May 2015 Auction Highlights
Deutscher and Hackett’s Melbourne premises held a large, active audience on the evening of Wednesday 6th May for the Important Australian + International Fine Art Auction.
The runaway work of the evening was Herbert Badham, Snack Bar, 1944. This rare and historically significant work sold for $456,000 against an estimate of $90,000 – 120,000. Strong bidding spurred this major work to the second highest price reached at auction for the artist.
Another great modernist work, Studio Interior by Roy de Maistre, sold for $144,000 with an estimate of $80,000 – 120,000,
International art again performed strongly at Deutscher and Hackett. Head of Heinz I, 1997, by the School of London artist, Leon Kossoff, sold for $180,000 against an estimate of $120,000 – 160,000, attracting strong interest by local and international bidders. An important biblical text-based triptych by New Zealand artist, Colin McCahon, Paul to Hebrews, 1980, also selling in the room for $480,000 against an estimate of $400,000 – 600,000.
The auction included many evocative landscapes spanning colonial through to contemporary. Eugene Von Guerard’s, Mitta Mitta River, Victoria, 1878, with an estimate of $120,000 – $150,000 sold for $168,000. Conrad Martens’ masterpiece, Storm Over North Head, was purchased for $144,000. The dynamic bird's-eye landscape by William Robinson, Summer Noon, c.1988, sold for $210,000.
Several key works by indigenous artists were included in the auction and performed well. Emily Kame Kngwarreye’s, Untitled, 1990, sold for $66,000 and Paddy Bedford’s, Untitled, 2003, sold for $54,000.
Photography was a feature of the May auction and were highly attractive with 100% of the twenty four works in the medium selling, including contemporary photographs by Shaun Gladwell, Bill Henson, Patricia Piccinini, Anne Zahalka and Fiona Hall.
A collection of classic, Australian black and white photographs attracted spirited bidding. Olive Cotton’s, Teacup Ballet, 1935, sold for $15,600 against an estimate of $4,000 – 6,000, Max Dupain’s, Meat Qeueue, 1946, with an estimate of $4,000 – 6,000 reached $11,400. Lewis Morley’s, Christine Keeler, at Morley's London Studio, 1963, eclipsed the estimate of $5,000 to 10,000 selling for an auction record for the artist of $33,600.
New auction records were also set for two contemporary artists. The commanding work by Juan Davila, The Studio, 1984, sold for $111,000 against estimates of $90,000 – 120,000, and the fine Sam Leach, Footless Peacock, 2007, achieved $22,800 against estimates of $15,000 – 20,000.
The May 15 auction total turnover was $4.1 million with 80% sold by value and 79% by volume.
*Sold prices above include 20% Buyer’s Premium