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A great opportunity to purchase both established and lesser-known artist’s work at an accessible price point, the Online Picture Auction is the first of many sales to be hosted at Adam’s in 2026. It is perfect for those looking to start a collection and the discerning collector alike.
The sale includes an array of works with interesting provenance. There is a large selection from the collection of the Late Bruce Arnold, such as drawings and studies by Mainie Jellett and William Orpen to name but a few.
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Bruce Arnold was a prominent journalist, author, and art collector. Born in London, Bruce was educated in the Cotswolds and then went to university in Trinity College Dublin, studying Modern Languages. In 2003 he was made an Officer of the British Empire; the honour, bestowed by Queen Elizabeth, was for services to journalism and to Anglo-Irish relations.
He published many acclaimed books on Irish artists, including Orpen, Jellett and Derek Hill. As a collector Bruce largely purchased artist whom he was researching for his books, while he was also particularly interested in The White Stag Group and was a large contributor to the IMMA exhibition held in 2005.
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There are several works from The White Stag Group represented in the Online Picture auction. The White Stag Group was centred around a number of British artists who based themselves in Ireland in the late 1930s and early ‘40s. The core of the group was Basil Rakoczi and Kenneth Hall; however, many other artists joined them in creating new, youthful, and avant-garde works of art that had a profound effect on the practice of art in post-war Irish Modernist Art.
Other artists from Bruce Arnolds collection include watercolours from the architect and painter Raymond McGrath as well as pictures and prints by artist such as Alicia Boyle, Patrick Swift and Edith Somerville.
Also featured in the sale are a rare collection of sketches by Walter Frederick Osborne coming from the dependents Arthur Herbert Stack Orpen, a brother of the painter William Orpen. These views include sketches from some well know works of Osborne, such as A View of Hastings which is in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.
The auction has many contemporary works including a collection of prints from the Graphic Studio from the collection of the Dutch artist Jan de Fouw, an interesting and somewhat overlooked artist whose work deserves to be better known today.
Coming to Ireland in 1951, de Fouw was a graphic designer and artist, he was commissioned to produce illustrations for Aer Lingus posters and for the 1955 An Tostal festival. He was very active in the early years of the Graphic Studio and held an exhibition of etchings and lithographs at the Hendricks Gallery in 1964.
Through this article, let our expert Adam Pearson guiding you to the (re)discovery of the once established Irish painter Richard O’Neill.
Buying at Auction and the Role of Antiques in a Modern Home
Important Irish Art Auction Highlights
Oliver Dowling Collection by Aidan Dunne
2024 is a year in which Adam’s wants to recognise the key role buying antique furniture and furnishings at auction contributes greatly to the sustainable initiative. In 2019 the Environmental Protection Agency reported stark figures that each year in Ireland 1.2 million reusable bulky items, primarily furniture goes into landfill. Similar to the problem of ‘fast fashion’, the constant production and consumption of new items is leading to rapidly growing waste problem. We want to acknowledge those who are already buying second hand or antique furniture at auction and to encourage new buyers by highlighting the benefits of acquiring affordable, well-made quality items that are built to last.
Irish author, recipe creator and lifestyle influencer, Indy Parsons, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
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Cork-born Irish actress, Sarah Greene, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Yvonne Aupicq had met Orpen, we understand, while working as a nurse during the war. He had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case of scabies which ended up being a far more serious case of blood poisoning as he recounts in his wartime memoir ‘An Onlooker in France’. Their relationship continued after 1918 when Orpen was appointed as the official artist to The Paris Peace Conference. They relocated to capital and over the following decade he painted her numerous times, often nude as in Amiens 1914, or The Rape and Nude Girl Reading (1921). Working with her as his model during these early years after the war allowed Orpen an opportunity to re-fuel his creativity.
Editor-in-Chief of IMAGE Publications, Lizzie Gore-Grimes, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction on September 13th features a prime example of Van Cleef & Arpel's renowned 'Mystery Setting'
Our June auction offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the great masterpieces of Irish art and icons of Dublin’s history.
Georgia Chiesa selects some of her favourite lots in the upcoming Vintage Wine & Spirits Auction
"Beating the bounds is a tradition that can be traced back to the medieval period. At this time, land was divided into parishes and the clergy and church wardens held the responsibility for its upkeep and management. It was up to the Church to ensure that its parishioners knew the local boundary lines and, before maps became commonplace, this had to be kept as a mental record."
Adam’s in conjunction with Suzanne MacDougald are proud to host an online timed auction of artworks to aid the Irish Red Cross’s humanitarian work in delivering vital services to millions of people impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. With no buyers premium 100% of the hammer price will go directly to the Irish Red Cross.
Ros Drinkwater writes of Jack B Yeats' 'The Boat' in the Business Post:
With a consolidated result of €320,000,the At Home sale in Stephan’s Green, was a great success.
James Adam & Sons Ltd, Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers, 26 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
D02 X665, Ireland
