Staring at art on the wall is bigger than ever

Geoffrey Smith makes it his business to know the minds of collect­ors, and he says art has never been more important.

Geoffrey Smith with a 1983 Arthur Boyd work, Shoalhaven River Bank (3 Rocks), which has an estimate of $300,000-$400,000. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Geoffrey Smith makes it his business to know the minds of collect­ors. And while the pandemic has been a strange time for all, those lucky enough to be surrounded by art have found themselves developing a renewed appreciation for their collection during lockdown.

“They’re spending more time at home, looking at what’s hanging on the wall,” said Smith, chairma­n of fine art auction house Smith & Singer. “Never has there been a time when art has been more important than now.”

As galleries start to open their doors around the nation, auction houses are preparing to welcome buyers back into their showrooms after a long period of absence.

Smith & Singer, formerly known as Sotheby’s Australia, will hold its next auction on June 24 in Sydney — and this time, buyers will no longer be confined to bids online or over the phone. Smith is encouraged by the early response from collectors, but said he was presenting a “cautious and conservative­” selection given the downturn in the global economy.

There will be 59 lots in total at the sale, which has an upper estimate of $8.3m. Highlights include a John Brack painting of his daughter Charlotte from 1958, a majestic picture by Frederick McCubbin last seen more than a century ago, featuring bathers on the Yarra River, and a large, striking­ painting by Arthur Boyd depicting the Shoalhaven River.

“We’ve had the time to reflect and to discuss with vendors, and we feel the current sale certainly has been tailored to the current climate,” Smith said.

“The estimates are also more conservative than what they would have been in November last year …. (But) we’ve tested the market with some private sales and we’ve been very heartened by the response.”

Deutscher and Hackett had a single-item auction last week, streamed live, for Del Kathryn Barton’s Archibald-­winning portrait of Hugo Weaving from 2013. It sold for $270,000, well above its upper estimate of $160,000.

Like other auction houses, D+H has been operating with small sales and online auctions, but buyers will be invited to return in person for its next auction on July 15. Executive director Damian Hackett said social-distancing rules would remain in force. “So no more hugging but lots more air-kissing,” he said.

Leonard Joel will hold its first in-room auction, dedicated to dec­o­r­ative arts, on June 22, while Menzies has scheduled an Aus­tralian and international art auction for July 9. On Wednesday night, Bonhams Australia held an online-only sale of jade, porcelain and bronzes from the collection of the late Father Peter Grice.