This, the second of our Collector’s Auctions presents an eclectic selection of fine and decorative arts that span time and place, offering inspired buying opportunities.
The George III Cuban Mahogany Full Front Bookcase c.1740 ($3,000-$5,000) is presented displaying a range of highlights from The Collector’s Auction. The extensive collection of English blue and white transfer decorated porcelain is represented by a Dr Wall period Worcester Blue and White Transfer Teapot c.1755-70 ($300-$500), decorated in a version of The Fence pattern; a Wedgwood Blue and White Transfer Jug c. 1820 ($400-$600), decorated in the Absalom’s Pillar pattern; and a Caughley Cabbage Leaf Blue and White Transfer Jug c. 1775 ($500-$700), printed with a version of the Fisherman pattern.
A fine rare pair of English Regency Blue John and Ormolu Candlesticks, in the manner of Matthew Boulton c.1810 ($6,000-$8,000) are displayed with a fine quality Victorian Four Piece Sterling Silver Tea and Coffee service London 1857 ($1,500-$2,500). The glass collection includes an English Nailsea paperweight and Castleford doorstop Dumps c. 1880 ($300-$500). These ‘dumps’ or ‘dumpies’ were so-named because it was thought that they had been made from glass that had been dumped at the end of the day.
The auction also features works of art by foremost Australian contemporary artists including Del Kathryn Barton, Shaun Gladwell, Bill Henson, Euan Macleod and William Robinson. Henson’s Untitled 2005-06 ($15,000-$25,000) is a compelling landscape image of a rocky island rising from a dark ink-blue sea, silhouetted against a morning sky, demonstrating a masterful consideration of light and texture. Gladwell’s painting Anonymous Figure #4… Left Leg Forward 1998 ($20,000-$30,000) reveals a sophisticated appreciation for art history set within contemporary culture. It also shows an early interest in motion, and the relationship between the human figure and the forces of the natural world, which now define Gladwell’s video work.
William Robinson is widely recognised for his unique interpretation of the Australian landscape, transforming traditional one-point perspectives into multidimensional viewing experiences. He is also known for his whimsical portraits and farmyard scenes. He deploys the whimsy and charm of the latter to his ceramic works, as seen in William and the Goanna 1993 ($15,000-$25,000).
Robinson developed a collection of plates, pots and vases in partnership with the Queensland potter, Errol Barnes. Their collaboration began with an idea conceived by Ray Hughes when, around 1990, Hughes sent artists from his gallery stable to work with Barnes. Painting in glaze on spherical forms freed Robinson to painting in the round, providing a distorted picture plane that he affected in his landscape paintings.
The Collector’s Auction takes place on Tuesday 25 February in Sydney.
HAMISH CLARK / Head of Leonard Joel Sydney