Art Auction Sale Reviews

In a market where economic impacts post covid have made it harder to sell paintings, Deutscher & Hackett trimmed their catalogue to only 55 lots, bolstered by (multi) million dollar paintings and key items with impeccable provenance such as those from the collection of Joan and Peter Clemenger. This proved to be a successful approach, as the total results on the night by lot were more than $3,000,000 above the total low estimates.

In their autumn sale in Sydney, Smith and Singer set new auction records for two contemporary Australian artists. Most notably, Bronwyn Oliver’s Sun (lot 8) sold for $700,000, doubling the previous artist’s record. Three sales above one million dollars were achieved: perhaps not surprisingly for works by Brett Whiteley, Fred Williams and Arthur Streeton. All of these artists are not in just one, but two top ten lists: of highest prices achieved at auction and in the top ten traded artists at auction.

Gibson's Auctions' Australian & International Art auction will be held in Melbourne from noon on Sunday, April 21st, 2024. The offering of 259 lots features three single-owner collections combined with a large contingent of varied genres from private collections.

The April Fine Art auction at Theodore Bruce Auctioneers features Australian artworld stalwarts including Arthur Streeton, David Boyd and Llloyd Rees, plus photography, works on paper and objects. Among the highlights is an impressive collection of portraits by Portia Geach Memorial Award winner and Archibald Prize finalist, Dorothea (Dora) Toovey.

Whilst smaller than previous outings, the newest Fine Aboriginal Art auction from Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers has an impressive selection of paintings from leading and mid career artists, as well as an interesting series of wooden artefacts including finely crafted boomerangs and clubs.

Paying homage to the landscape of his boyhood where his journey as a painter first began, Brett Whiteley’s serenely lyrical The Wren, 1978 (lot 6) is expected to achieve over $2 million in Deutscher and Hackett’s Important Australian + International Fine Art Auction to be held in Melbourne on Wednesday 24 April 2024 at 7pm.

Works by female artists and contemporary indigenous painters continue to surpass expectations while savvy buyers present in the room (and those poised for action remotely) were rewarded with surprise steals at Menzies’ first major sale for 2024. Presenting a relatively modest offering, in comparison to previous years - 125 lots with a total low-end estimate of $3,292,0000 - Menzies’ auction on the 27th of March was the first of the seasonal mixed vendor fine art auctions for 2024 (although both Cooee Art Leven and Deutscher and Hackett have held recent mixed-vendor Indigenous sales). Taking place in their newly renovated rooms in South Yarra for the first time since last March - Menzies’ last three major sales were all held in Sydney - Melbourne audiences were overdue for a some in-person auction theatrics.

Collectors of Australian indigenous art wanting to ensure their investment is safe and increasing in value need not look further than the iconic Emily Kame Kngwarreye (c1910-1996) – one of Australia’s greatest Aboriginal artists.

Four of her paintings featured among the top 10 results at Deutscher and Hackett’s Important Australian Indigenous Art auction on March 26 in Melbourne – led by Untitled (Endunga) 1990 (lot 7) which topped the sale at $331,364 (including buyer’s premium), well over its $150,000-$250,000 catalogue estimate.

Arthur Streeton’s masterpiece Sunlight at the Camp 1894 (Lot 22) makes its auction debut after one hundred and thirty years hidden from public view, along with numerous major works that make their auction debut in Smith & Singer’s forthcoming sale of Important Australian Art to be held in Sydney on Wednesday, 17 April 2024 at 6:30pm.

Among the recognisable catalogue of artists, the Lawson’s March Fine Art auction is predominantly lead by Australian modernists. Featured among the selection is Arthur Boyd, Ray Crooke, Lin Onus, Clifton Pugh and Jean Appleton.

Gary Shead’s The Visitors (Lot 519) is one of a series of paintings from the D H Lawrences series painted in the early 90s. Based on Lawrence’s novel Kangaroo and inspired by Lawrences’ stay in town township of Thirroul along the the southern coast of NSW, the paintings are semi-autobiographical. Purchased from Kenthurst Galleries in the early 2000s and has remained within a private collection since.

Ever the optimist, head of Aboriginal art at Deutscher and Hackett Crispin Gutteridge is confident the auction house’s forthcoming major sale of Important Australian Indigenous Art – from 7pm Tuesday March 26 in its Melbourne office at 105 Commercial Road, South Yarra – will at least be as successful as those of the previous two years.
“Both of those auctions achieved over the high-end estimate of $3 million,” he said. “This one’s top estimate is $2.5 million and we hope to achieve that again.”
Crispin has good reason to be upbeat about the auction. For starters, there are five Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori (c1924-2015) paintings on offer beginning with Lot 1, Dibirdibi Country, 2009.
Although she did not begin her art career until age 85, Gabori’s paintings – a tribute to the country on Bentinck island, a small, sparsely vegetated island in the Gulf of Carpentaria – are so revered that Melbourne’s Ian Potter Centre (part of the National Gallery of Victoria) in 2016-17 held a retrospective survey and celebration of her life and work.

With no million-dollar estimate paintings at its March 27 Melbourne auction, Menzies is relying on the pulling power of iconic Australian artists Charles Blackman (1928-2018) and Brett Whiteley (1939-1992) to bring buyers through the doors of its recently renovated 1 Darling Street, South Yarra premises for a 6.30pm start.

Blackman’s Day Dream 1958 (lot 33) carries the auction’s highest catalogue estimate of $200,000-$250,000.  

The painting is a key element of the artist’s Faces and Flowers series, completed at a time when he was at the peak of his early recognition and held in the same private collection since being acquired from Brisbane’s Johnstone Gallery more than 60 years ago.

The sale of the Mackley Estate Collection Part II will be offered this coming weekend via a live online Auction by Elder Fine Art in conjunction with Phillip Caldwell Auctions, Melbourne.

Evan Mackley, well known restauranteur, artist and collector was a local identity in Horsham and known for his vision, unique restaurant and warm hospitality throughout the Wimmera. His collection, amassed over 50 years, was a compliment to his taste with a particular love for Australian paintings, antiques and anything weird and wonderful that caught his eye. He was a great supporter of Australian artists, avidly collecting works by Charles Blackman, Robert Dickerson, William Ricketts, David Boyd, Pro Hart and Sidney Nolan, all of which are well represented in this estate collection.

Gibson's presents their periodic Summer Art Online Auction featuring the Jan Courtin and Marshall Harris Collection.  The 409 lot auction encompasses paintings, sculptures and works on paper by Australian, Indigenous and international artists such as Tony Tuckson, Ray Crooke, David Larwill, Pro Hart, Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula and Major Riley Tjangala.

Painting is an extension of man's means of communication. As such, it's pure, difficult, and wonderful. (Sidney Nolan)

Not only is Sir Sidney Nolan one of Australia’s most significant modern artists but his oeuvre is among the most diverse and prolific in all modern art. Nolan’s art traversed media, technique, subject matter and visual language throughout a career over four decades long. However, what weaves together this large artistic output are the commonalities of his love of poetry, mythology and narrative, along with his knowledge and understanding of the natural world.

Theodore Bruce is bringing to auction The Peter Black Collection, with an interesting selection of original 1960’s silkscreens, plus paintings, sculptures and photography from Australian and international artists including Tracey Moffatt, William Dobell, Colin Lanceley and Martin Sharp.