Bonhams & Goodman’s offering of 67 lots on 24 November 2009 sold very well with a total of $2,057,400 including Buyer’s Premium or 71.3% by value and 70% by volume.
The biggest seller on the night was Charles Blackman’s The Game of Chess 1956 which knocked down for $720,000 IBP.
An historically important collection of photographs taken in the 1860s sold to the Bendigo Art Gallery for $36,000 IBP – a great buy given that many of the rare collection of 123 photographs are thought to be the only existing views of key landmarks of colonial Melbourne and Victoria.
However the stars of the show were undoubtedly the beautiful Ellis Rowan watercolours, very popular at the viewings, sold one after the other, many exceeding their pre sale estimates by tenfold. With conservative estimates of $2,500 – 3,500 and $4,000 – 6,000 placed on them prior to the auction, these stunning pictures were eagerly snapped up by bidders for as much as $31,200 IBP each.
Geoffrey Smith, Director and National Head of Art, was delighted with the result “Despite the most expensive lot failing to find a buyer on the night, our clearance rate by value and volume was an exceptional result. Extraordinary interest in Australian women artists was continued by fierce bidding for Ellis Rowan and Margaret Preston.”