Davidson Auctions will be ticking a lot of the right boxes for potential buyers with a sale of approximately 280 lots on Saturday August 15.
Perhaps because of the close proximity of Bali and Australia, a number of works by Hofker have come onto the Australian market in recent years.
On December 8, 2004 Deutscher~Menzies, sold two works by Hofker, Ni Kenjoen, Bali 1945 and Ni Dablig Weeft, Bali 1939-45 for $153,500 and $106,500 respectively. More recently, in April 2008, Leonard Joel in Melbourne sold Portrait of a Balinese Woman for $84,000 including premium. All these are larger works, and oil on canvas, whereas Balinese Girl, 1945 is mixed media on paper.
This work will attract the most interest of any item in the sale, much likely to come from overseas. Bequeathed to current owners who were not aware of its value and may well be in for a very pleasant surprise once the hammer falls.
Lots 2 and 7 are from a private collection, and are original Norman Lindsay copper etching plates. Lot 2 Happiness” comes with an original etching – one of 15. Both etchings are in very good condition and have only light wear scratches. More artefacts of Lindsay than art makes valuing difficult; however the plates will draw interest not only from Lindsay fans, but perhaps also the odd rogue who may wish to press them back into use.
Lot 36 is another unidentified potential sleeper is a gouache dated 1883, entitled Bondi. Julian Rossi Ashton is suggested as the artist by the auction house.
