MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.- Jon Dwyer, Christie’s Director, announced today that the company had secured the sale of the art collection from The Estate of the Late Frederick D Bladin. The Bladin Collection will be auctioned in Melbourne on 2 April when it is expected to realize in excess of $800,000. Frederick D Bladin enjoyed a successful career in the family’s stone quarry business. Always interested in art, he indulged his passion and collected seriously from the mid 1970s until his death in 1988. Jon Dwyer said “It is increasingly rare for a private single owner sale to come onto the market with most major collections being sold over a number of years. The Bladin Collection reflects the taste and expertise of an astute collector of his era. Frederick Bladin’s discerning eye discreetly assembled a fine collection of traditional and historically significant works. Together they open a unique window on Australian art history and well document an important aspect of art in Australia.”
The Bladin Collection focuses primarily on the years between the 1890s and The Great War (WWI). It is an important survey of the period with most major artists represented and covers significant historical, social and artistic traditions in landscape, portraiture and society. Important harbor views of Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart are represented as are several works which sensitively and evocatively depict the role of women from the period.
Highlights include: “Sirius Cove” an 1895 work by Arthur Streeton (estimate: $120,000- 180,000) from the golden age of Australian Impressionism;“On the Balcony” by Rupert Bunny (estimate: $120,000 – 180,000); Knud Bull’s 1853, rare historical “View of Hobart Town” (estimate: $40,000 - 60,000) W.C. Piguenit’s “On the ‘Break O’ Day’ Plains, Tasmania, 1895” (estimate: $60,000 – 80,000). An important early work by Lloyd Rees and a large scale, vivacious still-life by Bessie Davidson provide a Modern element and further depth to the collection.
A special preview of selected highlights of the collection will be held at The Bather’s Pavilion, Balmoral Beach from 12 noon to 4pm on Saturday & Sunday March 15 & 16. The Bladin Collection will be on view 11am to 5pm daily in Sydney at Caspian Gallery, 469 Oxford Street, Paddington from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 March and in Melbourne at Christie’s, 1 Darling Street, South Yarra, from Friday 28 March to Tuesday 2 April. The sale will be in Melbourne at 6.30pm on Wednesday 2 April. Catalogues are available now.