D & H’s mid-July auction was certainly a strong indication of regained market confidence, achieving a total sales amount of AU$8.8m.  Auction records were achieved for a number of works, most notably for the star attraction, Lot 7, Fred Williams, “Hummock in Landscape” selling for AU$ 2,822,726 (incl. BP), a new world auction record for the artist.

The ebullient press release subsequent to the sale, noted it was the “highest fine art auction total for 2020”, with its 129 lots achieving a 143% sale rate by and a 95% by volume: very impressive numbers.

What helped of course was for the most part, quality inventory; Lots 1 to 31 and Lots 41 to 75 comprised works from individual vendors and were to my mind, most of the prized lots; Lots 32 to 40 was devoted to a mixed bag of works from the Gene and Brian Sherman “Capsule V” Collection, which apart from the Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri at Lot 32 comprised artists formerly represented by Gene Sherman’s gallery; and the final lots 76 to 129 derivative of the “Peter and Renate Nahum Collection of Aboriginal Art”, a notable collection assembled over a period of 20 years and with the imprimatur of a curator’s eye.

In addition to the Fred Williams, there were several other notable sales.  Robert Rooney’s “Canine Capers VII” at Lot 4 exceeded its high estimate of $35K selling for $44,182 (incl. BP); a rather disquieting portrait of a young child by Australian Impressionist painter, Iso Rae at Lot 11 was nevertheless a clear market favourite escalating to sell at $270K against its high estimate of $50K; a choice Hans Heysen at Lot 14, of an “engaging example of man and beast resting in the shade of noble gums”, a favourite Heysen theme, enjoyed a galloping romp to achieve $601,363 (incl. BP) well above its high estimate of $200K; and my favourite, Imants Tillers’s “magnificent, Wynne prize-winning painting” at Lot 41, “Waterfall (After Williams)”, selling for nearly double its high estimate, for $83,454 (incl. BP).

There were also a number of other artists substantially exceeding their high estimates: a lengthy & narrow Cressida Campbell, a classic Eugene von Guérard, a Tom Roberts formerly owned at one point by notable dealer and collector Joseph Brown, a rather ‘hair-raising’ Brett Whiteley self-portrait, a sublime ceramic still-life group by Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, a highly significant 1989 work by Rover Thomas, a late work by Emily Kame Kngwarreye of explosive colour, and two stunning Bush Plum paintings by Angela Pwerle.