Elements of surprise at Dunbar Sloane sale

By DON MILNE

The record price for a Charles Goldie painting - $300,000 for a 1903 portrait of Ngapuhi chieftainess Harata Rewiri Tarapata - may have taken the limelight, and the big money, at Dunbar Sloane's Auckland sale last month.

But a couple of "sleepers" showed overseas buyers are now well aware of the New Zealand auction scene, while a small collection of works by a New Zealand rugby representative attracted strong local interest.

Described with understandable hyperbole by auctioneer Dunbar Sloane senior as "the most wonderful painting I've ever seen," the Goldie was expected to fetch a high price, with an estimate of $300,000 to $400,000 (the final price equates to $333,750, when the 10 per cent buyer's premium and GST are included). The previous auction record for a Goldie was $230,000, set at Webb's last year.

A much smaller work of the same mourning subject, painted some 14 years later, failed to reach reserve at the auction but sold subsequently for more than $80,000. No particular surprise there - good Goldies are big on the market at the moment.

But there was surprise at the prices fetched by two European works, both of which went overseas. A painstakingly detailed watercolour from 1918 of a small girl in the woods surrounded by fairies, elves and animals, painted by the Hamburg artist Johs Gehrts (noted with his brother Karl as a book illustrator) was estimated to fetch between $3000 and $8000.

But after spirited telephone bidding from no fewer than five buyers it was knocked down for $46,000. The passion for such fairytale subjects is growing on the other side of the world, especially in Britain. Out here, most people find them old-fashioned and mawkish.

The second surprise was at Sloane's affordable art section. A fairly ordinary landscape by one J. Humbert-Craig, titled Glenveigh Hills, County Donegal. It was estimated to fetch between $250 and $450. They must have been delighted that at least two buyers recognised Humbert-Craig (1872-1944) as a member of the Hibernian Academy with a strong following in Ireland and took the price to $14,000. A fine return, to be sure.

As for the rugby-playing artist: he played at centre or on the wing, could drop-kick goals with either foot, was a keen yachtsman and rower, established the first public launch services on Lakes Rotorua and Taupo, and married the daughter of Ngapuhi leader Kamareira Te Hautakiri Wharepapa.

He was well known for his Maori portraits, working mainly in watercolours, and has the distinction of being the first player to score points for a New Zealand representative team when, in 1884, he drop-kicked a goal against Wellington in a game before the first-ever New Zealand tour, to New South Wales.

"Darby" (Thomas) Ryan played in all eight matches on that tour and was joint top-scorer. He was no mean artist too, 11 watercolours from a sketchbook, many of Maori subjects, drew spirited bidding, fetching between $500 and $3200. Could any of today's All Blacks match that?

Dunbar Sloane's Auckland sale of art and antiques, followed by a similar two-day sale in Wellington, demonstrated the market continues to be strong, with total sales around $2 million.

Coming up: Cordy's next catalogue sale is tomorrow.

Webb's have an affordable art sale the same day, with the next big art sale on June 26.

Dunbar Sloane have a general sale planned for early June, while the International Art Centre's next sale will be in July.