COLLECTORS of Irish art will be busy next week, with sales in both Adams of Blackrock, on Monday evening, and at James Adam's St Stephen's Green salesrooms on Wednesday afternoon.
Two Yeats paintings are the star lots in the Adams sale, along with a large oil painting by the 19th century British artist, Francis Danby. The Danby, entitled Rich and Rare were the gems she wore, was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1837. Bryan Greene of Adams estimates that it will fetch £30,000-£35,000.
Both works by Yeats are small scale works. Neither are documented in Hilary Pyle's book on the artist; the owner of Up the Canal (£12,000-£16,000) explained that she had not wanted it included in the book for security reasons.
The second painting, Drama (£20,000 - £25,000) appears in a book on Yeats by Thomas MacGreevy, An Appreciation, and a copy of this book is the next lot, estimate £40-£60.
There are several watercolours and drawings by Yeats as well, with estimates ranging from £800 to £4,500.
These top lots dominate the sale which otherwise is a mixed bag of English and Continental pictures, many of them with estimates under £500.
Fans of James Le Jeune will have a choice of two of his characteristic paintings, one of children playing on a beach, and the other of children playing in Percy Place. Both are estimated in the £3,000-£4,000 bracket. A typical Daniel O'Neill portrait of a girl, Cecilia, should make £4,000-£6,000; and George (AE) Russell's Dublin Moonlight has a top estimate of £5,000.
Among the Continental lots a pair of watercolours by Louis Van Statten, of Dutch barges and a canal scene, are good and decorative and may be had for £800-£1,000.
James Adam's Irish art sale should attract great interest since it has good pictures from a wide range of 20th century artists, and a few important, classical paintings. James Arthur O'Connor's, A View in The Devils Glen, Wicklow, signed and dated 1827 and in need of a thorough clean, is estimated at £10,000-£14,000. A landscape by the 18th century artist George Barrett has a top estimate of £30,000.
Sean Keating's perfect portrait, Man of The West, is of a man with a proud, shy, don't make a fool of me face. It is such a strong, appealing work that it could make more than its higher estimate of £12,000.
Lower down the price scale, there is a tremendous choice, including land and seascapes by Maurice Wilks, Letitia Mary Hamilton and Frank McKelvey, with estimates of £3,000 to £10,000. Several James Le Jeunes, including more children playing on a beach (£5,000-£7,000) and a bright hunting scene (£3,000-£4,000), should sell like hot cakes.
A Walter Osborne watercolour of the Curragh Camp is a fine delicate work in muted greys, with a top estimate of £3,000.
The Swineherd, an unpublished illustration by Harry Clarke for a book of fairy tales by Hans Christian Anderson, is a very striking work, full of gorgeous colour and intricate detail. Don't go by the black and white illustration shown here, but call in to see it. It was one of 40 illustrations commissioned by the publisher, George Harrap, from the 24 year old Clarke. It could fetch up to £5,000.
A small, deep framed Paul Henry work, Johnny The Post is Within, shows a donkey waiting outside a cottage. There have been several pre auction bids on this one so it will probably sell for more than its top estimate of £3,000.
Gerard Dillon's portrait of a disenchanted looking baby, is estimated at £1,500 plus. For the same money there is a pen and ink drawing by Yeats of men in a boat, or a vibrant Connemara landscape with an azure sea by Charles Lamb.
Viewing begins tomorrow, from 2.30p.m.-5 p.m.
