Strong results at Whyte’s Sale of Important Irish Art
Some interesting stats provided by Whyte’s show that their sale at the RDS on the 27th May, 2013, grossed €450,000 with 73% of the lots on offer sold. Sold above estimate 24% and within estimate 51%. The growing importance of Internet bidders is shown by the fact that they accounted for 25% of bids and bought 20% of the lots sold. Bidders were from Ireland , UK , France , Netherlands , Switzerland , UAE , USA , Canada , Hong Kong and Australia .
The top price was paid for Lot.69. a pair of 19th century equestrian paintings by the artist William Brocas (c.1794-1868) which reached the lower end of their estimate and were knocked down to a London buyer for €29,000.
Lot.38. “Bringing in the Turf” by William Conor achieved the second highest price going to an American buyer for €21,000.
The third highest price was paid by another London collector for Lot.45. an early Paul Henry (pic below) for €13,000 – (pre sale estimate €8,000-10,000). Surely a very shrewd investment!
Lot.45. “Connemara Landscape c.1910/11 by Paul Henry (1876-1958) sold for €13,000
The sale catalogue with prices realised is available here: 
A Feast of Irish Art at Whyte’s and James Adams’ forthcoming Important Irish Art Sales
Art Lovers – at least those with deep pockets – are spoilt for choice this coming week with Whyte’s sale of “Important Irish Art” at the RDS on Monday 27th May followed by James Adams sale on Wednesday 29th May also aptly titled “Important Irish Art”.
Both sales contain much to drool over and if only you hadn’t bought that second apartment in Bulgaria….Anyway, for those still with some spare cash, Whyte’s have some attractive early works by Paul Henry with relatively affordable estimates see video below. Also included are many landscape paintings by artists such as Frank Egginton, William Percy French, James Humbert Craig, Maurice Canning Wilks etc. many with very realistic estimates. Check out the sale details/catalogue links here: http://www.whytes.ie
James Adams sale at their St.Stephen’s Green salerooms on Wednesday 29th has more works by Paul Henry but this time with seriously high estimates – no Nama refugees need attend! Lot 21 a superb oil on canvas ‘The Potato Diggers’ has never been seen at auction before and carries a serious €250,000.00 – €350,000.00 estimate. Four other Paul Henry works make it into the top seven lots of the sale price-wise but none are as special.
Lot.21. ‘The Potato Diggers’ by Paul Henry. Est. €250,000-350,000
Once away from the top ten lots, prices come down from the stratosphere to more affordable levels and include some nice William Percy French watercolours – just a pity that so many of his works are so small! Better value, and covering the same ground, are several larger works of more recent origin by Frank Egginton – Lot.169., below, carries a modest €500-700 estimate. Obviously the name doesn’t have the same cachet but if you’re buying for art rather than investment they are worth a look.
Lot.169. ‘West of Ireland Bogland’ by Frank Egginton. Est. €500-700
Full details of Adams sale here: 
Ross’s (Belfast) Sale of Irish Paintings
John Ross & Company (MIAVI),
37 Montgomery Street, Belfast, Co.Antrim, BT1 4NX
Tel: (028) 9032 5448 Fax. (028) 9033 3642
Email: info@ross.ie
AUCTION OF IRISH PAINTINGS
287 Lots including works by William Percy French, James Humbert Craig, Maurice Canning Wilks, Gregory Moore, Kenneth Webb and Wycliffe Egginton. Plenty of value and much to choose from – time to purchase an early Christmas present? Star of the sale, for me anyway, is Lot.33. “The Ben Crom Reservoir, Upper Silent Valley” an oil on canvas by Maurice Canning Wilks which carries a paltry reserve of £1,000 – £1,500! An iconic painting which perfectly captures the meeting of the industrial revolution with nature or it could just be a picture of a dam in the mountains. Either way, it’s a steal at that price.
Lot.33. “The Ben Crom Reservoir, Upper Silent Valley” oil on canvas by Maurice Canning Wilks. Est. £1,000 – £1,500
On: Wednesday 3rd October, 2012 at 7.00pm
At: The Salerooms, 37 Montgomery Street, Belfast
Viewing:
Tuesday 2nd October from 10.00am – 8.00pm
Day of sale from 10.00am – 5.00pm
Catalogue click here: 
Ross’s (Belfast) Online Auction of Irish Art
John Ross & Company (MIAVI),
37 Montgomery Street, Belfast, Co.Antrim, BT1 4NX
Tel: (028) 9032 5448 Fax. (028) 9033 3642
Email: info@ross.ie
SEPTEMBER ONLINE IRISH ART AUCTION
400+ Lots including more landscapes than you could shake a big stick at! Some real treasures here and many being sold with no reserve. My favourite is the painting below of former Irish Lightship “Petrel” which now serves as the clubhouse for the Down Cruising Club at Strangford Lough in County Down.
Lot.17. “Ballydorn, Strangford Lough” oil on board by Colin Gibson. Est.£150 – £200
Starts: Thursday 6th September at 10.00am
Ends: Wednesday 12th September at 7.00am
Online catalogue click here: 
Gormley’s August (Online) Auction of Affordable Irish Art
296 Lots of affordable Irish Art
All the usual suspects – Graham Knuttel, Verner Finlay, Thelma Mansfield, Gregory Moore, JP Rooney and many more besides.
This auction will take place on Tuesday, 14th August 2012 at 7.00pm.
Lot.6. “Following his Master Home” oil on canvas by Gregory Moore. Est.£180 to £260
Live online bidding and telephone bidding will be available during the auction.
For more details call +44 (0)28 90 663313
or email info@gormleysartauctions.com
Remember to use the (048) prefix if ringing from the Republic.
Viewing available by request in Gormley’s Dublin, Belfast of Omagh offices.
Catalogue click here: AUGUST ART CATALOGUE
Gormley’s (Online) Auction of Affordable Irish Art – Tuesday 3rd July, 2012 at 7.00pm
175 Lots of Irish Art many with low reserves are included in this sale. Not that many of the familiar names here but some gems nonetheless. Only three lots into the catalogue and I was captivated by the Louise Mansfield work pictured below. Small but perfectly formed and only carrying an estimate of £200 to £300.
Lot.3. “Girl and Boy on the Beach” by Louise Mansfield. Est. £200 to £300
Paintings can be viewed in Gormley’s Belfast, Dublin and Omagh offices by request.
For further information please call +44 (0)28 82 247738
or email info@gormleysartauctions.com
(048) prefix from the Republic.
Catalogue click here: CATALOGUE
Great value to be had at Ross’s (Belfast) Irish Art Auction – Weds.13th June, 2012
335 Lots of quality Irish Art go under the hammer at Ross’s Irish Art Sale on Wednesday 13th June. Amongst the paintings on offer are a large number by notable Irish landscape artists such as Maurice Canning Wilks, James Humbert Craig, Frank Egginton, George W. Morrison and Gregory Moore. Many of the works are in the early to mid hundred pound range and represent a very modest outlay for real quality. My favourite from the sale is the work below entitled “Mending the Tracks, Kells Railway Station” by Noel Shaw which carries a paltry estimate of £200 – £300.
Quality art has rarely been cheaper and now is the time to buy.
Lot.81. “Mending the Tracks, Kells Railway Station” oil on canvas by Noel Shaw. Estimate £200 – £300
Full catalogue online here: http://www.rosss.com/searchresults.asp?AucID=102
Viewing details etc. on the NI Auctions page here: NI Auctions
Prices hold up well at Whyte’s Sale of Important Irish Art
Whyte’s Sale of Important Irish Art on Monday grossed over €1.3 million. The star of the show was (Lot.47) the Louis le Brocquy Táin tapestries which sold for €245,000.
Generally prices met expectations but some of the big names only reached their lower pre-sale estimates. “The Pontoon” by Jack B Yeats (see pic further down this page) failed to set the world alight reaching only €49,000 against its pre-sale estimate of €50,000 – €70,000 ; probably more to do with the present economic climate than good taste! Even Paul Henry’s wonderful “Cottages, West of Ireland” Est.€60,000 – €80,000 only reached €56,000. Bucking the trend were works by Francis Bacon (Lot.27) “ Est.€6,000 – €8,000 sold for €25,000 and Sean Keating (Lot.69) Est.€25,000 – €35,000 which sold for €42,000.
Realisation list here: http://www.whytes.ie/AuctionPDFs/20120521PR.pdf
Whyte’s (Dublin) Sale of Important Irish Art – At the RDS on Monday 21st May, 2012
Monday 21st May next sees Whyte’s Sale of ‘Important Irish Art’ take place at the RDS in Ballsbridge. The company’s Managing Director, Ian Whyte, says it is one of the most valuable sales to have been held by his firm in recent years. Amongst the many undoubted treasures on offer are works by Louis le Brocquy, Paul Henry, Jack B Yeats, Sir John Lavery, James Humbert Craig, Frank McKelvey and a host of other big names. As Whyte’s pre-sale press release points out, in a sign of the times a number of the works come from a corporate collection in Northern Ireland being offered by the liquidator. With a lot of fine art now coming on the market in the next few weeks, in the middle of a very serious economic downturn, it will be interesting to see if prices hold up or will there be bargains to be had. Sotheby’s sale of ‘British & Irish Art’ on May 10th saw half the Irish lots on offer go unsold – including two works by Louis le Brocquy – whether this is a foretaste of things to come only time will tell. I imagine things will pan out in much the same way as the property market and quality will hold its value – so keep away from the work of Sean Scully, Michael Mulcahy, William Crozier etc.etc. To my mind the Paul Henry paintings in the sale are head and shoulders above the Le Brocquy and Yeats works and, in all probability, much more affordable!
Lot.44. ‘The Curragh’ a watercolour by Louis le Brocquy. Est. €5,000 – €6,000
Lot.63. ‘The Pontoon’ oil on board by Jack B Yeats. Est.€50,000 – €70,000
I wouldn’t give either wall space but then I’m only a peasant and am not sophisticated enough to appreciate ‘fine’ art! Give me the chocolate box art that launched a thousand railway posters any time – Paul Henry, the undisputed master of the genre, has four wonderful paintings in the sale. No need for any member of the intelligentsia to explain what the artist was trying to convey either!
Lot.76. ‘Cottages, West of Ireland’ oil on canvas by Paul Henry. Est.€60,000 – €80,000
Pre-sale videos, online catalogues etc. here: http://www.whytes.ie/
Ross’s (Belfast) Online Irish Art Sale
John Ross & Company (MIAVI),
37 Montgomery Street, Belfast, Co.Antrim, BT1 4NX
Tel: (028) 9032 5448 Fax. (028) 9033 3642 – (048) from the Republic.
Email: info@ross.ie
ONLINE IRISH ART SALE
319 lots of Irish Art, offered at highly competitive estimates.
Many well known artists including Graham Knuttel, Verner Finlay, Gregory Moore and all at very affordable prices. Most of the art on offer carries estimates in the low hundreds – and less!
Lot.93. “Sandycove”. Watercolour drawing by Carrie O’Duinn. Est.£250 – £350. A beautiful, if slightly surreal interpretation but then isn’t that Sandycove to a tee!
View catalogue click here: CATALOGUE
Starts: 9th May 2012 at 10:00am
Ends: 16th May 2012 at 7:00pm
(Bidding on lots will end at one min intervals from this time)
Sale Duration: 7 days
Collect Ireland 