The first session will be held on 25th August in Melbourne. In typical Bonham’s fashion, the catalogues are finely curated and researched. The sale is heavily supported by many of the industry’s biggest names - current and former owners including Dr Joseph Brown, Lady Clark, Brian and Marjory Johnson, Kurt Barry and Bill Seddon.
Veteran dealer John Playfoot has reportedly consigned a number of significant paintings to the auction and his exemplary eye for quality is evident throughout the sale. Playfoot is known to be fond of Bernard Hall and the auction features some of the best Hall’s to appear in the market. Included in these are Sleeping Beauty 1910 (Lot 7 - $35,000-45,000) and Sur Le Tapis (Lot 22 - $18,000-25,000).
Art consultant Jon Dwyer has also supported the auction referring a number of works to the sale on behalf of clients including James Gleeson’s masterpiece Sea-Wrack… (Lot 37 -$120,000-160,000) from the Kurt Barry estate and Elioth Gruner’s Shelly Beach (Lot 32 - $30,000-40,000) formerly from the collection of Keith and Zara Joseph .
Importantly, collectors will be greeted with the works on offer being realistically estimated. The highly acclaimed Whiteley work, Justine (Lot 70) makes an encore appearance, having been offered by Bonham’s in August 2007 with an estimate of $1,400,000-1,800,000 and now, post Global Financial Crisis, with an estimate of $800,000-$1,200,000. Justine is a large scale and powerful work from 1986 and with a dramatically revised estimate and outstanding provenance should see the Whiteley buyers feasting once again in the market.
The highlights just keep coming, with one of the finest Albert Tucker paintings ever to be seen at auction. Footballers (Lot 51 - $300,000-500,000) painted in 1955 has been on long term loan to the National Gallery of Victoria, and from the collection of Barbara Tucker. Another fine Tucker is also on offer, titled Gamblers and Parrots 1968 (Lot 63 - $220,000-320,000) Consigned by a Melbourne collector, the work depicts the famed imagery of explorers and gamblers that established Tucker as one of the great modernists.
Further standouts include Frederick McCubbin’s romantic impression Brighton Landscape 1905 (Lot 2 - $100,000-120,000); Elioth Gruner’s Still Life 1924 (Lot 18 - $20,000-30,000) and Lloyd Rees Afternoon in Tuscany (1954) (Lot 50 -$100,000-150,000), David Boyd’s The Hostess 1968 (Lot 62 - $30,000-40,000) and Sidney Nolan’s Deserted Camp 1952 (Lot 47 - $35,000-45,000).
Charles Blackman’s The Stairs 1952 (Lot 46 -$70,000-90,000) further displays the realistic approach Bonham’s has taken with pre-sale estimates. This fine work was offered by Sotheby’s less than two years ago for $200,000-300,000, and as is the case with Justine, buyers should be seduced by the very accessible price point.
The contemporary section of the catalogue is handsomely represented with works by John Kelly, Amanda Marburg, Noel McKenna, Del Kathryn Barton, Bill Henson and Gary Shead. International collectors will not be disappointed as the auction closes with some fabulous ceramics by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Jean Cocteau.
Two days later in Sydney, Bonhams on the 27th August, offer the enthralling collection of the late James Gleeson. The catalogue of 106 lots is a window into the genius mind of Australia’s greatest surrealist artist
This auction will have the surrealist collectors salivating Highlights are bountiful including Gondolier with Siren 1951 (Lot 3 - $15,000-25,000) Man in a Classic Landscape 1951 (Lot 5 - $15,000-25,000), Study for Crucifixion (Lot 7 - $20,000-30,000), Scholar of the Void 1967 (Lot 20 -$30,000-40,000), The Birth of Aphrodite 1967 (Lot 21$40,000-60,000) and Habitat for Scylla 1985 (Lot 51 -$80,000-100,000)
The auction also boasts many fine watercolours and drawings by the master surrealist. This highly significant group of James Gleeson works is reinforced by many artists who admired and befriended Gleeson over the years including Robert Klippel, Justin O’Brien, Donald Friend, William Dobell and Eric Smith.
