Art market thrives despite Covid challenges

The art market has proven itself to be very resilient over the past year, despite the constant shadow of Covid, with auction houses staging some of their most lucrative sales ever.

The Mei Moses All Art Index, an analytic tool that evaluates market strength on the basis of repeat sales, registered a 17 per cent increase in the value of art across all categories. This represents the highest year-on-year growth since the financial recovery in 2010.

This means the art market has not only recovered, but it has grown, with aggregate sales of art and antiques by dealers and auction houses reaching an estimated $65 billion (€61 billion) – up 29 per cent on 2020.

According to the latest UBS Art Basel Report, by cultural economist Clare McAndrew, the auction sector showed the strongest year-on-year growth, with public auction sales up by 47 per cent, following the largest drop in sales in 10 years in 2020.

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Ireland too has seen strong performance in the fine arts market with some new records set for Irish works sold at auction, including Sir John Lavery, Harry Clarke and Evie Hone.

Whyte’s auction house will conduct its Summer Art Auction of 150 works by much sought after Irish and International artists on June 6th at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in Ballsbridge. The live, online sale, will also allow bidders to conduct bids by telephone.

Jack B Yeats is represented by seven lots, the highlight of which is The Little Sister of The Gang [Fitzwilliam Square]. Dating from 1944 and guiding €150,000-€200,000, the work, which has been widely exhibited has never been offered at auction before so may well exceed its estimate. Its setting of Fitzwilliam Square is where the artist lived from 1929 until shortly before his death in 1957. The Reading Room (€70,000-€90,000) was also held privately until now and My Friend Beneath the Sea (€40,000-€60,000) an underwater nude, which was first exhibited at one of Yeats’s Life in

the West of Ireland exhibitions in 1924, was described as both “bizarre” and “a most ingenious impression of a submerged swimmer” by critics at the time. Dr Roisin Kennedy, suggests, according to catalogue notes that, “Hilary Pyle believes the work is based on a memory that Yeats had of swimming with a friend in Sligo as a younger man”.

Highlighting the international offering is Emerald with Reds and Cerulean, by celebrated English artist Patrick Heron. The painting, listed with a €150,000-€200,000 estimate has been on long-term loan to the Irish Museum of Modern Art from the collection of George and Maura McClelland. Exhibited at Coast-Lines at IMMA, the large statement oil “was executed during a pivotal period in Heron’s career which is tightly bound to the St Ives artist’s colony” according to catalogue notes. A trustee of the Tate Gallery, Heron declined a knighthood from Margaret

Thatcher’s government while also rejecting an invitation to become a member of the Royal Academy.

The estate of Patrick Heron is preparing a catalogue raisonné of the artist’s work and would like to hear from owners of any works by the artist to be included in the catalogue – which will become a comprehensive listing of all known artworks by Heron. Details are available from Whyte’s.

Increasingly sought-after Irish women artists are represented by Lilian Lucy Davidson’s superb Fair Day, Westport Co Mayo (€20,000-€30,000) while Norah McGuinness, Mabel Young and Grace Henry also feature. Works by Paul Henry, Donald Teskey and John Behan are listed as is an interesting collection of nine works on paper by

Sir William Orpen, including letters to his wife. From the archives of the artist’s family, estimates range from €800-€3,500.

Dolan’s Summer Auction is now live and ends May 30th. With more than 400 lots, highlights include a selection of rare Middleton Whiskey, clocks, Waterford crystal, stamps and coins in addition to a vast range of art. Top works of art include three paintings by Cecil Maguire: A Connemara Festival, described in the catalogue as “one of his most important works”. The historic painting depicts the funeral of Connemara Pony breeder Tommy McDonagh, at Roundstone in 1994 (€14,000-€18,000). Also by Maguire is Departure of the Naomh Eanna from Inishmaan, dating from 1983, depicting the departure of an island woman on her way to England (€9,000-€12,000) and Going to Mass, Roundstone (€9,000-€14,000).

Curiosities include a lovely dapple grey rocking horse (€750-€1,000); a vintage banjo (€25-€35) and an eno

rmous collection of LPs (€25-€35 per lot of 36 records).

Finally, Aidan Foley will conduct a two-day sale of the contents of a west of Ireland coastal property in Kilcolgan on May 29th and 30th in a live online sale. Top lots include an original one-off sculpture by John Behan of an Irish famine scene, with supporting sketch (€5,500-€7,500), and a Columbian emerald (2.54ct) and diamond ring (€8,000-€10,000). The 1,500 lots include a large brass and leather club fender, 19th century gilt mirrors and works of art by Markey Robinson, Arthur K Maderson, Louis le Brocquy and JP Rooney. whytes.ie, dolansart.com, irishcountryhome.com