FINE ART & ANTIQUES: It is all too rare these days to come across a genuine collection of paintings. A collection gathered over a lifetime that has masterpieces and mistakes side by side, having just one thing in common - the fact that they appealed to the collector.
Such a collection of paintings is to be auctioned by Ross's in Belfast on February 6th.
The Lawrence collection of 200, mainly Irish, paintings was the lifelong work of Miss Molly Lawrence, a Belfast spinster who was passionate about art. She died last year at the age of 96, having lived for much of her life with her parents in Belfast.
Miss Lawrence's first picture was bought at a sale of work. It turned out to be one of a pair and she bought them both - two oils by Humbert Craig. From then on she was hooked and visits to the city's auction rooms - Ross's, Nicholls and Spences - became a weekly ritual. On one occasion, it is said, she was sent to a department store to buy a new winter coat, but stopped off at a gallery instead and bought a Frank McKelvey. Her mother wasn't best pleased but Miss Lawrence didn't mind wearing her old coat for another season. "Basically, if she liked something, she bought it, whether it was £5 or £50 or £100." said Jonathan Esdale, an auctioneer at Ross's. "She wasn't a wealthy lady but she was buying at a time when Paul Henrys or McKelveys or Craigs were expensive, but still reasonable."
The first page of the catalogue is a good example of the kind of thing Miss Lawrence liked: Lot 1, a Craig of New Fairhead, Co Antrim with the the sea looking almost Mediterranean (€5,500-€7,000), and Lot 2, an unsigned picture of boats in a harbour (€60-€125).
Blue skies, peaceful country scenes of farmers tending sheep or gathering the hay, thatched cottages, market scenes, warm colours, blue skies, harbour scenes, fishermen on the shore, these are the sort of images that Miss Lawrence surrounded herself with.
There are lovely gentle pictures by James Arthur O'Connor, William Conor, Hans Iten, Thomas Sidney Cooper and Gladys McacCabe. Alongside these are some show stoppers, like Sir John Lavery's Portrait of a Lady, with its kingfisher and red-gold hues (€23,500-€28,000), and an entirely different painting, William Conor's characteristic Going for Turf, Dunquin, Co Kerry. A Basil Blackshaw, Horse Exercising, bought from the Bell Gallery is expected to make €19,000-€22,000 while a Paul Henry, also bought at the Bell, is expected to fetch up to €56,000. Lot 220 is something entirely different - a charming painting of a little girl and her dog by Briton Riviere - another Bell buy - which has a top estimate of €7,750.
Molly Lawrence made her money by dabbling in stocks and shares, but she didn't buy her paintings as investments - she just loved them. With estimates starting as low as €30 there really is something in here for everyone to start their own collection.
Naturally there is strong local interest in the sale, but Ross's also expects a strong contingent of buyers from the south and from the UK.
