In the first of the marquee fine art auctions in the new year, Smith & Singer presented an unusually large catalogue of exactly 100 lots in Sydney. The equally large pre-sale estimates of $15.4-21.6 million put it in serious contention to be one of the highest-grossing fine art auctions ever in Australia. The start of the evening certainly promised to reach that auction milestone – and it did so convincingly, totalling just under $22 million including buyer’s premium and after sales, with a clearance rate of 80% on the night.
Several paintings could have been given front cover status, among them Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly and Horse, 1955 which was bestowed the signature in-depth research treatment. It sold for $3.375 million incl. buyer’s premium on estimates of $1.2-$1.8 million and is only the second painting by Nolan to surpass the $3 million threshold at auction.
Small Paintings Soar
It was also a night for punchy little paintings to excel beginning with Cressida Campbell’s tiny, Gumnuts 2008 (Lot 1), one of her highly prized incised woodblocks, was literally on the block with estimates of $15,000-$25,000. The diminutive picture measuring just 20 x 20 cm had surprisingly strong wall power and sold well above hopes for $35,000.
Meanwhile, Clarice Beckett mostly worked on a relatively small scale and Evening, Church Street Bridge (circa 1930) (Lot 2) was no different. Instantly recognisable vistas by the artist will usually exact a premium, so this lot was no doubt destined for success. On estimates of $80,000-$120,000, strong bidding flowed to $190,000 for this ethereal work.
There were no TACOs visible for William Robinson’s aptly titled Defending His Territory 2015 (Lot 4), again packing a punch at just 36 x 26 cm with unsurprising estimates of $15,000-$25,000. One of the most heavily bid artworks on the night however, the gouache on paper sold for a surprising $60,000.
A Night for Sculpture at Smith & Singer
It was also a fascinating night for sculpture, with about as diverse a grouping of excellent examples as you are likely to see. Web Gilbert’s emotive The Helping Hand (Lot 7), a maquette for the Shepparton and District War Memorial, was a perfect post-Anzac Day offering estimated at $25,000-$35,000. It was highly sought and achieved a new auction record for the artist at $48,000.
In complete contrast, Brett Whiteley’s large sinuous sculpture Hummingbird (1988, cast later) (Lot 35) sold for $250,000 right on its low estimate, as did Inge King’s colourful Conversation (2008, cast in 2019) (Lot 53) at $25,000. The sinuous Moreover 1996 (Lot 51), from an edition of just 4 by auction room favourite Clement Meadmore made a very nice $125,000, comfortably above hopes of $80,000-$120,000.
David Larwill’s Contemplating His Place in Humanity, 2011 (Lot 57) was strongly contemplated by a number of humans who pushed its price up to $50,000, well surpassing its estimates of $30,000-$40,000.
The sculpture with the most appeal was George Baldessin’s Pear (1971-1972, cast later) (Lot 59 ). This beautiful large bronze carried estimates of $180,000-$220,000 and was secured for $100,000 over the high hopes at $320,000 – which also set a new auction record for the artist, surpassing the previous auction high from April 2021 of $160,000, also set by Smith & Singer for another “Pear”.
Jacob Epstein’s two sculptures (Lot 94) (Lot 95) sold for $11,000 and $13,000 respectively. The last lot, British master sculptor Lynn Chadwick’s Miniature Figure II, 1977 (Lot 100) led the sale off into the sunset: the minuscule sculpture of 6.2 cm height sold for a massive $20,000, on estimates of $8,000-$12,000.
With five major paintings by Mr. Blue Sky, Arthur Streeton, it was going to be an interesting test of this art heavyweight. The first offering, The Harbour (1926) (Lot 9) in its original John Thallon frame came with hopes of $250,000-$350,000 and sold exceptionally well for $380,000.
A landscape created ten years later in 1936, Summer Haze (Lot 10) sold at its low estimate for $180,000. Just two lots later, another weather-inspired earlier landscape The Thunder Cloud (1907) (Lot 12) from this early environmentalist was clearly liked and sold for $170,000, well above expectations of $100,000-$150,000.
His Sunset and Pines, also from 1907 (Lot 45) did not sell on the evening on estimates of $180,000-$220,000. This slight lull however was overcome by an iconic harbour scene by Streeton, Harbour from Neutral Bay, 1926 (Lot 47), a sparkling and timeless example of the artist’s brilliance from 100 years ago. With the highest estimates of $300,000-$500,000 of the five Streeton works on offer on the night, it sold neatly for $450,000.
Grace Cossington Smith Excels
Predictably perhaps, two significant and complimentary pictures by Australia’s favourite and first modernist painter Grace Cossington Smith moved in the higher echelons of the art market. The Sideboard, 1959 (Lot 20) made for a very successful brown furniture sale, selling for $650,000 on hopes of $400,000-$600,000. Meanwhile, Drapery and Fruit in the Window, 1946 (Lot 36) sold on its low estimate of $350,000 (est. $350,000-$550,000).
Sidney Nolan and his Iconic Ned Kelly Series
A number of paintings in this sale could have been given front cover status, first among them Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly and Horse, 1955 (Lot 21). It was treated to Geoffrey Smith’s signature in-depth research, including the assembly of the images of 18 of the 20 works exhibited in the original show at the Redfern Gallery in London in May 1955, and also the original prices (that were not published in the catalogue at the time).
Early Morning Township, 1955, sold for 95 guineas in 1955, and in 2023, it sold with Deutscher + Hackett for $2.7 million including buyer’s premium. Ned Kelly and Horse was priced also at 95 guineas in 1955, so would it fare similarly to Early Morning Township in 2026? Expectations certainly were moderate at $1.2-$1.8 million.
This arguably prettier picture proved to be a real gun and blasted past the high estimates to sell for $2.7 million hammer price or $3.375 million including buyer’s premium. This is also the highest price for a Sidney Nolan after First-Class Marksman 1946 sold by Menzies in 2010 for $5.4 million, and only the second painting by Nolan to surpass the $3 million mark at auction.
Buyers responded very well to the two early Jeffrey Smart pictures in the sale: the colourful The Discussion, 1969 (Lot 22) sold for $620,000 (est. $600,000-$800,000), whilst the wonderfully intriguing The Walker, 1965 (Lot 28), sold to a book bidder for $600,000, mid-way the $500,000-$700,000 estimates.
One of the other major long-held paintings was Russell Drysdale’s Drovers on the Barkly’s (1957) (Lot 24). The artist’s mid-20th century depictions of Aboriginal workers always portray both dignity and pride, and this painting is a prime example of Drysdale’s skill and sensitivity.
With dignity to the fore, would Drovers receive a dignified price? The strong bidding battle revealed the importance of the painting. It was won by a bidder on the internet securing it for a $1.89 million hammer price, which comprehensively surpassed its $1-1.5 million expectations, and also the third highest price ever paid for a painting by Drysdale at auction.
Albert Namatjira’s Dream Run Continues
Albert Namatjiraa continues his dream run in the auction room which makes me wonder: have we reached peak pricing for the artist? That said, Afternoon Finke River, Glen Helen (1957) (Lot 32) was a larger and colourful example of his work and therefore justified the $160,000-$190,000 expectations. Now the results are in, as in August 2025, Waters of the Finke, 1958, sold for $180,000 and so did this rare water-themed central Australian landscape (also to the internet), sharing third spot in historical sales results at auction.
Also celebrating water, or rather our beaches, was Brett Whiteley’s large canvas Woman on the Beach Reading an Art Catalogue, 1980 (Lot 34), held in the Loti and Victor Smorgon collection since its purchase in 1981. The iconic scene carried estimates of $3-$4 million and sold exactly on the low estimate of $3 million.
Cressida Campbell – Most Important Living Artist in Australia?
Sydney artist Cressida Campbell is today one of our most feted, and perhaps she should be crowned our most important living artist to take this mantle off a long conga line of men. If sales results at auction are any kind of benchmark, then the artist is a shoo-in: the spectacular result for her Parsley Bay (1992) (Lot 49) may prove it. This watercolour on incised woodblock was priced to sell at $200,000-$300,000, but doubling the high estimate, it sold for $600,000 and at the same time set a new auction record for the artist. This is a full $180,000 above the previous auction record for Campbell for Interior with Cat, 2010, also sold by Smith & Singer in 2022.
Whilst I hesitate to speculate, the constant setting of auction records for Campbell’s works leads me to ponder: how long will it be before we see one of her artworks break the million-dollar mark including buyer’s premium? After all, the buyer will now pay $750,000 incl. bp. for Parsley Bay.
One couldn’t help but be quite moved by the three early 20th century paintings by little-known artist Sophie Steffanoni, two of the Rocks area and one an industrial Sydney Harbour scene. The paintings exude significant talent and a bold and confident signature. Cut down in the prime of her life in her early thirties, it looks like we lost an artist who was destined for bigger and brighter things had she lived a full life.
At least, we got to enjoy three of these extremely rare and beautiful examples of Steffanoni’s work, and hopefully they will find their way into a public institution for public viewing. Unsurprisingly, all three of the paintings with estimates of $10,000-$15,000 were heavily bid for. Cambridge Street, Sydney, 1902 (Lot 71) sold for $29,000, Argyle Place, Sydney, 1902 (Lot 72) achieved $38,000, and Pyrmont Gasworks, Sydney, 1897 (Lot 73) sold for $26,000.
A wonderful result for a wonderful artist.
Pre-sale expectations for the Smith & Singer auction were $15.4 to $21.6 million, an extraordinary number, as $21.6 million would represent one of the highest sale total of art at auction in Australia ever. Many remember the single owner sale of Reg Grundy at Bonhams in June 2013 which achieved $19.16 million. Prior to that in 2007, Sotheby’s achieved $22.45 million with a mixed vendor sale including the Qantas collection.
Auction Records Set at Smith & Singer
Web Gilbert, The Helping Hand (Maquette for Shepparton and District War Memorial), 1921, $48,000 (Lot 7)
Cressida Campbell, Parsley Bay, Sydney, 1992, $600,000 (Lot 49)
George Baldessin, Pear (1971-1972, cast later), $320,000 (Lot 59)
Sophie Steffanoni, Argyle Place, Sydney, 1902, $38,000 (Lot 72)
Major Unsold Lots
Lin Onus, Carp in Reflective Pond (1995), estimate $250,000-$350,000 (Lot 33)
John Olsen, Wet Lands, 2005, est. $250,000-$350,000 (Lot 38)
Sidney Nolan, Kelly and Horse 1962, est. $250,000-$350,000 (Lot 40)
Tom Roberts, Curlew Camp, Sirius Cove, Mosman Bay (1898), est. $300,000-$400,000 (Lot 44)
Sidney Nolan, Burke and Wills 1962, est. $300,000-$400,000 (Lot 48)
Howard Arkley, Theatrical Façade 1996, est. $1.2- $1.8 million (Lot 50)
The sale total was $22.37 million with 119% sold by value and 84% sold by number.
Report on this Smith & Singer fine art auction originally published in Australian Art Sales Digest
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