Donald Gregor Grant Commons New Zealand, Australia, 1855-1942
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by Donald Commons
Auction Houses
About Donald Commons
Born in Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand, Donald Commons arrived in Sydney in 1878. He worked as an engineering draughtsman in the NSW Public Works for 36 years from 1878 and taught drawing in his spare time. He is not widely known, but is one of Australia's most original artists whose works of old Sydney are inspired by the rugged headlands and early street scenes. His work was included in the International Exhibition in Sydney in 1879 and he exhibited with the Art Society of NSW during the 1880s. A retrospective exhibition of his work was held in Sydney in 1937.
The earliest auction listing we have for Donald Commons is in 1967 and in total 161 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 92 (57%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $2,310 for Gloucester Street, Old Sydney sold by GFL Fine Art in September 1998. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2022. Works by Donald Commons are held by the National Gallery of Australia, Queensland Art Gallery and Art Gallery of NSW.
Donald Commons is listed in the following standard biographical references:
- McCulloch, Alan McCulloch, Susan McCulloch, Emily McCulloch-Childs. The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art. 4th Edition, Aus Art Melbourne & The Miegunyah Press, 2006. Page 337
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 298
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
- The Find New Zealand Artists web site: a database of artist names that directs researchers to the rich resources found in New Zealand's libraries, art society exhibition histories and published sources.
Artists' Resale Royalty
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
No, ineligible. The artist has been deceased for more than 70 years.
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