DUBLIN.- Whyte’s November auction of Important Irish Art offers collectors some of the most desirable artworks by the country’s most sought-after names. The sale will take place at the RDS, Ballsbridge on Monday 30th at 6pm, viewing will be open to the public from Saturday to Monday (28th-30th, 10am-6pm).

Since the beginning of 2015 the Irish market has experienced a resurgence and there is a palpable confidence in the saleroom with collectors willing to bid competitively again on the lots they desire. Whyte’s sales have experienced selling rates as high as 90% since February with some of the most desirable pictures achieving prices two and three times their estimates. A short supply of top quality and rare artworks appears to be driving this demand and Whyte’s Important Irish Art sale later this month offers to quench the collectors’ thirst for the crème de la crème on the art market.

The highlight of the November auction and top lot by value is Louis le Brocquy’s ethereal oil, Being [734], 2000 [Lot 70, estimated at €80,000-€100,000]. From around the middle of the 1990s to 2005 le Brocquy returned to his earlier preoccupation with the 'Presence Series' (1956-1966) and developed further this theme in a body of work called 'Human Images'. The depth of concept and beauty of execution elevate this work into the upper echelons of the artist’s oeuvre. An earlier oil - Ancestral Head, 1965 [Lot 65, €25,000-€35,000] - from the ‘Presence Series’ will appeal to those interested in the genesis of this body of work while examples from the Táin [Lots 67-69, €1,500-€2,000] will satisfy the more modest budget.

Gerard Dillon’s intriguing Portrait of Dan O'Neill, 1952 [Lot 38, €20,000-€30,000] dons the cover of the catalogue. With its inviting composition and important subject it is sure to captivate aficionados of the Belfast artist. It has been singled out twice for exhibition at major retrospectives in 1972 and 2003; a detail the astute collector will appreciate. Dillon’s contemporaries also shine in the sale with a variety of examples by Daniel O’Neill, Nano Reid and Norah McGuinness.

A strong selection of charming works by William Conor showing aspects of life in Belfast appear early in the sale. The largest example from the collection of seven is On The Swings [Lot 12, €12,000-€15,000].

For most people an iconic scene of the west of Ireland can only mean one name in Irish art, Paul Henry. Henry’s paintings were used to celebrate and promote tourism in Ireland from the 1920s and thus became a household name. At auction his oils attract fierce bidding and Connemara, c.1929-1930 [Lot 22, €40,000-€60,000] with its dominating sky and lush foreground of turf stacks and bog pools will not disappoint buyers.

Of the more contemporary readings of the Irish landscape, two artists Basil Blackshaw and Patrick Collins, stand out. Three works by Collins and two by Blackshaw provide ample choice for discerning collectors. Blackshaw’s Six mile Valley (below right) [Lot 43, €15,000-€20,000] is wonderfully expressive, while Collins’ Gypsy Camp [Lot 42, €8,000-€12,000] explores a memory of a place from his childhood. Of the next generation of artists John Shinnors and Donald Teskey both represent a fresh and contemporary reading of the landscape. The House, Kite & Scarecrow [Lot 77, €20,000-€30,000] by Shinnors and Island Crossing VII, 2000 [Lot 76, €10,000-€15,000] by Teskey are both sizeable works which would form statement pieces in a strong modern collection. A radiant oil by Tony O’Malley, Harvest Light, 1991 [Lot 57, €20,000-€30,000], dazzles with Bahamian light from the artist’s most popular series, inspired by his time spent in the Caribbean.

Artists proving ever popular both at auction and in the galleries are Liam O’Neill and Arthur Maderson. Each is included in the November auction with very attractive examples and guide prices that will tempt bidders to invest.

Burgeoning collectors and with a limited funds needn’t despair. A variety of work in the sale will cater to budgets in the region of €1,500 with wonderful original examples by names of enduring quality and appeal: Percy French, Maurice MacGonigal, Frank McKelvey, Jack Butler Yeats, George Campbell, Seán McSweeney, Tony O’Malley, Patrick Scott, William Scott as well as attractive sculpture among many other examples.

Other names in the sale include: Pauline Bewick, Patrick Graham, Robert Gregory, Nathaniel Hone, Harry Kernoff, Erskine Nicol, Aloysius O’Kelly, Roderic O’Conor, Markey Robinson, Mary Swanzy, Countess Markievicz and William Leech.

VIEWING for this auction will be at the RDS, Anglesea Road entrance, from Saturday to Monday, 28 to 30 November 10am to 6pm daily. The auction will take place in the same venue on Monday 30 November at 6pm, and will be broadcast live at www.whytes.ie