By Peter Fish, on 20-Jul-2010

A rare Charles Meere oil painting of Sydney Harbour, Lot A93, is one of the highlights of John Williams’s auction of antiques and collectibles on July 24 and 25.

In contrast with Meere’s usual genre style works, such as his classic 1940s Bondi Beach image, this scene of a garden fronting the harbour has a slightly surreal air, Williams says. He says has never sold a work by Meere before but expects it to fetch $800 to $1200.

There’s also a Roland Wakelin, Lot A25, of a country church hall, which the artist and his wife donated to a charity auction held by the Royal Blind Society. Complete with accompanying documentation, it is estimated at $2,000 to $3,000.

Among a good array of antique furniture is a fine 1840s full-length mahogany bookcase with adjustable shelves and floor-length glass doors, Lot F11, estimate $2,000 to $3,000. There is a good Georgian mahogany chest-on-chest, F107, and an attractive four-tier mahogany whatnot, Lot F31.

Williams points to a handsome pine dresser with four open shelves, a drawer and undershelf below, Lot F156, which he says is “crying out for a nice country-style interior”.

The sale also offers sculpture, including a bronze and ivory figure by Carrier-Belleuse, ceramics, silver, glass, and Persian and Caucasian carpets.

About The Author

Peter Fish has been writing on art and collectables for 30 years in an array of publications. With extensive experience in Australia and South-Eat Asia, he was until 2008 a senior business journalist and arts columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald.