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38 MOLESWORTH STREET,DUBLIN2,IRELAND
01 676 2888 fax 01 676 2880 info@whytes.ie whytes.ie
Dublinauctioneers Adam’s have increased the commission charged to buyers from 18% to 20% excluding VAT at 23%, making a gross premium of 24.6%, an increase of over 18% on 2011. Adam’s charge a further 3% plus VAT to Internet bidders making a total of 28.29% charges to buyers.
Whyte’s charge a total of 20% (16.26%) to all buyers, irrespective of whether they bid on the internet or in the room or by telephone. This is up to 41% less than theirDublincompetitors.
Charges to buyers at London auction houses such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams are considerably higher at 25% plus VAT = 30% gross and a further 4% is charged for Artists Resale Right on many artworks making a swingeing 34% premium for the unwary collector!
It pays to buy inDublin, and especially at Whyte’s where the collector is truly valued!
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38 MOLESWORTH STREET, DUBLIN 2, IRELAND
01 676 2888 fax 01 676 2880 info@whytes.ie whytes.ie
PRESS RELEASE: 10 April 2012
Artefacts and documents from three millenia comprise Whyte’s eclectic auction on Saturday 21 April next. Entitled “History, Literature and Collectibles” the sale starts with Celtic gold ring money from 1,200 BC and the lots represent a potted history of Ireland with books on antiquities, coins from both the Cromwellian and Williamite Wars, documents, weapons, medals and militaria relating to the Irish rebellions of 1798, 1867 and the War of Independence 1916 to 1921, as well as the turbulent times of the early Irish Free State right up to the ‘Northern Troubles’ of 1969 to 1998. Global events which concerned Irelandsuch as the two World Wars and, appropriately in the centenary year, the sinking of the Titanic, are also represented by historic and collectable documents and memorabilia.
THE TITANIC TELEGRAM
The centenary of the sinking of the Titanic has excited public interest in this month and one of the most exciting items in the sale directly relates to the sinking of this legendary ship. Lot 172 (estimate €20,000 to €30,000), a post office telegram was sent on the day of the sinking and dramatically declares the first news that “White Star Liner Titanic… is sinking in mid Atlantic as result of collision with iceberg”. It was received by Robert McComb a celebrated journalist with the Belfast Evening Telegraph and allowed the newspaper to be the only one in the British Isles to break the news on the same day as the sinking. Other Titanic interest items in the sale include survivors’ autographs (Lots 174, 175 and 176) and desirable White Star Line cups and saucers as used by passengers on ships such as the Titanic and Olympic (Lots 179 to 183 inclusive)
1916 RISING IN ENNISCORTHY
Amongst the many revolutionary interest items in the sale, lot 235 stands out as one of the most exciting items to come up for sale in recent years relating to the 1916 Rising. The lot, estimated at €5,000 to €7,000, comprises of three documents which until recently lay undiscovered in the private papers of Countess Wicklow and include only the second ceasefire order from the 1916 Rising recorded in private hands and as such is of immense importance and value. The single page order is addressed “To the Officers in Command” is signed and initialled by the Enniscorthy Garrison leaders Seamus Doyle and Robert Brennan. When the British Army arrived in the town en masse on 29 April they attempted to tell the Enniscorthy Rebels that theirDublincounterparts had already surrendered. The Wexford men refused to believe them and both Seamus Doyle and Sean Etchingham were brought toDublinto see Pearse who confirmed the situation and the same day the order in this archive was given.
A SQUALID SQUABBLE OVER PEARSE’S MONEY
Over the years historians have investigated many different aspects of Patrick Pearse’s life yet the heretofore unpublished documents offered as lot 252 (estimate €2,000 to €3,000) in the auction shed an interesting light on the financial affairs of one of Ireland’s most famous revolutionary leaders. The correspondence between The Hibernian Bank Dublin, and Sun Life Assurance Society,Londonshows that Pearse apparently gave his life insurance policy as security for a loan of about £663 from The Hibernian Bank. A week to the day of Pearse’s execution the bank wrote to Sun Life to make a claim on the policy. Remarkably Sun Life claimed that “the circumstances under which [Pearse] met his death rendered…the policy void” due to the fact that under Common Law if the Assured is ” killed in a duel, or feloniously destroys himself, or dies by the hand of the common hangman, or public executioner, the Policy is void”. After much correspondence, during which Cullenswood House (home of St. Enda’s School, which Pearse founded and ran) was described as “practically valueless” since “the alterations made by Mr Pearse, to adapt the premises for a school, render them quite unsuitable as a dwelling” Sun Life eventually agreed to pay Hibernian Bank the “Sum Assured and Bonuses” but “not to allow any proceeds to benefit the Estate of the Life Assured”. Thus Pearse’s mother and family were not to receive a penny from Sun Life. On 30 June 1916 the Bank received £329.16s.4d in settlement of the policy. Here the correspondence ends a squalid dispute between two financial institutions over the estate of the dead patriot, who, before his death, was a valued customer of both.
A RARE MEDAL FROM AN EXTRAORDINARY
ALL-IRELAND MATCH!
Lot 486 (estimate €8,000 to €10,000) is a winner’s medal awarded to Michael Curran of Young Irelands, Wexford for the most remarkable All-Ireland final in the history GAA. The match was arranged to be played at Ashtown near thePhoenixParkbut the pitch was unplayable, described by the Wexford Independent at the time as “a graveyard overgrown with grass…” The crowd of approximately 2000, which had come to see the game made their way to the polo pitch in the nearbyPhoenixParkin hope that the game could take place there. The polo pitch, however, had no markings or goalposts that were suitable for a football match, but ingenuity triumphed and city drivers placed their jaunting cars at intervals around the pitch while the people in between the cars acted as the boundary lines. When the match finally did get underway the Young Irelands went into an early lead with the benefit of the hill. The second half sawCorkdisallowed a goal and “aCorkman swooped down on Paddy Curran who was bending over the ball and gave him an open kick in the face which turned his left eye out of his head…”. This led to a mass invasion of the pitch and after theDublinreferee did eventually restore order and asked the teams to replace their casualties, theCorkteam refused to return to the pitch handing the title to Wexford with a winning score of 1-1 to 0-2. A rare medal from an extraordinary matc.
OLD IRISH POUNDS WORTH A LOT MORE THAN EURO!
With all the bad news about the Euro these days we can take comfort in the fact that the old Irish pound (or punt) is still worth more than the sterling pound. And at Whyte’s the older the Irish pound the better. A 1938 Ten Pound note issued by the Munster & Leinster Bank (now part of AIB) is expected to fetch €2,000 to €3,000 (lot 666). A 1943 silver florin (two shilling piece), the equivalent of about 13 cent, is valued at €8,000 to €10,000 (lot . Why is it so rare – well the Central Bank decided to stop using silver in the coinage that year due to the war and ordered all silver coins to be withdrawn. It is believed that a few hundred escaped, of which this is one, making it the scarcest moderrn Irish coin.
Other coinage includes pieces of Celtic gold ring money from 1200BC (lots 1 and 2, estimates from €800 to €4,000) as well as a fourpence from Kilkenny during the Cromwellian Wars (Lot 553) and money made from melted cannon to pay King James’ soldiers in the Williamite Wars of 1688-1690 (lots 555 to 559, estimates from €80 to €150).
ENDS
Further information from Ian Whyte (iw@whytes.ie) or Conor Dodd (cd@whytes.ie) – Tel: (01) 676 2888 or 087 2323214 (Ian’s mobile) . [Please note: High resolution colour or b&w scans can be supplied on CD as JPEG or TIFF format files in either RGB or CMYK mode. Please indicate which ones you want, the format and mode required, the address and contact and we will deliver].
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An eclectic collection including, on the centenary of its sinking, memorabilia of the Titanic, also rare James Joyce first editions, medieval statues, 1970s Ulster paramilitary archive, historic and literary manuscripts, documents, rare books, maps, prints, photographs, flags, medals, militaria, sporting and entertainment memorabilia, stamps, coins and banknotes just to mention a few of the myriad of collecting interests to be found– a real treasure trove for collectors and historians.
AUCTION: Saturday, 21 April
VIEWING: Wednesday to Friday 18 to 20 April 10am-6pm
VENUE: Whyte’s Galleries, 38 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2
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Whyte’s first sale of 2012 showcases the very best in Irish and British art within a market that has blossomed following the successes of last year’s sales. With over 270 examples by some of the most renowned names in the industry this sale offers a fantastic opportunity for collectors old and new to add to their collection at a time when works remain keenly priced.
LOVERS IN A GARDEN 50,000 - 70,000
SEDUCED BY A PRE-RAPHAELITE MASTER WITH A DICKENSIAN CONNECTION
Rarely seen in Ireland and never before offered at auction here, Charles Edward Perugini, the Italian born British artist, makes his first appearance in Ireland at Whyte’s gracing the front cover of the auction catalogue with LOVERS IN A GARDEN, lot 43 estimated at €50,000-€70,000. Perugini, born “Carlo” in Naples, studied art in Paris and Italy where he met Lord Frederick Leighton under whose tutorage he submitted to the Royal Academy. Associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement, Leighton had a profound influence on Perugini. Like his mentor, he adopted a fondness for art of the Early Renaissance and Medieval Age which advocated a moral message, a truthful depiction of nature and an acute attention to detail, all qualities that were in stark contrast to art produced by the majority of their contemporaries in an era of mass industrialisation. Perugini married Charles Dickens’ daughter, Kate, in 1873. She was an artist and muse to members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. It is possible that the lovers depicted in Lovers in a Garden are an idealised portrayal of husband and wife, the figure of the man with his distinctly Italianate colouring and aquiline nose point to a possible self-portrait while images of Kate are comparable to the present “child-bride”. Exquisitely painted, the lovers are captured in a moment of quiet intimacy seated on a stone bench and framed by roses and foliage. Radiating with classical charm this work is sure to enchant bidders on 12 March.
Jack Butler Yeats, ON THE COURTHOUSE STEPS, 1946; 90,000-120,000
YEATS’ COMMENT ON THE SELF-IMPORTANCE OF THE LEGAL ESTABLISHMENT
Coming from legal stock it is understandable that Jack B. Yeats would have had a keen interest in the courts and legal pursuits in Ireland. Several of his early sketchbooks show images of rural trials and the courts also feature in some of his favourite novels and plays. Lot 29, ON THE COURTHOUSE STEPS, 1946 estimated at €90,000-€120,000 was made in a remarkably prolific year and, like many of his later oils, was undoubtedly inspired by memories from the past. The painting shows a vagrant resting on the steps of Naas courthouse, Co. Kildare. His stick and bundle of belongings are beside him and his casual appearance is in marked contrast to the classical formality of the building which is typical of the grand-style architecture of Irish court houses. These were designed to project a sense of authority on to the surrounding streets and their inhabitants, although this is not evident in Yeats’ picture. Here the figures in the scene take centre stage, the reclining traveller and to the right a child who emerges running from the shadows pulling her tiny companion in a go-cart behind. All three figures evoke the idea of free spirits at either ends of their imaginative lives. A strutting cockerel on the steps of the court house adds to the sense of the pastoral. It may also be a humorous allusion to the self-importance of the legal establishment and the official role of the court house.
FROM THE SERIES THAT LAUNCHED BALLAGH’S CAREER
Had it not been for his series of ‘People Looking at Paintings’ Ballagh may not have broken into the international art arena when he did. In 1972 he was down on his luck with cancelled shows in New York and no money coming in. On Cecil King’s advice he travelled to the Basel Art Fair and it was there he was approached by the Parisian Galerie des Quatre Mouvements who bought a collection from this series for £2,500. His luck changed. Following this he was invited to exhibit at an array of galleries one of the first being a group show, ‘Portrayal or Betrayal’ at the Nicholas Treadwell Gallery in London. Lot 12 MAN WITH A MAGRITTE, 1973 estimated at €25,000-€35,000, was Ballagh’s answer to portraiture in an era where the genre was seen as aesthetically redundant. It depicts the ebullient gallery owner, Treadwell, donning a white suit and standing in front of a window of shattered glass; a pastiche of Magritte’s work of the 1930s. The result was Ballagh’s answer to Moderism and audiences loved it. The shattered glass became a recurring motif used in portraits of the Miami Show Band, 1970 and recently Pat Finucane, 2006. The series itself ended in 1975 but its importance cannot be underestimated. MAN WITH A MAGRITTE is a fundamental artwork and key to any collection that prides itself in tracking the growth of modern art in Ireland.
NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS
Colin Middleton and Daniel O’Neill shine once more this spring; the first with an early work from 1940. Lot 23 SYCAMORES, estimated at €15,000-€20,000 shows Middleton at the start of his career when he began to absorb trends on the Continent and experiment with different styles. Van Gogh’s influence is particularly noticeable in this work in the treatment of the sky, the daubed application of paint and soft palette. It was an exciting time for Middleton and this early example is one of the few works which marks the early period of his career. Daniel O’Neill is represented in the sale by three examples, two in oil and one watercolour each showing a different aspect of his treatment of the landscape genre. FIGURE ON A SHORE, lot 24 estimated at €15,000-€20,000 is a surreal take on an Irish costal scene. The landscape is almost post-apocalyptic and the ever-present brooding female figure is shown reclining in the foreground inviting the viewer into the scene. BOATS IN FALCARRAGH, COUNTY DONEGAL, lot 28 €12,000-€15,000 is similar in its palette and eerie rendering of the environment but here the only sign of human presence is in the ramshackle boats in the foreground and the eerily still village beyond. The watercolour, simply titled LANDSCAPE, is gentler than the oils and was originally in the collection of art connoisseur Zoltan Lewinter Frankl; lot 26, estimated at €1,800-€2,200 this work would be an ideal purchase for those starting an art collection and looking for big names at a more affordable price.
ALL THE SINGLE LADIES
Sarah Purser, Grace Henry and Norah McGuinness are some of the great female artists represented in this sale. Each is am example of a pioneering woman who stepped out of their given role to carve their own groove in the art world as independent women. Purser’s WOMAN WITH A FAN, lot 42 estimated at €8,000-€10,000, is a striking portrait in oil which demonstrates her skills in the genre. The lady’s style is of the time and the delicacy of her clothes and features are picked up expertly by Purser’s hand. Grace Henry is represented with two works, COMING HOME, ACHILL ISLAND [THE WATER IS CALLED THE SOUND], c.1915, lot 41 estimated at €2,500-€3,500 and LAC D’ANNECY, THE ALPS, c.1930s, lot 25 estimated at €2,000-€3,000. The earlier work shows her reading of the West; quite different to that of her estranged husband. The second is the edgier work, painted in the 1930s when she was separated from Paul. It shows a bolder more personal style. Norah McGuinness’ BARLEY MOON, lot 22 estimated at €10,000-€15,000, was exhibited in 1964 and is as impressive now as it was then. A large scale oil it has a distinct theatricality to it, the moon acts like a spotlight within the painting and floods the foreground revealing her wonderfully luminous creamy brushstrokes. A delight for the eyes, this work was probably painted from the artist’s home in the Dublin Mountains looking down to Dublin Bay.
ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS
From the estate of Ernest Columba Hayes comes a rare insight into one of the lesser known figures in the Royal Hibernian Academy. The collection comprises lots 84 to 114 with estimates ranging from a couple of hundred euro for oils, watercolours, drawings and sketches.
A rare portrait of HARRY KERNOFF’S BROTHER, HERMAN FROM 1925, lot 32 estimated at €2,500-€3,500, leads a collection of ephemera including personal photographs, books, sketches and woodcuts that shed light on the Kernoff family life and affairs.
For those with an interest in the exotic there is a collection of watercolours by Henry George Gandy DSO OBE (1879-1950). Painted between 1924 and 1928 during which time Gandy was serving as a Lieutenant Colonel with the Royal Engineers in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). These delicate works serve as records of cultures and ways of life which have now changed almost beyond recognition. The popularity and quality of his artwork was demonstrated by the fact that his scenes of Hong Kong, China and Singapore were reproduced in books and also on postcards by the famous publishers Raphael Tuck. Lots 68 to 83 and estimated between €300 and €1,000 these rarities are bound to attract attention from home and abroad.
OLD AND NEW MASTERS
Some other artists within the sale which will delight collectors include works by Percy French, Frank McKelvey, James Humbert Craig, William Conor, Charles Lamb, James le Jeune, Patrick Hennessy, Markey Robinson, Neil Shawcross, Brian Ballard, Graham Knuttel, Mark O’Neill, Michael Hanrahan, Thomas Ryan, John Shinnors, Donald Teskey, Kenneth Webb and Gladys Maccabe and sculpture from Edward Delaney.
Viewing for this auction will be at the RDS Clyde Hall, off Anglesea Road, Ballsbridge from Saturday to Monday, 10 to 12 March 10am to 6pm daily. The auction will take place in the same venue on Monday 12 March at 6pm, and will be broadcast live at www.whytes.ie A superbly produced and expertly researched catalogue will be available by post (€5 to Ireland and Britain) or download free at www.whytes.ie prior to the sale.
ENDS
Further information from Adelle Hughes or Sarah Gates – Tel: (01) 676 2888 or 087 2323214. [Please note: High resolution colour or b&w scans can be supplied on CD as JPEG or TIFF format files in either RGB or CMYK mode. Please indicate which ones you want, the format and mode required, the address and contact and we will deliver].
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Whyte’s are still accepting entries for our History, Literature & Collectibles Auction taking place on the 21 of April 2012.
Contact: Conor Dodd Collectibles Specialist at 01 676 2888 or info@whytes.ie
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ENTRIES INVITED
After a very succesful 2011 we are looking forward to some
exciting sales of art and collectibles in 2012.
We are now cataloguing important sales of Irish & British Art – in the RDS on 12 March – and
History, Literature and Collectibles – on 21 April - and invite consignments.
Contact Sarah Gates or Adelle Hughes (Art) or
Conor Dodd (Collectibles) at 01 676 2888 or info@whytes.ie
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