The Irish art market seems to be regaining some of its sparkle with two sales held last week at Adam’s and Whyte’s. Adam’s sold €1.58m worth of art including this Roderic O’Conor work that sold for €210,000:
It was one of four paintings by O’Conor in the collection which went under the hammer. Of the other three, a Landscape with Garden and Mountain sold for €36,000 (€35,000-€45,000); a Landscape with Trees, Nueil-sur-Layon made €25,000 (€50,000-€70,000); but, a nude, Le Drap Blanc (€60,000-€80,000) failed to sell.
Among other highlights from the Deepwell Collection: a tapestry by Louis le Brocquy, Cúchulainn IV (number two from an edition of nine) sold for €120,000, double the highest estimate (€40,000-€60,000); and an oil-on-board painting, The Port Authority by Seán Keating, made €80,000 (€80,000-€120,000).
Aside from the Deepwell Collection, other highlights in the sale included Passenger Line Black by Seán Scully which made €80,000 (€40,000-€60,000);
[M]anaging director James O’Halloran said afterwards “there was a ‘fizz’ in the saleroom that’s been missing for some time”.
Whyte’s totaled €850,000 worth of art:
[M]anaging director Ian Whyte said that bidders from 14 countries outside Ireland had participated via the internet.
