We all love a good home contents auction, but “Fairwater” in Point Piper is not just any old home, but the ultimate Sydney harbour front mansion on 11,000 m2 of manicured grounds.
The largest privately-held property on Sydney harbour was owned by the Fairfax publishing dynasty for over 100 years. This year the family sold it for $100 million, the highest price ever for an Australian residential property, to new money, tech entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes.
The 376 lots comprise everything from Persian carpets, grandfather clocks, crystal, porcelain and silverware, tapestry, Buddha statues, chandeliers and all manner furniture, to Australian and international art.
There are some stand-out bronze sculptures by Auguste Rodin and works by Marc Chagall, Edgar Degas and other European greats – but you will have to bid at Bonhams in London for those.
In the Sydney auction however, there is an extremely important study of the portrait of Joshua Smith by William Dobell on offer, made famous by a famous court case. You would think given the loss in a house fire of the original painting that won the Archibald Prize in 1943, this is the painting that the Art Gallery of New South Wales has to have.
The viewing is held in Sydney only from 14 to 21 September, 10 am – 4 pm, at 36-40 Queen Street and 97-99 Queen Street, Woollahra.
The auction is held on Sunday, 22 September, 1 pm, at 36-40 Queen Street, Woollahra.
You can view the catalogue also online on the Bonhams website.
Other notable offerings from the collection include works by Margaret Preston, Bertram MacKennal, Charles Blackman, so David has gone through the whole home content catalogue and chose his art “Dave’s Faves” and picking some other rather intriguing lots:
Lot 11 – Bertram Mackennal, Salome, c1895, height 29 cm, est. $15,000-25,000. Bertie’s Bronze BeautyLot 12 – Margaret Preston, Coral Flowers, 36 x 35.5 cm, est. $30,000-50,000. One to bowl you overLot 31 – Charles Blackman, The Meeting, 1961, 121 x 121 cm, est. $250,000-350,000. Paint it Black(man)Lot 180 – Patrick Hockey, Spring, 1977, 90.5 x 121 cm, est. $2,500-35,00. Nicely SprungLot 198 – George Edwards Peacock, Port Jackson, NSW, View in Double Bay, looking towards St. George’s and Middle Heads, Morning, 1847, 13.5 x 19 cm, est. $20,000-30,000. Double Peacock at Double Bay – lot 198 and lot 199Lot 251 – William Dobell, Study for Portrait of an Artist (Joshua Smith), 1943, 36 x 25.5 cm, est. $200,000-300,000. Get in quick B4 AGNSWLot 216 – Sali Herman, Portrait of Warwick Fairfax, Esquire, 1941, 72 x 52 cm, est. $30,000-50,000. Can’t believe it’s not an early Lucien FreudLot 220 – Vic O’Connor, The Acrobats, 1941, 60 x 75 cm, est. $15,000-20,000. Enjoy a TumbleLot 226 – Russell Drysdale, Solider rolling a cigarette, 19 x 19.5 cm, est. $4,000-6,000. Don’t stop smokin’Lot 227 – Russell Drysdale, Soldiers applying a Bandage, 17 x 26 cm, est. $4,000-6,000. I dig these DiggersLot 221 – Andrew Lawlor, Nude in Archway (Banner of Blood), c1940, 55 x 44 cm, est. $8,000-12,000. Not quite lawlessLot 232 – Hans Heysen, The Farmyard, Frosty Morning, 1926, 70 x 90 cm, est. $80,000-120,000. Where to begin … well it won the WynneLot 233 – Elaine Haxton, Woolloomooloo, 34 x 42 cm, est. $8,000-12,000. Not exactly a hullabaloo at WoolloomoolooLot 234 – Sali Herman, A Western Hotel, Cobar, 1947, 53 x 74 cm, est. $20,000-30,000. Cobbers at CobarLot 331 – Arthur Boyd, Lovers, c.1962-3, ceramic painting, 51 x 56 cm, est. $20,000-30,000. Fancy a night on the tiles?
Lot 128w – A life sized Steiff plush mohair “Ride on” growler bear on wheels, c1950, 90 cm high, est. $400-600. Looking for his meal – on wheels
Lot 127w – An assembled group of Victorian silver rattles, est. $800-1,200. The perfect gift for silver spoonersLot 192w – A Victorian Staghorn Inkstand, ca 1880, 39.5 cm high, est. $300-500. Oh DeerLot 223w – A crocodile skin vanity case with silver accessories, Drew & Sons, Piccadilly Circus, London, 1903, est. $500-800. Be the snappiest dresser everLot 251w – A French empire maple giltwood and gesso concert harp, early 19th century, by Sebastian Erard, once in the ballroom of the Pierre Hotel Fairfax penthouse New York, est. $1,500-2,000. It’s never too late to learn something newLot 317w – An assembled group of Italian table ornaments, Brandimarte Firenze and others, with a pair of angel form table bells, 2 pairs of metal salts in the form of horse drawn chariots with putto and 18 cherub form place card holders (24), est. $400-600. Have you seen the salt, darling?
