Smith & Singer In the News

Time and Tide | Felix Scholz

On Monday we told you about a Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona that was being auctioned by Sotheby’s Australia the following night. Well, on Wednesday we discovered that the watch hammered in at $219,600 (including buyer’s premium), making it the most expensive wristwatch ever auctioned in Australia.

Time and Tide  |  Felix Scholtz

The ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona is one of THE legendary watches. At its most basic level it’s an exotic dialled variant of the (already iconic) Rolex Daytona. Unpopular when it was originally released, things kicked off for the watch when pictures of Paul Newman wearing a ref. 6239 emerged and the once-obscure chronograph became one of the hottest tickets in town. And, like the story of all mythical creatures, that of the Paul Newman is a nugget of truth surrounded by a whole lot of  rumour, speculation and downright BS. The reason is simple – Paul Newmans are worth big dollars. For example, a particularly primo gold ref. 6263 sold just the other weekend, setting a new record with its whopping $3.7m USD hammer price.

Australian Financial Review | Peter Fish

The mood in the art market is reviving after almost a decade of flatlining annual sales. Evidence of increased dealer activity on behalf of private clients is mounting amid improving sentiment and the evidence of several successful sales this year – culminating in last week's Sotheby's Australia sale, where numerous works realised way above expectations.

The Australian  |  Michaela Boland

Four artist records were set but the highlight of a night when only a couple of big artworks failed to find favour was the sale of a ­Eugene von Guerard landscape which had been owned by the same family for more than five generations. Breakneck Gorge, Hepburn Springs sold to a phone bidder for $1.952m, including Sotheby’s 22 per cent buyers’ premium off a $1m reserve.

The Advertiser  |  Louise Nunn

Being sold by different vendors in Sydney, the paintings were both done inside the same London flat, and give an insight into the artist’s early career.

Interior, painted by the South Australian in 1935 but dated 1938, fetched $120,000 under the hammer at Sotheby’s Australian auction in Sydney last night, with the buyer’s premium taking the sum total to $146,400.

Australia Plus  |  Andie Noonan

Sebuah lukisan karya seniman lansekap Australia terkenal Eugene von Guerard, yang belum terlihat oleh para pakar seni selama hampir 150 tahun, kini berhasil ditemukan kembali.

The Daily Telegraph  |  Elzaibeth Fortescue

IT was, says Sotheby’s Australia chairman Geoffrey Smith, “a jaw-dropping moment”. Here it was in his office, a Eugene von Guerard landscape painting whose whereabouts had eluded scholars for almost 150 years. And most unexpectedly of all, the picture had come back to Melbourne, where it was created, from Mexico.

MSN

A painting by renowned Australian landscape artist Eugene von Guérard, which has not been seen by art scholars for almost 150 years, has been rediscovered.

ABC Radio Australia  |  Andie Noonan

A painting by renowned Australian landscape artist Eugene von Guérard, which has not been seen by art scholars for almost 150 years, is rediscovered.

Domain  |  Mary O'Brien

The world of art can be an intimidating place: cool galleries, confusing artworks, beautifully dressed people in the know.

Buying your first piece is like plunging off a cliff. Luckily, armed with good advice from some experts, you can avoid the pitfalls.

The first basic rule is to only buy original work that you love – after all you’re the one who will live with it.