Dave’s Faves for the Smith & Singer Auction – May 23

The first 13 lots of the Smith & Singer sale all come with the provenance of a single owner collection, the Selwyn and Renata Litton collection.

In his introduction to the dedicated collection catalogue, Geoffrey Smith writes: “The late Selwyn Litton and his wife, Renata, were careful, considerate and thoughtful art collectors who loved sitting down to a soy latte and soy cappuccino while they discussed the upcoming auction. What pieces would be offered and from which artists?”

The Litton’s due diligence and astute buying bears fruit. The 13 works are a veritable pantheon of 20th century Australian artists, ranging from Howard Arkley, Arthur Boyd to Sidney Nolan and Fred Williams. You could justifiably call them all museum-quality. So not surprisingly, four made it into Dave’s Faves.

It is well worth going to see the 100 lot strong Smith & Singer offering in person: in Melbourne from 19 to 23 April at 14-16 Collins Street.

In Sydney, the preview is held on from 27 April to 2 May at 30 Queen Street, Woollahra.

The auction is on Tuesday, 2 May, 6.30 pm, at the NCJW, 111 Queen Street, Woollahra.

Online, you can view all artworks on the Smith & Singer website.

We would be delighted to assist you with pre-sale due diligence, research, bidding so you also can add museum-quality artworks to your collection.

Read more about our art brokerage services here, and about our art valuation services here.

And these are the Dave’s Faves for the Smith & Singer auction:

Lot 18 – John Olsen, Tidal Estuary, 1993, watercolour & pastel, 97 x 152 cm, estimate $80,000-$100,000. Vale John Olsen (1928 – 2023).

Lot 22 – William Robinson, Sun and Light Rain Numinbah, 2004, oil on linen, 51 x 66 cm, est. $40,000-$60,000. Still Bill

Lot 23 – Cressida Campbell, Bronte Interior, 2003. Unique colour woodblock print, 95 x 60 cm, est. $140,000-180,000. A Room with a View

Lot 26 – Ben Quilty, Want Want Want, 2006. Oil, 140 x 200 cm, est. $120,000-160,000. Don’t be a Jerk & buy this Merc

Lot 31 – Julia Margaret Cameron, Julia Jackson, 1867. Albumen silver print, 25 x 18.5 cm, est. $30,000-$50,000. Julia & Julia

Lot 37 – John Olsen, Landscape with Blackboys, Broome, 1999. Watercolour on paper, 79 x 90 cm, est. $30,000-$40,000. John Olsen Booms in Broome

Lot 41 – Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, Composition with Cylinders, c1922. Tempera, 37.5 x 44.5 cm, est. $40,000-$60,000. Bauhaus Brilliance

Lot 43 – John Coburn, Song of India, 1974. Synthetic polymer paint, 120 x 91 cm, est. $30,000-$40,000. Singing Sweetly

Lot 47 – Herbert Badham, Nude Model, 1934. Oil on canvas, 39.5 x 34 cm, est. $40,000-$60,000. Badham’s The Bold and The Beautiful

Lot 50 – Margaret Olley, Protea and Fruit, 1976. Oil, 75 x 125 cm, est. $60,000-$80,000. A Jolly Olley

Lot 58 – Murray Griffin, The Woodcutter, c1948. Oil, 81 x 66 cm, est. $10,000-$15,000. Chop Chop

Lot 65 – John Glover, Evening on the Thames, 1808. Watercolour, 73 x 110 cm, est. $25,000-$35,000. Glover’s London

Lot 66 – Conrad Martens, Govetts Leap, 1876. Watercolour and gouache, 44.5 x 64.5 cm, est. $30,000-$40,000. Blackheath Bling

Lot 71 – Hilda Rix Nicholas, Portrait with Pink Hat, 1911. Pastel and charcoal on paper, 37.5 x 27.5 cm, estimate $6,000-$8,000. In the Pink

Lot 72 – Antoine-Charles Vauthier, Echidna, c1827. Watercolour, pen and ink, 11 x 15.5 cm, est. $12,000-$18,000. Don’t be on the Back Foot

Lot 73 – Hans Heysen, Gums, 1906. Oil on canvas on board, 33 x 26 cm, est. $15,000-$20,000. Hi Ho Heysen

Lot 82 – Paul Klee, Laternenfest Bauhaus, 1922. Colour lithograph and watercolour on paper, 9 x 13.5 cm, estimate $8,000-$12,000. It’s Paul Klee for Me!