Charles Goldie’s oil painting of Te Arawa rangatira Rakapa Te Tira has sold for more than half a million dollars.
The painting, Memories, Rakapa, an Arawa Chieftainess, was auctioned in Auckland on Tuesday evening and will remain in Aotearoa.
“It’s gone to a private collection here in Auckland. It sold for $553,700 [total price],” says Richard Thomson, a director of the International Art Centre in Parnell which conducted the auction.
A second Goldie, Washing Clothes in a Warm Pool, Whakarewarewa, featuring a mother and pēpē, fetched more than $100,000.
“That went for $107,500. Plus buyer’s premium, GST and everything, that went for $129,130.
“Both of them are actually in private collections in Auckland.”
Also up for auction were several art pieces by Ralph Hotere (Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa) - Untitled 2, Winter Solstice Carey’s Bay, Aramoana, Requiem For Tony, and London, 1988.
“They’ve all gone to different buyers. Most of them are staying in Auckland. I think one is going to the South Island.
“The most expensive one went for $47,500, that’s Carey’s Bay. So they ranged from $10,000 to $45,000.”
Requiem For Tony was predicted to sell for the most, up to $30,000.
“That’s on offer at the moment. That one hasn’t sold just yet.”
Thomson says public institutions such as, for example, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki do occasionally acquire works but this was not the case this time.
“They do sometimes get involved. On this occasion, these were private collectors that purchased the works.”
While the artworks will be held privately, he expects they will be exceptionally well cared for.
“When people are spending that sort of money on art, [they] tend to absolutely look after them. So that seems highly likely from what I can ascertain.”
Despite the current economic climate, Thomson says the Goldie and Hotere artworks sold as expected.
“It’s about what we thought. It was a very good sale, very well attended. The market seems to be holding up very well, despite some of the uncertainty out there.”
The auction house is currently putting together an auction of works by women artists.