In what is becoming de rigeur in cataloguing a Fine Art auction, Bonhams commenced their online August sale with a line-up of relatively modest or typical for the era works by some well-known Impressionist and Modernist women artists; Dorritt Black, Janet Cumbrae-Stewart, market favourite Claire Beckett, May Gibbs and Florence Fuller. 

And whilst typically the first 6 to 8 lots of an auction can simply be the warm-up act to the ‘main event’, the high valued lots, we had only just comfortably arrived at Lot 4, Clarice Beckett’s “Moonlight and Calm Sea” when the tide certainly turned.  With a high estimate of $70K, bidding continued well beyond this anticipated figure with Beckett’s iconic 1931 oil finally selling for $116,850 (incl BP).  The enthused bidding continued for Lot 5’s small oil on card by May Gibbs with a final sale of $7380 (incl BP), again, well above its high estimate of $1800.  However, it was her next work at Lot 6, “Chrysanthemums” of 1894 which elicited perhaps an unexpected wash of collector competition, as the high estimate of $3000 was well and truly obliterated with the drawing room painting eventually selling for $39,360 (incl. BP). 

Lara Nicholls’s insightful catalogue essay regarding the fresh to market Lot 7 “Mother and Child”, by Florence Ada Fuller no doubt provided some of the impetus behind the strong bidding on this intimate and technically sublime oil on canvas, selling at an impressive $221,400 (incl. BP).

With a momentary lull in proceedings and perhaps some temporary respite in competitive bids, it was still a little surprising that Cressida Campbell’s screenprint at Lot 13 only just meeting its reserve, selling at $11,685 (incl. BP).  Gwynn Hanssen Piggot’s suite of woodfired porcelain at Lot 14 however sold well at $30,750 against a high estimate of $24,000. 

Other highlights from the sale included Jeffrey Smart’s elegant 1961 oil on board “The Road” which sold close to its high estimate of $350K for $393,600 (incl BP); the Lin Onus at Lot 34 continued the market’s support of this artist, albeit selling just under it high estimate of $60K, for $61,500 (incl. BP); “Crooked Tree, You Yangs” by Fred Williams at Lot 35 continued in the same manner, selling for $516,600 (incl. BP) against a high estimate of $550K; although John Coburn’s “Autumn Sun” at Lot 44 saw some engaged bidding, with a final sale price of $39,360 against its high estimate of $28K; and the recent fervour for all things Quilty slipped slightly with his very painterly “Flinders Street” of 2002 selling at mid estimate for $79,950 (incl BP).

Works of varying quality by Nolan, Boyd, Dickerson and Blackman saw mixed results, although pleasingly Lot 77, Arthur Boyd’s “Dry Dam, Wimmera” saw a respectable sale at $129,150 (incl BP) against its high estimate of $100K, with the proceeds of this sale to go towards supporting the work of Medecins sans Frontieres.

©Catherine Asquith 2021