The museum quality cover picture, (Lot 33) featured in the National Gallery of Victoria’s acclaimed exhibition of 2006, when Blackman’s Alice paintings were brought together for display. It is highly likely that the piece will exceed the $600-800,000 estimate with the market always warmly receiving works that are both ‘fresh’ and of such exceptional quality.
The 24 November auction offers an array of extraordinary items - of particular note the seventeen works by Ellis Rowan. Consigned by the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, the works were gifted by M. H. de Young, newspaper proprietor and one of the founding founders of the city of San Francisco. Sometimes Ellis Rowan can be rather decorative and a little ‘chocolate box’, however these works are vivid and intricately detailed floral and avian studies. With realistic estimates between $2,500 and $6,000, being of museum quality and with impeccable provenance, these items will be keenly sought after by both collectors and Ellis Rowan devotees.
Keeping to a floral theme, on offer is an Adrian Feint of particular note. Panel for Overmantel, 1945 (Lot 28) is estimated to fetch between $10,000-15,000, and is a particularly fine example of this master draughtsman’s unique amalgam of landscape and still life. Feint’s contemporary, Margaret Preston is also represented in the Bonham and Goodman’s offering by Wattle, 1928 (Lot 25). With an estimate of $80,000-120,000 and a handsome Sydney estate provenance, this too, should be well supported on auction night.
From the forementioned it might appear that the auction focuses on flora and fauna, but once again the auction house has managed to source works of particular historic merit. A collection of 165 19th century photographs (Lot 1) by John H. Jones should attract institutional interest. With an estimate of just $30,000-40,000 and being the work of one of only twelve photographers operating in Melbourne at the time, the collection deserves a very good home. Similarly, Charles Nettleton’s photos of Melbourne (Lot 3) taken some two decades later deserve institutional support.
It would be remiss in preparing an accurate preview of the auction not to mention Von Guerard’s The Great Lake, Tasmania, 1875 (Lot 2). The painting last sold at Sotheby’s in August 2007 for $1,550,000 hammer price, or $1,860,000 inclusive of premium, having been offered with a $1,200,000- $1,600,000 estimate. The work is to be put to auction again, just over two years on, with a $800,000-$1,200,000 estimate. A work of this quality, and particularly at this price, should attract considerable attention.
And just in case a Blackman rabbit is not to the taste or price point, Nicky Hoberman’s Honeybun (Lot 67) is being offered with a $25,000-35,000. A quirky piece of substantial size, with the Saatchi Collection, London featured in the work’s provenance, it should attract considerable interest.
Bonhams and Goodman have adhered to their formula of the smaller number of quality lots of offer with impressive research to support and inform buyers and this should please the ever discerning buyers once again.
