Well the latest auction from Deutscher and Hackett did not disappoint.
With a strong Indigenous selection, the work on the cover of their catalogue, (Brett Whiteley – Dawn, 1974) had to perform on the night.
Perform…, well it certainly did.
Dawn, 1974 (Lavender Bay Series), Oil on Canvas – 91x60cm with estimates of $450,000 – $650,000 sold for $549,000 (inc BP)
The Deutscher and Hackett catalogue describes the piece as –
Exuding a sense of lyricism and tranquillity, Dawn, Lavender Bay Series, 1974 encapsulates well the sensuous Lavender Bay scenes for which Whiteley remains so widely acclaimed and admired.
Considered the crowning achievement of his career, the series signalled a marked departure from art as a reforming medium – from politics, social consciousness and a Rimbaudian vision of life as a contest between good and evil – towards tableaux strongly inspired by Matisse and his aspirations for ‘…an art of balance, purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter, an art which might be something like a good armchair in which to relax from physical fatigue.’ – VERONICA ANGELATOS
The other Whiteley that had my attention was Nude Bath, 1976 – pencil on paper, 36x27cm with estimates of $12,000 – $18,000. (pictured above right)
Now you can see why this had my attention.
With estimates like that, it could not be ignored, don’t get me wrong, there have been works of that ilk in the past that have had high estimates and have achieved even higher results.
Though my thoughts were a wash with, such a small work and only pencil on paper, surely this could not achieve the estimates at hand.
Well…., once again, the art market didn’t let me down in the surprise factor.
Let me remind you again…., with estimates of $12,000 – $18,000 and only 36x27cm, this pencil on paper work by Brett Whiteley sold for $36,000 (inc BP)
The word BOOM!, comes to mind when your hear such a result and questions flood the mind, questions that I would love to discuss with all of you at some point and questions that can be answered through subscribing to my in depth art market report.
Once again, the art market has surprised, performed and delivered real examples of true capital appreciation.
In total Deutscher and Hackett had the pre-sale estimates at $3.2 – $4.5 million
They achieved $4,235,291
86% sold by volume
108% sold by value
This latest result confirms what I’ve been advising people for a long time, that you should “Start your Collection for the Future, Today!”
Happy buying!
