In recent years, sculpture consigned from Ireland to auction at Sotheby’s in London has achieved some remarkable prices. The latest success story unfolded unexpectedly during a sale in the new Bond Street saleroom before Christmas, on December 10th, when a late 16th-century, four-inch-high bronze figure of a lion (above) consigned from a private Northern Ireland collection sold for a remarkable £81,250 (approximately €112,000). The estimate had been £40,000-£60,000.
Pacing Lion (bronze, measuring 10.9cm by 19.5cm) was made by French sculptor Barthelémy Prieur (circa 1536-1611). The lion is mounted on an ebonised wooden base from a later date. Sotheby's said the 16th-century artist was "among the most prolific and successful makers of bronzes of his time" and similar casts of the "pacing lion" were in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and in Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza collection.
Last October, a bronze sculpture by Rowan Gillespie titled When Hope and Reason Rhyme sold for £161,000 (about €219,000) – more than five times the top estimate of £30,000 (€40,000) in Sotheby's 2015 Irish Sale.
In July 2014, an unnamed Dublin art collector’s medieval wooden “corpus” (a figure of Christ crucified, catalogued as “Spanish or South French, late 12th/13th century”) sold at Sotheby’s for £278,500 (€350,000) – more than 18 times the top estimate.
In May 2014, Sotheby's sold a 19th-century French life-size terracotta statue from Westport House, Co Mayo, for £362,500 (€ 445,000); Boulonnaise allaitant son enfant by sculptor Aimé-Jules Dalou was bought by the National Gallery of Canada.
Sotheby's sculpture expert Christopher Mason will visit Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday, February 10th and 11th, to offer free valuations "throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland".
To arrange an appointment in the Dublin office or to request a house visit, contact Eliza McCormack in Sotheby’s Dublin office at 29 Molesworth Street.
