Large and spectacular Harry Clarke watercolour at James Adam art sale

The sale offers a highly desirable selection by stalwarts, writes Des O'Sullivan

'The Lady of the Decoration' by Harry Clarke at Adams.

The largest and most spectacular ink and watercolour by Harry Clarke highlights a collection of important works on paper by the artist at the James Adam sale of Important Irish Art on the evening of Wednesday, September 24. 

Commissioned by the Glasgow-based paint manufacturers John Duthie and Sons for a wall calendar, The Lady of the Decoration was executed in 1914 and carries an estimate of €60,000-€80,000.

Commissioned by the Glasgow-based paint manufacturers John Duthie and Sons for a wall calendar, The Lady of the Decoration was executed in 1914 and carries an estimate of €60,000-€80,000.

It is one of a number of illustrations by Clarke from various collections in the auction. The artist illustrated a number of books for the publisher George Harrap, including Goethe's Faust. An ink and watercolour drawing for the title page, an unpublished illustration for the 1925 edition, is estimated at €40,000-€60,000. 

An unfinished 1915 drawing for The Playboy of the Western World has an estimate of €20,000-€30,000. There are five original ink illustrations used in Harrap's Faust (1915), Swinburne's Selected Poems (1928) and The Fairy Tales of Perrault (1922), along with signed limited edition illustrated books and two stained glass panels by Harry Clarke of Dante and Beatrice.

The sale offers a highly desirable selection by stalwarts of the Irish art scene like Jack B Yeats, Roderic O'Conor, William Scott, Sean Scully, Mainie Jellett, John Doherty and Gerard Dillon.

The inspiration for Love, an alloy sculpture by Rowan Gillespie (€12,000-€18,000), is universal. It depicts two figures divided by a sheet of perspex. 

'Love' by Rowan Gillespie at Adams.

"One of the first pieces I made after getting married in 1976," the sculptor explained, "when I realised that it wasn't so easy. All the best intentions, but so often a barrier of misunderstanding separated us".

The universality and timelessness of art are apparent in the inspiration for Sean Scully's watercolour Robe (€30,000-€50,000). The source is a medieval manuscript, The Book of Durrow at TCD. 

The artist was struck by the elaborate geometric chequerboard pattern on the robe worn by St. Matthew the Evangelist, resembling nothing so much as an abstract composition transported back through time. The auction is now on view at Adams, and the catalogue is online.

'The Vet's Surgery, Schull' by John Doherty at Adams.

The autumn art sale season is well and truly upon us. Whyte's sale of Irish and International art in Dublin on Monday, September 29, offers many exciting opportunities for collectors and will be on view at Molesworth St. from Monday, September 22. 

The catalogue cover lot is le Brocquy's Image of Samuel Beckett from 1980 (€100,000-€150,000).

'Image of Samuel Beckett' (1980) by Louis le Brocquy at Whyte's.

The catalogue for the Irish Art Auction by de Veres on September 30 is online, and the sale of 230 lots is open for bidding. It offers lots by Martin Gale, Barbara Warren, Robert Taylor Carson, Basil Ivan Rakoczi and many more. 

There will be a sale of Irish and International art by Gormley's on September 30, and the current online sale of affordable Irish art by Morgan O'Driscoll runs until the evening of Monday, September 22.