New Zealand Judge’s artworks fetch $1.4m
Published March 23rd, 2006
An art collection accumulated over more than 30 years by the retired former president of the Court of Appeal, Sir Ivor Richardson, sold for up to $1.4 million in just three hours last night.
The top price of $55,000 was paid for a tiny Colin McCahon painting contested by two anonymous phone bidders for just 50 seconds.
The painting of a black cross on a bright orange background, called Truth from the King Country: Load Bearing Structure 3rd series 1978, was about the size of a sheet of A4 paper and had hung behind the dining room door in Sir Ivor’s Karori home. It went from $10,000 to $40,000 in four bids over 20 seconds and sold 30 seconds later after three more $5000 bids.
One of the nine Toss Woollaston works, a large Riwaka landscape, fetched $50,000; a John Weeks abstract, Nude Composition with Goats, sold for $35,000; a Lois White fetched $26,000; two Rhona Haszard oils sold for $26,000 each; a Raymond McIntyre portrait sold for $37,000; and five Frances Hodgkins works sold for $99,000.
More than 200 people packed Dunbar Sloane’s Wellington auction room. There was standing room only as the 200 paintings, most of them by early 20th century New Zealand artists, sold briskly. Only a handful were not sold, or sold subject to Sir Ivor’s approval.
Dunbar Sloane said there was interest from dealers, lawyers, accountants and old Wellington art auction regulars. The range of work meant it provided a good opportunity to buy nice works for as little as $2000 to $3000.
