Strong sense of the contemporary in this 1835 work by James Arthur O'Connor
James Arthur O'Connor - The Avenue, A View in the Parc de Bruxelles at Morgan O'Driscoll.
A surprisingly strong sense of the contemporary belongs to an 1835 work by James Arthur O'Connor at Morgan O'Driscoll's Irish and International art sale on April 8.
There is something almost surreal in the calm atmosphere of this depiction of a park with a neo classical building in the background. It antecedes the much later work of European greats like Rene Magritte and Giorgio de Chirico.
With its diagonal splash of blue sky was one of the highlights of the James Arthur O'Connor exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland in 1985. The neo classical building shown now houses the US Embassy in Brussels and the painting - one of a number of highlights in this auction - is estimated at €20,000-€30,000.
The sale is headed by by Paul Henry, featured on these pages last Saturday and described by Peter Murray as one of Henry's best paintings. There is impressive work by artists like Roderic O'Conor, Colin Middleton, Donald Teskey, Louis le Brocquy, John Behan and John Shinnors.
(Black Engraved Face) (1953) by PIcasso is a highly sought after Madoura Pottery vase, the result of a collaboration that began in 1947 between the artist and the pottery in the South of France. This one is number 98 from an edition of 100 and is estimated at €15,000-€25,000.
Among other highlights are a and a sculpture by Behan and a set of 25 hand coloured aquatints of Malton's Views of Dublin.
by Nano Reid is estimated at €10,000-€15,000 and Irish women artists and sculptors including Evie Hone, Lady Beatrice Glenavy, Letitia Hamilton, Majella O'Neill Collins, Gladys McCabe, Elizabeth Cope, Norah McGuinness, Elizabeth Brophy, Mary Swanzy, Orla de Bri and Helen Walsh are all represented.
An oil on canvas by George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson features a shipwreck on a rocky coastline and dates to 1850 and there is a painting of by Edwin Hayes. A watercolour by Christy Brown entitled , a view of Inishlackin by Gerard Dillon, a portrait of an Aran Islander by Sean Keating, an abstract by John Kingerlee and a portrait of Rolling Stone Keith Richards in London in 1982 by John Minihan give some idea of the depth and breadth of subject matter in this sale of 161 lots.
There are etchings and lithographs by artists including Andy Warhol, Sonia Delauney, Joan Miro, Louis le Brocquy, Sean Scully and Georges Braque among an appetising selection of highly affordable art. The auction is on view in Skibbereen on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and at the RDS in Dublin from April 4-7. The online sale draws to a close from 6.30pm on April 8.
