10 December 2007

The important work of Perth West Australia by Sir Edmund Yeamans Walcott Henderson was sold for $530,075 including buyer’s premium of 16.5% at our Summer 2007 Art Auction, conducted on December 4. The work is remaining in Western Australia. There were 9 registered phone bidders and at least 6 potential buyers on the auction room floor – the successful bid came from the floor.

“This is the most important piece of Western Australian art that we have offered” said Patricia Flanagan Company direct or and auction coordinator – “ it is a very exciting piece and we are privileged that the vender had chosen GFL to work with it” she added. “ Henderson was the first comptroller of convicts and arrived in Fremantle in 1850 with the first contingent and he remained here until 1863, “ this picture was painted 12 months before he returned to England.”

“The added personal advantages of working with pieces like this is the amount of information you uncover during the research process” Ms Flanagan said. “Things you never knew before, for example most West Australians know of our convict past, but few would know that the convicts arrived in the colony before the colonists knew the colony was to receive convicts. “The ship carrying the notice from the Colonial Office was overtaken by the ship carrying the convicts. “The colonialists weren’t prepared and the transportees had to be housed in a rented warehouse until facilities were built”

“Few would know that the convicts were specially selected because of the small amount of time they had left to serve on their sentences and they were I suppose what we call trustees today. “They could be granted a ticket of leave to work for the farmers who petitioned to have them sent out to the Swan River to provide a source of labour that was desperately short at the time – “ pictures like these carry you on a wonderful journey of discovery. “ Even Henderson himself, what a marvellous achiever he was. “ When he finished his assignment in the colony he returned to London and eventually became the Chief Commissioner of the London Police Force and established what is now Scotland Yard”

“Henderson’s version of Perth would be topographically correct and the detail is outstanding, but his artistic flair is apparent by the composition. “He shortened the distance between the Darling Range and the townsite to allow for definition and the area of Perth water has been reduced to bring the town forward in the composition. “I think he painted it in two stages because even today from the location Henderson chose to paint, the large modern city that is Perth now, is just a bit of a blur in respect of detail. “ I would guess that he painted the townsite from the north of Mt Eliza and then moved south to include the mount and the steam mills in the scene. “He was known for his panoramas and this one is very special to this state.”

“ Westralia Felix” by Ernest Philpot sold for $20,000 plus buyers premium	“ Pearling Lugger Broome” by Robert Juniper sold for $28,000 plus buyers premium
“ Dark Pool” by Mac Betts sold for $9,250 plus buyers premium	“Egret in Flight” by William Boissevain sold for $13,000 plus buyers premium