Brett Whiteley’s dove leads flock of art offerings

After breaking auction records in 2020 for his celebrated painting Henri’s Armchair, a new Brett Whiteley canvas is due to hit Sydney’s art market in November.

Smith & Singer chairman Geoffrey Smith reflects on Brett Whiteley’s The Dove in the Mango Tree. Picture: Aaron Francis

After Brett Whiteley’s painting Henri’s Armchair broke auction records in 2020, a new canvas by the artist is due to hit Sydney’s art market in November, with collectors expected to spend big as borders reopen and lockdown ends.

The Dove in the Mango Tree, one of Whiteley’s well-known paintings of Sydney Harbour and its bird life, is to go under the hammer for an estimated $1.2m, two years after his 1974 work Henri’s Armchair sold for $6.1m.

The previous auction record was $5.4m for Sidney Nolan’s 1946 First-Class Marksman, bought by the Art Gallery of NSW in 2010

Smith & Singer chairman Geoffrey Smith said Whiteley’s life and artwork continues to attract significant international attention from collectors who regard his paintings of the Sydney Harbour as iconic works of Australian art.

“The Dove in the Mango Tree is a magnificent composition that fuses Whiteley’s two great loves. He was endlessly fascinated by birds, and how they moved through the world and, of course, Sydney Harbour, which is the background of this painting.”

Over the course of two decades after returning home to Australia in 1969, Whiteley painted works known as the Lavender Bay series from his studio overlooking Sydney Harbour on the lower north shore.

“When people travel, they often want to buy art that reminds them of that place and its sense of atmosphere,” said Mr Smith. “The Whiteley piece is an example of this because it evokes the colour and brilliance of the Harbour so well.”

Wendy Whiteley, the artist’s former wife, said The Dove in the Mango Tree was a reminder of a happier time. “It has a magnificent rich colour and it still looks very fresh,” she said. “This piece is a happy work and really a celebration of life.”

Whiteley’s painting will appear with works by more than 50 Australian artists, including Frederick McCubbin, Arthur Streeton, Clarice Beckett, Ian Fairweather and Jeffery Smart, in an exhibition spanning two centuries.

After more than six months of cancellations, Mr Smith said border closures and lockdowns have sparked renewed interest in Australian art, with pent-up demand for exhibitions and auctions across the country.

Smith & Singer’s exhibition Important Australian Art opens in Melbourne on November 3 and in Sydney on November 11.