Wieneke Archive Book 4h : Art Sales Presscuttings

F;c-scillt-' (55 t"2 46, -1 (a ,f :S rr SALEROOM ... with Terry Ingram How the Great Unwashed paid for Australian art SUFFICIENT profits were being made out of the sale of soap to the British at the turn of the century to help make life especially comfortable for at least one Australian artist then living in London. It is true that sonic of the money that made possible a handsome commission to the artist in question - Arthur Streeton - also came from a new nickel treatment process. However, it was largely upon the new "lavatory" habits Of the British that the fortunes of Streeton's patron, Sir Robert NIond, were based. This interesting situation has come into focus as a result of the long-awaited discovery of the Mond Strettons. Australian dealers, art hrolo rs, and in-betweens have been searching for this cache for years. R has not been possible to establish the circumstances of their discovery, but the find was made by Tony Cowden, formerly with the old Bartoni Galleries and now in London. Many of the pictures have al- ready been placed with Austra- lian dealers and collectors. Most of the pictures had re- mained together in one- collec- tion, but three had been taken to France by Sir Robert Mond's wife when she went to live on Belle -Ile, where John Peter Russell had also lived for some years. One of the pictures that made their way to France - showing Sir Robert wandering in the grounds of his estate - was added to the Jack Manton collection sonic time ago. A second which joined the Manton collection was found by a West End dealer and ac- quired through Julian Sterling last year. The asking price from London Late Combe Bank Estate, Kent, for the picture is understood to have been $20,000. The painting, 76 by 120cm, shows the Combe Bank estate at Sevenoaks, Kent, which the Monds acquired around 1908. The painting is Langing with other pitcures from the Manton collection in the National Gal- lery of Victoria.. When the commission, for 15 paintings, came along, Streeton was in a far more comfortable position than he had been a few years before at his studio in Chelsea when he had been ob- liged to finish off his pictures with bicycle lubricating oil be- cause he could not effort lin- seed oil. He had won, for instance, the support of Russel Rea, MP, who commissioned him to do a series of shipping and dockyard scenes. Anne Galbally, in her book on Streeton, records that Dr for Nerlis It is probably' a little late to offer Nerlis to catch the top of the market considering the main interest has come to date front New Zealand and the New Zealand dollar does not now go as far as it once did. However, Leonard Joel's is offering a scarcely precedented total of seven in its three-day sale of June 23 to June 25. The works, which come from a variety of sources, are Juliette (41 cm by 23 cm), Bacchana- lian Orgy 164 cm by 130.5 cm), The Procession (3t) cm by 22 cm), Portrait of a Young Girl (61 cm by 37 cm). The Goose Girl (a most salable subject 44 cm by 23.5 cm), The Laughing Jackass (34 cm by 56 cml and a smaller Bacchanalian Orgy (2(1cm by 40cm). No doubt Joel's will be hop- ing for a continuation of New Zealand support, for the artist was just as important across the Tasman as he was in Australia, and given the enthusiasm of New Zealand's biggest Nerli collector, it is mill possible that some of the paintings may find their way across to Wellington. It was the same Nerli collec- tor who paid $A17,000 for the view of Auckland Harbour by Conrad Martens offered at Wil- liam S. Ellenden's last Novem- ber. PATANA GALLERIES 5th -20th JUNE Privileged to present a rare collection of the works of the late GORDON ESLING Pupil of and co-ortist with ELOTH GRUNER together with Now Zealand realist THOMAS MUTCH. 2 Paton ;lace, Gallery Hours: (cnr Quirk and Kenneth Roadsj Mon. to Sat. 9 to 4.30 p m. Manly Vale. 949 1535 Sunday 19 to 6 p m. by Sir Art hur Streeton, in Jack Manton collection. Ludwig Mond, of Combe Cot- tage, near Sevenoaks. was "a particular favourite" friend and 7aat ron. (In fact Streeton's own son, Charles Ludwig Oliver, was named after Mond, h chemist front Cassel whose successes in the laboratory spawned Mond Nickel and Imperial Chemical Industries.) Streeton received the commis- sion in May, 1913, and in an unpublished letter to the Australian art collector Bald- win-Spencer he was able to write at that time: "I feel most fortunate - most happy - and my life could not be better. "I've sold a few of the Vene- tians (paintings he had done in Venice) to some rich friends and we've been staying at their home in the country, motors at our service etc and I paint a good deal of the time, as well as play tennis." The paintings were to hang at Combe Bank, one of the string of homes the Monds owned of one time or another, and which included The Pop- lars, in Avenue Road, Regents Park, and the Palazzo Zuccari, Rome. Streeton was only a small part of the art patronage of the Mond family, who gave a num- ber of old master paintings to the National Gallery In Lon- don. Streeton painted his canvases for Ludwig's son, Sir Robert Mond, the Egyptologist and scientist who is reported to have had also "a great love for and knowledge of music, and to have been a very competent singer. His interest in art and music led Robert astray at times, for it is reported that he "at times got into company that was not welcomed at Avenue Road." However, he is,s knighted in 1932 for his success in contin- uing his father's experiments. The Mond empire was founded on Ludwig's working with John Brunner of the Sol- vay process for the production of soda from common salt. Mond's discovery of the com- pound nickel carbonyl also led him to the invention of the highly successful Mond carbo- nyl process for the extraction of nickel from its ores. Ludwig Mond gave Britain cheap soap, and Hector Bolitho, who chronicled the Mond family history, wrote what seems to be a rattler outrageous claim: "The effect on ordinary domestic hygiene and family health was colossal." EXHIBITION AN IMO NE,(T SATOH The John nom* and useful Von, optional Saloon to Bath. roe ilar, English Plank Cott, small Clullonieres Dining Table, n, etc Dushesso Ore Lady's Witting Da,. Table, four charmi I ter Settee, early Enn den's, Dropside is net, D End Table, Clock, plus Old Pea In addrhon a co, Snuff Bottles w it i KINDLY NOTE: The Viewing and catalog CONF. AN I NEXT TUI THE MAGNIFY Over two hundred Fine China, Glass, carved Oak Furnit. Table, an old cowed Chinese Cabinet, an a charming small Cheats of Drowern Motors, Beds, etc. Dining Table, an ant a leather topped V. carved Hanging Hart. Table on ken base Included also In th style, a collection r.t fine Chinesa Pomo: other .0,111 of low KINDLY NOTE: In v Afternoon, June 13, N.B. FOR THOSE AT THE FAR END , CONS An IN THE E We hays pleasure Jewellery, old Esau of Charm and Dish, Boxes, Ms Featuring Irt the Cy' large number of He. lets, Bangles, Yost, Muff Choirs, old ellery, Narn Iron ' Fronts, a rem eat of ber of Jade Nelda cornpreherblvo col,,, could be of Interest Unction either for ps KINDLY NOM: Furl. ney Monks Herald most pipers city and Viewing and Catalog from 12 noon to 4p CONS Antique I AND SALE OF Fl OIL PAINT! N that attract int r LAY CELEBRATED INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITOR - ARTIST 17 VIRTUOSO OF THE "PALETTE KNIFE" TECHNICJ INNOVATIVE! - CREATIVE! - VERSA' From the soft pasties of his landscapes to the dynamic colours r' WRITE OR PHONE FOR INVITATION T Please send me/us invitation to Zablan Exhi- bition Name Address Postcode Imp 4. 0.1 .1; No Me owe .m OPENING SESS FRIDAY EVENING, 2ND Among Zaplan's expositions: Manila, Hong Kong, Beverly Tokyo, Paris, Heidelberg; Aril, ROYCE GA MetcaNe Arcade, ID Geo Phonei.