Donald Stuart Leslie Friend Australia, 1915-89
Forthcoming Sales
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by Donald Friend
Auction Houses
About Donald Friend
Born in Sydney in 1915, Friend studied art in Sydney under Sydney Long and A. Dattilo Rubbo, completing his studies in London at the Westminster Art School. Held a one-man show in London in 1936. In the late 1930s he spent two years in Nigeria, returning to Australia in 1940 to enlist as an artillery gunner. He was later appointed war artist. After the war he wrote and Illustrated two books on his experiences. He further studied and worked in Europe in 1949. After living in Bali for many years, Friend returned to Australia, settling initially in Melbourne and then in Sydney. He wrote and illustrated several deluxe edition books and exhibited widely.
Donald Friend is one of the most prolific of the artists listed in our database, with the number of works offered for sale by auction since 1967 of 4,419, of which 2,949 (67%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $336,000 for Ayam2 Kesayangan: 1a Miscellanea 1968-1978 sold by Sotheby's in May 2007. This year 19 works have been offered for sale. Works by Donald Friend are held by the Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia and a further nine major public national galleries (see list below).
Donald Friend 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 444
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 311
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
- Australian Prints + Printmaking, a database listing printmaking artists from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region based on the print collection of the National Gallery of Australia.
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…
Yes, eligible, subject to the artist satisfying the residency test. The artist is alive or has been deceased for less than 70 years. Contact the Copyright Agency for information on the residency test.
The Australian Art Sales Digest is a database of over 610,000 works by more than 12,000 artists who are listed as having either lived or worked in Australia or New Zealand, and an additional 36,000 foreign and other artists, offered for sale by auction in Australia and New Zealand from the early 1970s to the present day.
Access to the database is available on either a monthly or annual subscription. During the subscription period you have unlimited access to the site. If you would like to subscribe, please proceed to our Subscription Form.