Wieneke Archive Book 4h : Art Sales Presscuttings

ARTS, NEWS SIR ARTHUR STREETOIN'S oil painting, Hawkesbury River. STREETON OIL BRINGS X13,000 'THIRTEEN thousand dollars, believed to be the highest price for an Australian tradition- alist painting In recent times, was paid for a Streeton oil at a $1000- a -minute auction in Melbourne yesterday. The 1896 oil painting, Hawkesbury River, was knocked down to a com- .missioned agent, Mr. S. R. Salter, for an unnamed buyer's private collection. Another Streeton oil, Coogee (18901 was sold for $9000 to an inter -State buyer who would not be identified. Nine of the 10 Streeton paintings offered were sold brought a total of $35,000. Sir Arthur Streeton, born near Geelong in 1807, was Australia's of8- cial war artist in 1914-18. He was knighted in 1937 for service to art and country. He is represented in principal Australian and overseas galleries. The Streeton works were among 71 etchings, pen - and -Ink drawings, litho- graphs and water and oil paintings in an Australlsn collection auctioned by Leonard Joel Pty. Ltd. The c oil 1 e c Lion was formed by the late Charles and Emily Ruwolt during the 1920-30 period. It had been hanging for many years at the station pro- perty, Yarramundee, at Mulwala, 'NSW. Two hupdred people jammed yesterday's tittle. The collection sold In about 70 minutes for a total of $71,142. Art experts said the high prices showed a re- vival of interest in the best artists of the tradi- tional Australian impres- sionist school. T h e Commonwealth Government was believed to be interested in buying the Hawkesbury River painting, but the price was too high.