Why Irish artworks keep breaking records at auction

The art market is proving robust in the face of two years of downturn and continuing global uncertainty, writes Des O'Sullivan

'The Window with a View of the Town' by Jack B Yeats at James Adam.

The record for an Irish artwork sold in 2024 was broken three times in quick succession at Sotheby's and Christie's this month. It was a similar story on the global market. Expectations around sales of Irish art at Whyte's, James Adam and Bonhams next week are high.

First Orpen's portrait of Evelyn St George made £720,000 (€864,010) at Sotheby's, then The Thinker on the Butte de Warlencourt by Orpen made £756,000 (€907,210) at Christie's followed later in the sale of the Hobart collection by O'Connell Bridge by Jack B Yeats which made £886,000 (€1,063,210).