FORTHCOMING AUCTION
Wednesday March 31st 2010
IMPORTANT IRISH ART
Harry Kernoff RHA (1900-1974)
'A Summer's Day in St. Stephen's Green'
Estimate: €15,000 - 20,000
We are now accepting further entries for our upcoming Spring sale of Important Irish Art. Artists whose work is already consigned includes Paul Henry, Sir John Lavery, Harry Kernoff, Gerard Dillon and others. Deadline for receipt of entries is February 19th. Contact James O'Halloran or David Britton if you wish to consign works for this sale.
A new year message from our Managing Director
Happy New Year and may 2010 be a peaceful and prosperous one. 2009 was a year that many people in the art and antique business will be happy to forget but in some ways it didn’t quite turn out to be as bad as we were expecting.
This time last year we were all facing into the prospect of a remarkably difficult economic climate both here in Ireland and internationally and while the worldwide economy is still in recession there continues to be life in the art market but quite evidently not for everything.
Many vendors have been unwilling to consign their valuables to auction because they have a perception that prices are low but the irony of the situation is that buyers are now prepared to pay higher prices for quality items fresh to the market. This was illustrated to us particularly in the last quarter of last year providing us with some small cause for optimism for the near future. The triple successes of our €2.2m. Country House Collections sale at Slane Castle in October, the remarkable performance of Eddie Delaney’s monumental bronzes later that same month when King and Queen made €160,000 and most recently the outstanding price of €240,000 which was paid for Paul Henry’s ‘Fisherman’s Cottage’ all point the way to the relative health of the art market.
The by-words for success in todays market are simple – quality; fresh, unseen works and perhaps most critically, sensible estimates and reserves.
On the other hand there is also great value to be had for buyers who can see that their euro goes much further today than it did two, three or four years ago. However it is as important as ever to buy what you like as opposed to buying solely for investment and in that case if your purchase doesn’t make you rich in a monetary fashion at least you will have something that gives you ongoing aesthetic pleasure.
The formidable challenges in 2010 may well be similar to the past year but we are all looking forward to a busy calendar of auctions and other events here at Adams in all the regular categories as well as introducing some new sales to our repertoire. As ever, we will endeavour to maintain our emphasis on offering quality items for collectors and homemakers alike at sensible estimates and we all look forward to welcoming you to our rooms during the year.
James O’Halloran
LATEST PRESS RELEASES
New Record for Irish Sculpture at Adam's
Adam's at Slane Castle an 'Outstanding Success'
Fine Period Furnishings, Paintings & Silver
Auction 23rd June
Aloysius O’Kelly Painting Sells for World Record Price
Click here to view previous catalogues and results
