of the Lycett-Taylor-Wallis circle of early colonial artists.’ The most important and interesting of these watercolours has to be ‘The Costume of the Australians’, estimate $ 400,000 - $ 600,000. I am sure that the following lot, number 214, will be of equal attraction: Conrad Martens. For all those with an interest in the foundations of Australia and its colonial past, this watercolour is both a beautiful picture, an important historical document and social study rolled into one. I look forward to seeing it in the flesh. I also really like lot 219, a gouache on cardboard by Grace Crowley, painted in 1929. This wonderfully naïve and simple work is a delight, estimated at $ 10,000 - $ 15,000. According to the provenance of lot 223, renowned art dealer Denis Saville has sold this Charles Blackman ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’, twice previously. The question is, will he be tempted again by this work, with its estimate now $ 500,000 - $ 700,000? Lot 231, Pelican 1, is a wonderfully playful sculpture by Brett Whiteley, well worth a look; estimate $ 200,000 - $ 250,000. Finally. Lots 270 – 273, are four paintings by Martin Stainforth (1866 – 1957), without a doubt Australia’s greatest equine artist. These works are very conservatively priced from just $ 5,000 to $ 8,000. And last but not least, a little quiz: Which is Australia’s Most Valuable Chair? Is it Macquarie’s Chair or Marc Newson’s Chair aka Lockheed Lounge? The two Macquarie Chairs were crafted by convict craftsmen William Temple and John Webster for Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Built in 1821, one is now in the collection of the Powerhouse Museum, and the other (perhaps not surprisingly) is in the Macquarie University Collection. ‘Lockheed Lounge’ was designed by Marc Newson and created in 1987 – 88. It is up for auction at Phillips de Pury & Co in London on 30th April as lot 72, with a staggering estimate of £ 500,000 - £ 700,000 (about AUD 1 million to AUD 1,5 million). In my opinion, the winner is undoubtedly Marc Newson’s Lockheed Lounge. Like with Macquarie’s Chair, there is more than one. The last Lockheed Lounge sold at Christies in London in October 2007 for £ 650,000 (about AUD 1,35 million) Macquarie’s Chair would sell for a lot, if it ever came up, but I think still below the million dollar mark. Which one would you prefer? - Neither looks particularly comfortable, I must say, but that’s really not the point, is it. See the Lockheed Lounge at Phillips De Pury. See the Macquarie Chair at Macquarie University Library. 15 April 2009: Upcoming Fine Art Auction Offerings It’s been a while since I have had a good rant about a fine art auction sale. Maybe I have been asleep, too busy or just plain uninspired by the offerings. Well, here is my chance to redeem myself of whatever the reason was. Chris Deutscher and Damian Hackett are now – for me at least – the arbiters of the best fine art auctions in Australia. Their Melbourne sale of 29th April gives us 215 lots, and from just viewing the online catalogue at this stage, there are indeed some rare treats in store. The first lot is going to do very well. We own three works by Ben Quilty and would dearly love to add this one to our collection. Unfortunately, at $ 25,000 to $ 35,000 it’s out of our league. However, at 150 x 150 cm a major work like this deserves to do top of the estimate and beyond. The title? ‘Australian Landscape # 2 – Colt 2005’. Other contemporary artists also making appearances at auction are eX de Medici lot number 3, Michael Zavros lot number 6, and Elizabeth Kruger at lot number 7, a large oil on linen, 90.5 x 152 cm at an estimate of $ 10,000 to $ 15,000. The sale of a significant work by Antonio Dattilo-Rubbo is of particular interest to us a Banziger Hulme. Brigitte has been involved in the establishment of a website on Dattilo-Rubbo for the Manly Art Gallery & Museum presenting the life and work of this great art mentor. It is lot number 16 in this sale ‘Poverty makes strange bedfellows’ 1905, and kicks off a number of social realist paintings from the private collection of Ian Hick. There are some real gems here, no doubt. Lot number 17 is an early Jeffrey Smart from 1945 revealing clearly the roots of his later practice. The next three lots are just as stunning: Lot number 18 Edmund Harvey’s ‘Sinn Fein’ is a most interesting work, and had it been painted by a more well-known Australian or perhaps a British artist, we would be looking at an estimate considerably more than it’s $ 12,000 to $ 18,000. The next two works are equally interesting: Herbert Badham’s ‘The Night Bus’, 1933, estimate $ 25,000 to $ 35,000; Weaver Hawkins’ ‘Technicolor’, 1944, estimate $ 20,000 to $ 30,000. The social realist pictures continue and while some are bit too dark and dreary for me, I find lot number 54 a lot of fun ‘A wild party’ by Hal Missingham fro 1949, estimate $ 10,000 - $ 15,000. A number of these artists are largely forgotten in today’s art market. One of them is Harold Greenhill, represented here with lot number 55, ‘The waiting shed, Manly Wharf’, 1944, and many of these works have quite low estimates accordingly. To mention our favourite regional art gallery again: Manly Art Gallery & Museum have a number of excellent works by this artist in their permanent collection, some Manly-focussed. I am sure that if some kind benefactor would like to buy this work and donate it to Manly Art Gallery & Museum, they would be only too happy to accept. I was very interested to see a watercolour by George Augustus Robinson, lot number 63, a very interesting historical work, titled ‘Hobart Town’, from 1840, also for personal reasons: am currently reading a most interesting book by James Boyce on the foundation of Van Diemen’s Land, and also notice that the Robinson painting had once been in the collection of the late Ted Gregg, a good friend and avid collector of all art to do with his birthplace. There is another rather pretty picture of Tasmania, lot number 67, by William Piguenit, of the River Derwent, with estimates of $ 18,000 to $ 24,000. On another note: there are a good number of early works in the sale, and I am looking forward to viewing them in the flesh. Often I view a work online or in the catalogue and then get a completely different impression of the work up close. Garry Shead’s ‘The Visitation’ is lot 87 of the sale, and was last seen at auction in 2003, when it sold for $ 99,875 including buyer’s premium. Now with an estimate of $ 70,000 to $ 100,000 it’s looking like a bargain. We shall see. Please note: lot 92 is another historically interesting work, by William Westall, ‘Australian Natives Attacking Explorers During Flinder’s Circumnavigation of Australia’, 1808 – 09. This would have to be a museum piece, the estimate is $ 40,000 to $ 60,000. Lot 95 is a whole lot of fun and the best and most raucous Norman Lindsay in a while, titled ‘Ladies for Ransom’. This is the Lindsay I really want to see. I am sure I can see Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush in there, too! At the lower end of the scale pricewise, we cannot ignore lots 125 and 126 by Albert Fullwood: lot 125 ‘Westminster Abbey’, 1909 looks like an absolute cracker of a picture, estimate $ 8,000 to $ 12,000, and deserves to do extremely well. Lot 155, ‘Vertical Moonbi Figure’, 1991, by Euan McLeod is a large gouache on paper, 77 x 62 cm, and with an estimate of $ 2,500 to $ 3,500 is looking like very good value. Also two attractive watercolours by Rick Amor, lots 156 and 157, seem like good buys. Finally, lot 172, by an artist who is more known for his horses: Harold Septimus Power. This image is full of colour and a very pretty picture: ‘Figures on the beach, Sorrento’, 1948, estimate $ 5,000 to $ 7,000. 23 February 2009: From a very rare View of Sydney to a hand signed letter by a very famous US artist to a very special family heirloom – only at the annual art appraisal day at Banziger Hulme Fine Art Close to hundred people attended the annual art appraisal day of Banziger Hulme Fine Art on Saturday in the Manly Corso. David Hulme said “The quality of art brought in was outstanding, and it was non-stop appraising from well before 10 in the morning until 3 pm”. One of the most exciting finds was a work by Conrad Martens (1801 - 1878). This handcoloured lithograph from 1842 – a view of Sydney from St. Leonards - is extremely rare and is hardly ever seen in the open market. Conrad Martens travelled on the ‘Beagle’ on her journey around South America from August 1832 until October 1834, where he developed an enduring friendship with Charles Darwin. Another very interesting piece was actually a letter from one of America’s most famous artists of the 20th century: Norman Rockwell. The letter is dated 2nd March 1952, typed unevenly and signed by hand by Norman Rockwell. A lady brought in this absolutely stunning family portrait by an unknown artist. It has been in the owner’s family in Ireland for perhaps 300 years and was brought out to Australia only 30 years ago, and warrants more investigation. Christopher Allen, art critic for the Australian, praises website on Antonio Dattilo-Rubbo created by Banziger Hulme Fine Art Christopher Allen talks in “Museum and Labyrinth” (p. 18 –19, Review, The Weekend Australian, 21 – 22 February 2009) about the effect of the internet on art galleries and art institutions worldwide, and how they display their collections. He also writes about smaller institutions: “…Among smaller institutions the Manly Museum and Art Gallery has set up a site on the painter, teacher and co-founder of the MMAG, Antonio Dattilo-Rubbo, one of several significant European artist-teachers in 20th-century Sydney who deserve to be better known. Dattilo-Rubbo is not important enough as a painter to warrant a full monograph, but the website is a perfect vehicle for assembling reproductions of his work, biographical information and the substantial introductory essay to a 1980-81 survey exhibition. …” We are delighted that the site has received this recognition. Our other non-profit curated fine art websites include www.normanlloyd.com.au, www.robertmitchellartist.com.au, and theartcollectorseye.com.au. About Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants Banziger Hulme are independent art consultants and art brokers. They combine a range of art-related services in their internationally operating art business: art brokerage, art valuations, assistance with art exhibitions, art seminars and curated not-for-profit fine art websites. More information on www.bhfineart.com 24 November 2008: David Hulme approved as Cultural Gifts Valuer David Hulme has just been accepted as a valuer for the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program. He has been approved to value Australian art including paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints and sculpture 1900 – 2000 for this scheme. Since 1978, Australians have donated more than $530 million worth of items to public museums and art galleries in exchange for a tax break. The donations include visual and decorative arts, Indigenous arts and cultural artefacts, social history and scientific collections and archival material. The program benefits not only ‘big’ museums, but also regional art galleries, which often have only limited funds to purchase new artworks. More information can be found on http://www.arts.gov.au/tax_incentives/cultural_gifts_program About Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants Banziger Hulme are independent art consultants and art brokers, combining a range of art-related services in their internationally operating art business: art brokerage, art valuations, assistance with art exhibitions, art seminars and conferences and curated not-for-profit fine art websites. Recent examples are on Australian artist Norman Lloyd, and Robert Mitchell as well as a website as a virtual museum, dedicated to a private contemporary Australian art collection www.theartcollectorseye.com.au 17 November 2008: For Limited Release - the Best Paintings from the Manly Art Gallery & Museum Collection Impressions from the exhibition showcasing extraordinary works from a great collection To name a few masters in the show: Tom Roberts, Ethel Carrick Fox, Roy de Maistre, Grace Cossington Smith, Emanuel Phillips Fox, Rah Fizelle, Donald Friend, Norman Lindsay, Antonio Dattilo-Rubbo, Ralph Balson, Euan McLeod and many more. Hurry, they are only on view until 30 November 2008.    Opening night on 14 November 2008: Nicholas Vickers, Curator Delmar Gallery; Chris Deutscher, Executive Director Deutscher + Hackett Fine Art Auctioneers; Brigitte Banziger and David Hulme of Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants and Sarah Johnson, Curator Manly Art Gallery & Museum 13 November 2008: Exciting Fine Art Auctions in Melbourne Next Week I have four art auction catalogues on my desk. There is always a selection of very special offerings to be found in their pages, so I thought I would share some of them with you. All four sales are happening in Melbourne between 23rd and 26th November: Mossgreen Auctions, Bonhams and Goodman, Sothebys and last but not least Deutscher + Hackett. If you would like any advice or assistance with any of the works, please do not hesitate to contact us – info@bhfineart.com or phone 02 9977 0700. Mossgreen Auctions are holding a mammoth sale of 1352 lots – 350 lots of this sale are from the estate of the late Graham Cornall, a Melbourne antique dealer and unusually all to be sold without reserve. Perhaps only a quarter of this sale is dedicated to pictures, so let’s have a look at some highlights and interesting stuff. The big pictures of this sale are the first 38 lots: Lot 10 by Tracy Moffatt, Something More, No 1, 1989, is this artist’s best-known image. The photograph is not shown in this auction catalogue, however Mossgreen have taken the imaginative step of producing their own stencil of the image to illustrate the work. Dependent on the estimate on this one, it should provide big interest: Charles Blackman’s “The Bouquet” from 1959, purchased from the Antipodean exhibition in 1959. Looks like a stunner to me. In the international section at Mossgreen, we find a most appealing sculpture by Max Ernst, edition 26/35, and at $ 3,000 to $ 5,000 looks like a bargain. Lots 1014 and 1015 are an excellent pair of lithographs by Henry Moore. They are small at 30 x 22.5 cm, but unmistakeably Moore, very pretty and with estimates of $ 1,500 to $ 2,500 good buying. I also rather like lot 1016: ‘Le Port de Grandville’ is a very appealing watercolour by none other than Paul Signac with impeccable provenance, estimate $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 – will no doubt go overseas with our dollar, but worth competing against British dealers for. Francis Bacon is flavour of the month. Here is a chance to pick up one of his original coloured lithographs for a tiny fraction of the amount of one of his paintings. ‘Triptych’, a work from 1976, sold in May 2008 at Sothebys New York for US$ 77 million. Lots 1017 to 1023 are all Francis Bacon works on paper, with estimates from $ 2,000 to $ 10,000. My favourite has the lowest estimate: lot 1022 ‘Bullfight’, $ 2,000 to $ 3,000. Finally a rather charming image by Henry John Yeend-King ‘ Boys fishing from the Pier in Looe, Cornwall’, oil on canvas, has an estimate of $ 25,000 to $ 30,000. Next Sotheby’s sale is to be held on Monday, 24th November. Sotheby’s have been commissioned by the Art Gallery of New South Wales to sell a very large Brett Whiteley, lot 23, titled ‘Balmoral’; it consists of a number of his contorted sunworshippers stretched out on the beach. At 180 x 204 cm and with that provenance, it will be interesting to see where this one goes – estimate $ 700,00 to $ 900,000. No doubt the TV cameras will be there to let us know. All proceeds go towards the purchase of the new AU$ 16 million Cezanne for the Art Gallery of NSW. Sticking with the Francis Bacon theme, lot 69 is titled ‘Francis Bacon’s Studio’ – yes interestingly, this work is by our very own Roy de Maistre, estimated at $ 60,000 to $ 80,000. There are six works by Roy de Maistre from this private collection in Switzerland. They include an unappealing portrait of Francis Bacon from 1935, hence the estimate of $ 8,000 to $ 12,000. I like lot 72 the most, also from 1935: ‘Arrested Movement from a Trio”, it’s all about de Maistre’s forte colour, this wonderful abstract work is estimated at $ 35,000 - $ 45,000. With 79 lots, it’s quite a short sale from Sotheby, and similarly with the Bonhams and Goodmans sale scheduled for 25 November with just 55 lots. Keeping it short and sweet is obviously Geoffrey Smith’s intention here. It works well. Of course it starts off brilliantly with lot 1, about as poignant as you can get: A.J. Daplyn’s ‘Bad News from the Bank”, 1884, estimated at $ 8,000 - $ 12,000. Times don’t really change, do they? A cracking picture is John Peter Russell’s lot 8, ‘Sydney Harbour’, oil on canvas, 50.6 x 70.5 cm; vibrant and so full of life and colour – a great picture, and estimate is on request. A great price – no doubt. I just can’t help it. Although I generally find will Ashton’s paintings of Australia bland and boring, his European works always offer us engaging subjects, great composition and brilliant light. His works come onto the market regularly and with such low prices. Lot 10 is titled ‘Capri’, 1926 with an estimate of $ 4,000 to $ 6,000. If you want to start a collection – with Will Ashton’s European pictures you can’t go wrong. You don’t need me to tell you that lot 14 is an absolute corker of a painting by William Dobell, ‘Cockney Kid with Hoop’, 1936, estimate $ 250,000 to $ 350,000. Wow! This should do very well indeed. The highest price paid at auction for a work by Robert Dickerson is $ 112,800 including buyer’s premium, also by Bonhams and Goodman in August 2008, for ‘The Waiting Room’, 1955. Will their lot 20, ‘Boy in Street’, from 1954 break this record? It’s the same size at 122 x 91.5 cm I don’t think so, but it could get pretty close. The estimate is $ 90,000 to $ 120,000. I generally like Ray Crooke’s earlier darker and moodier works. Lot 43 from 1987 however should appeal to many for its composition, colour and size, with an estimate of $ 25,000 to $ 35,000. It will exceed comfortably. Something more of ‘Something More’, lot 45. If you didn’t manage to purchase Tracey Moffatt’s photograph at Mossgreen, then you can try your luck at Bonhams and Goodman – or perhaps you would like the two. The illustration of the work has been allowed here, so no imagination required. The estimate is $ 60,000 to $ 80,000. Finally let’s have a look at the last sale of this auction-filled week: Deutscher + Hackett on 26th November. I have been a fan of James Gleeson’s early surrealist work ever since I saw the exhibition of the Agapitos and Wilson collection at the SH. Ervin Gallery in Sydney. Sadly, both Mr Agapitos and Mr Gleeson have passed on; fortunately, the art lives on. Lot 1 for me is a proper tribute to Gleeson’s talent. Gritty and full-on, ‘The Betrothal of Two Classic Edifices’ from 1943 is wonderful – and a great title, too. Beat that one, Damian Hirst! The estimate is $ 25,000 to $ 35,000. Considering Australians’ obsession with sport, it is surprising how little sport seems to be portrayed in art. When it is, it can be done amazingly well. Lot 9 by John Brack works brilliantly: ‘Footballers’, 1956, conte on paper, estimated at $ 55,000 to $ 75,000. Keeping nicely with the sport scene, how about this: Yes, lot 16 is an illustration by Norman Lindsay. This is just such a fabulous picture. It portrays the boxing fight between Jack Johnson and Tommy Burns on Boxing Day 1908 and really breaks the mould on prices for illustration. If anyone can do it, Lindsay can. His illustrations normally sell for around $ 2,000. This watercolour has an estimate of $ 25,000 to $ 30,000 but could do much better, I suspect. If you want iconic, look no further: lot 18, Charles Meere Studio, ‘Australian Beach Pattern’, 1940, estimate $ 180,000 to $ 220,000. eX de Medici has well and truly arrived on the secondary market. Watch lot 29, ‘A Cool hand with the dice / Biggie’, 2007. A spectacular work, priced at $ 50,000 to $ 70,000, it deserves to do spectacularly well. There really are some wonderful pictures in this sale. I also like Peter Booth’s painting from 2005: lot 35, Figure in Olive Jumper, estimate $ 80,000 to $ 120,000 and Noel Mckenna’s ‘Children’s Ride’,1989, lot 37, estimate $ 7,000 to $ 9,000. As a major Ben Quilty fan, I cannot ignore lot 38. Nothing significant of Quilty’s work has yet appeared on the secondary market until now. The Torana series made his name. This oil on canvas, 85 x 80 cm from is a knockout – I want it! It’s conservatively estimated at $ 15,000 - $ 20,000. Rarely do we see the work of George Rayner Hoff, unless we visit the Australian War Memorial or the Art Gallery of NSW. Lot 53 ‘Hercules, Deinanira and Achelous’, 1920, is an exquisite work and conservatively priced with an estimate of $ 6,000 to $ 8,000. Lots 124 to 130 are all conservatively priced original Norman Lindsay etchings from $ 3,000 – worth a look! 29 October 2008: New Homes for Paintings We are delighted to have been involved in the distribution of a number of drawings and watercolours to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and the National Art School in Sydney. The niece of artist Les Campbell, who was a CRTS student, has donated almost 30 of his life drawings to the National Art School in Sydney. The Australian War Memorial has made a purchase of six watercolour paintings from 1945 produced during Campbell’s wartime service in the Northern Territory. A number of his other wartime drawings and watercolours are to be sold at an upcoming fine art auction on 15th November at Davidson Auctions in Annandale. To the left an example of one of the fine watercolours that are available. 15 September 2008: On at Manly Art Gallery: Exhibition not to be missed - Bruce Goold The opening of the Bruce Goold Retrospective and the Manly Arts Festival was ‘Spot the Celebrity’ at the Manly Art Gallery on Friday night. There was a massive turn-out which included actors Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward. A number of well known visual artists including Garry Shead attended a stunning showcase of the works and practice of Bruce Goold. Primarily a printmaker of note, this exhibition also delves into Goold’s extensive design work and the use of his work in fabrics, including many classic Mambo designs. It’s an exhibition that can’t help but make you smile. Bruce’s humour shines through, his use of colour an uplifting experience. He is an artist who clearly cares for the environment that we live in and whose work exudes a positive take on the world around us. The exhibition is on at the Manly Art Gallery and Museum until 28 September. For more events at the Manly Arts Festival, go to www.manlyartsfestival.com Free Art Appraisals on Thursday, 18 September You can also combine your visit to the Goold exhibition with a free art appraisal – we’ll be holding valuations at the Manly Art Gallery this Thursday from 2 pm to 5 pm. Paintings, prints and photographs, both Australian and international are welcome. 29 August 2008: Far from doom and gloom in the secondary art market Just a quick few lines after the latest round of fine art auctions: it’s far from doom and gloom, and we still think the art market is doing rather well. The auctions held in Melbourne this week – Sothebys, Bonhams & Goodman as well as Deutscher + Hackett – although perhaps a little shaky, managed to shift over 17 million dollars worth of art in less than one week. And this hot on the heels of a Melbourne Art Fair reporting $ 12.1 million worth of art sales, which represents a growth of 16 % on the previous event in 2006. Sotheby’s results alone, although disappointing, do not an art market recession make. In fact, the sale of two paintings – the John Glover and the John Brack – would have made everything very rosy, adding up to 3 million dollars to their $ 6.7 million total. Let’s not forget, Sothebys also broke a new record with Russell Drysdale at $ 1.89 million. Bonhams & Goodman, for their part, would surely be far from disappointed with a result of just under 5 million dollars. You don’t break 5 artists’ auction records in difficult times. Bonhams & Goodman have created new highs for artists Penleigh Boyd with $266,400; Robert Dickerson $ 112,800; Fred Cress $ 66,000; Ida Rentoul Outhwaite $ 50,400 and sculptor Inge King $ 180,000. Deutscher + Hackett was the third cab off the rank in the sales this week and sold a most satisfactory 72% of the works offered – generally anything over 60% is regarded as good. Admittedly, their much lauded John Brack Nude was not sold on the night, but it was purchased the next day; a sale is a sale. They will be very happy with this result. We can pick at numerous statistics to make a good or a bad story. However you like to view it: almost $ 30 million worth of known art sales in just one month is a pretty good story and statistic, indicating strength in both primary and secondary art markets. 25 June 2008: A laughing young man turns out to be a serious Old Master We’d like to share with you another amazing story from the world of fine art. It goes like this: The portrait of the laughing young man - which had been in the family for over 100 years - was brought to a local auction house for sale after being rejected by a major London auction house. Auctioneers Moore, Allen and Innocent, of Cirencester, listed the small 24 x 17 cm oil on copper painting as “follower of Rembrandt”, and gave it a modest estimate of £ 1,500. At the auction however, there were two parties present believing the work was a true Rembrandt, and they were prepared and cashed up to go all the way. The battle ended at a cool £ 2,2 million, making this one of the most successful over estimate sales ever. Not surprisingly, it also produced a record sale for the auction house and the highest price for a painting sold outside London. The leading expert on the Dutch Old Master, Ernst van de Wetering, has just released his detailed analysis and it authenticates the work as an original Rembrandt. He says: ‘Brush stroke, contour, materials and the monogram all point to the master’s hand.’ This wonderful report catapults the value of this small treasure into the region of £ 15 million - and the new owner no doubt will be laughing too now. If you had been the previous owner, where would you have gone to sell a painting like this? Of course, you would have contacted your independent art broker. 24 June 2008: Exceptional Day of Art Appraisals in Newport on 21 June An exceptional day of art valuations was held at Newport Artworks on 21 June. Gary Witton, owner of Newport Artworks, commented: ‘There was a constant stream of people from 11 am until 3 pm, with many seeking advice on framing and restoration of works. ’ David Hulme, director of Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants said: ‘Unusually, a number works by Sidney Nolan were brought in for appraisal by different people. I am always amazed by the diversity of works that people have in art collections on the Northern Beaches.’ The appraisal days are always a lot of fun and a find this time was an unknown work by Albert Henry Fullwood (1863 – 1930). It is a major work by the artist, measuring 62 x 122 cm. The scene is of a windmill in Tasmania, painted in 1897. Fullwood painted with Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton at Sirius Cove on Sydney Harbour and helped establish the NSW Society of Artists, before he moved to the US in 1900 and on to England in 1901, exhibiting with the Royal Academy in London and the Paris Salons. During World War I, he was commissioned to paint on the Western Front for the Australian War Memorial. 4 June 2008: Highlights of the upcoming Deutscher-Menzies Art Auctions Let’s jump right into it with the very first lot of 18 June in Sydney. We all need lots of friends – Donald Friend that is. Lot 1 is titled “The artist’s chair”, a lovely and colourful oil composition, with an estimate of $ 15,000 to $ 20,000. There are 7 other works by Donald Friend joining this sale, with plenty of collectors waiting. I am forever drawn to John Brack’s early etchings: lot 7 here is no exception. With John Brack’s works now out of reach for all but a handful of collectors, this work ‘Spectators” from 1956, number 4 of an edition of 12, is fantastic. At $ 9,000 to $ 12,000 estimate, it will fly. A recommended purchase! One to watch: lot 20 is a big test of Anna Rubin, a relatively unknown artist. “Pisces from Reef” comes with an estimate of $ 38,000 to $ 48,000 and could have a huge effect on her future prices and how her work is defined. I firmly believe that William Robinson’s prices at auction still have a long way to go, even with an estimate of $ 260,000 to $ 320,000 on lot 24 ‘Landscape and selfportrait c.1987”. Every time you think you have seen the best of Robinson’s work come up for sale, another better one appears. The consistency, beauty, composition, colour, and humour – all add up to a stunning visual force. Lot 31 from 1997 looks equally impressive from the catalogue, estimate $ 180,000 to $ 220,000. At a time when traditional paintings were much more en vogue and prior to the early 1990s art crash, Rupert Bunny’s ‘Jeanne with her terrier’, c. 1902, sold for $ 462,000 in 1988. It will be fascinating to see what happens to her as lot 26 in this sale with an estimate of $ 380,000 to $ 480,000. If there is anything that Mr Rod Menzies, Chairman of Deutscher-Menzies, is good at it’s creating a stir. By placing his own painting by Pablo Picasso, titled ‘Sylvette’, 1954, in an Australian Fine Art Auction, we are guaranteed big interest. TV cameras will be aplenty to see what happens. Should the work sell even at the low estimate, it will easily eclipse any previous painting sold at auction in Australia – the estimate is at $ 5 to $ 7 million. There will be interest both locally as well as from overseas… Art on A Plate: It’s not for everyone, but many artists have experimented with the medium of handpainting on earthenware plates. Picasso did quite a lot of this and this sale we have a few examples with mixed results: Lot 59, William Robinson, estimate $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 Lot 60, John Perceval, estimate $ 9,000 to $ 12,000 Lot 86, John Olsen, estimate $ 4,000 to $ 6,000 Not exactly plates, the four ceramic tiles by Andy Warhol look interesting, two of Marilyn Monroe and two of Grace Kelly, produced by Rosenthal Studio Line, and they come with an estimate of $ 25,000 to $ 32,000. The second day of the sale on 19 June is a bit of a mixed bag with a significant offering of Aboriginal art. Lot 202 is a lovely handcoloured etching 18/40 by Jeffrey Smart for a fraction of the price of his paintings, estimated at $ 4,000 to $ 6,000. Will contemporary Australian photography ever take off in the auction room? I don’t know, but it is still very, very cheap. Try lot 20 “The Jealous Sideswipe” from2008 by Andrew Wellman. This huge photo1 x 3 metres has an estimate of $ 9,000 to $ 12,000, and lot 281, six great images from his “Homage a Magritte” series, 2003, $ 10,000 to $ 14,000. If you are prepared to sit out to lot 341, there are also a number of fine art lithographs and screenprints by Tim Storrier, Charles Blackman, Lin Onus, Arthur Boyd and Garry Shead, with estimates ranging from $ 800 up to $ 5,000. 3 June 2008: Art Superfund Pitfalls Increasingly, we are valuing artworks included in superannuation funds. The main talk so far has been about the rules regarding the display of the artworks at the home or office of the superfund’s beneficiary. We at Banziger Hulme however are concerned about something much more elementary: where is the art sourced from? This is a very important question. When we value artworks owned by a superfund, the rules say that we have to give a market value for the works. To give an example: we have just valued some artworks by well known and well respected Australian artists with a good track record in the auction room. However, the works in question were purchased at high retail prices – when similar works could easily have been purchased through the auction room for up to half the price paid. Although there are solid gains on the values of both the artists, it will probably take many years for the auction room or market value to catch up with the retail price paid for the paintings. It’s important to remember: When purchasing works in the secondary market for superannuation purposes, they are better bought at auction with good advice from an art consultant or unbiased advisor. Contemporary art is a different matter and can be sourced from the best galleries and on occasion also in the auction room - again it’s best to seek impartial advice prior to purchase. There are a lot of different art publications and they generally focus on the primary or contemporary market. We recommend subscribing to the Australian Art Market Report for a good overview of the whole market, both primary and secondary. It’s concise and also not full of advertising... Available only on subscription http://www.aamr.com.au PLEASE seek the advice of an unbiased, independent art professional who is not an art dealer, before you proceed with any art purchase for a superannuation fund, or indeed if the purchase is with a view to investment. We can assist you with professional advice and reports so you can make an informed decision. A lot of art is sold as an investment, when in reality only a fraction of art sold fits into that category. If you want some of your art for investment, we can at least show you where and how to buy it, without getting your fingers burnt. Contact us via email or send us an art enquiry . 1 May 2008: Some ships you needn't avoid - a safe auction for every budget (see entry below...) We all hear the big auction results: A work by Ethel Carrick-Fox sells for over $ 1 million, as it did last week at Sotheby's. In fact, as much as I love Sothebys, they generally don't take any works to sell under $ 10,000. So what happens to these less valuable works? Well, they often slip into the lesser known and perhaps harder to find auctions, because of location and less advertising. Of course, these sales attract a lot of dealer interest and for instance, the sale this Sunday at Bonhams & Goodman Bay East offers some very interesting pictures at bargain prices. We thought this is a good opportunity to point out some excellent examples of what is available there. I'll go straight to the ships for starters: Lots 305, John Allcot, of the TSMV Sydney Star at Sydney 1937, estimate $ 2,500 to $ 3,500; lot 306 Joseph Frost's "Three Master", estimate $ 1,600 to $ 2,400, and lot 308 is a lovely 19th century work of a steam ship in oil, estimate $ 1,000 to $ 2,000. Lots 7 and 8 should do extremely well - both are by Lawrence Daws, both are very fine gouache on paper works priced ad $ 200 to $ 200 and $ 500 to $ 700 - absolute bargains of the sale. I have always liked Tom Garrett's monotypes - "Tuncurry", a large 30.5 x 38 cm is no exception, beautifully subtle tones and continues to be undervalued, estimate here is $ 1,500 to $ 2,000. Don't tell anyone else about this William Russell Flint etching "Women at the Seaside" because I want it. It is handsigned in ink lower right, and a lovely image. $ 200 to $ 400 - are they serious?! How long will it take for Lionel Lindsay's etchings to make more money in the auction room? "Quelltaler House", ca. 1922, is a great image, estimated at $ 300 to $ 500. Lot 177: Both Brigitte and myself were mesmerised by this stunning work by Eva Kubbos. There are two other works by her in the sale, but lot 177 is an absolute beauty. It would benefit from reframe, but at 74 x 104 cm and an estimate of $ 800 to $ 1,200, what do you want? This works deserves to sell for a lot more. Other works of interest include a pleasant Lloyd Rees handcoloured etching from 1980, lot 184, at estimate $ 800 to $ 1,200. Lot 192 is John Coburn's "Study for Exodus" 1963, it's a cracker of a work, estimated at $ 2,000 to $ 2,500 only (we want, we want, we want it...) Jan Senbergs is currently in the news - how about lot 194, Council Print from 1977, estimate $ 300 to $ 400. Lot 200 John Brack's "The Ice Skaters", 1967, this should do much better than the $ 1,000 to $ 1,500 estimate. Frank Hinder's lithograph of Jerry Lewes, lot 208, at $ 400 to $ 600 is great stuff. And I must not forget lot 2: this is a lovely image from Graham Fransella, one of only 25 produced, a large colour etching, $ 400 to $ 600. You can go to Bonhams website to view all the works on offer and if you would like more information or wish to bid, don’t hesitate to email us. 15 April 2008: Why Cruise Ships can be dangerous for Art Buyers A client came to us a few months ago asking us to produce a written report on a drawing that she had purchased on a cruise ship. Apparently the work was sold at auction on this cruise ship and the price paid was in excess of $ 20,000. This was not the first time that we have been asked about the merits of purchasing art on cruise ships. Even purchasing art in a gallery on a cruise ship has its dangers, as all clients are a captive audience – they have no opportunity to compare prices, values or seek independent advice. An auction with its contractual agreement means that there is no backing out of the sale or purchase. This serves to protect both the seller and buyer with the auction house acting as the arms-length go-between. We at Banziger Hulme Fine Art use and recommend auction houses only because these houses have an established name and can be trusted to do the right thing on behalf of their clients. Last week, we had a phone call from the Gold Coast from a gentleman who had just spent $ 63,000 on three paintings at an art auction in a hotel. He clearly felt he had purchased three paintings at bargain prices. He may well have, but to contact us after the auction is not much good, as by bidding he has agreed to purchase the artworks and this is enforceable by law. Our main problem in this particular instance is that the auctioneers allowed for just two hours viewing prior to auction. This is a completely inadequate time for anyone to make an informed decision about any purchase of art, let alone the spending of $ 63,000. We are actually quite shocked that such serious money can be spent without seeking a second opinion. Having said that, we regularly write reports for clients who are about to purchase a work of art and want an informed and unbiased view of the work they are thinking of buying, not just in terms of value and quality, but also condition and provenance of the piece and its overall standing within this particular artist's body of work. Although antique rugs are not our business, we saw an advertisement in last weekend’s Sydney Morning Herald that gave a one-hour viewing time prior to the sale. No-one should be prepared to purchase anything at auction without proper and adequate viewing times. How to spot a reputable auction house
11 April 2008: A Curator's Eye for the Catalogue Last evening, we attended the viewing for the Bonhams & Goodman Fine Art Sale on 23rd April in Melbourne. With a substantial number of the works on view, we were treated to some rare delights. Geoffrey Smith, Bonhams & Goodman’s National Head of Art, presented the highlights of these in a floor talk. Unlike other auction houses, B & G list their works chronologically. So this particular auction starts in the 1860s with ten works, all catalogued as unknown artists: two portraits of Dr. William Wills and Robert O’Hara Burke – yes, of Burke and Wills fame – by the one hand, and eight works by a different hand depicting scenes from their ill-fated expedition. Having come directly down the line of the Wills family, the provenance is certainly impeccable. The ten works carry an estimate of $ 60,000 to $ 80,000. Following are a number of watercolours by S.T. Gill who is particularly well-known for his paintings of the goldfields. My favourite amongst these is both historically interesting and a very pretty picture: ‘House of Riversdale Road overlooking Melbourne’, estimated at $ 25,000 to $ 35,000. Will Ashton’s European Work is always his best: lot 24 ‘Marseilles Harbour’ is no exception to this. His work is always good value; this one is estimated at $ 6,000 to $ 9,000. Janet Cumbrae Stewart’s pastels are consistently beautiful in their execution and composition. Lot 28 is a striking example of her work ‘Nude with Shawl” from 1927, evocative and timeless, the estimate is $ 15,000 to $ 20,000 – I think a very good buy in that range. I do very much like the landscapes of Grace Cossington-Smith, and lot 34 ‘Valley Farm” from 1937 is a fine example, estimated at $ 28,000 to $ 35,000. Lot 35 comes from a private collection in San Francisco: Margaret Preston ‘Australian Still Life” 1938. Great to see that the effort has gone into the manufacture of a reproduction of its original frame – it sets the work off perfectly which is as good an example of Preston’s work as you are likely to find. The highest price recorded on Australian Art Sales Digest for a Preston is $ 374,000 including buyer’s premium at Sothebys in 1989 for a very large work. However, three recent results - Bonhams and Goodman and Deutscher and Hackett in 2007 and in 2006 by Deutscher-Menzies – came in all at $ 168,000 inc. buyer’s premium. The estimate for the present offering is $ 80,000 to $ 120,000 - this wide estimate and the previous results suggest this work should do very well and over the high estimate. We are currently seeing a number of works by Danila Vassilieff appear, both his paintings and sculptures. Considering his place in Australian art history, his prices still seem very low compared to his contemporaries. Bonhams & Goodman have six paintings and two sculptures on offer in their sale from the estate of the artist’s wife Elizabeth Vassilieff. The estimates start at $ 6,000. The sale also includes a number of important works by Albert Tucker, which are likely to garner a lot of interest. I haven’t seen a lot of watercolours by the artist, and I am not the biggest fan of his work, but I really like lot 90 very much: ‘Man and Woman’ 1993, estimate of $ 35,000 to $ 45,000. What is great to see is that fine sculpture is becoming more established in the secondary market. Some stunning examples have appeared in the auction rooms in 2007, and this seems to be continuing this year. Lot 98, Untitled, 1999 by Akio Makigawa carries an estimate of $ 40,000 to $ 60,000. Lot 77, Joel Elenberg’s “Mask”, 1980, from an edition of 6, is estimated at $ 100,000 to $ 140,000. Watch this space – could this set an Australian sculpture record? To view works online go to www.bonhamsandgoodman.com.au, and if you would like more information or wish to bid, don’t hesitate to email us. 2 April 2008: Fresh to market pictures should excite art collectors There has been a lot of talk recently of re-selling of artworks at auction too quickly in Australia. Two auctions coming up this month go a long way to crush this perception, and as a viewer of all the important fine art auctions it’s great to see. Who would think that we have to thank Pro Hart and his estate for a new and exciting collection of pictures, accompanied by no less than the family of esteemed art patrons John and Sunday Reed of Heide fame – both consigned to Deutscher and Hackett at their sale on 16th and 17th April in Melbourne of 338 works. Sothebys in contrast has an offering of 116 lots on 22nd April in Sydney and also contains works from the collection of the late John Roberts of Multiplex. It is interesting to observe that both auction houses have used traditional paintings as their cover lots rather than more contemporary works. This is in stark contrast to the last Deutscher-Menzies and Lawson-Menzies sales, which had works by Sidney Nolan and Tim Maguire on their front pages. Tom Roberts graces the cover of Deutscher and Hackett: a full length-portrait of Miss Hilda Spong, 1893, from the estate of Pro Hart. This is a rare large work of beautiful quality to come on to the market, with a wide estimate of $ 300,000 to $ 500,000 – one to watch. Sothebys have given Ethel Carrick Fox pride of place, “Market, Under Trees” was last offered in August 1999 by Sothebys, achieving a record price for the artist with $ 266,500 inc buyer’s premium. It was later beaten by Sotheby’s again in May 2005 by “Arabs Bargaining”, which sold for $ 458,750 inc. buyer’s premium. With the movement in the market since 1999, their current estimate of $ 400,000 to $ 600,000 does not seem unreasonable. This is an exceptional and most beautiful paining – let’s be prepared for an exceptional result. There seems to be some good reasons for the Australian War Memorial to have a closer look at the Deutscher and Hackett sale. Will Ashton is a bit hit and miss in the auction room, however lot 26 is a different story “Victory Celebration, Martin Place Sydney 1919” conjures up a wonderful image and should happily reach its estimate of $ 25,000 to $ 35,000. Others of interest for the War Memorial would have to include Charles Webster Gilbert’s sculpture “Australian Solder, Maquette for Broken Hill War Memorial”, 1922. Perhaps they might have some local Broken Hill competition. Lots 161 and 162 by Iso Rae should perhaps also be looked at. Some of the standout paintings in the Deutscher and Hackett offering are: Lot 29, Bessie Davidson “Interior with Poppies”, 1935, is bound to fuel considerable interest, estimate $ 120,000 to $ 160,000. Two mesmerising portraits by William Dobell executed over 30 years apart are lot 30, ‘The Boy George’, c. 1928, estimate $ 30,000 to $ 50,000 and lot 47, ‘Emmy’, 1960, estimate $ 60,000 to $ 80,000. And for the contemporary collectors, there is lot 57, Del Kathryn Barton, ‘Making love with love’, 2004, estimate $ 60,000 to $ 80,000 – watch this bird fly! We will also see the first venture for Ex De Medici into the auction room: lot 58 ‘Godless’, 2002, estimate4 30,000 to $ 40,000. Quality and craftsmanship will no doubt win out here. It’s also good to see some strong international works: lot 64, a Henri Matisse ink drawing from 1942 with an estimate of $ 90,000 to $ 120,000. Also lot 65, the Andy Warhol colour screen print of Mao, 1972, is a great image and comes with an estimate of $ 60,000 to $ 80,000. It is about time that we experience some movement in the prices of Danila Vassilieff’s work. Well, here is a great chance with a number of works from the Reed family. Lot 87, 88 and 206 to 211 and there is even a Vassilieff from Pro Hart’s estate, lot 123, estimate $ 8,000 to $ 12,000 – should be most interesting. This is a chance to redefine the artist and his prices. The highest price for a painting by Vassilieff ‘ Fitzroy Life’ was achieved by Sothebys in August 2004, with $ 49,850 inc. buyer’s premium. Finally, there are a number of ink drawings by Joy Hester with estimates between $ 5,000 to $ 8,000 from the Reed collection, and they are sure to find new homes. Equally a number of drawings by William Dobell from the Pro Hart collection are price very favourably at between $ 1,000 to $ 6,000. Sothebys present a different, but no less rich and rewarding showing: firstly a number of fine works by Ray Crooke, and don’t be surprised if we see a new record set by their first lot ‘The Shell’, 1959, exquisite in its depiction, with an estimate of $ 50,000 to $ 70,000. The record at auction for Ray Crooke was set in 2001 for ‘Islanders, Thursday Island’, 1960, with $ 82,250 inc. buyer’s premium. And on to more juicy offerings: two divine oils by Grace Cossington-Smith – yes, they are both small, but do they shine! Lots 4 and 5 come with estimates of $ 14,000 to $ 18,000. Why do I think they might just sell for a lot more…? And there is another Jeffrey Smart – but every so often one comes along and it has just got all you ever want in a Jeffrey Smart painting. This is it. Lot 7 ‘On the beach’, San Diego, estimate $ 200,000 to $ 300,000. Two previously unknown stunning landscapes by Eugene von Guerard have emerged for the Sothebys sale: Lot 14 ‘View from Daylesford towards the Pyrenees’, c. 1864, estimate $ 250,000 to $ 350,000, and lot 58 ‘Italian Landscape’, 1847, $ 180,000 to $ 250,000 estimate. The latter comes from a private collection in Germany. The strong Aussie dollar should be helpful for the return to the vendor. And here some more works to watch at Sothebys: Lot 19, Tracy Moffat’s self-portrait, estimate $ 30,000 to $ 40,000 is simply striking – perhaps for the National Portrait Gallery? Lot 21, ‘Frogs on waterlilies’ by Lin Onus, $ 70,000 to $ 90,000. Sidney Nolan, lot 24, ‘Siege and Burning at Glenrowan’, a woven wool tapestry, estimate $ 180,000 to $ 220,000 Lot 30, a Robert Dickerson with an estimate of $ 40,000 to $ 60,000 (Deutscher and Hackett also have a good work from 1966, lot 14, $ 35,000 to $ 45,000) Again Sidney Nolan, lot 52, ‘Luna Park’, 1945 – iconic. If you had the opportunity to see his retrospective at the Art Gallery of NSW like me you might think that his earliest work was his best. Love this one, estimate $ 50,000 to $ 70,000. Coincidentally, Deutscher and Hackett also offer a Luna Park work from 1942, lot 91, estimate 4 30,000 to $ 45,000. Also, watch out for lot 55 at Sothebys, ‘St. Kilda Pier’, 1945, $ 35,000 to $ 45,000. And there are two more great tapestries, this time from John Coburn: lot 92, ‘Autumn’, estimate $ 18,000 to $ 25,000, and lot 93 ‘Sydney Summer’, estimate $ 35,000 to $ 45,000. Sothebys also offer four more excellent Ray Crookes: lot 68 ‘The Fish’, lot 102 ‘Farm Natives’, lot 103 ‘The Football Match’ and lot 107 ‘Net Fishermen’, all with estimates of $ 20,000 to $ 30,000. Well that’s about it. Any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to email or phone 02 9977 0700. If you wish to bid for anything, of course we are happy to assist; equally advice free from bias is always at hand. To view works online go to www.deutscherandhackett.com and www.sothebys.com 27 March 2008: Norman Lloyd (1895 – 1983): The Australian Artist gets new exposure and a life rediscovered on www.normanlloyd.com.au Landscape painter Norman Lloyd had a long, prolific and successful life. But not even Australia’s most respected Art Encyclopedia has got his correct birth and death dates listed. The research that went into the establishment of the website dedicated to Norman Lloyd has not only set this right, but has shed a lot more light on this largely forgotten artist and has unearthed previously unknown facts. Now we know when and where Norman Lloyd was born, and what happened to him in World War I. We hear of his life in London in the 1930s where he enjoyed increasing success as a painter and held regular exhibitions with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. We learn about friends and acquaintances such as HG Wells, Nancy Weir, George Bernard Shaw, Will Ashton, who frequented his home in the wealthy suburb of St John’s Wood. Also undiscovered is Norman Lloyd’s connection with France, where he spent his summers from 1944 onwards until shortly before his death. The mystery of his French mistress is also revealed. The website - researched and created by Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants - presents Norman Lloyd’s life, CV, works and exhibitions in one easy and accessible location on www.normanlloyd.com.au. If you can contribute with information on Norman Lloyd, we would love the hear from you - send us an email. Curated Fine Art Websites There are many difficulties involved in publishing a book on an artist, with time and costs often prohibitive. Today, the internet provides a very useful alternative in creating a new view of perhaps a ‘forgotten’, ‘maligned’ or ‘undervalued’ artist. Banziger Hulme Fine Art have taken this idea on board. We want to include as much biographical information as possible about the artist with images of the artist’s works. Our research aims to uncover little known facts about the artist and encourage feedback to the site and on any additional biographical information from institutions or individuals. The interest in developing a dedicated website might come from a collector who holds an extensive collection of a particular artist’s work or from family members interested in raising the profile of the artist. For example, the development of the website www.robertmitchellartist.com.au in 2007 has directly resulted in Robert Boyed Mitchell’s works being included in an exhibition ‘Special Forces’ at the National Art School in Sydney in July 2008. 20 February 2008: Swiss-Oz Art Expo and Regional Galleries in Australia Let us tell you about a lovely exhibition coming up at the Bondi Pavilion on Bondi Beach: Swiss-Oz Art Expo, from 4 to 16 March 2008. The show presents creativity and diversity from the Swiss Australian community, supported by the Consulate General of Switzerland and the Swiss Australian Cultural Association. We were delighted to have been asked to help with the artist selection and hang the works. Over the holiday break, we were thrilled to visit several regional art galleries, with some most unexpected treasures. The Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery had a fantastic exhibition on Aspendale - the location of the beach houses of William and Mirka Mora as well as John and Sunday Reed where many of the great painters of the 60s gathered. A beautifully curated and interesting show. The McLelland Sculpture Park is also a must if you happen to make it to the Mornington Peninsula: wonderful sculptures by Australia's best sculptors in a great outdoor bushland setting, fabulous. They also put on highly interesting indoors shows - don't miss it. Of course, when in Melbourne, we always visit the National Gallery of Victoria. The current exhibition 'Modern Britain 1900 - 1960' is on until 24 February 2008, comprising 20th century pictures by British masters scattered around Australia and New Zealand. We couldn't help but find it rather dull, as we probably expected a lot more. The Stanley Spencer pictures were not his best, however there were a few lovely Augustus John portraits, and some interesting little tidbits on artists we hadn't heard so much about. Overall, it was a very large show picture-wise, but probably lacking in overall quality. We especially felt that to throw all the war art at the end of the show was unnecessary. War art to us is never that compelling and adding to dullness with depression just made it very heavy. Where was the humour - it didn't look like British artists had much fun. In fact we can see every reason why - given this show - many artists would have emigrated to Australia... Anyway, enough of slamming 'Modern Britain' - if you missed the Sidney Nolan retrospective in Sydney, it's on in Melbourne from 22 February 2008 for a couple of months and comes highly recommended (even though he of course went on to live in England...) Another must when you next visit Melbourne is the Heide Museum of Contemporary Art, it's more than worth it, as it gives you a real sense of the relationships between ardent art supporters John and Sunday Reed and their artist friends, visiting, working and living at Heide. To name just a few: Sidney Nolan, Joy Hester, Albert Tucker, Danila Vassilieff, Sam Atyeo, Charles Blackman, John Perceval. Apart from the art, the architecture and the gardens are extra added highlights (and a great little cafe serving delicious food...) Other exciting art that we happened upon included the Ballarat Regional Art Gallery, where you can not only see the Eureka flag, but some fabulous early colonial and great 19th century Australian works. Thankfully this was continued on by James Mollison and Ron Radford in building a great 20th century collection. We are not sure if there is any regional gallery in Australia to rival their holdings - let us know... One thing which is difficult to understand is why Ballarat doesn't currently have a curator for their collection or future exhibitions. Surely a gallery of this standing needs at least one curator - up the road, Bendigo Art Gallery's website lists them as having three. Some very impressive works also at Bendigo and also in the contemporary side. Benalla Regional Art Gallery also needs to be recommended: There has obviously been some vision and foresight and exceptional donating been going on here. Outstanding early works by Eugene von Guerard, Louis Buvelot, W.C. Piguenit complement later works by Arthur Streeton, Clara Southern, Frederick McCubbin and John Peter Russell to name a few. And it doesn't stop there; gaps are filled throughout the 20th century with works by Tucker, Boyd, Perceval, Blackman, Cossington-Smith, Clarice Beckett, Peter Purves Smith, Dobell and John Brack. Contemporaries such as Brook Andrew, Brett Whiteley and Tim Storrier also feature strongly with significant works. In other news, we are very happy that the artist Robert Mitchell, on whom we built a website last year, is to be included in an exhibition with the working title 'Special Forces' at the National Art School in July in Sydney. More on that later. 3 December 2007: Update on current and upcoming art events If you would like to see David’s comments on the health of the Australian art auction market, see today’s “Australian” in our Press Articles page. We also would like to draw your attention to a wonderful exhibition which has just opened at Manly Art Gallery and Museum. Last Friday evening, we enjoyed the opening of “Harbourlife – Sydney Harbour from the 1940s to recent times”, curated by Gavin Wilson. The exhibition is on only until 13 January 2008 (after that it will travel to Macquarie University art gallery). You will be treated to some real delights, not just from the Manly Art Gallery collection, but also a good few outstanding works from the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Included are some fantastic exponents of this subject matter, featuring works by Lloyd Rees, Brett Whiteley, John Olsen, Sali Herman, John Passmore and John Firth-Smith, and wonderful photographs by David Moore. Of course, no exhibition about Sydney Harbour would be complete without the works of Peter Kingston and Fairlie Kingston. In other news, we were honoured to be asked by the Swiss-Australian Cultural Association (SACA) and the Swiss Consulate General, Sydney, to help select artists to be included in the Swiss-Oz Art Expo 2008. This will be a showcase for Swiss/Australian art, held from 4 – 16 March 2008 at Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery – we’ll keep you informed. 6 November 2007: Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants accepted into the Australian Antique and Art Dealers Association (AA&ADA) We are delighted to have been accepted into the AA & ADA, the leading industry body which represents antique and art dealers in Australia. The AA & ADA have a strict Code of Practice which outlines responsibility to clients. We have always worked hard to maintain the highest professional standards and ensure best practice in all our dealings with and for our clients. Acceptance into this prestigious organisation is a recognition of our efforts. Plus we are the only company on the Northern Beaches endorsed by AA & ADA. Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants are AA & ADA Approved Services Providers (Valuers and Consultants), NSW. 19 October 2007: We were delighted to be involved with UBS Wealth Management in a recent presentation at the National Gallery of Victoria, wonderfully organised by André Becker, Associate Director UBS Wealth Management Melbourne. Zoe Hart, Head of UBS Wealth Planning, presented tax and superannuation strategies for art and collectables, while we explained how to buy art when re-sale value is important to your art purchases. These presentations were followed up by art gallery curator Kelly Gellatly’s talk and tour through the UBS show “An Incomplete World”. It is on view until 6 January 2008 at the NGV International - and a great opportunity to experience works by international art masters such as Damien Hirst, Lucian Freud, Gerhard Richter, Roy Lichtenstein, Cindy Sherman, Andy Warhol, Andreas Gursky, Ed Ruscha and many more, and both painting and photography. 25 Years of National Gallery of Australia and the Inaugural National Indigenous Art Triennial Last Saturday saw the celebration of 25 years of the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra – quite a party and not just art, but also bands playing all over the gallery, comedians and a feast of traditional dance. Under Ron Radford, the NGA is heading in a great direction. With announcements of lots of new gallery space and a big effort to show more works, the National Gallery is entering an exciting new phase. The gallery actually holds over 100,000 works, but can show only 1% at any one time at present. So we can all look forward to see more in the future. To coincide with the 25-year celebrations, the Gallery launched the National Indigenous Art Triennial. The exhibition will go from Canberra to Adelaide and Perth and then overseas. It is a commendable initiative and an opportunity to showcase a fantastic range of contemporary aboriginal art. We found the show altogether exciting, challenging and superb in its depth, diversity and quality, with a healthy dose of politics thrown in. This could help to redefine aboriginal art in the contemporary market – “not just dot paintings”. Let’s hope that someone will be brave enough to review this exhibition with a view to its artistic merits. This is actually something sadly lacking with Aboriginal art: art journalists willing to write critically about the works for the mainstream press. Maybe this is the show to break the mould. Portraits by John Brack Also on in Canberra until 18th November is this John Brack show at the National Portrait Gallery. It is a lovely exhibition and, although you may not recognise many of the faces in these portraits, we see Brack’s most distinctive style and technique revealed beautifully from his earliest sketches to his latest paintings. On view amongst many others are intimate early and late portraits of his wife Helen and his daughters. A stunning, although untypical portrait of fellow artist Fred Williams dominates for us. However, other interesting works include a painting of art dealer Tab Purves and an early self-portrait titled “The Shaver”. A Bridge under the Bed At an auction preview recently, we were admiring a rare copy of a poster by Douglas Annand and Arthur Whitmore announcing the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932. Our friend we had invited along calmly announced that she had one “rolled up under the bed”. Her mother had given it to her along with another poster advertising the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fund, illustrated by William Dobell. We couldn’t wait to see her Bridge poster and were delighted to find it in reasonable condition. However, the poster needed some conservation work to clean and flatten it, and then sympathetic framing to bring it to its full glory. The last Sydney Harbour Bridge to come on the market sold for $ 20,400 at Deutscher + Hackett Fine Art Auctions, and our friend’s work would have to be valued accordingly. Our friend was also concerned to find an appreciative home for the Churchill poster. We contacted the National Library of Australia, which was very happy to accept this kind donation. So keep looking, you never know what you might find under the bed! 27 September 2007: Summer - Season for Selling and Buying Art The spring round of fine art auctions has just finished – and it has indeed been very successful overall, with many Australian artists’ records broken, new records set for turnovers and many great works on the market for all budgets. (Yes, you can still buy lovely artworks for under $ 1000 at auction – as usual, only the big sums make the newspaper headlines...) We are proud to report that we achieved almost a 100 % clearance rate on the works that we consigned for our clients in the fine art sales – usually, 70% is respectable . By the way, the 4 John Peter Russell watercolours all sold well on Saturday. Using a knowledgeable broker in selling art has even more advantages: better market information and more options, no time-consuming arrangements for pick-up, drop-off and paperwork, no up-front fees on consigning works (for example for photography, insurance or handling), and discretion with regards to the auction house, if required. The next auctions are now being announced for November, with consignments closing in the next two to three weeks - see Art Events for the next obligation-free appraisal day. You’ll find what other clients think of our assistance in the Testimonials and you can read about previous projects in Case histories. Contact us, if you would like an honest, independent and confidential opinion on the sale potential of your art without any obligations. We are delighted to give appraisals on all artworks and take a very lateral view when it comes to sales - and quite often we advise our clients not to sell if we believe returns may be disappointing or the timing is not right. As you know, we will always try and give you our best and most suitable advice. 18 September 2007: 4 John Peter Russell watercolours to make impression at Davidson Auctions this Saturday  Four
watercolours by Australian impressionist John Peter Russell will go
under the hammer with Davidson Auctions Fine Art sale this Saturday in
Sydney. These delightful works have been in the Russell family since
John Peter Russell painted them, and the current owner is a direct
descendant – provenance doesn’t get better than this. Interest in John Peter Russell’s work has been high in the last few years, not only due to the quality of his work, but also because of his links with many of the great European impressionists, including van Gogh, Monet, Matisse, Sisley and sculptor Auguste Rodin whom Russell commissioned to create a bust of his wife. Banziger Hulme Fine Art also recently brokered the sale of a very important painting by John Peter Russell of American artist Dodge Macknight which sold last month in Melbourne for $ 228,000 (including buyer’s premium). The four works on offer this Saturday on the other hand are priced rather modestly with estimates between $4,000 and $12,000. Date and time: Saturday, 22 September, start 12 noon, location: Davidson Auctions, 43-45 Nelson Street, Annandale NSW The illustrated catalogue will be online from Wednesday on www.davidsonauctions.com.au 3 September 2007: Auction Results: record prices for artists We are delighted to report the sale last week of two significant artworks that we brokered through Deutscher and Hackett Specialist Fine Art Auction House.  This
work “Seated Woman”, 1932 – 33, a previously unknown portrait by Rah
Fizelle came with an estimate of $ 45,000 to $ 65,000 and sold for $ 93,000 including buyer’s premium – an auction record for this great modernist artist.  The
much reviewed and admired work, also a portrait, by John Peter Russell
of American artist William Dodge Macknight c 1887, estimated at $
200,000 to $ 250,000 sold for $ 228,000 including buyer’s premium. The
previous highest price for a portrait by J.P. Russell at auction was
“Madame Russell aux Amandiers”, sold with Christies in 1997 for $
90,500. Exhibition: The Guggenheim Collection: 1940s to Now Whilst in Melbourne we were fortunate enough to visit the National Gallery of Victoria and view “The Guggenheim Collection: 1940s to Now”, on until 7th October 2007. If you are in Melbourne, we thoroughly recommend a visit. You will get to see an impressive selection of stunning contemporary works by the masters of it. Look out for some knockout works. Standouts for us included
“To test the limits of the relationship between performer and audience, Abramovic developed one of her most challenging (and best-known) performances. She assigned a passive role to herself, with the public being the force which would act on her. Abramovic had placed upon a table 72 objects that people were allowed to use (a sign informed them) in any way that they chose. Some of these were objects that could give pleasure, while others could be wielded to inflict pain, or to harm her. Among them were scissors, a knife, a whip, and, most notoriously, a gun and a single bullet. For six hours the artist allowed the audience members to manipulate her body and actions. Initially, members of the audience reacted with caution and modesty, but as time passed (and the artist remained impassive) several people began to act quite aggressively. As Abramovic described it later: “The experience I learned was that…if you leave decision to the public, you can be killed.” ... “I felt really violated: they cut my clothes, stuck rose thorns in my stomach, one person aimed the gun at my head, and another took it away. It created an aggressive atmosphere. After exactly 6 hours, as planned, I stood up and started walking toward the public. Everyone ran away, escaping an actual confrontation.” (Daneri, 29; and 30) (Source and quoted in: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Abramovic). To something lighter: Jean Tinguely’s “White Moving Forms on Black Background” from 1957. We both like Tinguely’s humorous, ironic works in all forms, moving, cranking, shuffling, working away without aim or sense. Unfortunately, the one exhibited at the NGV doesn’t actually move. We looked around the back and could see a perfectly fine power cable and a plug. When we asked a couple of security guards why it wasn’t plugged in, they informed us that it didn’t have an Australian plug fitted. A bit of a lame excuse, as adapters are widely available… Having seen many works by Jean Tinguely working in Switzerland, it’s a shame – but maybe we should regard it as just another twist in Tinguely’s art… Anyway don’t miss the show if you are in Melbourne, as it is not going to any other place in Australia. Auction Preview: more interesting offerings This brings us to the latest offering from Deutscher-Menzies and Lawson-Menzies Fine Art Auctions, on Wednesday 12 September and Thursday, 13 September, in Sydney. Keeping with the theme of the masters of contemporary art, Deutscher-Menzies’ lot 25 by Damien Hirst is something of a rarity in the Australian auction room, although we are used to seeing his screenprints. With his “Diamond Skull” selling last week for $ 120 million (yes, $ 120 million, a record for a living artist), it is perhaps very good timing for this synthetic polymer paint on canvas work with the vague estimate of $ 60,000 to $ 100,000. The most interesting Perceval to surface in a long time is lot 30, titled “Adam and Eve with garlic plant”, 1955. I look forward to seeing this work in the flesh as it were – estimates of $ 160,000 to $ 200,000, and deserves to do well. I am always saying how much I prefer the 1960s work of Jeffrey Smart to any of his later work. There are two later works in the Deutscher-Menzies catalogue, but the cover lot in the Lawson-Menzies sale is to me much more appealing: lot 234, Campbell Street, Sydney, 1963, is a most interesting work, with estimates of $ 300,000 to $ 360,000. Of course, it will be interesting to see how the two big ticket items do: Lot 36, Brett Whiteley’s “Orange Fiji Fruit Dove”, 1983, estimates $ 1,250,000 to $ 1,750,000 and lot 37, Frederick McCubbin’s “Childhood fancies” from 1905, with exactly the same estimate. Our money is on the Whiteley doing better than the McCubbin. What do you think? The star lot of the night is lot 38, one of the most important Fred Williams’ works to enter the market: “Landscape with Water Ponds”, 1965-7, a big work from his best period, with an estimate of $ 1.4 to $ 2 million. I remember this Howard Arkley painting very well from the retrospective at the Ian Potter Centre in Melbourne where it was on exhibition until February this year. This particular series of works I thought outstanding, and I like them much more than his exterior works: lot 41, “Roomrite”, 1992 – 3, estimate of $ 200,000 to $ 240,000. This work deserves to do extremely well. Lot 64 “Pastoral”, by Arthur Streeton from 1930, looks rather poetic and seems to hark back to earlier times, estimates $ 100,000 to $ 150,000. Anna Eggert’s stainless steel mesh dress, lot 201, is an interesting first lot in the Lawson-Menzies sale, estimate $ 12,000 to $ 16,000. Photographic enthusiasts might get excited at a number of early prints from Max Dupain, Henri Mallard and Harold Cazneaux with low estimates from lows of $ 1,000 to highs of $ 6,000. And please take also note of some other exquisite works at the lower end of the estimate scale: Lot 313, Adrian Feint “Banksias”, 1954, estimate $ 3,000 to $ 5,000 Lot 318, Emma Minnie Boyd, “Water’s Edge”, 1907, estimate $ 2,500 to $ 3,000. Lot 433, John Loxton “The Ski Explorers”, estimate $ 2,000 to $ 4,000 And last but not least: Lot 442, John Brack “First daughter”, 1954, estimate $ 4,500 to $ 6,500 20 August 2007: Highlights from the upcoming Fine Art Auctions at Sothebys and Deutscher + Hackett in Melbourne The next two Fine Art Sales from Sothebys and Deutscher + Hackett promise an absolute feast of great art. In a bullish art market of course we are bound to see vendors tempted to sell exceptional works of art. If the stock market jitters subside, I think we are going to observe another wave of art auction records for Australian art. Sothebys on 27 and 28 August 2007 Sotheby’s offers a much more subdued and calming work by Brett Whiteley in their lot 9 work “San Gimignano” – a move away from some of the “in your face” and confronting major works offered of late. With estimates of $ 600,000 to $ 800,000, this work should do well. I have to confess that I find Jeffrey Smart’s earlier work from the 1950s and 1960s much more interesting than his later work. Lot 10 “The Park” is no exception to this, painted in 1960 and a fine work indeed. We are going to see an overall result of up to $ 16 million on the Sothebys sale. A big part of that result (and what the TV cameras will be there for) is lots 12 and 16. Of course, you couldn’t get two more different paintings, even though they are both landscapes and created 90 years apart. Lot 12 is Eugene von Guerard’s “The Great Lake, Tasmania”, from 1875 and has an estimate of $ 1.2 million to $ 1.6 million. Lot 16 “Hillside 1” was painted in 1965 by Fred Williams and comes with an estimate of $ 1.8 million to $ 2.2 million. Sothebys have already put the Williams ahead in the race with their estimates, and I am sure they are right. However, don’t discount the magnificent seascape by John Peter Russell, lot 28. As fresh as the day it was painted “Rocher Auchien, Clos Marron, Belle-Ile”, estimate $ 450,000 to $ 650,000 could do considerably better after a sale in May his year of “Boys on the Beach, Belle-Ile” at $ 1.8 million. Russell’s star is rising very rapidly indeed. If you went to see the Australian impressionism exhibition at the Ian Potter Centre you will very much appreciate our favourite lot in the Sothebys sale, lot 24 “Lone Rider”. This diminutive work measures just 25.9 x 16.5 cm and has everything you could possibly want from a work by Arthur Streeton. The estimate is $ 180,000 to $ 220,000. From 1895 let’s move to the year 2000, in fact to an artist born in 1972: Lot 33 “Storm Sequence” by Shaun Gladwell is very much a first for Australian art at auction: the very first time that a piece of video art has hit the sales room. Of course, this particular work was recently showed at the Venice Biennale. Could we see video art as a regular inclusion in the sale room? Seems doubtful but it will be very interesting to see the result of this sale, on an estimate of $ 70,000 to $ 90,000. Fred Williams’ works on paper continue to be massively underpriced, certainly in comparison to his oils. See lots 65 and 70 at $ 25,000 to $ 35,000 and $ 30,000 to $ 40,000 respectively; these are great value works. Well, I could keep going with my picks from Sothebys – I will just point out two more because they are quirky and fun: From day two of their sale, Noel McKenna’s “Clear Day” from 2002, estimate $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 and “Burke and Wills bed down for the night” by David Boyd, with the same estimates. Deutscher + Hackett on 29 August 2007 Let’s move on to the Deutscher + Hackett auction then. Deutscher + Hackett’s catalogue offers us, like Sothebys, a feeling of historical context with its varied and interesting content. This time, it also comes with an international feel. Firstly, we should declare our particular interest in two of the works in the sale: lot 1, “Seated Woman” by Rah Fizelle. We are delighted to be acting for the great niece of the artist in the sale of this previously unknown and highly significant portrait, estimate $ 45,000 to $ 65,000. Then lot 48 John Peter Russell’s “Portrait of Dodge Macknight”, c. 1887. To be representing the family of William Dodge Macknight in the sale of this work is a rare honour for Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants. The importance of this painting should not be underestimated: it is the only known portrait of American painter Dodge Macknight in existence and painted by John Peter Russell in the same year he portrayed Vincent Van Gogh - this work is located in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The whereabouts of the Dodge Macknight portrait have been largely unknown until now. The fact that Van Gogh wrote to John Peter Russell (the letter is now located at the Guggenheim Museum, New York) about the fine quality of this painting adds significantly to the importance of the portrait, which comes with an estimate of $ 200,000 to $ 250,000. The works by Lucian Freud lot 23, Lynn Chadwick lot 24 and Auguste Rodin lot 25 provide the catalogue a more European flavour. Deutscher + Hackett also have a stand-out Streeton on offer. Lot 47 gives us “North Shore, Sydney”, 1892, estimated at $ 180,000 to $ 240,000. Brett Whiteley’s “Vincent”, 1968, is lot 10 and the one for the TV cameras, estimate $ 1 million to $ 1.5 million. After some extremely impressive results for John Brack’s work, Deutscher + Hackett will be pleased to have lots 17 and 18, “Roofs of Burwood” 1962 with estimates of $ 350,000 to $ 450,000 and “Two Girls on the lines”, 1977, estimate $ 80,000 to $ 100,000. I find Arthur Boyd’s three works, lots 28, 29 and 30, all particularly appealing works, and they should all do well. At the lower end of the scale, there are also some beautiful offerings: Lot 113 is a very pretty ink and wash drawing by John Glover, “Tasmanian Landscape”, at the estimates $ 3,000 to $ 5,000. Lot 138 is a very early etching by John Brack “Head of a Woman”, 1954, edition 12 / 50, estimate $ 4,000 to $ 6,000. Or what about this beautiful portrait of a girl by Janet Cumbrae-Stewart from 1923, lot 120? The pastel work has an estimate of $ 4,000 to $ 5,000. 18 July 2007: A different discovery: Robert Boyed Mitchell - a unique voice in art gets exposure on the worldwide web The next round of auctions is slowly getting underway, with all the major auction houses preparing their spring sales and of course including all the well-known names of Australian art history.  Today, we would like to present an artist you most likely have never heard of, because we think his work and life should be known to many more art enthusiasts. To be honest, we hadn’t heard of Robert Boyed Mitchell (1919 – 2002) either. But when we were privileged to enter into his world and see his very extensive body of work, we were both very excited and enthralled. And then we heard about his extraordinary life: Mitchell grew up in very modest circumstances in Cobar and Sydney, was imprisoned as a POW in Singapore and Japan, studied art in Sydney after the war, and moved to Toronto in the 1950 to be close to the emerging scene of Abstract Expressionism of New York, and then in the 1960 and 70s he lived in London with its vibrant art, fashion and music scene - we were even more moved by Mitchell’s work and were delighted to be given the opportunity to make Robert Mitchell’s art more widely known and accessible to all. One of the results is www.robertmitchellartist.com.au which we have designed and built in collaboration with the artist’s family. The website pays tribute to a great artist and showcases the talent that developed into a unique voice in art expressing the joy of life. And we are not the only ones enthused by Robert Mitchell’s art: Many respected art professionals, among them Tony Geddes, director of the Mosman Art Gallery, Therese Kenyon, director of the Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Frank Watters, director of Watters Gallery, one of Australia’s longest-serving and most respected contemporary art galleries, and Renee Free, Senior Curator of European Art at the Art Gallery of NSW 1966 to 1996, recognise the talent of Robert Mitchell and have kindly contributed testimonials to the website. The website makes wide use of Robert Mitchell’s extensive diary notes to bring his experiences and art to life, presenting an overview from the earliest drawings to his latest paintings. Photos of Mitchell’s art, his family and artist friends – among them John Coburn and Jon Molvig - and their works from the Robert Mitchell art collection give a colourful view of a life devoted to art. Robert Mitchell’s work is represented in the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, the Mosman Art Gallery and in private collections in Australia. If you feel like sending us a line or two, we would love to hear your comments on Mitchell’s art and the website. 11 July 2007: Judging the Warringah Art Prize Last week, David was very privileged to be invited along with sculptor Christine Simpson to judge this year’s Warringah Art Prize. With almost 300 entries, it was our task to whittle these down to a selection of around 100. After all day Sunday judging, we had decided on 93 works for the final hang. The works are of a very high standard and I must commend Warringah Council for not only an excellent community initiative, but also an extremely well organised one. I was delighted to learn after the winners were announced that the overall winner Katherine Edney is an arts student in her final year. I am sure that this well deserved win will be an important boost to the beginning of a successful career as an artist. The Warringah Art Prize Exhibition is at Manly Vale Community Centre until Sunday, 15 July 2007, 10 am – 4 pm. Entry is free and the works shown are for sale. To download the whole catalogue with details of winners and all works on show go to www.warringah.nsw.gov.au 19 June 2007: Rare Birds Fly At Davidson’s auctions on Saturday, the ten watercolour paintings of Australian birds by H. Hepburn Calvert flew out the door, achieving record prices for the artist. The owner of the works attended the sale and was absolutely ecstatic at the results. These superb examples of Calvert’s watercolours of birds sold for just under $ 40,000 (including buyer’s premium). This result was more than double the top estimate of $ 18,000 and set new records for the artist. We think that these are probably the best examples of Calvert’s work to come on to the market. We feel this helps to establish more the reputation of this overlooked and little known about artist who is now getting more recognition by specialist collectors. 28 May 2007: Birds of A Feather Flock Together Recently, a client showed us some rare birds indeed. The tightly rolled paper turned out to be ten watercolour works by Australian bird painter H. Hepburn Calvert. They obviously had been rolled up since 1919 when they were originally painted and seemingly never framed.  Finally,
they were allowed to reveal their rarely seen beauty: Stunningly clear
watercolours of native Australian birds, among them magpies, parrots,
black swans, ducks and kingfishers. They are very large works at 96 x
65 cm paper size. The colours are as fresh, vibrant and rich as the day H H Calvert painted them in 1919, thanks to the lack of exposure to any light – which is a real rarity. It is very exciting to find watercolours of this age, almost one hundred years old, in such pristine condition and then to find ten such works is a rare treat. Little is known about painter H. H. Calvert, although a good number of his works continue to surface in the auction room and the State Library of NSW has some works in its collection. We are delighted to aid the sale of these works through Davidson Auctions on Saturday, 16 June 2007 at their Annandale premises at 43 – 45 Nelson Street. After these unknown gems, let’s go to the familiar big names of the likes of Fred Williams, John Brack, Jeffrey Smart, Brett Whiteley and Albert Tucker – who have all seen runaway prices in the auction room so far this year. Deutscher-Menzies will be all the more pleased to have significant offerings from all of these artists plus many more. The major John Brack (lot 34) is a sister painting to the record breaking ‘The Old Time’, 1969, which sold at Sotheby’s for over three times the estimate, setting an Australian record with $ 3.36 million. With an estimate of $ 800,000 to $ 1 million all eyes will be on ‘Backs and Fronts’, 1969, almost identical in size and to us a more appealing image. Albert Tucker’s ‘John Batman meets Eliza Callaghan’, 1971, (lot 27) has a reasonably broad estimate of $ 450,000 to $ 700,000. Going on recent results for the artist: who knows how far this one could go? Lot 33 – Jeffrey Smart’s ‘The City Bus Station’, 1985 – 86 is a cracker, this should go to the top estimate of $ 650,000. Lot 35 - Brett Whiteley’s recent record price of $ 2,88 million could be toppled by ‘The Olgas for Ernest Giles’ from 1985. It is a massive 213.5 x 244.5 cm, with an estimate of $ 2.25 million to $ 3.25 million. Lot 36 – Fred Williams’ ‘Lysterfield II’ from 1974 is a large work with a colour palette that will appeal to many and a price to match, with an estimate of $ 380,000 - $ 480,000. As is usual, Sidney Nolan is very well represented in this sale with 17 works, as are Charles Blackman with 12 works, Brett Whiteley with 10 and Lloyd Rees with six paintings. As the prices are rising for John Coburn, we really are starting to see some real gems come into the auction room. Lot 18 appears to be no exception to this, titled ‘White Bird’, 1972. If this work looks as good in the flesh as in the catalogue, the estimates will be well and truly smashed (estimates are $ 55,000 – $ 75,000). Lot 93 is a delightful watercolour by Julian Ashton ‘Boatman on the Hawkesbury River’, from 1883, with an estimate of $28,000 - $35,000. Lot 73 is a bas-relief bronze by George Rayner Hoff, with an estimate of $ 9 ,000 - $ 12,000. It is rare to see his work come up in the auction room. Hoff designed the War Memorial in Hyde Park and the Holden car logo (and he was born in the Isle of Man, as was David...). We are looking for another lovely watercolour to finish off. How about lot 225 ‘The Heron’s Pool’ from 1914 by Emma Minnie Boyd – Arthur doesn’t always have to get all the attention. The estimate of $ 4,000 - $ 6,000 looks promising. 15 May 2007: Australian art on record roll We don’t think that we can say much more about the Sotheby’s sale last week that hasn’t already been said in the national press. With a sale of $ 22 million, this has clearly set a significant benchmark in the history of Australian art and will be referred to as much as the previous record set by the Harold E. Mertz collection sale in 2000 for $ 15.9 million with Christies. Several artists’ works achieved new auction records, notably: The Brett Whiteley of the Sydney Opera House that everybody talked about, achieved a record for the artist with $ 2.4 million (excluding buyer’s premium). Yet the highest ever auction price for an Australian work went to John Brack’s work “The Old Time” which was sold for $ 2.8 million (excluding buyer’s premium). John Peter Russell’s “Boys on the beach, Belle-Ile” also set a new record over the million dollar mark, with $ 1.5 million before buyer’s premium. William Robinson’s “Landscape with Sunset and Self Portrait” achieved $ 580,000 excluding buyer’s premium, on an estimate of $ 200,000 - $300,000. More records where achieved by Leonard French with “The Crossing” on $ 130,000 excluding buyer’s premium, and also Penleigh Boyd with $ 195,000 (excl buyers premium) for “The Boyd Homestead at Yarra Glen” and Elioth Gruner’s “Mingola Valley” set a new benchmark for the artist at $125,000 (excl buyers premium). And two day’s later in Melbourne, Deutscher and Hackett’s inaugural sale was a sparkling success; where we were able to attend the auction. We were very impressed with what appears to be the first custom designed fine art auction room in Australia. The art can be beautifully displayed in both Sydney and Melbourne, with very much of a gallery feel. And most importantly for one used to sitting through three to four hour auctions: the seats are comfy, a big plus as far as we are concerned. In other auction news closer to home: we are very pleased that the works that we sold on behalf of a local client bought at a garage sale in Killara 13 years ago for $ 50 sold in excess of $ 28,000. They were sold through Bonhams and Goodman – a great result for our client. Australian Impressionism at the Ian Potter Centre... When in Melbourne, be sure not to miss this comprehensive exhibition – it’s only on in Melbourne until 8 July 2007. It contains a large and complex selection of art from the Big Five Australian Impressionists Charles Conder, Frederick McCubbin, Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and Jane Sutherland. Obviously, it’s proving to be a big success judging by the crowds of people at the Ian Potter Centre at 10 am on a Wednesday. The experience is well worth it and you will be richly rewarded. This is a fantastic opportunity to see the best work of these five formidable painters, explore their associations and influences, and also encounter many works from the notorious and famous 9 by 5 exhibition originally held in 1889. ....and our Exhibition Art Game We all have different taste in art and what we like and don’t like. Brigitte and myself do this every time we visit a public gallery and you might like to try it. At the end of the visit, go back through the exhibition and pick the painting that you would most like to have on your wall at home, totally disregarding the assumed value of the work. Then pick the painting that in your opinion would sell for the most amount of money if it came on to the open market and was sold at auction. Now this is a particularly difficult one with over 250 works in the show. We both felt that one personal choice was not enough. And it is also difficult because some of these paintings are icons and have been reproduced so often. Brigitte chose Arthur Streeton’s “Blue Pacific” - a wonderful sparkling blue Sydney scene in portrait format – and a delightful portrait “Harper’s Weekly” by Tom Roberts from the 9 by 5 exhibition . David picked “Holiday Sketch at Coogee” by Tom Roberts from 1888 which is from the Art Gallery of NSW collection. His other choice was – another Roberts “Allegro con brio, Bourke Street West”, 1885-90, from the National Library and National Gallery collections. To me, this exhibition put Tom Roberts head and shoulders above the others, but of course this is personal taste. And the winner of most valuable painting in the exhibition? Well, for once Brigitte and myself were unanimous. Tom Roberts (again, no surprise really), “Shearing the Rams”, 1890, National Gallery of Victoria Collection. There is obviously some very good competition here from McCubbin’s “On the Wallaby Track”, Tom Robert’s “A Break Away” and Arthur Streeton’s “Fire’s on”, but the feeling is that “Shearing the Rams” would break through $ 5 million and could go much higher, possibly up to $ 10 million were it ever to be sold. If you view the show, please let us know your comments. 27 April 2007: How one phone call saved a $20,000 art collection from being dumped Recently, a lady rang Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants about several artworks that she had purchased from a garage sale some 13 years ago in Killara - for the princely sum of $ 50. However, when David Hulme started to ask the owner if she could decipher some of the signatures on the paintings, it started to get interesting. The works had been stored away and as the lady was due to move house, the works just seemed to add more inconvenience to the whole moving process. So she decided to dispose of the works and “take them to Vinnies, perhaps”. Fortunately, her daughter had seen an advertisement and suggested to contact Banziger Hulme Fine Art first. David Hulme said: “ Clearly, the lady had never heard of any of the artists’ names she was reading out to me: Lionel Lindsay, Herbert Gallop, Sydney Ure Smith, James R. Jackson, Arthur Burgess and Emmanuel Phillips Fox among many others. Of course I was delighted to inform the owner that they would be of good value.” He added: “This was a lucky purchase to begin with and even better luck in finding an art broker who was able to assist her with independent advice on how to make the most of the situation”. Of the 22 works, the most valuable is a Lake Scene by Emmanuel Phillips Fox, with an estimate of $ 7,000 - $ 10,000. The whole collection will be offered at the Bonhams and Goodman Affordable Art Sale on Tuesday, 8 May, from 1 pm, at 409 George Street, Waterloo. 27 April 2007: Hot Fine Art Auctions Coming Up There are some fabulous and outstanding art sales coming up in Melbourne and Sydney, with works from a few hundred dollars, for example Ray Crooke’s The Dancer, lot 473, at Lawson-Menzies, with estimates of $ 400 - $ 600, or Lionel Lindsay, Juno’s Bird, lot 355, estimate $ 300 - $ 500. To Deutscher and Hackett’s painting by Robert Dowling from 1856 “Master George, William and Miss Harriet Ware with the Aborigine Jamie Ware” - their cover lot, estimate $ 550,000 - $ 650,000. And Sotheby’s Brett Whiteley, Opera House, with, yes, an estimate of $ 2,000,000 to $ 3,000,000, or maybe you fancy Christo’s interpretation – a wrapped opera house of course – from 1969, estimate a mere $ 80,000 - $ 100,000. However, if you are looking for a bargain picture of this famous building, how about John Olsen’s “Opera House 03”, a handcoloured etching, estimated at $ 2,000 to $ 2,500. Whatever happens, try to make some time to view at least one of these Fine Art Auctions in the flesh – a great opportunity not to be missed, especially the Sotheby’s and Deutscher and Hackett shows. They can be viewed as follows: Lawson-Menzies Auctions on 2 May, 3 pm and 6 pm, 12 Todman Ave, Kensington Viewing until 29 April, 11 am – 6 pm, 12 Todman Ave, Kensington www.lawsonmenzies.com.au Sothebys Auction on 7 May, 6.30 pm, Paddington Town Hall Viewing in Melbourne: 27 – 29 April, 11 am – 5 pm, 926 High Street, Armadale Viewing in Sydney: 4 – 6 May, 11 am – 5 pm, Paddington Town Hall www.sothebys.com Deutscher and Hackett Auctions on 9 and 10 May, 7 pm, 105 Commercial Road, South Yarra Viewing in Sydney: 26 – 29 April, 55 Oxford Street, Surry Hills Viewing in Melbourne: 3 – 8 May, 105 Commercial Road, South Yarra www.deutscherandhackett.com If you need impartial and independent advice on any of the art on view, please let us know. We are also happy to bid on your behalf in Sydney or in Melbourne, get condition reports and also advise on setting limits for bidding on any works. Just remember, it’s worth going just to look, an absolute feast of art. Looking at the Deutscher and Hackett catalogue, its highlights include:
At Sotheby’s:
We could go on and on as there is so much quality in these upcoming auctions, and we are looking forward to seeing the artworks in the flesh. And for your information: we will be holding a free art appraisal day on 5 May with Stephen Coburn and Newport Artworks, from 11 am – 3 pm, at 343 Barrenjoey Road, Newport. Who knows what your art may be worth. 5 April 2007: The Story of Australian Printmakting - A Great Exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Last week, we had the great pleasure to escort prominent cast paper artist Ruth Faerber to Canberra for the opening of “The Story of Australian Printmaking 1801 – 2005” which runs until 3 June at the National Gallery. This gave us a very good opportunity to look around the National Gallery. We thought the layout of the Gallery has improved greatly since Ron Radford has taken over as director. It is wonderful to see the Australian collection given the space that it deserves and in an order that is easy to navigate. The only reservation would be with the Sidney Nolan Ned Kelly series which could do with a bigger space for display. What is amazing however is that the series is together at all. If you haven’t seen it, it is worth going to Canberra just to view it. Also, the Grace Crowley exhibition is a real treat. We had no idea of the sheer scale of The Story of Australian Printmaking Exhibition. It must have been difficult enough for Roger Butler, Senior Curator for Australian Prints and Drawings, and his team to pick just 760 works from over 36,000 in the NGA collection. However, the framing and hanging of all these works in the collection must have been a logistical nightmare. But what a fantastic result they have achieved. If you want to know more about Australian Printmaking, go and see this exhibition for a crash course. But be advised, it is not possible to absorb all of these works in a short stint. As Ron Radford said in his opening address: “You will have to come back and back and back again.” Some of our favourite works in the show were by Jessie Traill, Bruce Mather and Dorrit Black. There were also some brilliant and unfamiliar works by Murray Griffin, and Paul Haefliger’s Japanese print-related works were outstanding. In the very early works, we were intrigued by the advertising lithographs – there is one of a barbershop which is particularly appealing… In the later works, there are the diminutive and wonderful Fred Williams etchings, and then for absolute impact a very large and impressive work by Dennis Nona. Altogether a standout show; however, we did miss seeing any work by John Coburn, in our opinion a brilliant screenprinter and unrivalled in his use of colour. And for the true fans of print works: Roger Butler has been putting together a comprehensive history of Australian printmaking in book form. It will be published in 3 volumes, the first is available now. Other good news on a more local level: The entrance admission for the Manly Art Gallery and Museum has been scrapped. That means you can go and see for free the exhibitions at one of the most enjoyable regional art galleries in Australia. Manly Art Gallery open their new exhibition on 5 April, presenting their recent acquisitions, among them John Olsen’s series of etchings “Seaport of Desire”. 28 March 2007: Secrets of the back…. Recently, a client contacted us regarding two drawings on paper she had inherited from an aunt. The family story was that these drawings of trees were by Frederick McCubbin (1855 – 1917). McCubbin, as you may or may not know, was one of the founders of the Heidelberg school and a major figure in the development of the Australian school of landscape and subject painting that emerged at the end of the nineteenth century. You’ll find his beautiful works in all major state and many regional art galleries – the iconic “On the wallaby track” is on display at the Art Gallery of NSW for instance. The drawings in question badly needed restoration and a reframe, so we took them first to paper restorer extraordinaire Rosemary McDonald, telling her about the rumours and asking for extra attention, especially since the the drawings on paper were glued to the backing board (something that should NEVER be done!) So, on a sunny Thursday afternoon we went to pick up the restored works (meaning that the ugly foxing had been removed – we think it’s magical what Rosemary can do to bring works back to life!). Rosemary likes a good story as much as us, so she said “You know, these two “McCubbins” - well, after I had the backing carefully removed, there were these inscriptions on the back: By John Constable RA”. Yes, THE John Constable. And she added that the paper was made of recycled fabric, a further positive indication in order to date the works. When we told our client this exciting find, she said: “I always believed them to be by Constable, but my brother had suggested McCubbin”. We have been in situations where we had to tell the owner of a work that is not in fact by the person whose name is inscribed on the back (and indeed signed on the front) – that the work is “not right”, and this can be a little awkward, to say the least. But we believe we have to tell owners the truth, even though we are the purveyors of bad news. With the “Constables” however, things are looking different. We researched the works and signature and the results looked good enough to contact a major auction house overseas. They came back very quickly with some very promising comments. Now the owner (and we) are keeping our fingers crossed… … never underestimate a dusty box full of old pictures … Last week, another client phoned on the suggestion of her daughter. The lady had about 20 artworks, purchased from a garage sale on the North Shore 13 years ago, for the princely sum of $ 50, as she liked the frames. Now in the process of moving, she was considering taking the lot to Vinnies. Just as well she contacted us: as we asked her some of the artists’ names, she reeled them off, without really knowing any of them: Lionel Lindsay, Sydney Ure Smith, HR. Gallop, Arthur Burgess, James R. Jackson and Emanuel Phillips Fox amongst others. Once we had sighted the works, we knew we could give the owner some very good news indeed. The collection should fetch well over $ 15,000 at auction. … and the morale: contact the art broker Both these recent events really brought it home: it pays to ask expert advice from an independent source. As an art broker, our only interest is in getting the best result for our clients. So contact us first, when you are thinking of what to do with your art - having it professionally valued for insurance, appraised for sale or just attended to with some TLC. You might be in for a nice surprise… 9 March 2007: Here is our preview of the upcoming Deutscher-Menzies auction, scheduled for 13 March 2007, and David's comments on some of our favourites: Lot 13 - Clarice Beckett’s special hazy effect always makes her work a little dreamy and romantic. Perhaps it’s just getting too close to my wedding anniversary. I also like what looks like a model T Ford in the centre of the picture. Estimate is $ 8, 000 - $ 12,000. Lot 65 – I think it was John McDonald who recently wrote a long article on Ray Crooke’s North Queensland work. Anyway, it helped me appreciate the work a lot more. I rather like this lot, particularly the composition and how I am drawn into the picture to the buildings in the middle distance. Estimate of $ 5,000 - $ 8,000 plus GST. Lot 78 – I do like all John Coburn’s work. Lot 78 however is a rather gritty work from 1959. I think ”tribal"” describes this largish work well (56 x 96 cm, oil on board, estimate $ 25,000 - $ 35,0000 plus GST). Lot 79 – straight on to the next lot and Polixeni Papapetrou, one of Australia’s most interesting photographic artists. The estimate of $ 1,200 - $ 1,800 seems very reasonable for this work from an edition of 6. Lot 99 - I really look forward to seeing this work by Douglas Dundas, although it doesn’t say what size it is online. It’s an oil on canvas from 1933, titled “The Domain”. I am a bit of a fan of these historic pieces and the tree looks magnificent. With an estimate of $ 25,000 - $ 35,000 it is Douglas Dundas’ highest priced artwork at auction so far. Lot 107 – A work by Australia’s most respected and admired contemporary photographer Bill Henson. The darkness and the light in his photographs always just blows me away. His latest photographs sell for around the $ 20,000 mark at exhibition. This work from 1997/98 from an edition of 5, measuring 103 x 152.5 cm, looks like a good buy, estimate of $ 16,000 - $ 20,000. Lot 120 – In a way, this Hans Heysen water colour has more of an Albert Namatjira feeling about it. The scene is just so majestic, imposing and impressive. It says “I am the Australian Outback – respect me!”. Estimate of $ 9,000 - $12,000 Lot 121 - “The Meet” by Harold Septimus Power. I don’t know quite why I picked this one out. Perhaps because I am so used to seeing his big cumbersome Clydesdale horses. This is a pleasant change. I should also note that Power’s most expensive painting at auction was A Fox Hunt in the Midlands, 1912, which was sold by Deutscher-Menzies last March for $ 78,000. The estimate of $ 3,000 - $ 5,000 seems very good value. Lot 144 – Everyone should have a work by Tony Tuckson in their collection. If you don’t buy this one, I will... “Seated Girl”, watercolour on paper, Estimate of $ 2,000 - $ 4,000. Lot 156 – Sam Byrne: Here is one to get you laughing all the way to your credit card to purchase this. You might not like his very rough naïve style and this work is no exception. This is fun – smile please. Estimate of $ 5,000 - $ 7,000. Lot 165 – I always pick Max Dupain, mainly because his work is so incredibly undervalued. This lot is inspired by Man Ray, a solarised Nude which looks interesting. I don’t know whether I will still like it when I see it in the flesh as it were. Lot 166 – However, this is my absolute favourite Max Dupain work “Jean with wire mesh” from 1938. This is the work that McCullough's chose to illustrate Dupain’s work in their new edition of "The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art". Good to see they also have excellent taste... Sticking with the nude theme, I’ve picked two more out for fun. Lot 195 – J.A. Rudel. Who’s that? Well, I had not heard of him. So I did a bit more checking. Jean Aristide Rudel, 1884 – 1959, French. Also lot 198 – very Picasso and a bit of fun, estimate $ 4,000 - $ 6,000 by Pasquale Giardino. Lots 238 and 239 - We purchased a work by Ernest Buckmaster on a client’s behalf last year. That is probably what made me take more notice of his work. There is an amazing consistency in the quality of his work. He was a great advocate of realism and was known for his attacks on modern art in letters to the newspapers of the day. His landscape paintings have a great knack of making you feel that you want to be there. Maybe the Australian Tourist Board should have his images for promotion... Anyway, that’s why I’ve included these two lots. The Top Priced Lots are: Lot 30 – John Brack, estimate $ 200,000 - $250,000 Lot 31 – Jeffrey Smart, estimate $ 250,000 - $ 280,000 Lot 32 – Russell Drysdale, estimate $ 900,000 – 1,1 mio + GST Lot 33 – Brett Whiteley, estimate $ 900,000 – 1,2 mio + GST Is that a Rembrandt in my Attic? You suspect you might own a Rembrandt, but were afraid to ask. Maybe you have a watercolour painting or a limited edition print and would like to know more about its value or the artist. Or you are just not sure about its condition or whether it needs re-framing. This is your chance to speak also with the framing experts and ask them all your questions. On: Saturday, 10 March 2007 From: 10 am to 2 pm At: Metropolitan Framers, 88 Penshurst Street, Willoughby, NSW What: Free Art Appraisals We will be holding a Free Art Appraisal Day in our office - a bit like the Antiques Road Show... You are most welcome to see us with a work or a photo of it - whether you would like to know the value or whether you are looking to sell a work, after all the art market continues to break records (see Art Updates of 20 February 2007). You can also email images to info@bhfineart.com if you can’t make it on the day. The Free Art Appraisal Day is on Saturday, 3 March 2007 From 10 am to 3 pm Level 1, 51-53 The Corso, Manly, NSW The Art Appraisal Day covers all Australian and international works of art, including oil paintings, watercolours, limited edition prints, etchings, photographs and sculpture plus aboriginal artifacts, including paintings on canvas and bark, boomerangs, woomeras, shields etc. One of our recent exciting finds from a valuation day was an extremely rare painting by Albert Namatjira, titled “Rapid Creek”, Darwin, one of only three paintings known to be in existence of his brief time in Darwin. The Art Appraisal Day covers all Australian and international works of art, including oil paintings, watercolours, limited edition prints, etchings, photographs and sculpture plus aboriginal artifacts, including paintings on canvas and bark, boomerangs, woomeras, shields etc. One of Banziger Hulme Fine Art’s recent very exciting finds from a valuation day was an extremely rare painting by Albert Namatjira, titled “Rapid Creek”, Darwin, one of only three paintings know to be in existence of his brief time in Darwin. The work has just been sold into a collection in Australia. The great thing about these art appraisal days is that you never quite know what people are going to walk in with. It can be very exciting, just like the Antiques Road Show on TV. Of course art works that are brought in do not always have great monetary value. But we are also always very interested to see works of both historical and sentimental value, and perhaps they can just give a little more background to who the artist is or advise on conservation work or re-framing that might be beneficial. 2 March 2007 The winner of this year’s Archibald Prize is John Beard with the portrait of installation artist Janet Laurence. The Sulman Prize goes to Philip Wolfhagen for his work “Winter Nocturne IV”. And the winner of the Wynne Prize is: David Disher with “Axis of Elvis”. And another announcement: Check this Saturday’s “Weekend Australian” for coverage on Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants in the special report on “art as investment” in the Review section. 23 February 2007: Finalists for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2007 announced The Archibald Prize is for the “Best portrait painting preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics”, the Wynne Prize is awarded to the “Best landscape painting of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture”, while the Sulman Prize goes to the “Best subject painting, genre painting or mural project by an Australian artist”. Danelle Bergstrom won the 2007 Packing Room Prize with her portrait of Jack Thompson, titled “Take Two: Jack Thompson”. Telling from the images, it looks like a very interesting selection. Exhbition visitors can vote as well, with the people’s choice announced on 3 May. The winners will be announced on 2 March, and the exhibition is open from 3 March to 13 May 2007 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, before it will go on tour nationwide. Finalists Archibald Prize 2007: * Martin Ball * Del Kathryn Barton * John Beard * Danelle Bergstrom * Adam Chang * Zhong Chen * Peteris Ciemitis * Kevin Connor * Sam Cranstoun * Darren Crothers * Lucy Culliton * Carmen Di Napoli * McLean Edwards * Esther Erlich * Vivian Falk * David Griggs * Robert Hannaford * Daniel Henderson * Cherry Hood * Peter Hudson * Jasper Knight * Zai Kuang * Sam Leach * Bill Leak * Mathew Lynn * Abbey McCulloch * Alexander McKenzie * Lewis Miller * Michael Mucci * Angus Nivison * Chris O’Doherty aka Reg Mombassa * David Paulson * Evert Ploeg * Rodney Pople * Paul Ryan * Jenny Sages * Peter Smeeth * Sue Taylor * Ian Waldron * Xu Wang * Greg Warburton Finalists Wynne Prize 2007: * Tim Allen * John Beard * Rae Bolotin * G.W. Bot * Michael Brennan * Zhong Chen * Michael Eather * Anna Eggert * Graham Jonh Fransella * Joe Furlonger * Ian Grant * Marie Hagerty * Paul Haggith * Chris Langlois * Loongkoonan * Alexander McKenzie * Rod McRae * Aseem Pereira * Gloria Petyarre * Kathryn Ryan * Paul John Ryan * George Tjungurrayi * Aida Tomescu * Rex Turnbull * Branca Uzur * Ian Waldron * John R Walker * Thornton James Walker * Xu Wang * Lucy Ward * Guy Warren * Richard John Watkins * Philip Wolfhagen Finalists Sulman Prize 2007: * Joanna Braithwaite * Nicholas Burton * Zhong Chen * Desmond Connor * Lucy Culliton * Emma Cummings * Michael Davis * John Dean * David Disher * Jo Doring * Andrew Frost * Joe Furlonger * Peter Godwin * Victor Gordon * Nicholas Harding * Peter Hickey * Paul Jackson * Roy Jackson * John Kavallaris * Noel McKenna * Glenn Morgan * Jonny Niesche * Nana Ohnesorge * James Powditch * Michael Phillips * Jiawei Shen * Wendy Stavrianos * Janet Tavener * Jonathon Throsby * Fiona White * Oleh Witer * Mike Worrall * Joshua Yeldham On www.thearchibaldprize.com.au you can view the entries for the Archibald Prize. 20 February 2007: We would like to share with you some of the recent wondrous tales of the art world – this time from the US. The Weird and Wonderful Famous US actor Steve Martin is also a keen art collector. Amongst one of his treasures is iconic US artist Edward Hopper’s “Hotel Window” for which he paid US $ 12 million some years ago. Martin put it recently up for auction with estimates of US$ 10 – 15 million – which means he was prepared to take a loss, considering vendor’s and buyer’s premiums involved in both transactions. After a frenetic round of bidding, Steve Martin won’t be just window shopping now, as the painting reaching a lofty US$ 26.89 million including buyer’s premium. Another iconic US artist is Norman Rockwell. His work “Breaking Home Ties” did indeed break a few ties after an incredible home run. In 1960, Donald Trachet, an artist himself and neighbour of Rockwell, purchased the work for US $ 900, yes nine hundred dollars only. In 1970, Trachet painted a copy of the work and hid the original in a secret room behind a movable wall in his home – he was going through a divorce at the time... The copy, which was thought to be the original, was exhibited several times over the years. However, many experts were puzzled by slight differences between the exhibited painting and an early cover image on the Saturday Evening Post – but they put the differences down to the fact that the work may have been overcleaned. Last year, Trachet died. One of his sons noticed an odd space in one of the wood panels in the deceased artist’s home. Upon pushing the panel, it slid open and revealed the original Rockwell painting. As these things go, the work was put up for auction with an estimate of US$ 4 – 6 million – bringing home US$ 15.416 million and setting a new auction record for Norman Rockwell. The Wicked The dark side of the art market is the theft of – often – invaluable works of art. In order to help identify and find stolen works, the Art Loss Register, an international database, was set up in 1992 – and it has proved once again a powerful instrument. As a result of an Art Loss Register (ALR) recovery, Robert Mardirosian, a lawyer who tried to sell £20 million of stolen pictures, has been arrested by the FBI. If convicted Mardirosian, aged 72, could face up to 10 years in prison. In 1978 seven pictures including Paul Cézanne’s “Fruit and Jug” and two works by Chaim Soutine were stolen from the house of the collector Michael Bakwin in Massachusetts. There was no trace of the pictures until 1999 when Lloyd’s was approached to insure their movement from Russia to London for valuation and sale. The Art Loss Register negotiated on behalf of Mr Bakwin for their return. Those holding the paintings demanded $50 million while refusing to reveal their identity or the provenance of the pictures. In cooperation with the FBI the ALR negotiated an arrangement over ten months in which the Cézanne was returned in exchange for the other six pictures. The Cézanne was subsequently sold on behalf of Mr Bakwin for £18 million at Sotheby’s in 1999. Julian Radcliffe the Chairman of the ALR continued negotiations to recover the other six paintings on the basis that they could not be sold since the agreement had been entered into under duress, was void and the pictures were still registered as stolen. The holders demanded $500,000 payment which the ALR considered a ransom and would not pay. Negotiations were terminated in 2001. In 2004 four of the stolen pictures were consigned to Sotheby’s by Paul Palanjian acting as agent for Mardirosian. Mr Bakwin and the ALR initiated legal action in London to seize the paintings which are expected to be returned shortly. Paul Palanjian has been granted immunity from prosecution by the FBI in return for his cooperation. The ALR will pursue the recovery of the last two pictures held by Henri Klein a friend of Mardirosian’s in Switzerland. Julian Radcliffe Chairman of the ALR said: “The lessons of this case are clear. The ALR will pursue those who steal or trade in stolen pictures for their recovery and for all costs whether they are lawyers, agents or dealers. We have the capability to do this for as long and wherever is necessary. Anyone who touches stolen art will be held to account.” If you are interested, the book “Museum of the Missing – the High Stakes of Art Crime” by Simon Houpt, 2006, provides you with many more sad stories of stolen and / or mistreated artworks. Sources: Art Daily and Rehs Galleries, New York 8 December 2006: Tuesday and Wednesday evening saw the conclusion to the year’s Fine Art Auctions. Two were held on the same night – Bonhams & Goodman at Double Bay and Shapiro’s at Woollahra. Sorry, could only be at one place at a time ..., so our report is on the Bonhams & Goodman sale and Deutscher-Menzies auction held last night. The Bonhams & Goodman auction – cannon practise ricochets Norman Lindsay is still going strong with highly respectable prices paid for lot 38 “The Rivals”, a vibrant watercolour with an estimate of $ 15,000 - $ 20,000. It sold for $ 37,650 (all sale prices mentioned include buyer’s premium). The cover picture, a striking work by Albert Tucker titled “Explorer” from 1965 went exceptionally well. On estimates of $ 80,000 - $ 120,000 it sold for $ 163,960. Ethnographic artifact or fine art? Lot 19 was a woomera with a watercolour painting by Albert Namatjira and could surely qualify as both. On estimates of $ 4,000 - $ 6,000, this example sold well above at $ 10,325. Lot 93 was described as a work by a follower of Abraham Storck (Dutch 1644 – 1708). Clearly two prominent Sydney art dealers did not believe it was by any follower of anyone. Its title “Cannon Practise” was more than appropriate as their bids ricocheted back and forward across the room like cannon fire. Dealer Denis Savill won the duel with a blazing $ 87,445 on estimates of $ 8,000 - $ 12,000. Deutscher-Menzies – Fine Arts Spectacular Last night’s fine art sale at Deutscher-Menzies held at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel was spectacular, with auctioneers Anita Archer and Martin Farrah in rip-roaring form. Deutscher-Menzies produced what is a rarity in Australian art auctions: a significant amount of sales went substantially above the high estimate. The sale of the very first lot – a painting by John Olsen, “Lilly Trotters Ord River” from 1984, a large mixed medium – set the tone for the whole evening: with an estimate of $ 25,000 - $ 35,000, the painting sold for $ 85,400. Anita Archer played the packed room to perfection, and none better evidenced than with the sale of lot 22 “The Yard Builder” by Russell Drysdale, 1965. The two main bidders were both present in the room (not on one of the record 12 phones) and almost sitting next to each other right at the front. Anita concentrated her gaze solely on two of them, dropped her voice and looked like she was not ever going to let them stop bidding. Well, one finally did, but not until he had spent $ 729,600.... (on estimates of $ 340,000 - $ 400,000) In light of the continuing success with Brett Whiteley paintings this year, lot 25 was destined to go the same way: “The Meeting Place” from 1981 did not disappoint. On estimates of $ 500,000 - $ 650,000 it sold for a very healthy $ 854,000. It is good to see the work of Rex Dupain against the work of his father Max Dupain equalling and even surpassing his prices: lot 135 “Bondi Brolly” of 2002 by Rex Dupain sold for $ 7,930, while lot 136 “Sharks at Bondi” 1940’s by Max sold for $ 7,320. Australian photographs by Max Dupain are still highly undervalued – who knows for how long? Our final comments go to two earlier works, one by Sydney Long (1871-1955) and one by Jessie Traill (1881 - 1967) Lot 102 by Sydney Long was always going to do well – a beautiful image of “Boats and Figures, Narrabeen”, it sold well over its estimates of $ 15,000 - $ 18,000 for $ 34,160. The very large etching by Jessie Traill “From Overseas”, 1913, deservedly sold well at $ 5,125 on an estimate of $ 1,000 - $ 1,500. 24 November 2006: First-hand impressions from Sotheby’s Australian and International Art Auction in Melbourne on 21 November 2006 It was very exciting to be in the room when the hammer came down on a stunning Fred Williams’ (1927 – 1982) painting “Waterpond in a Landscape II” from the Ted Lustig Collection. With $ 1.4 million including buyer’s premium this was the second highest price for the artist – and more than three times the estimate. Rumour has it that the work was bought by a member of the Packer family. There was equal anticipation for the sale of Charles Blackman’s “Alice’s Journey” from 1957 – it sold for $ 1.02 million including buyer’s premium, an Australian record for this artist. And a painting by John Peter Russell (1858 – 1930) which had been languishing in a French farmhouse for the last hundred years also set a record for the artist. The work “Gros Temps a Belle-Ile” from 1904 sold for $ 810,000 including buyer’s premium. J.P. Russell is the only Australian artist considered to be part of the group of French impressionists, and counted Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh amongst his friends. Two exquisite early works by Elioth Gruner (1862 – 1939) from a Perth collection were very popular: “Fisherman, Coogee Beach” achieved $ 78,000 including buyer’s premium, and “Bondi” sold for $ 72,000 including buyer’s premium. A collection of 13 Brett Whiteley works on paper went considerably over their estimates to realise a total of $ 180,600 including buyer’s premium. These works were from a private London collection after coming from the estate of the late Arkie Whiteley, Brett’s daughter. One of our clients was also thrilled with his purchase: an iconic photograph of Manly Beach by Max Dupain, presumably taken from the shark tower in 1938, for $ 8,400 including buyer’s premium. And two Max Dupain nudes sold for $ 3,600 and $ 3,360 including buyer’s premium which seemed very good buying to us and achievable for many more people.... |
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