Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) – Das bunte Leben, 1907 (The colourful life)
This monumental canvas by Kandinsky, exhibited to critical acclaim at the Salon d’Automne, is a leading highlight at Christie’s 20th/21st Century London evening sale on October 14. Restituted to the heirs of Hedwig Lewenstein-Weyermannin in 2023 Das bunte Leben is widely regarded as the defining achievement of Kandinsky’s formative years. The sale will feature an exceptional group of masterpieces by Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky and Andy Warhol, alongside key highlights by David Hockney, Gerhard Richter, Paul Signac, Alexander Calder, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Cy Twombly, Flora Yukhnovich, Lucian Freud, Josef Albers, August Macke and Auguste Rodin, coming from international private collections.
Building on the strong results achieved in the first half of the year, Christie’s will present seven evening, day and online auctions this season, led by Monsoon: The Peter Simon Collection, the highest-value single-owner collection ever offered at Christie’s London. Presented across three dedicated auctions, this exceptional collection of nearly 200 lots from the renowned businessman Peter Simon traces the evolution of 20th-century art, bringing together works that connect the St Ives School with European Modernism, Abstract Expressionism with Op Art, and the School of London with contemporary painting from around the world. Highlights include masterworks by Francis Bacon, Joan Miró, Bridget Riley, Fernand Léger, Hurvin Anderson, Beatriz Milhazes and many others.
Francis Bacon – Study for a Figure c1945 from the Peter Simon Collection
David Hockney – 21st April 2021, Yellow Flowers in a Small Milk Churn 42/50
20 Flowers from Normandy is the title of the David Hockney sale at Sotheby’s in London on October 16. It offers 20 lots, each estimated at £25,000-35,000, of late works painted during the spring of 2021 while the world was in lockdown. The artist got into a routine at his Normandy farmhouse that spring and began painting flowers on the same table from the same seat. The 20 still lives dated from January 30 and April 21 blossomed from a fixed vantage point from late winter to full spring. The iPad paintings on wove paper are from an edition David Hockney died in June, having mastered mediums spanning canvas and paper to iPad. This series now reads as part of a late testament to his never ending creativity and artistry.
This pair of Anglo-Indian carved tables on carved dragon legs are at the timed online sale currently running at Adams Blackrock in Dublin. The estimate is €700-900. Online only sales of antiques and furniture, Irish paintings and jewellery and watches will all end from 7 pm on October 7.
This pair of Irish silver sauceboats by William Egan and Sons, Cork dates to 1982.
A five piece silver tea service and a pair of sauceboats by William Egan and Sons dating respectively to 1979 and 1982 are among the leading lots at Woodwards twice yearly sale of silver, art and collectibles in Cork on October 10. They are estimated at €5,000-€8,000 and €1,200-€2,000.
Among the Cork silver pieces are a set of c1790 teaspoons by Joseph Gibson (€2,000-€3,000), a set of three c1790 dessert spoons stamped “Sterling” by John Warner (€300-€600) and a c1780 bright cut cream jug by John Nicholson (€1,200-€2,000). The auction offers a selection of Victorian and Edwardian sovereigns, an Omega Constellation wristwatch and a ring owned by Bishop Edward Gunn who was appointed a bishop in Mississippi in 1911. Artists featured include William Harrington, Frank Egginton, Marshall Hutson, George Dunne, Alex McKenna and George Nisbet.
BMW ISETTA 300 PLUS BUBBLE CAR 1960 WITH REGISTRATION CERT
This bubble car made a hammer price of €15,000 at RJ Keighery’s auction in Waterford today. It was lovingly driven and cared for a man in his eighties who is downsizing. The car is driving and in excellent order. Tiny, bubble-shaped, with the door in the front and looking considerably more like a piece of 1950’s industrial design than a BMW as we know it today. It was estimated at €15,000-20,000.
The Parisian residence of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani
It ain’t much but its home doesn’t quite cut it when it comes to the Parisian residence of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani. Located in the heart of the 7th arrondissement and overlooking the Eiffel Tower this is one of Paris’s most remarkable private interiors, shaped over decades by His Highness and his longstanding creative collaborator, the legendary decorator Alberto Pinto. Architecture, decoration and collecting come together here to create a deeply personal artistic universe, conceived room by room and object by object, reflecting an exacting eye and distinctive vision of beauty.
Next month Sotheby’s will present a series of five auctions with more than 1,400 works with contents from this hôtel particulier spanning old masters, decorative arts, silver, antiques, furniture, paintings and design, revealing a richly layered dialogue between history, art and collecting. Highlights include a remarkable series of paintings by José Maria Sert, a unique group of portraits by Bernard Boutet de Monvel, and a pair of Italian carved giltwood settees from the Galleria Dorata, Palazzo Carrega-Cataldi. The house of Al Thani is the ruling family of Qatar.
Ope, there goes gravity is a show of new work by sculptor Eilis O’Connell at Solomon Gallery in Dublin. The title derives from “Lose Yourself” by Eminem which she often finds playing in her head as she works. Gravity is something that O’Connell is constantly concerned with while developing work. She must adapt her thinking to the limitations of materials while pushing the parameters of the craft to new heights.
A founder member of the National Sculpture Factory in Cork Eilis O’Connell is internationally acclaimed. Her work can be found in numerous high profile public locations in London (Canary Wharf and London Docklands Development Corporation), Cardiff, Newcastle, Wolverhampton, Bristol, Southampton, Milton Keynes and in Dublin, Belfast, Dundalk, Mallow and Cork. Other privately commissioned works can be seen in Lismore Castle, Waterford, Cass Sculpture Foundation, Chatsworth and in private gardens in France and Spain. The show continues until October 24.
An Irish George II secretaire cabinet c1740-50. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
The early October sale for all seasons by Sheppards next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (October 6, 7, and 8) is from remarkable collections assembled over various lifetimes. It brings together 18th century Irish furniture, paintings, silver, porcelain, tapestries, clocks, scientific instruments and sculpture.
Irish and European art, furniture and decorative objects are at the heart of Sheppards Coolattin House auction with a super selection of almost 1,600 lots.
Fine Irish antique furniture features strongly throughout. Highlights include an Irish George II mahogany secretaire-cabinet; a Killarney yew wood and arbutus davenport finely inlaid with a view of Muckross Abbey; a sideboard attributed to the distinguished Dublin firm of Mack, Williams & Gibton; Irish silver tables; peat buckets; carved giltwood mirrors; and furniture by Strahan and Hicks of Dublin.
An early 19th century Worcester dinner service. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
An early 19th century Worcester dinner service with 110 pieces should draw some attention and not just because it was once in the collection of the internationally celebrated singer Roger Whittaker. He lived in Ireland for a number of years before retiring to France in 2012 where he said his last farewell in 2023.
The dinner service – redolent of the traditions of fine country house dining – would admirably suit the leading furniture lot in the auction. The George III dining table extending to more than seven metres featured here on September 27 was formerly at Easton Neston in Northhamptonshire and is illustrated in Great Houses of Britain. It is estimated at €30,000-€50,000.
Or how about a 17th century verdure tapestry with birds among luxuriant foliage and trees with a distant castle? Tapestries like this were both highly decorative and functional as they helped to keep a house or castle warm. This one is enclosed by an elaborate border of flowers, fruit, birds and classical ornament.
A 17rth century verdure tapestry. UPDATE: THIS MADE 8,500 AT HAMMER
Decorative highlights include a French Empire-period cut crystal and gilt bronze mantel clock, a Vienna one-year-duration wall clock, monumental chandeliers and richly mounted French furniture. There are early maps of Ireland by Gerard Mercator and John Speed, a terrestrial globe dated 1859, marine chronometers, sextants, barometers and early phonographs.
Leading art lots include an 1828 portrait of Mrs. Issy Redmond by Sir Martin Cregan, founding member and later president of the Royal Hibernian Academy where this portrait was exhibited in 1829. There are portraits by Hugh Douglas Hamilton, William Etty and the studio of John Hoppner, animal art and bronzes.
A substantial London 1860 silver flatware service of 123 pieces, an Irish Nugent family flatware service dating to around 1840 and a four piece Rococo Revival silver tea and coffee service are all on offer. A19th century 96 piece Ashworth ironstone dinner service is stamped for the Dublin retailer Thomas Higginbothan of Wellington Quay.
The auction is drawn from distinguished houses and collections including Temple House, County Sligo; Luggala, County Wicklow; Emo Court and Ballyfin House, County Laois and Dromoland Castle, County Clare.
Three days of viewing get underway today (October 3) at Coolattin House, Shillelagh, Co. Wicklow. The auction will be held at Sheppards headquarters in Durrow, Co. Laois and it will be a live and online sale.
A 19th century Killarney library table. UPDATE: THIS MADE 13,000 AT HAMMER
This vintage 1940’s diamond spray brooch is at O’Reilly’s sale in Dublin next Wednesday. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Plenty of jewels to brighten up the dull autumn and winter light will come under the hammer at three auctions next week. The Jewellery Box sale at Adams is on October 6. The design sale at O’Reilly’s of Francis St. in Dublin is on the following day. In Belturbet, Co. Cavan Victor Mee will hold a jewellery, gold and silver sale on Wednesday. All catalogues are online.
The Potato Harvest by Paul Henry is among a superb group of Irish paintings from an important collection to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in London in October. Together, the nine works carry a combined estimate in the region of £1.4m / €1.6m. An additional two works are being offered for private sale via Sotheby’s. All 11 paintings – by Yeats, Orpen, O’Conor, Henry, Dillon and Lavery – will be on view. The works are on view at the Molesworth Gallery in Dublin on October 1, 2 and 3 prior to being offered as part of Sotheby’s Modern British & IrishArt evening sale on October 14, coinciding with Frieze Week.
They are The Amateur Ventriloquist, September Gale and Galway by Jack B Yeats, Little Spanish Dancer, Girl in Red Shawl and Midday on the Beach by Sir William Orpen, Red Rocks and Foam by Roderic O’Conor, The Potato Harvest, Pedlar’s Cart, Achill and A Winter Sea by Paul Henry, Boys Catching Crabs in Connemara by Gerard Dillon and Tennis, Hotel Beau Site, Cannes by Sir John Lavery.
