Albert Namatjira painting auctioned for $80,000

[glen]

Albert Namatjira painting auctioned for $80,000

In an auction in Melbourne last night, an important early painting by the late Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira was sold for a record price. The watercolour artwork known as Hermannsburg Mission with Mt Hermannsburg in Background fetched $80,000. This was $20,000 more than the reserve price and also $20,000 more than the selling price of any previous Namatjira artwork.



The small watercolour artwork was painted by Albert Namatjira in the 1930s. It is a significant painting because:

• It was painted at Namatjira's birthplace and home at Hermannsburg Mission, NT.
  
  
• The painting includes Europeans at the Hermannsburg Mission (most later works of Albert Namatijira did not include any european references).
  
  
• The painting includes Mt Hermannsburg in the background, which was an important place for Mr Namatjira.
  
  
• The painting wonderfully depicts the light and shadows of the harsh Northern Territory landscape.
  
  

Five public institutions placed bids on the Hermannsburg painting, but the successful bidder was an unknown private collector. Hopefully this wonderful artwork will not be hidden away from the public.



Albert Namatjira was born in 1902 and passed away in 1959.





Further Reading:

Full article - [url="http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1778396.htm"]http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1778396.htm[/url]

Image of the painting - [url="http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200611/r113742_357663.jpg"]http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200611/r113742_357663.jpg[/url]



Recommended websites:

[url="http://www.artistsfootsteps.com/html/Artists_Namatjira.htm"]http://www.artistsfootsteps.com/html/Artists_Namatjira.htm[/url]

[url="http://www.nga.gov.au/namatjira/"]http://www.nga.gov.au/namatjira/[/url]

[LukeWarm]

gotta love albert. top artist and top aussie <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[Guest]

My wifes dad bought a namatjira painting in central australia when he visited here about 30 years ago. How would you go about getting it valued etc? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Heath

[glen]

I guess you could ask the National Gallery for tips?



[url="http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/"]http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/[/url]