Contemporary works from fledgling Irish artists, alongside the country’s “most prominent and compelling” names, will take place at an art exhibition and sale at Herman’s auctioneers over the period March 24th-27th.
Entitled Dessel (said to derive from the Irish term deiseal meaning clockwise), the sale will feature works including an early watercolour by Louis le Brocquy, “a monumental classical allegory” by Conor Walton, alongside pieces by Patrick Hennessy, Mildred Anne Butler, Shane Berkery and Mary Swanzy. Works will be in situ at Herman’s office at 10 Wicklow Street, Dublin over the course of next weekend, with bidding ending on March 27th.
‘Click and win’
Whyte’s spring timed online art sale is live, ending April 3rd. Many renowned Irish artists are featured in the sale, which will “encourage both cautious first-time buyers and seasoned bidders to click and win”, according to the catalogue notes. Works by Thomas Ryan and Elizabeth Cope feature alongside affordable works, such as a lithographic print of Evie Hone’s Head of Christ (€400-€600) and Crucifixion (€250-€350), to Barry Castle’s most interesting oil Deep in Thought, at €700-€1,000.
Art and whiskey
Dolan’s spring auction of Irish art and rare Irish whiskeys is now open for bidding, ending on Monday March 20th. Paintings and sculpture include works by Patrick Hennessy, Mark O’Neill, John Behan, Charles Harper and Henry Morgan. The sale has rare lots of Midleton Whiskey from as early as 1985. “We find they are increasingly sought-after by collectors at home and abroad, from Galway to Sydney,” says Niall Dolan of the auction house. Highlights include a collection of 12 Midleton Very Rare (2012-2022) in one lot, all of which are in their original boxes. There are two bottles from 2017, one of which is in the old-style bottle; the second is the new model (€10,000-€12,000).
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Affordable art
De Vere’s March Irish Art Auction, which is open for bidding and ends on Tuesday March 28th, has viewing at 35 Kildare Street, Dublin from Thursday March 23rd. “It’s an ideal auction to purchase a piece of quality without breaking the bank,” says the curator of the sale, Rory Guthrie. Highlights include three watercolours depicting illustrative qualities of the late Pauline Bewick, who died last year. White Ship, Estuary October by John Shinnors is the top lot (€7,000-€10,000), followed by another abstract in the form of Tony O’Malley’s Coast Storm, Clare Island (€7,000-€10,000). Senufo Heddle Pulley with Egg Drawing features artist Liam Belton’s signature hens’ eggs alongside the wood implement used by the Senufo peoples of the Côte d’Ivoire, in a work of exceptional photorealism (€4,000-€6,000).
More affordable works include the lovely watercolour Interior of a Market by Desmond Carrick, estimated at €100-€200; there are about 10 paintings in that price bracket. An impressive work is that of the late Richard Kingston, Sea Encroachment from 1974. It’s a statement piece measuring 76 x 122cm and is a wonderful, atmospheric landscape by the artist. He was elected a full member of the RHA in 1980, and sat on its board, while he also served on the National Gallery’s board of governors from 1982 until 1989 (€2,000-€4,000).
