On the 3rd of July French auction house Artcurial auctioned 45 works of Australian Aboriginal art during their Art abstrait et contemporain РArt aborig̬ne Australien (Abstract and Contemporary Art РAustralian Aboriginal Art) sale.
The long association with the market for Tribal art and Australian Aboriginal art makes Paris an ideal international destination for the sale of Indigenous Australian art and artifacts. A three part auction, the third part of the 3rd July sale featured 45 works of Australian Aboriginal art by artists such as Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and Emily Kame Kngwarreye .
The highlight of the sale was a wonderful 100x100cm painting from a Belgian private collection by Freddie Timms titled Fish Hole (Mabel Downs), 2010 which sold for €8,494 against an estimate of €7,000-10,000.
A painting by Ronnie Tjampitjinpa fetched the highest price for a work of Aboriginal art selling for €9,009 against an estimate of €8,000-12,000. Titled Water Dreaming, 2007, the 183x63cm acrylic on canvas was a commissioned painting, purchased in Alice Springs.
Paintings by Michelle Possum Nungurrayi and Gabriella Possum Nungarrayi were particularly popular with 9 out of the 23 paintings sold coming from these two artists. The surprise lot of the sale was a 107x124cm painting by Gabriella Possum Nungarrayi titled Seven Dreaming 1992. Originally estimated to fetch €2,000-3,000 the painting sold for €5,406.
The results of the sale can be viewed here and the catalogue here.
