19th & 20th Century New Zealand Art Selling Well Wed, 02 Jul 2008

Charles Frederick Goldie, who died in 1947, painted Harieta Huirua, a chieftainess from the Tuhourangi Tribe in Rotorua in 1921. Last night an auction held at Parnell's International Art Centre that same painting fetched $285,000 under the auctioneers hammer, the third highest price for a Goldie at auction. The highest price of $400,000 was set by International Art Centre when a larger painting of Hori Pokai was offered in March this year.

Another work by Goldie attracted a lot of attention at the auction. 'Time Tells Mere Werohia', which was painted in 1935, made $165,000.

Spirited bidding was also seen for works featuring Pink & White Terraces as subject matter. The highest price was $68,000 for a Charles Blomfield of the Pink Terrace at Rotomahana but two early paintings of shell by an unknown artist, probably J P Backhouse, made $4,500 against their estimate of $1,500 - 2,500, a Hoyte of the White Terraces, estimate at $10,000 - 15,000 made $17,000. A pair of small Charles Blomfields estimated at $15,000 - 20,000 sold for $25,000.

A large view of Ohinemutu, Rotorua by E W Payton fetched a new record of $31,000. A smaller watercolour by the same artist estimated at $800 - 1,200 sold well above estimate at $4,000.

Gottfried Lindaur's "Anna Rupene' sold for $87,500, $1500 more than a larger but almost identical work offered by International Art Centre earlier this year. Another smaller Lindaur portrait 'Hinekura of Te Reinga, Hawkes Bay' fetched $50,000. A pair of Maori portraits by Joseph Gaut, with a reserve of $8,000, sold for $19,000.

A much discussed 1883 watercolour by C D Barraud of Nelson went for $23,000

A rare Edward Bullmore, Floeretine Market Scene, sold for $74,000, a John Weeks "King Country Landscape' estimate at $20,000 - 30,000 went for $37,000, and other works by John Weeks fared well. All five were sold on the night showing ongoing interest despite the artist's estate offered in one sale a few years ago. Garth Tapper's 'Sancho!' went for $10,000, despite its estimate of $4,500 - 6,500.

A rare work by R N Field went for $3,000. Russell Clark Self Portrait sketch estimate at $2,500 - 3,500 sold well above estimate at $7,100. The same can be said for works by A A Deans & Douglas Badcock. One Deans watercolour estimated at $4,000 - 6,000 fetched $9,500 and a Badcock with a $1,500 - 2,500 estimate went for $7,100.

Some contemporary works also sold well. Peter Siddell's Western View, a large oil on canvas painted in 2002 fetched $54,000. Alan Pearson Tangata Whenua - The Challenge went for $24,000 & Mark Cross Aqualibrium sold for $22,000. Two smaller Mark Cross works made $8,500 & $4,500. A small John Walsh 'Kupe and His Companion Survey the Planet Tukurua (Sirius)' went for $5,000 and a Toss Woollaston watercolour fetched $5,000.

Sales total in excess of $1.5 million. Only 7 of the 125 entries in the sale did not receive a bid