Wieneke Archive Book 4h : Art Sales Presscuttings

Mr Barry Stern, the Syd.tey art dealer, with Dobell's study for "The Cypriot," for which he paid $14,000 on behalf of a client yesterday. $14,000 Dobell tops art sale A painting by Sir William Dobell, a study for "The Cypriot," fetched the top price of $14.000 at a Christie's of London art auction in Sydney last night. The 30 inch by 30 inch painting, on a wood panel, was one of three Dobells bought at the sale by Syd- ney art dealer Mr Barry Stern o behalf of a pri- vate collector. He said the collector was prepared to hid $25,000 for the study, which he described as a brilliant. Mr Stern spent a total of about $50,000 at the sale. He bought 19 paint- ings to resell in his gallery, and seven on behalf of col- lectors. The sale was part of the Major Harold de Vahl Rubin collection of Australian drawings and patrtFags. Th.. sale, in the Went- worth Hotel, attracted about 600 people. Mr Stern said there were very few bargains at the sale. "Nearly all the prices were close to what would be paid in galleries," he said. The auctioneer, Major William Spowers, said the sale was remarkable as more than 90 per cent of the works were sold. He had expected that only about half the paint- ings would be sold as there was a very limited market in Sydney fur works costing more than $1,000. Other paintings sold at high prices at the sale, which realised more than $150.000, included "Wind and Sand." by John Pass - more, $4,000; "After the Bushfire," by John Perce- val, $4,800; "Norman S.:hureck," by Sir William Dobell. $11.000; "Girl with Hat," by Sir William Dobell. $7.000; and "Man in a Land'cape," by Sir Russell Drysdale, $9,000. Karen McAuley, 17, of Kogarah, admires two white ptarmigans, one of the six stolen porcelain groups, at the auction rooms last week. Reward for return of porcelain A reward has been offered for the return of a rare collection of por- celain owned by the late Sir Edward Hallstrom which was stolen from auction rooms on Tues- day night. The reward, believed to be more than $1,000 has been offered by Mr Max Germaine, joint managing director of the auctioneers, F. R. Strang: Pty Ltd. The $20,000 collection - six "bir-I porcelain" works by the American artist Edward Mr.shall Boehm - was believed to be the only one af its kind in Australia. "We are naturally very upset that the bins have flown," Mr G.irmainc said yesterday. "We feel that someone, in a mo- ment of exuberance, stole them not realising they arc not easy to dispose of, And if left lying around would be easily damaged." He said it was impo!- sible to get rid of the col- lection in Australia or the United States. Nobody would touch them, he said. They are unique and each piece re- gistered. "We feel that if we offer a reward we might get them back." The pieces were stolen from F. R. Strange's rooms in George Street Noch. They were to be auctioned at noon today with ;he remaining items of the Stuart and Phyllis Binns collection of anti- ques and art pieces. Yesterday there was an auction of 1,000 bottles of vintage wine, cookery hooks, corkscrews, clocks and other items. A top price of $600 was paid for a walnut -on -oak William and Mary chest on chest. Next highest price was $450 for a George If oak bureau on chest with a "handsomely fitted interior" and a secret drawer. A bottle of Wood- leys 1953 Coonawarru Claret brought $17 and a copy of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management dated 1861 realised $85. The lowest price was $2 for a Victor- ian fire scre.a. The sale of the rest of the collection - silver- ware, enamels, porcelain:, earthenware, glassware aid pictures - will con- tir tic at 10.30 am today. a.