If Leonard Joel sales needed to be characterised in one word, it would be “inclusive”. This sale is no different and like a Christmas stocking is bursting with crowd pleasing examples from the “Davids” - Boyd and Bromley; candy-coloured pop paintings by Melinda Harper and Ken Done; classic still lifes and landscapes from Tom Roberts, Ellis Rowan and John Mather; works from a roll call of moderns including Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd and Ray Crooke; Aboriginal paintings by Emily Kngwarreye; spiced up by a handful of contemporary works from Ben Quilty and Bill Henson and then sprinkled throughout with some obscure, European and exotic curiosities to boot.
Melbourne’s tonalist movement is represented in the sale by a number of lots including Mediterranean Blue, Cassis 1927 (Lot 75 ), a very tranquil and attractive work by Justus Jorgensen, founder of the artists’ colony, Montsalvat. Since the late 1980s, Jorgensen’s paintings appear rarely at auction, no doubt aided by his life-long anti-commercial stance (he only ever exhibited 3 times). Still Life with Daffodils (Lot 74 ), estimated at $3,000-5,000) is the sole contribution to the sale by pioneer and champion of tonalism, Max Meldrum. Completing the trio is View of Melbourne Rooftops (lot 95 $1,000-1,500) a fine example by Alexander Colquohoun that the National Trust (Victoria) are deaccessioning.
The catalogue front cover image belongs to Alan Sumner, former Director of the National Gallery School and best known for his work in the print medium. (Sumner is credited with introducing screen-printing techniques to Australia). His handsome oil, European Town Scene (lot 50, estimated at $8,000-12,000) looks to be of equal quality to The 8 Hours Monument, Russell Street c1947 sold by Deutscher+Hackett last year at the top end of its estimate for $24,000, which makes Joel’s estimate look very modest…and enticing!
For those intrigued by the work of forgotten artists, a suite of works from Douglas Watson may satisfy. Recognition of Watson’s talent arrived early when in 1942 he became the youngest winner of the Wynne Prize and a year later, at 23, he became an official war artist . This group of 5 paintings span the breadth of his career and thereby offer a great insight and study of his trajectory from figuration to abstraction. The earliest painting, Composition 1938 (Lot 69 ) estimated at $3,000-4,000 is thought to feature members of the Ballet Russes who were touring Australia at the time. The work is also noteworthy for winning Watson the 1940 AGNSW travelling scholarship. Watson’s Self Portrait 1945 (lot 70, estimated at $2,000-3,000), presents the artists as a rather dashing figure proudly bearing a “movie-star” styled handlebar moustache and adorned in a cape and cocked hat with cigarette poised in his hand, ready for adventure.
In contrast, David Boyd and Mirka Mora are at hand to fuel up the Auction Hit Parade and add more to Joel’s bottom line. Competition is anticipated for Boyd’s Figures in the Apple Orchard (lot 85, estimated at $30,000-40,000), the most valuable lot in the sale, and Mora’s The White Rabbit and Family 2004 (lot 57, estimated at $10,000-15,000), the catalogue’s back cover illustration.
Fans of Australiana should not be disappointed with the offering from wildlife artist Paul Margocsy. The artist’s work is internationally recognised and may be particularly familiar to those exchanging letters in the early 90s when he was commissioned by Australia Post to create the Waterbird Series of stamps (1991). The sale features five of his finely rendered watercolours of Australian birdlife, all estimated at a reasonable $1,000-1,500 (lots 183-4, 187-9); watch if they soar on the day.
As the years pass and former émigrés age, the trail of artworks from Europe has been fast drying up. However happily some still occasionally appear, and this time it’s a pair of early twentieth century Viennese paintings.
Portrait of Two Girls, 1934 (lot 210, estimated at $6,000-8,000) was painted by Sergius Pauser, a graduate of Munch’s Academy of Fine Arts (1919-24), initially drawn to expressionism but then influenced by Neue Sachlichkeit’s protagonists Max Beckmann and Otto Dix. The second work, Still Life (lot 222, estimated at $8,000-10,000) is by Max Oppenheimer, an artist who moved in the same circle as Egon Schiele, their artistic relationship evidenced in their painting of one another’s portraits .
Leonard Joel’s Head of Art, Briar Williams is confident about Leonard Joel’s last art sale for the year believing “this offering brings interesting and fresh to market pictures in a good price bracket”. Leonard Joel have been returning to form, steadily carving out, once again, a strong niche in the low-middle sector of the market. This year to date their Sunday Art sales have averaged 75% by lot and 100% by value, statistics that would be the envy of many an art auction house. No doubt on Sunday Joel’s will be hoping to continue and even surpass these percentages.
[1] Based on either low or mid estimate figure of $10,000
