Strong prices for Scotland’s favourites

John Byrne’s impressive self-portrait (lot 148) was the top lot of the day, exceeding its original estimate of £2,000 – 3,000. This drew fierce bidding from absentee bidders, the room and online, but it was the room that triumphed and secured the winning bid of £4,200 (hammer). Always a collector favourite at McTear’s, Byrne’s lithograph (lot 99), Nova Scotia also performed well with a hammer price of £1,500.

It’s always nice to have something different in the sale, and two sculptures (lots 33 and 34) by local favourite, George Wyllie were much admired on the view. As poignant reminders of Glasgow’s industrial past, these sculptures drew strong bidding in the room; the beautifully crafted Steam Engine exceeded its original estimate of £100-200 with a hammer of £320 whilst the Large Clyde Puffer sold for £340.

It wouldn’t be a Scottish Contemporary Art Auction without a few lots by John Bellany (1942-2013) and his quirky depiction of his cat “Korky” (lot 58) was a favourite on the view. Accompanying the lot was a written letter from his daughter Anya, confirming the cat’s identity.  This strong provenance proved irresistible to Bellany collectors and saw the hammer fall at £3,200 after an exciting bidding war between a telephone bidder and the internet.

Brightly coloured, Scottish landscapes always fare well at McTear’s, and works by Hamish MacDonald (1935-2008) and JOLOMO tick all the boxes for many of our bidders. Macdonald’s wonderful mixed medias performed well with hammer prices of £2,300 for Low Sunlight Across the Bay (lot 66) and £950 for Grazing in Woodlands (lot 126), whilst JOLOMO’S Beached Boat and Croft (lot54) and Evening Gloaming (70) made £1,700 and £1,300 respectively.

We are currently accepting entries for the next Scottish Contemporary Art Auction to take place Sunday 19 August.  We close this auction to entries on Friday 27 July. To discuss a potential consignment please contact pictures@mctears.co.uk.

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