The first Menzies auction of 2019 starts with two collections, one from the estate of Gwendoline Mutton and the other from Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer. The collection presented in the middle of the catalogue is a real stand-out in the sale.
Titled the Thomas Tyrwhitt Balcombe Family Collection, lots 56 to 68 are a veritable treasure trove of early colonial works on paper by this today not widely known, but important professional artist (and field surveyor).
There are Balcombe’s individual studies and drawings, including an early self-portrait and studies of Aboriginal people, and then there is Balcombe’s sketchbook of 87 images on offer, containing a broad range of subjects from family life to animals and the gold rush, and giving a close insight into Balcombe’s artistic process as well as the times of their creation in the 1850s.
The provenance of this treasure trove is impeccable: it has been passed down from the artist through five generations of the artist’s family. The excellent catalogue essay provides more revealing information into the artist and his life.
Among the 144 lots on offer, you’ll find important works by Australia’s most beloved artists, in particular lot 38, Lin Onus’ magnificent “Fish and Storm Clouds” which deservedly graces the cover, and lot 24, Brett Whiteley’s enigmatic “Self Portrait at 44” (both featuring in Dave’s Faves).
The Menzies auction is held on Thursday, 28 March, 6.30 pm, in Sydney at 12 Todman Avenue, Kensington.
Public previews are held in both Melbourne and Sydney prior to the auction:
Melbourne, 14 – 17 March, 1 Darling Street, South Yarra
All artworks are also on view online at the Menzies website.
We are available for due diligence and analysis of paintings you may be interested in before the auction, and can also assist you with informed bidding and after-sales management. Contact us on 02 9977 7764 and email info@bhfineart.com to find out how we can help you build your art collection.
And Dave’s Faves for the Menzies sale are:
Lot 1 – Clarice Beckett, Grey Morning, c1928, 27.5 x 38 cm, est. $25,000-$35,000. Don’t Forget Your Raincoat!Lot 14 – Arthur Streeton, Kent Harvest, 1905, 18.5 x 24 cm, est. $18,000-$24,000. Reap the HarvestLot 19 – Mildred Bendall, Still Life, 61 x 46 cm, est. $6,000-$8,000. Better, Best, BendallLot 20 – Thea Proctor, The Rose, 1927, 22 x 20.5 cm, est. $6,000-$9,000. Rose-coloured Spectacles Not Required
Lot 22 – Ray Crooke, Islanders and Flowers, c1964, 150 x 118.5 cm, est. $40,000-$50,000. Red Alert
Lot 23 – Charles Blackman, Hill Farmer, 1954, 126.5 x 85 cm, est. $120,000-$160,000. Don’t Sell the Farm Just YetLot 24 – Brett Whiteley, Self Portrait at 44, 1983, 79 x 109 cm, est. $250,000-$350,000. Something to Crow AboutLot 26 – John Peter Russell, Cliffs at Goulphar Bay, 1907, 38 x 47.5 cm, est. $40,000-$60,000. Peter’s Passionate PastelLot 30 – Ethel Carrick Fox, Untitled (North African Marketplace), 1911, 38 x 46.5 cm, est. $60,000-$80,000. No Bargains at this MarketLot 32 – Charles Blackman, Red Dress and Yellow Jonquils, c1958, 121.5 x 101 cm, est. $90,000-$120,000. Dressed for SuccessLot 38 – Lin Onus, Fish and Storm Clouds (Guyi Na Ngawalngawal), 1994, 183 x 183 cm, est. $300,000-$380,000. The Greatest CatchLot 46 – Tim Maguire, Untitled 20071106, 2007, 201 x 181 cm, est. $50,000-$70,000. Time to Acquire a MaguireLot 51 – Fred Williams, Australian Landscape Series (3 Divisions), 1969, 21 x 68.5 cm, est. $30,000-$40,000. Minimal MagicLot 58 – Thomas Balcombe, Study for Aborigine Fishing by Torchlight, c1853, 25 x 17.5 cm, est. $8,000-$12,000. Captured by the ColonialLot 93 – Robert Dickerson, Child with a Yellow Shirt, c1969, 75.5 x 60.5 cm, est. $15,000-$20,000. Dickerson Does DefianceLot 102 – Margaret Olley, Night Interior with Woman Reading (David Strachan’s House), c1972, 42 x 54.5 cm, est. $25,000-$35,000. A Painting for InsidersLot 105 – Jeffrey Smart, Portrait of Peter McDonald, 1946, 35 x 25 cm, est. $3,000-$5,000. Perfect PortraitLot 106 – Lloyd Rees, Balls Head, 1932, 17 x 23.5 cm, est. $20,000-$30,000. You Have to Draw the Line SomewhereLot 108 – Sidney Nolan, Untitled (Ned Kelly), 1956, 29 x 23.5 cm, est. $6,000-$9,000. Secure the Legend of NedLot 116 – Danie Mellor, If Rousseau Ha a Dog (Black), 2008, 23 cm height, est. $2,000-$3,000. Danie’s DingoLot 118 – Emily Kngwarreye, Awelye, 1993, 121 x 91 cm, est. $10,000-$15,000. Delight from DelmoreLot 128 – James Alfred Turner, Mustering the Horses, c1885, 20 x 52.5 cm, est. $7,000-$10,000. Ride’em CowboyLot 143 – Brett Whiteley, Back View, 1976, 60.5 x 45 cm, ed. 39/60, est. $3,500-$5,500. Front Up
