Art Market Monitor

Global Coverage ~ Unique Analysis

  • AMMpro
  • AMM Fantasy Collecting Game
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us

Australia’s Shapiro Gets Herman Sale

August 17, 2011 by Marion Maneker

Australia’s art market has been in a long contraction but the Sydney Morning Herald thinks there are signs of life in the upcoming September sales, including the Sept. 15th auction at Shapiro’s:

Shapiro’s drawcard is a Sali Herman collection that has never been on the market or exhibited before.

The managing director of Shapiro, Andrew Shapiro, started pursuing the Herman collection last October against competition from other auction houses. He secured it in May. The 17 paintings and three drawings, including some of the painter’s well-known inner-city street scenes, come from the estate of Andrew Curtis, a Holocaust survivor who did well in Australia and befriended Herman, who was also a Jewish refugee.

”It was very sought after because it is a full retrospective of his work from early to late career and some of his best work is in it,” Shapiro says.

”Are people spending? I’m not, but the luxury market is doing OK and someone always has money. In this market, what people want and what performs is a collection. Buyers want material that has not been on the market for 40 years so this is a real sale.”

At a Mossgreen auction held in June last year, Herman’s Argyle Place secured a record $137,425 for the artist’s work, including buyer’s premium. Shapiro’s cover painting is Terraces, Millers Point, a 1975 oil on canvas estimated to sell for between $30,000 and $50,000. Shapiro was excited to discover that the collection included the work Richmond Bridge, Tasmania ($20,000 to $30,000) and another Herman painting of which he had never heard, The artist’s studio with cat (self-portrait), ($30,000 to $50,000).

Auction Houses Paint a Rosy Picture (Sydney Morning Herald)

More from Art Market Monitor

  • Australian Painter Brett Whiteley Makes $3.9m RecordAustralian Painter Brett Whiteley Makes $3.9m Record
  • Sotheby’s Australia Comes Up Short with 42% Sell-ThroughSotheby’s Australia Comes Up Short with 42% Sell-Through
  • Australian Collectors Look OutwardAustralian Collectors Look Outward
  • Australian Banker Doubts His Whiteley’s AuthenticityAustralian Banker Doubts His Whiteley’s Authenticity
  • Aboriginal Art: Stop the Madness!Aboriginal Art: Stop the Madness!
  • Chinese Contemporary Up; Aboriginals DownChinese Contemporary Up; Aboriginals Down

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Australian

About Marion Maneker

LiveArt

Want to get Art Market Monitor‘s posts sent to you in our email? Sign up below by clicking on the Subscribe button.

  • About Us/ Contact
  • Podcast
  • AMMpro
  • Newsletter
  • FAQ

twitterfacebooksoundcloud
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
California Privacy Rights
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Advertise on Art Market Monitor
 

Loading Comments...