The upcoming Exceptional Irish Art sale at Whyte’s is set to showcase the work of several prominent female artists, with a total of 149 lots of Irish art up for bidding. Among the featured artists is the late Barbara Warren, a celebrated figure among Irish female artists such as Mainie Jellett, Evie Hone, May Guinness, Norah McGuinness, and Elizabeth Rivers, known for their pioneering work in the art world. Barbara’s connection to this group ended with her passing in 2017.
Barbara’s oeuvre is well represented, with her piece Like a Dream (lot 57, €4,000-€6,000) considered a highlight reflecting the finest aspects of her work. A Paris-trained student of André Lhote, a renowned cubism academician, Barbara’s other pieces are also available for bidding (lots 55, 56 & 58).
Additionally, pieces by Norah McGuinness and Mainie Jellet are up for auction. McGuinness’s Wild Cherry, 1961 (lot 40, €6,000-€8,000) is likely to invite competitive bids, while Jellet’s Study for Bog and Sea (lot 33, €2,000-€3,000) is a worthy investment due to her growing demand.
Works by Drogheda-born artist Nano Reid are also part of the sale, including Dublin Quayside (lot 37, €6,000-€8,000). Reid, who honed her skills at international art institutes including the Metropolitan School of Art, Dublin, the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, Paris, and the Central School, London, now has her piece up for auction for the first time.
The auction’s highest bidding estimation is for a work by Paul Henry, titled Cottages by a Lake, Achill, Connemara. The scene, unmistakably attributed to Paul Henry, has been privately held since 1975 and is projected to sell for €180,000-€220,000. A uniquely captivating etching from the artist, Pegasus (lot 16, €10,000-€15,000), is also among the lots available at the sale.
“The auction will spotlight renowned artist, William Scott, a veritable luminary in the sphere of abstract and semi-abstract artwork. Originating from Scotland in 1913 to Irish and Scottish parents, his family relocated to Enniskillen when he was 11, seeking improved living conditions. Scott’s artistic genius achieved national and, later, worldwide acclaim, particularly in the aftermath of World War II. One of his significant pieces, ‘Jug and Pear, 1983’ (lot 80, projected to fetch between €120,000 and €180,000), was produced towards the end of his career, before Alzheimer’s disease took hold in 1986. He passed away three years later, in 1989.
The auction, scheduled for Monday, March 11th at the Freemasons Hall in Molesworth Street, Dublin 2, will feature other notable works by Lilian Lucy Davidson, Grace Henry, Harry Kernoff, George Campbell, Daniel O’Neill, Patrick Collins, and Louis le Brocqquy. Interested parties may also participate online.
The forthcoming week will bustle with activity at Adam’s auction house. Commencing the spring auction roster is The Jewellery Box at 2pm on Monday, March 11th. Potential bidders who are yet to make their gift choices may discover a sparkling surprise perfect for Mother’s day.
Adam’s maintains that the event caters predominantly to budget-conscious buyers, presenting a chance for nascent collectors to start their collections affordably or find gift ideas for loved ones. The price spectrum for the 187 sale items varies from €50 to €7,000, with Hermès and Freywille costume jewellery expected to go for a few hundred euros.
One intriguing piece is a pair of Tiffany & Co diamond ear studs (lot 1), with an estimated value of €500-€700, considerably less than the €1,550 retail price for comparable items at Tiffany.”
This auction contains numerous artefacts from different periods, particularly from the 19th and mid-20th centuries. A highlight of the sale is lot 140, a necklace made of gold and topaz from the 19th century, estimated to fall in the €500-€700 price range. Lot 46, a bracelet made of 18K gold originating from France, is expected to fetch between €1,700-€2,200 and dates back to the mid-20th century.
An online auction of art will also take place at Adam’s, ideal perhaps for budding collectors on a budget. The sale consists of a diverse selection of drawings, watercolours, and prints. Notably, the sale boasts a collection of sketches by Mainie Jellett (lots 51-59) and an exquisite watercolour by renowned stained-glass creator Richard Joseph King (lot 1, €800-€1,200). King was an assistant to Harry Clarke, and together they crafted beautiful stained-glass windows.
Other works of interest in the auction belong to artists like Graham Knuttel (lots 4-9), Markey Robinson (lot 2 €3,000-€5,000), and Trevor Geoghegan (lot 22, €2,500-€3,500).
Looking for something unique? Usher Auctions in Kells, Co Meath, has just the thing with an antique and collectible online auction, ending at 6pm on the 11th of March. Their items include a notebook documenting the catalogue of the Drawing Room Library, owned by the Marquis of Headfort of York Palace in 1806. The notebook began as a record book and evolved into a repository of architectural notes, with an estimate of €200-€400. There’s also a lot of superior model trains from private collections, including Fleischmann, Liliput and Rocco brands, with pieces ranging from locomotives to control systems (€100-€200).
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