A contemporary Irish art sale, which is expected to generate up to €1.8 million, takes place in London later this month and enthusiasts are being given a chance to view the works before the auction.
This year's Modern and Contemporary Irish Art sale is on October 30th in Sotheby's auction house in London. Preview exhibitions of the 85 lots are being held in the Royal Hibernian Academy in Ely Place, Dublin, today, 10am- 5pm, and on Friday and Saturday in Belfast's Waterfront Hall.
The collection provides a rich showcase of Irish art over the past 50 years. This year's sale includes works by Louis Le Brocquy, Robert Ballagh and Seán Scully.
The Irish sale has been an annual feature of Sotheby's London auction calendar since 1995. Last year, due to a growing demand for modern and contemporary art and the boom in the Irish market, Sotheby's introduced a specific sale of modern and contemporary Irish art.
Last year's sale exceeded expectations, with almost €1.4 million paid for 92 lots. Pre-sale estimates for this year stand at between €1.2 million-€1.8 million.
Among the highlights of the collection are Westray, an oil on canvas work by Seán Scully, which is expected to fetch between €221,000 and €295,000, and Siegfried's Wayby William Crozier, which has an estimate in the region of €44,000-€74,000.
Other highlights include Man with a Frank Stellaby Robert Ballagh and Joe Bell's Council Houseby Basil Blackshaw.
There is also a range of paintings at affordable prices from a number of established and up- and-coming Irish artists.
