Auction varies in quality

Press, 6 November 1985, Page 22

Auction varies in quality

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

The recent strong demand for quality New Zealand paintings was maintained at the recent National Art Auction in Wellington. However, some of the major artists were represented by only minor works, and the middle period of the sale lost its bouyancy.

A top price of $60,000 was paid for a huge John Gully watercolour of Milford Sound, a superb example of his work. A smaller Gully of Mt Cook fetched $26,000.

Three top works by Frances Hodgkins also met an excellent sale. Her oil of- “ The Family” made $42,000, the small late-period watercolour of “Barrels and Tanks” made $22,000, and her early-period watercolour, “Fruit Stall,” sold for $20,000.

Three works by J. C. Hoyte also sold very well. His small watercolour of “Geyserland Landscape” made $lO,OOO, his small watercolour of “Kaipara Harbour” sold for $6OOO, and his minute South/ Island scenic watercolour $3500. Two other artists to enjoy excellent sales were Maud Burge and Sydney Thompson, both of whom were

represented by their best work.

But the scenic paintings of such late nineteenth century artists as H. W. Kirkwood, T. R. Attwood, L. W. Wilson, T. Peerless, W. G. Baker and J. D. Perrett were a drag on the market. There were too many of them, and often they were both small and undistinguished, which dragged down the prices for their best work.

There was also a glut of paintings from such early twentieth century artists as T. A. McCormack, M. O. Stoddart, O. S. Bower, Blythe Fletcher and C. N. Worsley, which depressed the prices for their best works. The most popular artist of that period was John Weeks. Modern artists did well, with $13,006 for a Colin McCahon 1970 watercolour and pastel, and keen bidding for the works of Ralph Hotere, Jane Evans, Toss Woollaston, Peter MacIntyre and Douglas McDiarmid.

A feature of the sale was the 1853 folio by Janetta Cookson of mainly pencil sketches of the views around Akaroa, which'made $2600.