Bonhams started their Australian and Aboriginal art sale off with 7 Dorrit Black prints and drawings coming from the estate of the artist’s niece Ruth Goble. The Dorrit Black retrospective “Unseen Forces” at the Art Gallery of South Australia in 2014 followed on the heels of “Sydney Moderns” at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2012, which highlighted many of our finest female modernist printmakers, and also put the spotlight on the Grosvenor School of printmakers which appeal to collectors worldwide.
The colour linocut Old Church, Veere, c1933 (Lot 1 ), estimated at $25,000-30,000, found favour at the low end of its estimates. Also portraying the Dutch town of Veere (Lot 2 ) with fishing boats in a single colour, sold for $6,000 hammer price just above the low estimate of $5,000. Most interest in Black’s work was saved for a watercolour study for her well known linocut The Windswept Farm (Lot 3 ), c1937, carrying expectations of $18,000-25,000. It attracted the kind of interest usually reserved for Black’s most attractive linocuts, and sold very well for $42,000 hp. Surprisingly the other four works on paper (lots 4, 5, 6, 7) by Black failed to sell on the evening at what were reasonably conservative estimates. For example, Study for “The Double Basses”, c1950 (Lot 6 ) was a very strong image, but did not elicit enough interest to get it across the line with a the low estimate of $7,000.
Albert Namatjira is a perennial favourite in the auction room with solid and dependable prices achieved mostly. Two White Gums, c 1950 (Lot 8 ) reflecting the timeless appeal of his work sold right on its low estimate at $15,000.
Two works on bark by Lofty Bardayal Nadjamerrek were keenly bid, with the particularly elaborate Mardayin Ceremony c, 1978 (Lot 13 ) selling above its $7,000-10,000 hopes for $13,000 hp, whilst Yingarna (Rainbow Serpent), c1978 (Lot 14 ), slid to the high estimate of $10,000.
Rover Thomas’ Islands, 1996 (Lot 19 ) last sold as part of the Laverty Collection in March 2013 at Bonhams for $24,000 hp. Offered again 6 years later, it attracted a premium on its last outing, this time hopping up to $35,000 hp, on expectations of $35,000-50,000.
There was very keen interest in the beautifully presented Brett Whiteley limited edition prints: Towards Sculpture 5, 1977 (Lot 20 ), which carried estimates of $8,000-12,000 and managed a respectable hammer price of $19,500, whilst Sydney Harbour, 1980 (Lot 21 ), on the same estimates was bid to $17,000.
Bonhams also offered three of Max Dupain’s most iconic images. At Newport, 1952 (Lot 22 ), seemed like a considerable bargain selling at its low estimate of $7,000. The same could be said for Bondi, 1939 (Lot 24 ), which also sold at the low estimate of $7,000.
All prints of Max Dupain’s Sunbaker, surely Australia’s most famous photograph, are not necessarily created equal, however, it was a little disappointing to see one pass in last night on reasonable estimates of $30,000-50,000 (Lot 25 ). The highest price achieved for this image was in June 2016, when Mossgreen sold another edition for $85,000 hammer price from a large collection from the estate of Max Dupain.
Irish eyes were smiling on Margaret Preston’s Bunch of Flowers, 1924 (Lot 31 ), discovered in Ireland and repatriated to its home. Its accompanying hopes of $50,000-70,000 were easily surpassed, selling well above for $95,000.
Looking more like the influence of Antonio Dattilo Rubbo than the Julian Ashton school, a portrait by William Dobell, Old Joe (Julian Ashton School Portrait), ca 1926 (Lot 43 ), a very early traditional painting by the artist, managed to sell for its low estimate of $40,000, and achieved more than its Christies November 2002 price of $26,000.
There was a large number of relatively low value aboriginal art and artefacts in the sale which enjoyed varying degrees of success. Another Lofty Bardayal Nadjarmerrek bark painting Ngarrbek (Echidnas) (Lot 70 ) sold just under its low estimate for $3,800, whilst another spiky friend, this time an echidna by John Mawurndjul also sold under the low estimate of $8,000 for $7,000 hp.
No doubt Bonhams would have been disappointed with a number of the more valuable Australian paintings that failed to fire on the evening, including Justin O’Brien’s Zacchaeus, c1990 (Lot 44 ), with $50,000-70,000 hopes. Buyers in Western Australia 3 hours behind perhaps enjoying a siesta, they completely ignored a major Howard Taylor work Tree Line with Cloud Shadow, 1993 (Lot 51 ) with estimates of $80,000-100,000, followed by two equally impressive colourful Guy Grey-Smith abstract compositions Ashburton Country (Lot 52 ) and Mount Vernon, 1961 (Lot 53 ), both with expectations of $25,000-35,000, none of which received a single bid.
The Mass (Lot 56 ) by Leonard French from 1961 was very big at 229 x 183.5 cm, but clearly wasn’t considered beautiful enough as it passed in on $40,000-60,000 hopes.
The most valuable painting of the night, Lloyd Rees’ The Evening Star, Bathurst, 1979 (Lot 57 ), was sadly no star of the sale, failing to garner interest on its $220,000-280,000 expectations. Arthur Boyd’s Bride in Wimmera Landscape, c1967 (Lot 60 ), estimated at $100,000-150,000 was also left unsold on the evening.
Bonhams, we assume, are not going to be too disappointed by a number of Australian and aboriginal paintings not selling, as their focus in recent years under the auspices of director Merryn Schriever has taken a new path into the Asian art market. It appears it is a niche that Bonhams Australia have not just filled, but seem intent on developing, as the market for Asian art may offer more and better possibilities for growth, in contrast to the market for Australian art which chugs along with very similar auction totals in the last 10 years and perhaps limited opportunities to grow it.
Certainly, the Chinese art market has more potential for those elusive sleeper paintings that we all love. For example at Bonhams, we saw several Chinese works of art exceeding expectations considerably, and some by 1000s of percent. From the 27 lot strong collection of Dr. TF Yeung for example, Calligraphy in Running and Regular Scripts (Lot 437 ) by Jiangong/Puchu, Ou/Zhao carried estimates of $200-500, and sold for an astonishing $32,000 hp.
Attributed to Huang Zhou, Baby and Cat (Lot 453 ) sold also for $32,000 on high hopes of $800, while Yang Zhiguang’s Langshan Festival in Gansu (Lot 455 ), also with a high estimate of $800 sold for $22,000 hp.
