Higher prices paid for N.Z. art works

Press, 3 November 1981, Page 12

Higher prices paid for N.Z. art works

Wellington Reporter Higher prices gladdened the hearts of vendors at the half-yearly national art auction held by Dunbar Sloane, Ltd, in Wellington. : Important works by Van der Velden and Frances Hodgkins were the highlights of the sale. But only J. C. Hoyte of the major nineteenth century landscape artists was represented. The top price of $9OOO was paid for the massive oil by Van der Velden of “Le Bon Vivant.” whose flushed complexion and rotund body was thought to be that of Sir Walter Buller, author of the famous “History of the Birds of New Zealand." An unsigned oil of a “Carved and Decorated Cabinet" .bv the same artist sold for $lBOO. Works by Frances Hodg-

kins sold well. A pair of water-colours — “Portrait of a Fisherman with Cherrywood Pipe” and .“Portrait of the Fisherman’s Wife” — sold for $7OOO and $5BOO respectively. A large gouache, “October,” made $4900 and a pen and charcoal, “Still Life in Landscape,” fetched $2600. The big J. C. Hoyte watercolour, "Entrance, Whangarei Harbour,'’ sold for $5900 and his water-colour, “Lake and Mountain Scene,” made $4OOO. The fine Alfred Sharpe water-colour, “View of the Waikato from Telegraph Hill, Mercer,” sold for $7OOO.

C. D. Barraud. John Gully, and C. Blomfield were not well represented at’ the auction, but works by T. Peerless were in demand, fetching up to $2BOO for the water-colour. ‘‘Lake

Wanaka." Works by L. W. Wilson, W. G. Baker, and J. Elder Moltray were also keenly sought after, An interesting oil by Albin Martin of his “Tamaki Farm, 1865” made $2BOO. Of the twentieth century painters, Sydney Thompson had the best sale, fetching $3600 for “Shy.” an oil of a Breton girl. The John Weeks oil on board, “St Ives, Cornwall,” was sold for $3BOO, and works by Owen Merton, Margaret Stoddard. J. Gibb. Alfred Walsh, and J. D. Perrett were also in demand. There were two G. F. Goldie pencil drawings of Maori women, the more interesting of. which sold for $llOO. But the best Maori work was the big P. J, Waddington oil, “Two Maori Boys Smoking Pipes,” which realised $l6OO.