Early Yeats painting takes centre stage

Des O’Sullivan previews a number of artistic gems.

An early painting by Jack B. Yeats, The Novelist, is the top lot at the James Adam sale of important Irish art in Dublin on March 28 at 6pm. It was given to the current owner at the age of 12 by his father, a friend of Yeats. It is accompanied by a letter to the owner’s father Jack Purser from Yeats.

The work is estimated at €100,000-150,000. A second Yeats oil, Downpatrick Head, Co Mayo, from an executor’s estate is valued at €25,000-35,000.

The auction features Yann Goulet’s sculpture of Christy Ring, shown at the RHA in 1982. This is a maquette of a sculpture for Christy Ring’s home town of Cloyne and is estimated at €4,000-5,000.

The sale features important work by Louis le Brocquy, Colin Middleton and Paul Henry. A Connemara landscape by Henry is estimated at €30,000-50,000.

There are works by George Campbell, Gerard Dillon and Dan O’Neill as well as drawings for Percy French’s weekly magazine The Jarvey, dating from 1889-90.

Another sculpture in the sale includes a monumental work by John Behan entitled Icarus estimated at €3,000-5,000. Viewing at St. Stephen’s Green is from 2pm to 5pm tomorrow (mar 25) and from 9.30am to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.