Paintings of historic royal visit go under the hammer

SEVEN paintings depicting highlights of Queen Elizabeth’s historic state visit to Ireland in May will go under the hammer at Whyte’s auction of Irish and British art in Dublin on Monday evening. The paintings, by Co Clare-based Michael Hanrahan – the only artist granted official accreditation to record the visit – will go on public view from 10am today at the Clyde Rooms in the RDS.

Mr Hanrahan has already given one painting – of Queen Elizabeth and President Mary McAleese at the Garden of Remembrance – to the Royal Collection and he travelled to Buckingham Palace in August to present it to courtiers.

Whyte's say the "historic and rare paintings" while "fit for a queen" have been "estimated for the masses". Five have been assigned estimates of between €1,000-€1,200 and are: The Queen Signing The Visitors Book at Áras an Uachtaráin; The Queen at the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin; President McAleese Greets the Queen at Áras an Uachtaráin; An Irish Salute to Queen Elizabeth/Chúirtéis A Banríona Éilís;and The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh Arriving on Irish Soil.

Two of the paintings have estimates of €1,500-€1,800: The Queen and An Taoiseach Enda Kenny at Government Buildings;and The Queen and Lady Chryss O'Reilly at the National Stud, Kildare.

The artist will give a talk about his royal assignment in the RDS tomorrow at 3pm.

In all, the Whyte's sale is offering almost 300 lots. With interest in Jack B Yeats at a premium after last week's Irish auction record price of €1 million for his A Fair Day, Mayoat Adam's, auctioneer Ian Whyte is hoping that a 1949 painting by the artist, Rescue Men(€60,000-€80,000), which has not been seen publicly in over half a century, will attract bidders.

Other highlights include a classic Paul Henry Connemara Landscape(€60,000-€80,000) and a large watercolour by Percy French, Parting Clouds over Bogland River(€15,000-€20,000).

Rare images of early 18th century Wicklow have been consigned to the auction by a collector in Australia. The Building of the Military Road, Wicklowand The Meeting of The Waters, both dated 1802 and by Thomas Sautelle Roberts, are estimated at €8,000-€15,000 each.

Next year's centenary of the sinking of RMS Titanicshould prompt interest in a rare, contemporaneous watercolour view, by Joseph William Carey, of the doomed ship docked in Belfast and seen from the Holywood golf links (€2,000-€3,000).