In 1968, Air India brought Salvador Dalí, a well-known Spanish surrealist onto a unique project. They asked him to design an ashtray for their first-class fliers. At the time, smoking on planes was a norm, and the payment for the project was an unusual one: a baby elephant. Dalí’s ashtray design was symbolic, featuring swans transforming into elephants. This was a reflection of his famous “paranoia critical method”. As for the reason behind the request for an elephant, speculations are that Dalí wanted to ride the elephant across the Alps.
The ashtrays commissioned were crafted from Limoges porcelain and were offered as gifts to esteemed individuals such as King Juan Carlos. Supposedly, only a total of 500 pieces were manufactured. However, there’s one in particular numbered 858 that’s up for sale at Morgan O’Driscoll’s event which raises questions as mischievous misnumbering is a recognised trait of Dalí’s. The ashtray is expected to bring €800-€1,200. The procured baby elephant from Bangalore Zoo was transported to Dalí’s Cadaqués residence. The town was adorned in festive mode for three days with Indian tea and rose champagne adding to the merriment. Nevertheless, Dali’s envisioned Alpine expedition with the elephant never took place and the creature preferred solitude at Barcelona Zoo.
Morgan O’Driscoll’s auction is also highlighting two portraits making a fascinating narrative about the evolution of art. William Orpen’s 1904 “Portrait of Mrs Jessie Wertheimer (nee Trautz)” opens the narrative. Priced between €10,000-€15,000, the portrait is a romanticist piece with a misty background contrasting with the protagonist’s striking, clear-eyed stare. Orpen’s work was considerably admired by Charles Wertheimer, an art dealer and second husband to Mrs. Jessie Wertheimer. This can be contrasted with the commanding €310,000 attained in 2021 at deVeres for Orpen’s “After the Ball”, a more composed, lavish piece reflecting his “golden treadmill” phase in the 1920s.
The portrait “Portrait of a Lady,” created by Genieve Figgis in 2013 (valued between €30,000 and €50,000), depicts a unique gaze that has evolved over the last 100 years. Its historical overtones can be seen in the subject’s blue dress and hairstyle, but what stands out most is the face. Figgis utilizes her signature style of painting, producing a portrait that is partially blurred and stripped down to an almost skeletal appearance, suggesting a thorough and intimate vision of the subject. This technique has made Figgis a prominently modern artist, while still upholding traditional artistic roots, including those of Orpen.
Often, the regret of collectors comes more from missed occasions to acquire works than from the acquisitions they make. This could be failing to purchase the artwork of an emerging artist, or overlook a piece right before it gains recognition. This certainly applies to Figgis, whose works were quite affordable a decade ago when she exhibited at Dublin’s Talbot Gallery. Her career trajectory took a turn for the fairy-tale when American artist Richard Prince recognized her talent online, introducing her to galleries and collectors. Suddenly, her works were snatched up for impressive sums. Though her pieces rarely go up for auction in Ireland, her 2013 “Lemon Queen” fetched €29,000 at Whyte’s auction house just last year.
The Morgan O’Driscoll sale also features a crayon abstract sketch by Frank Auerbach, titled “Primrose Hill #17” from 1980. Given the recent sale of Auerbach’s 1969 oil painting “Mornington Crescent” at Sotheby’s for $7.1 million (€6.6 million), we are reminded of the significant impact a medium can have on an artwork’s value. “Primrose Hill #17,” for instance, has an estimated value of €15,000-€25,000.
Two prints from the Ladies and Gentlemen series by Andy Warhol, dating back to 1975, are each estimated to be valued between €7,000 and €9,000. Their value might rise due to the recent surge of interest in Warhol’s work, propelled by Hugh Lane’s recent record-breaking exhibition named Three Times Out, featuring the artist. Another captivating art piece is Roderic O’Connor’s Villas near the Sea, Cassis, created in 1913 and estimated to be worth between €70,000 and €100,000. These can be viewed in Skibbereen till April 1st, followed by exhibitions at the RDS in Dublin from April 5th-8th, ahead of the auction on April 9th.
You can explore more of Orpen’s creations at the Farmleigh Gallery, which is hosting the Sir William Orpen: A Family Legacy exhibition. It includes Orpen’s paintings, sketches, and mementos, as well as watercolour paintings by his family members. The gallery is also displaying a series of recently uncovered photographs by historian and photographer Goddard Henry Orpen, a second cousin of the renowned artist. Both exhibitions will be open until August 25th, with free admission and closed on Mondays.