Roderic O’Conor, Paul Henry and John Butler Yeats for Sotheby’s London auction

During the boom, Sotheby’s in London held dedicated sales of Irish art. Those were the days. Now the category has been merged and paintings by Irish artists are included in a “British and Irish Art” sale on May 23rd at the saleroom in New Bond Street. The traditional pre-sale viewing takes place in Dublin today (10am-6pm) and tomorrow (10am-4pm) only at 16 Molesworth Street.

Some 30 Irish paintings will go under the hammer. The top lot is Red Rocks and Sea by Roderic O'Conor, which has not been seen in public since it was bought in London in 1961. It is one of a series of seascapes made by the Roscommon-born artist in Brittany in the late 19th century. The estimate is £200,000- £300,000 (€235,000-€353,000).

A painting by Paul Henry, Achill Woman , has not been exhibited since 1973. The estimate is £70,000-£100,000 (€82,500-€118,000).

Another face of Ireland is to be found in Portrait of William Butler Yeats , described as "an image imbued with a soft, spiritual quality" by the poet's father, artist John Butler Yeats dating from 1907 and estimated at £40,000- £60,000 (€47,000- €70,500).