Olinda Landscape, c 1927 (Lot 13 ) with hues of blue was strongly bid to $42,000 hammer price, mid-range of its $35,000-45,000 expectations. But it was a tiny English landscape from 1905 (Lot 14 ) which surpassed all expectations. The beautifully lit Kent Harvest reaped and reaped again, more than tripling its low estimates; it sold after frenetic bidding from several phones and room bidders for $60,000 on $18,000-24,000 hopes. The watercolour Windsor Meadows, 1903 (Lot 15 ) sold at the low estimate of $8,000.
Of the estate offerings in the auction, there were some outstanding pictures from the late Sue Susskind. Norman Lindsay’s Passing of the Gods, 1961 (Lot 21 ), sold just above the low estimate for $32,000, while Ray Crooke’s early and very large Islanders and Flowers, c1964 (Lot 22 ) sold just below the low estimate for $38,000. With its first entry into the auction room since it was painted in 1954, Charles Blackman’s imposing Hill Farmer (Lot 23 ) created great interest from bidders in the room and on the phone, and after a long battle finally sold for $200,000, considerably above the high estimate on expectations of $120,000-160,000.
Similarly impressive, Brett Whiteley’s Self Portrait at 44, 1983 (Lot 24 ) was last offered for sale at auction by Sotheby’s in 1988, and also sold by Savill Galleries in 1992. This time, it sold for below expectations for $170,000.
John Russell’s recent exceptional exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales shone a light on this late 19th century impressionist painter. One of the works exhibited, Cliffs at Goulphar Bay, 1907, (Lot 26 ) appeared last night as lot 26. This delightful watercolour in rich pastel colours last sold at auction in 2008 and found a new home selling for its low estimate of $40,000.
Spirited bidding took Jeffrey Smart’s Second Study for Ostia, 1969-70 (Lot 31 ) to a very respectable $95,000, above hopes of $70,000-90,000.
The ethereal sculptures by Joel Elenberg remain very rare to market, with perhaps two or three offerings in any given year at auction. Head III, 1978 (Lot 34 ) had a somewhat Darth Vader feel to it, and successfully sold at its low estimate of $100,000. The following lot, Garry Shead’s The Crowning Glory, 1998 (Lot 35 ) went the same way, selling exactly on its low estimate of $120,000.
A very large painting of a paper aeroplane by Tim Storrier, Old History, 2016-17 (Lot 36 ) with the same expectations, failed to take off and find a buyer on the night.
However that was not the case for an even larger painting which was very competitively bid by phone and room bidders. Uta Uta Tjangala’s monumental untitled work from 1975 (Lot 37 ), with exceptional provenance put this painting into the third highest price ever achieved for the artist, $120,000, flying high to reach the top of its estimates.
Not surprisingly, Lin Onus’ Fish and Storm Clouds, 1994 (Lot 38 ), the front cover lot, captured much attention and admiration at viewings. This much travelled work, having been in private collections in both Madrid and London, has returned home. On auction expectations of $300,000-380,000, it sold comfortably above the high estimate for $420,000.
Price-wise, Jeffrey Smart’s Level Crossing, 1997 (Lot 39 ) achieved a similar result, nothing standing in the road here for a sale at $450,000, on estimates of $450,000-550,000.
Speaking with auctioneer Cameron Menzies, a painting very soon destined to leave these shores is Deauville, Les Tentes, 1956 (Lot 41 ), by Dutch artist Kees van Dongen. A client in Switzerland purchased this painting which carries a considerable auction history. On estimates of $320,000-$380,000 it sold mid range the estimates at $350,000.
Bill Robinson’s Bush Landscape with Sunbeams, c1996 (Lot 45 ), sold for $60,000, below estimates of $70,000-90,000. Tim Maguire’s equally bold and colourful untitled work from 2007 (Lot 46 ) sold at the low expectation for $50,000.
Meanwhile, Apon the Face of the Waters… 2005-2007 (Lot 47 ), by the highly sought Del Kathryn Barton and reminiscent of Egon Schiele, was perhaps a little too confrontational for most, passing in on expectations of $45,000-65,000.
An unusually large Robert Dickerson painting, Conference in the Street, 1997 (Lot 48 ), looking somewhat like a group of bankers outside a Royal Commission enquiry, sold at $60,000, estimated at $65,000-85,000.
Fred Williams’ very typical gouache Wilson’s Promontory, ca 1968 (Lot 50 ) was a nice buy for the new owner, selling for $32,000 just above its low estimate of $30,000.
Strongly featured in the Menzies catalogue with 14 pages was the Thomas Balcombe family collection of over one hundred sketches, drawings and watercolours by colonial artist Thomas Tyrwhitt Balcombe (1810 – 1861), which were passed down through four generations of the family since their original production in the 1850s.
The only known self portrait by Thomas Balcombe (Lot 56 ) started the series of the 13 lots. It far exceeded its estimates of $6,000 to $9,000, and after very keen phone and room bidding sold for $28,000. The same was true for Gundaroo Natives, 1853 (Lot 57 ), which doubled its low estimates selling for $24,000. The major tranche of drawings comprised 87 drawings from the sketchbook 1850-57 (Lot 65 ) sold for $70,000, estimated at $80,000-120,000.
All the works sold with the thought that perhaps they were destined for an institution or two. Given that nine lots went to the same room bidder, this seems like a likely scenario.
Sidney Nolan’s Untitled (Ned Kelly), 1956 (Lot 108 ), was estimated at $6,000-$9,000. There is seemingly no end to the fervour from collectors and their pursuit of exceptional Ned Kelly imagery from Nolan. Accordingly, interest in this work from several suitors pushed its hammer price to more than three times the low estimate to $19,000.
Believe it or not: the lady next to me told me that she had butterflies in her stomach just prior to her purchase of the not so young anymore British artist Damien Hirst’s The Souls I-IV, 2010 (Lot 142 ), estimated at $15,000-20,000. Yes, these are actually four foil block prints of butterflies with which she now can grace her walls, securing them on the low estimate of $15,000.
