The first Important Australian Art auction for 2010, held on 21 April, yeilded some exceptional results for all categories of Australian art from contemporary and modern through to traditional.
The highlight of the sale was undoubtedly Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly (1956) which was hotly contested by bidders in the saleroom and on the phone and eventually knocked down for $624,000 IBP – more than three times its high estimate.
Other noteable results include a record auction price achieved for a painting by German-born artist Ernest Lotichius. The large oil on canvas entitled Mount Macedon and River Campaspe, Victoria, Australia, June sold for $168,000 IBP.
Arthur Streeton’s stunning Sydney Harbour landscape, Coogee Bay 1907 attracted a huge amount of interest at the viewings and was fiercely contested on auction night. The painting easily surpassed its higher estimate, acheiving $750,000 IBP.
