This Month
James Wolfensohn’s Australian classics lead $14m art sale
The canvases by Arthur Boyd and Fred Williams adorned the Australian former president of the World Bank’s Manhattan apartment and lead Smith & Singer’s big mid-year sale.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
July
An $8.2m result affirms Ron Walker and Denis Savill’s taste in art
Just 28 works owned by two men who spent decades doing deals delivered one of the best auction results of the year.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
Vale Terry Ingram, and a life observing in the Saleroom
Saleroom’s founding columnist spent 44 years reporting stories the industry wanted to keep quiet, including the art sale story of the century on Blue Poles.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and piece of Oscar party history
An overexcited incident with the actor’s Gladiator statuette created a piece of history that is now going to auction with other art from Sydney restaurant Darcy’s.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
The horror of war in a century-old letter
A letter from the WWI front line and a book of poetry by a famous Sydney eccentric will be auctioned in a sale of arts, war and social history.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
He was terrified of planes, but Boyd’s works could fly at auction
Seven paintings by celebrated Australian artist Arthur Boyd are going under the hammer in Melbourne on July 24.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
June
- Exclusive
- Brett Whiteley
Fine art collection of late Ron Walker to fetch up to $8m
He helped build modern Melbourne but the works that hung in his Toorak mansion, and are now for sale, had a very Sydney flavour.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
‘Holy grail’ among rare sale of ‘holey dollars’
Australia’s first currency, the “holey dollars” and “dumps” that inspire the Macquarie logo, rarely come to auction. Now 12 will appear in a single sale.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
Big name Indigenous artists bring the love to Redfern
A high-end auction brings Indigenous art to the people, while Menzies hopes Kirk Douglas can be their hero.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
'Transfiguration'
Transfiguration, 2011, was created by Universal Everything and Realise Studio for the reopening of the digital arts gallery La Gaite Lyrique, Paris.
- Updated
‘Maison Autonome’ by Universal Everything
"It’s all about the figure in motion," says UE interactive creative director Joel Gethin Lewis.
- Updated
Selling a painting like it’s a mansion a plus for elite bidders
Del Kathryn Barton’s anatomy-bending work will be the tenth to be offered at private auction by Smith & Singer, a concept that borrows from high-end property sales.
The story of artist Christo’s $6m wrapped VW Beetle
Christo’s wrapped buildings are ephemeral and impossible to buy, so a 1961 VW Beetle wrapped in wax tarp presents as a rare opportunity.
- James Tarmy
May
One art mystery solved, a more costly one remains
The case of the missing corner might have been solved, but why were buyers so reluctant to spend?
- Elizabeth Fortescue
Are these contemporary artists the future of the market?
This annual auction of contemporary art presents living artists at relatively affordable prices, but this year bargain hunters proved harder to find.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
A little bird delivers record price for photographer
A bird in the hand might be worth two in the bush, but Petrina Hicks’ photo of a budgie in a girl’s mouth was worth plenty on an otherwise disappointing night.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
Brack bolts, Whiteley sinks on a tough night for art sales
A John Brack with a fabulous backstory was a rare highlight at Bonhams, as Leonard Joel wheels out the big contemporary names for its Centum sale.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
Australia’s best art auction result in 17 years
Bullish bidders dropped $17 million on Impressionists, Whiteleys and others at the strongest result for a mixed vendor sale since the heady pre-GFC days of 2007.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
April
Streeton stuns at $10m art auction
Arthur Streeton’s historic scene took top honours, but works by Bronwyn Oliver and Nicholas Harding were the big surprises.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
Family art collection left behind as PwC partner leaves Australia
The Caddy collection contains many lovely examples of paintings and works on paper by distinguished Australian artists at tempting estimates.
- Elizabeth Fortescue