The auction also included around 80 works from the personal estate of renowned Sydney art dealer Eva Breuer (which led to an unusually high attendance in the saleroom, leaving standing room only). Unsurprisingly, there were a number of paintings by artists whom she was most associated with and supported, and this helped considerably in bolstering not only the number of Nolans in the sale, but also James Gleeson with a total of 13 works, John Coburn with 11 works, David Boyd with 8 in total and 5 imposing works by Brian Dunlop.
With so many lots on offer the assembled collectors, dealers and auction house staff were prepared for a long night, and some were clearly happy that the bar was open all hours to keep them fired up.
The sale started off encouragingly with Sidney Nolan’s Eureka Stockade series 1949 (Lot 2 ), selling at $16,500 hammer price above its estimates of $9,000-$12,000.
Jeffrey Smart’s Soldiers on a Platform, 1943 (Lot 4 ) seemed to be following his recent upward trajectory: the work on paper had sold at McKenzies in Perth for just $8,000 in 2012, a year later in 2013, it more than tripled this with $26,000 at Lawson-Menzies, and now $42,000 on estimates of $15,000-$20,000.
A good omen then perhaps for the cover lot from Jeffrey Smart, Pylon 1, 2006 (Lot 41 ) which was estimated at $600,000-$800,000, and sold exactly on its low estimate.
The estate of revered urban aboriginal artist Lin Onus was offering two paintings for sale: Birrikala Na Djarribir, 1994 (Lot 10 ) with provenance from Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery had an estimate of $18,000-$24,000 and it sold within range at $20,000.
His gargantuan riverscape Late Afternoon at Barmah, 1995 (Lot 39 ), 182 x 182 cm, had a more gargantuan estimate of $220,000-$280,000 to match, selling just a little shy of the low estimate at $210,000.
A much earlier riverscape peopled this time by Haughton Forrest titled Cascade Rivulet (Lot 12 ) was enthusiastically bid and sold at $22,000 below its $25,000-$35,000 expectations.
The attractive blue-toned Boy with Towel, 1966 (Lot 15 ) by Robert Dickerson sold just above low estimate at $31,000 on the $30,000-$40,000 estimates, whilst a couple of very early paintings by the artist from c.1949-51 failed to stir passions: Untitled (Reclining Man with Woman) (Lot 59 ) and Untitled (The Figures) (Lot 172 ), both with estimates of $28,000-$36,000, and perhaps lacked enough commercial appeal to get them over the line.
Ken Whisson’s jolly Motorcar for the Red Chinese, 1973 (Lot 24 ) generated lots of interest, selling for mid-range for $28,000 on estimates of $25,000-$35,000.
The following lot, Tim Storrier’s Mirage and Blaze (Lot 25 ) estimated at $55,000-$65,000, however failed to fire and passed in.
Rick Amor’s more ominous and foreboding The Sea, 1985 (Lot 26 ) found a buyer at $38,000, just below its $40,000 low estimate.
Previous examples of Joel Elenberg’s Mask A, 1979-80 (Lot 27 ) with a bronze patina have sold for $140,000 hammer price at Sotheby’s in 2012 and $130,000 at Deutscher + Hackett in 2013, so the $75,000 hammer price for a green patina version of the same is looking like a bargain, selling exactly mid-estimate on $60,000-$90,000 expectations.
A rather deserty-looking John Olsen watercolour from 2003, Waterbird (Lot 28 ), came all the way from the United Arab Emirates according to provenance; it was strongly contested, selling mid-estimate for $55,000.
The following bird, Eastern Rosella Parroquet from Botany Bay c1790 (Lot 29 ), didn’t take off to full flight; it had to clip its wings somewhat to make a sale, but sell it did. By the artist only known as Port Jackson Painter, it was estimated at $60,000-$90,000, and sold for $38,000.
A floral work by Margaret Preston, The Green Curtain, c1918 (Lot 30 ) sold below its estimates of $50,000-$70,000 for $42,000, while Margaret Olley’s Persimmons 1974 (Lot 31 ) on the same estimates sold for $50,000.
John Kelly’s copulating cows titled Form and Function 2003 (Lot 33 ) made $120,000 after being estimated at $100,000-$160,000.
Brett Whiteley’s The Paddock – Late Afternoon 1979 (Lot 42 ) was offered with estimates of $1.8 to $2.4 million. Even with a help-along vendor bid of $1.7 million, it passed in after its last sale in 2011 when it sold for $1.56 million.
According to auctioneer Martin Farrah there is a three-year waiting list for a painting by Del Kathryn Barton, proudly announcing to the gathered crowd that this was a collector’s opportunity to jump the queue. Appreciating that it would still take in the order of $120,000 to do just that, there were plenty tempted by In Night Too 2012 (Lot 45 ), and the work sold at the high estimate of $160,000.
A wonderfully contemporary gouache on paper by Fred Williams, You Yang Landscape 1966 (Lot 55 ) sold deservedly at its high estimate of $50,000.
Roger Kemp’s equally appealing large-scale painting Untitled 1972 (Lot 56 ) sold at $48,000 on $50,000-$60,000 expectations.
The massive Obiri Dreaming 1990 by John Coburn (Lot 57 ) also sold below low estimate for $46,000, estimated at $50,000-$70,000.
With Easter almost upon us, perhaps it is not surprising that Deborah Halpern’s Big Bunny 2013 (Lot 61 ) should set a new artist’s record in the auction room. The giant ceramic and glass tile rabbit sculpture went hopping for $32,000 hammer price on estimates of $30,000-$40,000.
Lots 62 to 145 of the sale were reserved for works from the estate of Eva Breuer, with five large and colourful examples of paintings by Brian Dunlop on offer. The highest prices on the night for the artist were achieved by Malatesta Kneeling, 1979 (Lot 72 ), selling for $32,000 and Curtain 1993 (Lot 93 ) selling for $24,000. Malatesta Kneeling however this time, was quite a long way from its auction record-setting for the artist high in 2002, when it was sold for $50,000 hammer price, after being sourced from the Kerry Stokes Collection.
Most of the works from the estate sold at respectable, if not earth-shattering prices. Sidney Nolan’s Kelly 1959 (Lot 74 ) sold somewhat below its $180,000-$220,00 at $150,000, while Brett Whiteley’s Untitled (Heron, Rain & Wind) 1973 (Lot 75 ), complete with real nest and egg, sold for half a million dollar, right in between the $400,000-$600,00. Let’s hope it proves to be a good nest egg for the buyer.
Amongst the Whiteley offerings there was also the successful Chelsea Flower Show (Lot 47 ). This wonderfully thickly painted Van Goghesque work from 1970 had sold previously for $130,000 in 2006 with Menzies; it was snapped up this time for $200,000 on expectations of $180,000-$240,000.
The Sleeper of the Night award went to Susan Norrie’s Tall Tales and True (Pinocchio) 1986 (Lot 114 ). Estimated at a modest $6,000-$8,000, it sold for $34,000 hammer price amongst a flurry of bidding hands. Runner up went to Howard Ashton’s little oil on canvas board Last Ray (Lot 241 ) which sold for $9,500 on estimates of $800 to $1,200.
Finally, there was much interest in a chook, however this one would not be laying any golden eggs. William Robinson’s Rooster with Sunset (Lot 180 ), a hand-painted and glazed ceramic plate, sold for $24,000, $4,000 above the high estimate.
