Clarice Marjoribanks Beckett Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Clarice Marjoribanks Beckett Art Value Price Guide

Nov. 20, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935), (Grey Morning) c1919
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, MELBOURNE CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) (Grey Morning) c1919 oil on board 30.5 x 41.0 cm; 39.0 x 49.0 cm (framed) signed lower left: C. Beckett
Menzies
Nov. 20, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935), (Naringal, Summer on the Plains) c1926-1928
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, MELBOURNE CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) (Naringal, Summer on the Plains) c1926-1928 oil on board 41.0 x 30.5 cm; 49.5 x 39.5 cm (framed)
Menzies
Oct. 22, 2024
CLARICE MARJORIBANKS BECKETT, 1887-1935, Stormy Day, Black Rock, oil on board, 18cm x 22 cm (frame size 43.5cm x 48.5cm)
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
CLARICE MARJORIBANKS BECKETT 1887-1935 Stormy Day, Black Rock oil on board with oil study for larger painting of Beaumaris, annotated in pen holinrake 3828 verso. See Sotheby's, Important Australian & International Art from The John Symond AM Collection | Important Australian Art, Sydney, 20/11/2018, Lot No. 48 for reference.
Lawsons
Oct. 22, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Dusk oil on canvas laid on board 24 x 29cm
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Dusk oil on canvas laid on board titled on partial unknown label verso 24 x 29cm PROVENANCE: Ms. Hilda Mangan (the artist's sister) Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne The Collection of Alan Grant Thence by descent EXHIBITIONS: Exhibition of Clarice Beckett 1887-1935, 58 Wattle Valley Road, Canterbury, 29 October 1978, cat. no. 43 Clarice Beckett: Retrospective Exhibition 1921-1935, Realities Gallery, Melbourne, 11 October - 1 November 1979 OTHER NOTES: We are grateful to Rosalind Hollinrake for her assistance with cataloguing this painting.
Leonard Joel
Oct. 17, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT, (1887 - 1935), Clarice Beckett Images, suite of (5) silk screenprint ed. 63/75, sheet size: 56.5cm x 76cm each, cover size: 77.5cm x 58.5cm
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) Clarice Beckett Images suite of (5) silk screenprint ed. 63/75 'The Boatsheds' 45.5cm x 67.5cm 'Misty Evening, Beaumaris' 42cm x 59cm 'Bathing Boxes' 44cm x 55cm 'Yellow Leaves, Alexandra Avenue' 44cm x 59.5cm 'Bay Road, Beaumaris' 49.5cm x 65cm titled and editioned lower margins, blind stamp signature lower right including original cover
Lawsons
Sep. 29, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT, (1887 - 1935), Clarice Beckett Images (suite of 5), silk screenprint ed. 63/75, sheet size: 56.5cm x 76cm each, cover size: 77.5cm x 58.5cm
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) Clarice Beckett Images (suite of 5) silk screenprint ed. 63/75 'The Boatsheds' 45.5cm x 67.5cm 'Misty Evening, Beaumaris' 42cm x 59cm 'Bathing Boxes' 44cm x 55cm 'Yellow Leaves, Alexandra Avenue' 44cm x 59.5cm 'Bay Road, Beaumaris' 49.5cm x 65cm titled and editioned lower margins, blind stamp signature lower right including original cover
Lawsons
Sep. 23, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Soft Evening Study for Princes Bridge c.1930 (verso) oil on board, double-sided 20.5 x 20.5cm
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Soft Evening Study for Princes Bridge c.1930 (verso) oil on board, double-sided title inscribed on unknown label attached to swing tag 20.5 x 20.5cm PROVENANCE: Mrs Hilda Mangan (the artist's sister) Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne The Collection of Alan Grant Thence by descent EXHIBITIONS: Clarice Beckett, Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne, 1973, cat. no. 3 Clarice Beckett: Retrospective Exhibition 1921-1935, Realities Gallery, Melbourne, 11 October - 1 November 1979 OTHER NOTES: Clarice Beckett's works, rediscovered by Dr Rosalind Hollinrake in a country shed in Victoria, have cemented her legacy as an invaluable figure in Australian art history. Beckett's mastery of soft-focus realism and atmospheric tonality captures the quiet moments of a nation on the cusp of modernisation. Her approach, guided under the influence of Max Meldrum, one of Australia's early tonalists, emphasises the profound interplay of light and shade. Meldrum encouraged Beckett to trust her instincts, allowing her to distil the essence of her surroundings through a prioritisation of tone, whether in the brooding cityscapes of Melbourne or the gradual luminosity of a sunrise or sunset. Beckett's work, 'Soft Evening', demonstrates perfectly the artists intention "to give a sincere and truthful representation of a portion of the beauty of Nature and to show the charm of light and shade, which I try to set forth in correct tones so as to give as nearly as possible an exact illusion of reality."(1) To support the publication of 'Clarice Beckett: The Artist and Her Circle' by Dr Rosalind Hollinrake, 'Soft Evening' was loaned to Realities Gallery to be exhibited within 'Clarice Beckett: Retrospective Exhibition' in 1979. This exhibition showcased approximately 160 artworks, hung gradually from sunrise to sunset to explore the artists distinctions in tonality, colour and emotion over varying periods of the day. Beckett's minimalist approach belies the depth and intensity of her atmospheric renderings. Her paintings transcend static representations, instead evoking the transient moods of nature through fluid, diffusing hues. In 'Soft Evening,' Beckett seamlessly merges sea and sky in a luminous display of soft pinks and calming greys that evoke the expansive serenity of the coast. Through her plein air practice, Beckett captured the ephemeral qualities of light, dissolving the boundaries between day and night, presence, and absence. The fleeting radiance of the sun, though no longer visible, lingers in her compositions, preserving the moment's vibrant luminosity. 'Soft Evening' is one of the few artworks by Beckett that are dual sided. Verso lies a preparatory painting of a glistening cityscape at nightfall reminiscent of her earlier works of Princes Bridge c.1930. The duality of dark and light in her work is embodied on a singular board as the sun sets over the trees on one side and dusk falls onto the other. Millie Lewis Art Assistant (1)Clarice Beckett, '20 Melbourne painters', 6th Annual Exhibition Catalogue, 1924, quoted in Frances Lindsay, 'Foreword', in Rosalind Hollinrake, Clarice Beckett: Politically incorrect, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne, 1999, p 19 We are grateful to Rosalind Hollinrake for her assistance with cataloguing this painting. RELATED WORK: Clarice Beckett, Princes Bridge c.1930, oil on board, 32 x 35cm, Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 21 March 2023, lot 7
Leonard Joel
Aug. 28, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT, WINTER MORNING, C.1923
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) WINTER MORNING, c.1923 oil on board 30.0 x 40.5 cm signed lower left: C. Beckett bears inscription on label verso: WINTER MORNING PROVENANCE Athenaeum Art Gallery, Melbourne Benjamin Dunbar Ratcliff, Melbourne, acquired from the above in 1923 Thence by descent Norman Dunbar Ratcliff, Melbourne Alan and Lesly Martin, Melbourne, by bequest in the late 1950s Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITED Catalogue of Paintings by Miss Clarice Beckett, Athenaeum Hall, Melbourne, 5 – 20 June 1923, cat. 19 Paintings from the Martin Collection, The Eltham Community Centre, Melbourne, March 1985 ESSAY We are grateful to Peter Perry for his assistance with this catalogue entry. Winter Morning, c.1923 was notably included in Clarice Beckett’s first solo exhibition at the Athenaeum Hall in Collins Street, Melbourne in 1923. Highly acclaimed, the show received enthusiastic praise from the press with one critic, writing for The Bulletin, noting: ‘Max Meldrum approves of her dash into the limelight, and generously declares her his most promising pupil – a compliment of great value to the young painter, though she refuses to exploit it for advertising purposes. She is content to set down aspects of Nature as she sees them with uncompromising sincerely, and let her work speak for itself.’1 Meanwhile The Age reviewer observed ‘The landscapes are noticeable for their delicacy of treatment and subtle tone values’2, and The Sun suggested, ‘Her work denotes a fine appreciation for natural beauty.’3 Much has been written since Beckett’s work was relaunched in October 1971 with the exhibition, Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887 – 1935) Idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris at the Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne. However, many do not recall that from as early as 1959 many Melbourne art auction houses had regarded Clarice Beckett as Australia’s finest woman artist – see for example, Decoration Co. then in Collins Street, and Graham Joel, Auctioneer at Leonard Joel.4 1. The Bulletin, Melbourne, 14 June 1923, p. 20 2. The Age, Melbourne, 5 June 1923, p. 4 3. ‘Vases and Flowers: Miss Beckett’s Art’, The Sun, 5 June 1923, p. 9 4. See Important Collection of Valuable Australian Paintings, Decoration Co., Melbourne, 6 October 1959, lot 101, Around Port Phillip, ,Australia’s finest woman artist,; and Australiana, Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 12 – 13 July 1962, lot 227, Tranquil Sea, ,Regarded as Australia’s finest woman painter,.
Deutscher and Hackett
Aug. 28, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT, BEACH ROAD, BEAUMARIS, C.1919
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) BEACH ROAD, BEAUMARIS, c.1919 oil on board 35.0 x 25.0 cm signed lower right: C. Beckett bears inscription verso: Beach Rd Beaumaris / ALAN MARTIN / 42 PARK RD / ELTHAM bears inscription on label verso: Beach Road Beaumaris PROVENANCE Benjamin Dunbar Ratcliff, Melbourne Thence by descent Norman Dunbar Ratcliff, Melbourne Alan and Lesly Martin, Melbourne, by bequest in the late 1950s Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITED Paintings from the Martin Collection, The Eltham Community Centre, Melbourne, March 1985 (illus. in exhibition catalogue) Clarice Beckett: Politically Incorrect, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Victoria; and touring to S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, Orange Regional Gallery, New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, and Burnie Regional Art Gallery, Tasmania, 5 February 1999 – 22 May 2000, cat. 4 (label attached verso) LITERATURE Hollinrake, R., Clarice Beckett: Politically Incorrect, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 1999, cat. 4, pp. 15, 34 (illus.), 75 Eureka Street: A magazine of public affairs, the arts and theology, Melbourne, vol. 9, no. 4, May 1999, cover (illus.) RELATED WORK Beach Road after the rain (Street scene), c.1927, oil on cardboard, 35.5 x 25.5 cm, in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne ESSAY We are grateful to Peter Perry for his assistance with this catalogue entry. The first owner of Beach Road, Beaumaris was Benjamin Dunbar Ratcliff (1868 – 1956) – a successful businessman who was notably also the first major patron and collector of Max Meldrum’s French and Australian paintings, having been introduced to his work by the painter A.E. Newbury in 1916. Meldrum painted portraits of Ratcliff, his wife Jean Ratcliff and second born daughter Doris. As well as a collector of Meldrum’s work, Ratcliff financed the publication, Max Meldrum: His Art and Views edited by Colin Colahan and published by Alexander McCubbin in 1919. Ratcliff ran a thriving grocery business which by 1936 had expanded to twenty-two branches situated in various parts of Melbourne. In the early 1940s, the shops of ‘Ratcliff Bros.’ were sold to the grocery chain, Moran & Cato. Ratcliff was also an early significant patron of Clarice Beckett’s paintings having collected over twenty-five works from 1919 to 1933. Possibly to fund further grocery stores, Ratcliff started to sell part of his extensive art collection in 1933 through Joel Gallery at 362 Little Collins Street Melbourne – included in the offering were examples of Meldrum’s earlier French period, as well as a number of smaller Australian landscapes. Also for sale were eight landscapes by Clarice Beckett, together with paintings by Louis Buvelot, John Mather, Walter Withers, Louis McCubbin and Charles Wheeler.1 Almost ten years later in February 1942, Ratcliff again offered works by Meldrum and Beckett through Leonard Joel, having sold his large family home, Avondale at 22 Berkeley Street, Hawthorn to move into a smaller house in Camberwell.2 As to Beckett’s subject matter, art historian Siobhan Byford has written, ‘The reception of Beckett’s landscapes varied.’ To one critic, ‘her paintings were puzzling scenes of unsensational bits of suburban roads,’ yet to another more admiring commentator, Beckett ‘made the telegraph-pole artistically respectable… in her art, a tarred road… acquired a new beauty.’3 Moreover, as art critic and painter Alexander Colquhoun observed in his series Australian Artists Of To-Day, ‘A favourite subject with Miss Beckett is a wet suburban road reflecting a watery evening sky, with a motor car slipping ghost like into the mist, the only positive bit of colour being its vanishing tail light – an unambitious motive truly, but an indication that to the truly seeing eye beauty lies ever close at hand, and can be enjoyed without any arduous journeying in search of mountain scenery.’4 1. ‘Meldrum Pictures to be Sold’, The Age, Melbourne, 20 September 1933, p. 9 2. ‘Paintings by Max Meldrum’, The Argus, Melbourne, 25 February 1942, p. 2 3. Byford, S., Clarice Beckett (1887 – 1935): The Artist’s Life and Her Lost Exhibitions, 1887 to 1970, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, April 2021, p. 43. See also: The Age, Melbourne, 26 November 1929, p. 9, and The Bulletin, Sydney, 28 October 1931, p. 18 4. ‘Australian Artists of To-Day, Miss Clarice Beckett by Alexander Colquhoun’, The Age, Melbourne, 18 July 1931, p. 7
Deutscher and Hackett
Aug. 28, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT, BOATS AT SUNSET, 1930
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) BOATS AT SUNSET, 1930 oil on canvas on board 31.0 x 41.0 cm signed lower left: C. Beckett bears inscription verso: Eventide / by / Clarice Beckett / 23 / WAXED original John Thallon frame, Melbourne PROVENANCE Athenaeum Gallery, Melbourne John Farmer, Victoria, acquired from the above in 1930 McClelland Collection, McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, Langwarrin, gifted from the above in 1971 (label attached verso, as ‘Ricketts Point, Beaumaris’) EXHIBITED Clarice Beckett, Athenaeum Gallery, Melbourne, 15 – 25 October 1930, cat. 23 All Our Own Work, McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin, December 1977 – January 1978, cat. 36 (as ‘Rickett’s Point, Beaumaris’) All Our Own Work, McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin, 8 – 31 July 1979, cat. 8 (as ‘Rickett’s Point, Beaumaris’) Clarice Beckett: Atmosphere, Geelong Gallery, Victoria, 1 April – 9 July 2023, cat. 64 (as ‘Ricketts Point (Even tide)’) LITERATURE Smith, J., Clarice Beckett: Atmosphere, Geelong Gallery, Victoria, 2023, cat. 64, p. 81 (illus., as ‘Ricketts Point (Even tide)’) ESSAY We are grateful to Peter Perry for his assistance with this catalogue entry. In Boats at Sunset, 1930, Clarice Beckett stands true to her earlier statement that her aim in painting was ‘to give a sincere and truthful representation of a portion of the beauty of Nature, and to show the charm of light and shade, which I try and set forth in correct tones so as to give nearly as possible an exact illusion of reality.’1 Indeed, the artist Sir William Dargie later described her as a ‘true Realist’ who was ‘clear-headed and firm about the theoretical basis on which she worked.’2 Stylistically, there are parallels to be found in similar depictions by Pictorialist Photographers of the time, whose quest was ‘to achieve beauty, (drawing) actively on their imagination and creativity… mimicking the graphic arts – especially mezzotints and etchings. Detail was suppressed and (images) were often manipulated, to increase tone and heighten contrast between light and shade.’3 Beckett’s absorption of similar intuitions was enhanced by her single year of study under the Tonalist Max Meldrum, as well as allied interest in the tenets of Theosophy, itself grounded in enquiry, poetics and spiritualism. Rickett’s Point extends into Port Phillip Bay, twenty kilometres south of Melbourne. Long a place of sun-seeking pleasure for families and children, it is characterised by extensive sandstone platforms which hide secluded caverns and under-rock ledges hosting sponge gardens. The nearby cliffs reveal numerous shell middens and hand dug wells created by traditional owners, the Bunurong. Beckett lived nearby in Dalgetty Road and a number of her paintings feature the Point’s many moods at varied times of the day and in all kinds of weather, thus also capturing an environmental record of the changing coastline. Boats at Sunset is set in a deepening dusk, alive to the interplay between the natural forms and three small fishing boats tied up for the night. Comprising a fluid array of greys and soft apricot, the painting is imbued with atmosphere and contemplative silence, the far rock ledge dissolving in the fading light. The slightest touch of burnt oxide animates two of the hulls. Meldrum considered Tonalism to be a science and in this painting, Beckett follows his method of close observation, articulating the scene as passages of rich tone. She painted swiftly, with the brushwork flat and the paint thinned, thence smoothed into the canvas. The broad outlines of Beckett’s life story and early death are well known, inevitably adding intrigue in her story. What is also true is the neglect her work received following her death; however, during a landmark sequence of exhibitions organised by Rosalind Hollinrake, the Australian National Gallery (now National Gallery of Australia) led the way, purchasing a number of Beckett’s painting for the collection in 1971. What makes this more remarkable is that Beckett’s work was far smaller than the large-scaled canvases otherwise being sought by the Gallery, which led to Hollinrake’s perceptive comment that ‘[Beckett] did not think in terms of [large] masterpieces, nor did she produce what are commonly called ‘key or major works’. This was not how she viewed the process of painting. Is a whisper less than a shout?’4 Another admirer of Beckett’s paintings was her close friend, the Meldrumite artist John Farmer, who first owned Boats at Sunset, subsequently gifting it to the McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, Langwarrin. 1. Beckett, C., Twenty Melbourne Painters 6th Annual Exhibition Catalogue, 1924, cited in Hollinrake, R., Clarice Beckett: Politically Incorrect, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 1999, p. 19 2. Dargie, Sir W., Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887 – 1935): Idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris, Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne, 30 October – 20 November 1971 3. Reeder, W., Sunlight and shadow: Pictorial photographs by John B. Eaton, FRPPS, (1881 – 1966), Reeder Fine Art, Melbourne, 2006, p. 2 4. Hollinrake, R., Clarice Beckett: Politically Incorrect, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 1999, p. 6 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Jun. 26, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935), Moonrise
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF BINNY LUM, MELBOURNE CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Moonrise oil on board 28.0 x 41.0 cm; 42.5 x 55.0 cm (framed) signed lower left: C Beckett inscribed verso by Hilda Mangan (the artist's sister): Indefinite/ Moonrise
Menzies
Jun. 26, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935), Lights, Mentone c1930
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
PROPERTY FORMERLY FROM THE COLLECTION OF HILDA MANGAN, MELBOURNE CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Lights, Mentone c1930 oil on board 23.0 x 35.0 cm; 36.5 x 49.0 cm (framed) accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Rosalind Hollinrake, Melbourne
Menzies
Apr. 17, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Across to Port Melbourne (circa 1924) oil on board 29.7 x 40 cm
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Across to Port Melbourne (circa 1924) oil on board signed 'C. Beckett' lower right 29.7 x 40 cm PROVENANCE Clarice Beckett, Melbourne Hilda Mangan, Melbourne, by descent from the above Private Collection Niagara Galleries, Melbourne (label verso) Private Collection, New South Wales, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887-1935): Idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris, Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne, 12 November - 1 December 1972, no. 46, 'Port Melbourne' Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887-1935): Idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris, David Sumner Galleries, Adelaide, 25 July - 19 August 1973, no. 21, 'Port Melbourne' Clarice Beckett (1887-1935), The Macquarie Galleries, Sydney, 5-17 February 1975, no. 19, 'Port Melbourne' Clarice Beckett: Retrospective Exhibition 1921-1935, Realities, Melbourne, 11 October - 1 November 1979 Clarice Beckett: Black Rock and Environs, Black Rock House, Melbourne, 14 March - 4 April 1982 Clarice Beckett 1887-1935, Niagara Galleries, Melbourne, 29 February - 1 April 2000, no. 4, illustrated LITERATURE Ted Gott, Clarice Beckett 1887-1935, Niagara Galleries, Melbourne, 2000, pp. 10 (illustrated), 40
Smith & Singer
Mar. 27, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935), Bridge over the Yarra (Punt Road Bridge) c1924
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
PROPERTY FORMERLY FROM THE COLLECTION OF HILDA MANGAN, MELBOURNE CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Bridge over the Yarra (Punt Road Bridge) c1924 oil on board 28.5 x 33.5 cm; 42.5 x 47.5 cm (framed)
Menzies
Mar. 19, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) The Red Drive (Naringal) 1926 oil on board 29 x 39.5cm
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) The Red Drive (Naringal) 1926 oil on board signed lower left: C Beckett 29 x 39.5cm PROVENANCE: Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Armadale, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above in 1971 Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne 1999 Private collection, London Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: Clarice Beckett stands as one of the foremost artists from the interwar period in Australia, arguably the most significant modern female artist of the 20th century. Beckett symbolises the overlooked female painter who, after being brought out of obscurity, is finally receiving the recognition she deserves. In a remarkable encounter with Australian art history, Dr. Rosalind Hollinrake stumbled upon a striking painting signed "C. Beckett". It would be five years before she uncovered the identity of this very talented artist who had deeply moved her. It took many more years before Hollinrake rescued Clarice's neglected artworks from a shed in Victoria during the 1960s, many with irreparably damaged. This marked the beginning of a revival in the career of one of Australia's finest tonalist painters and a shift in the Australian art scene, leading to the long overdue acknowledgement of numerous women artists. Clarice Beckett's paintings beautifully capture the tranquility and enchantment of the Australian landscape. Employing what appears to be a minimalist technique, Clarice adeptly evokes the atmospheric interplay of light and shadow. Through her use of shifting and dissolving hues, she conveys the mood or essence of a fleeting natural moment rather than a static portrayal. In 'The Red Drive', she skillfully crafted a rich palette comprising creamy yellows, gentle auburns, and blues. The melding of sky and landscape forms a radiant spectrum of colours, vividly portraying the tranquility of the expansive scenery. Hannah Ryan Art Specialist "To give a sincere and truthful representation of a portion of the beauty of Nature, and to show the charm of light and shade, which I try to give forth in correct tones so as to give as nearly as possible an exact illusion of reality." Clarice Beckett, 1923 (1) Clarice Beckett, Twenty Melbourne Painters catalogue: 6th annual exhibition, Phoenix Press, Melbourne, 1924, quoted in Frances Lindsay, 'Foreword', in Rosalind Hollinrake, Clarice Beckett: politically incorrect, Exhibition catalogue, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne, 1999, p 19.
Leonard Joel
Feb. 13, 2024
CLARICE BECKETT, BEAUMARIS
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) BEAUMARIS oil on canvas 51.0 x 61.0 cm 65.5 x 76.0 cm (frame) PROVENANCE Niagara Galleries, Melbourne (stamped verso) Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney (label attached verso) Collection of Lex Aitken and Alfredo (Bouret) Gonzalez, Sydney Estate of Alfredo (Bouret) Gonzalez, Canada EXHIBITED Clarice Beckett, Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney, 26 June – 21 July 2002 (as 'Three Sisters Rock') This work is located in our Melbourne Gallery
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 25, 2023
BECKETT Clarice (1887-1935), 'Ricketts Point Evening,' c.1930-33., Oil on Board, 21x34cm
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
BECKETT, Clarice (1887-1935) 'Ricketts Point Evening,' c.1930-33. Signed 'C Beckett' lower left. Inscribed with title verso. Other inscriptions: 'I A Sheen / Property of Ross ? / No.11 Robert Haines / invoiced 20gns'. Also affixed verso label for National Gallery of Victoria. Oil on Board 21x34cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Sydney.
Davidson Auctions
Nov. 21, 2023
§ CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Misty Day (circa 1931) oil on board 31 x 40.5 cm
Est: $35,000 - $55,000
§ CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Misty Day (circa 1931) oil on board signed 'C Beckett' lower right 31 x 40.5 cm PROVENANCE Clarice Beckett, Melbourne Helen Lempriere Wood, Sydney Keith Wood, Sydney, acquired from the above Fine Australian and International Art, Lawson-Menzies, Sydney, 15 April 2003, lot 22, illustrated Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above
Smith & Singer
Nov. 21, 2023
§ CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Ricketts Point oil on board 38.5 x 49 cm
Est: $45,000 - $65,000
§ CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Ricketts Point oil on board 38.5 x 49 cm PROVENANCE Clarice Beckett, Melbourne Hilda Mangan, Melbourne, by descent from the above Rosalind Humphries, Melbourne, acquired from the above Ruth Prowse, Canberra Private Collection, Melbourne, by descent from the above Niagara Galleries, Melbourne Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Ruth Prowse: Thirty Years of Collecting, Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra, 1 April - 16 May 2004 Clarice Beckett: A Collectors' Passion: The Ruth Prowse Collection, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, 12 July - 28 August 2005, no. 22 (label verso) Clarice Beckett, Niagara Galleries, Melbourne, 29 April - 24 May 2014, no. 32, illustrated LITERATURE Drusilla Modjeska, Clarice Beckett, Niagara Galleries, Melbourne, 2014, pp. 34, 35 (illustrated), 51 (illustrated)
Smith & Singer
Nov. 21, 2023
§ CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Half Moon Bay oil on board 28.5 x 38 cm
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
§ CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Half Moon Bay oil on board 28.5 x 38 cm PROVENANCE Clarice Beckett, Melbourne Hilda Mangan, Melbourne, by descent from the above Rosalind Humphries, Melbourne, acquired from the above Ruth Prowse, Canberra Private Collection, Melbourne, by descent from the above Niagara Galleries, Melbourne Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Ruth Prowse: Thirty Years of Collecting, Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra, 1 April - 16 May 2004 Clarice Beckett: A Collectors' Passion: The Ruth Prowse Collection, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, 12 July - 28 August 2005, no. 11 (label verso) Clarice Beckett, Niagara Galleries, Melbourne, 29 April - 24 May 2014, no. 34, illustrated LITERATURE Drusilla Modjeska, Clarice Beckett, Niagara Galleries, Melbourne, 2014, pp. 38 (illustrated), 51 (illustrated)
Smith & Singer
Sep. 21, 2023
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) Yellow Leaves, Alexandra Avenue screenprint, ed. 43/75 43.5 x 59.5 cm (frame: 75 x 90 x 3 cm) Marning ...
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) Yellow Leaves, Alexandra Avenue screenprint, ed. 43/75 43.5 x 59.5 cm (frame: 75 x 90 x 3 cm) Marning Press embossed stamp lower right
Lawsons
Aug. 30, 2023
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935), Clarice Beckett Images
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Clarice Beckett Images complete set of colour screenprints (5) 56.0 x 76.0 cm (each, sheet) comprising: (i) Boatsheds, 45.5 x 67.5 cm (image) (ii) Misty Evening, Beaumaris, 41.5 x 59.0 cm (image) (iii) Bathing Boxes, 44.0 x 54.5 cm (image) (iv) Yellow Leaves, Alexandra Avenue, 44.0 x 60.0 cm (image) (v) Bay Road, Beaumaris , 49.0 x 65.0 cm (image) edition: Printer's Proof (edition of 75) each numbered lower left: PP each titled lower centre each with artist's blindstamp lower right published by Marnling Press, Sydney
Menzies
May. 03, 2023
CLARICE BECKETT, WATTLE AT SHERBROOKE, C.1923
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) WATTLE AT SHERBROOKE, c.1923 oil on pulpboard 36.0 x 30.5 cm signed lower left: C. Beckett bears inscription with title on gallery label verso: CLARICE BECKETT / “WATTLE AT SHERBROOK [sic.]” PROVENANCE The Macquarie Galleries, Sydney (label attached verso) Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne (partial label attached verso) Private collection, acquired from the above in 1975 Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 26 July 1989, lot 42 (as ‘Wattle at Sherbrook’ [sic.]) Private collection Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 8 November 1989, lot 285A (as ‘Wattle at Sherbrook’ [sic.]) Private collection Sotheby's, Melbourne, 7 May 1990, lot 65 Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITED Possibly: Paintings by Miss Clarice Beckett, Athenaeum Hall, Melbourne, 5 – 20 June 1923, cat. 17 (as ‘Dead Tree, Sherbrooke’) Clarice Beckett, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney, 5 – 17 February 1975, cat. 26 (as ‘Wattle at Sherbrook’ [sic.])
Deutscher and Hackett
May. 02, 2023
CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Misty Morning (circa 1931) oil on board
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Misty Morning (circa 1931) oil on board 34 x 43 cm PROVENANCE Clarice Beckett, Melbourne Hilda Mangan, Melbourne, by descent from the above Rosalind Hollinrake Galleries, Melbourne, acquired from the above Private Collection, Melbourne Adam Galleries, Melbourne (label verso) Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 26 June 2000
Smith & Singer
Mar. 21, 2023
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Princes Bridge c.1930 oil on board
Est: $70,000 - $80,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Princes Bridge c.1930 oil on board authentication label attached verso, signed by Hilda Mangan 32 x 35cm PROVENANCE: Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne (label verso) Private collection, Melbourne Thence by descent EXHIBITIONS: Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887 - 1935): Idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris, Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne, 12 November - 1 December 1972, cat. no. 23 OTHER NOTES: A quiet achiever in the realm of Australian art, Clarice Beckett only began to receive the critical attention she deserved until after her death when Dr. Rosalind Hollinrake came upon a remarkable painting bearing the signature "C. Beckett". Since this rediscovery in the 1970s she has now been formally recognised and celebrated as one of the most important female artists and Tonalist innovators to capture Melbourne at a time of growth, making her an invaluable part of Australian art history. Serving as a Melbourne icon and gateway across the Yarra River for commuters since 1886, the Princes Bridge remains in its original form today as it would have when Clarice Beckett painted it in the 1930s. Princes Bridge was most likely painted from a position on the north-eastern side looking west. Beckett combines blue tones with touches of soft blush and white drawing the viewer's eyes through the trees, under the famous bridge, and out past the boats and glistening water of the Yarra River. Painted within the last moments of dusk, Beckett's combination of soft forms and dark silhouettes effortlessly capture a quiet moment amidst the 5pm rush as murmurs of cars and passers-by are seen above. Elongated shadows ripple from the boats as the last of the sun glistens off the calm waters of the Yarra, revealing a magical moment of the city before night takes hold. Beckett emulates the rippled reflections of light, transforming the water from an unremarkable blue to a vibrating body of life and liquid colour. Similar methods have been applied to a number of comparable works that reflect her ongoing fascination with the Melbourne Yarra River, including another painting Princes Bridge, presenting an identical view to this work, featured in Rosalind Hollinrake's Clarice Beckett and the Artist's Circle. Two other important works of the Princes Bridge include View Towards Princes Street Bridge, Flinders Street Station and the APA Tower c.1930 at the Art Gallery of South Australia and Princes Bridge housed in the collection of the State Library of Victoria. Max Meldrum's theory of tonalism highly influenced Beckett in her understanding of soft-focus realism, enabling her to convey these precious, unseen moments of Melbourne through a lens that was years beyond her counterparts' abilities. Depicting foggy streets, misty mornings and hazy sunsets, Becketts minimalist approach has now found its rightful place within Australian history and in the hands of esteemed collectors nationally, marking her as one of Australia's most important interwar artists and arguably the most significant modern female artist of the 20th century. Lucy Foster Senior Specialist, Fine Art
Leonard Joel
Dec. 01, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT, BEAUMARIS SUNSET, C.1928 – 32
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) BEAUMARIS SUNSET, c.1928 – 32 oil on pulpboard 29.5 x 41.5 cm signed lower left: C. Beckett PROVENANCE Private collection Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 28 July 1998, lot 154 Private collection, Melbourne Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne (label attached verso) Private collection, Canberra, acquired from the above in 1999 EXHIBITED Annual Collectors’ Exhibition 1999, Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne, 5 June – 3 July 1999, cat. 38 (illus. in exhibition catalogue) ESSAY Clarice Beckett is renowned for her sustained, early modernist vision of Melbourne, particularly focussed on the coastline near her home in the Bayside suburb of Beaumaris. When asked why she never desired to travel overseas, she replied ‘I have only just got the hang of painting Beaumaris after all these years, why should I go somewhere else strange to paint?’1 Beaumaris sunset is a wonderful example of her work, featuring the rugged coast at the end of Dalgetty Street, where the artist lived. The upper layers of the headland are comprised of Black Rock sandstone which have eroded over time to reveal the lower basalt level. Middens and hand-dug wells from the Bunurong people remain in clear evidence along the cliff’s base, as does a plethora of important marine fossils in the shallow waters offshore (now protected). The headland and its near neighbours also feature in such notable works as Tom Roberts’ Slumbering sea, Mentone, 1887 (National Gallery of Australia); and Arthur Streeton’s Fossil bay, flood tide, 1925 (private collection). In Beckett’s view, the falling light of sunset and the mirrored surface of the still waters emphasise the brooding aspect of the headland, with the lone tree to the left recalling the composition of Japanese woodblock prints. A small number of her works feature similarly placed trees, such as View across the Yarra to Government House, c.1931, and Trees beside the Yarra River, c.1925.2 Beckett was raised in Casterton in regional Victoria but the family often holidayed at Beaumaris. Her mother Kate ‘had taken sketching and painting classes and counted among her friends Walter Withers and Ola Cohn.’3 On their advice, she enrolled Clarice (and her sister Hilda) in National Gallery School in 1914, studying under Frederick McCubbin. Inspired later by a lecture by the artist-theorist Max Meldrum, she joined his school for a year. Meldrum taught his own theory of ‘optical science’ aka Tonalism, which, as its name implies, revolved around building an image based on tonal values alone. Although she remained within the Meldrumite orbit throughout her subsequent career, Beckett’s paintings were truly a combination of the Gallery School’s academic teaching, Tonalism – and herself. As her colleague Elizabeth Colquhoun noted, Beckett’s paintings were more ‘fragile’ than Meldrum’s. ‘It was a different kind of thing, but it was very truthful.’4 Beckett was prolific and exhibited regularly but struggled to find financial or critical success, even though her talent was celebrated by Meldrum who wrote that she created work ‘of which any nation could be proud.’5 Beckett’s fame has since increased to such an extent that almost every one of the country’s major institutions now own examples of her work. She was, in the words of the artist Sir William Dargie, ‘a pure and perfect artist in her own way, one of the finest ever to work in Australia.’6 1. Hollinrake, R., Clarice Beckett: the artist and her circle, Macmillan, Melbourne, 1979, p. 21 2. View Across the Yarra Towards Government House, c.1931, oil on board, 25.5 x 35.5 cm, Deutscher and Hackett, Twenty Important Women Artists + Selected Australian and International Fine Art, Melbourne, 10 November 2021, lot 9; Trees beside the Yarra River, c.1925, oil on pulpboard, 25 x 35.5 cm, Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian + International Fine Art, Sydney, 14 September 2022, lot 77 3. Hollinrake, R., ‘Painting against the tide’, The Age, Melbourne, 3 April 1985, p. 16 4. Elizabeth Colquhoun, cited in Juliet Peers, More than just gumtrees: a personal, social and artistic history of the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors, Dawn Revival Press, Melbourne, 1993, p. 197 5. Max Meldrum, cited in ‘Work of Clarice Beckett’, The Age, 5 May 1936, p. 9 6. Dargie, Sir W., ‘Introduction’ in Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887 – 1935): Idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris, Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne, 1971 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 29, 2022
Clarice Beckett (1887-1935) Across the Bay, c.1928
Est: $50,000 - $80,000
Clarice Beckett (1887-1935) Across the Bay, c.1928 signed lower right: 'C.Beckett' oil on board 29.0 x 49.0cm (11 7/16 x 19 5/16in).
Bonhams
Nov. 29, 2022
Clarice Beckett (1887-1935) Evening, (Beach Road, Beaumaris)
Est: $70,000 - $100,000
Clarice Beckett (1887-1935) Evening, (Beach Road, Beaumaris) oil on board 29.5 x 39.5cm (11 5/8 x 15 9/16in).
Bonhams
Nov. 29, 2022
Clarice Beckett (1887-1935) Evening, Alexandra Avenue, c.1930
Est: $85,000 - $125,000
Clarice Beckett (1887-1935) Evening, Alexandra Avenue, c.1930 signed lower right: 'C. Beckett' inscribed, titled and initialled verso: 85 / Alexander Av / B / Indefinite' oil on board 29.0 x 39.5cm (11 7/16 x 15 9/16in).
Bonhams
Nov. 16, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Winter Sunset oil on board
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 Winter Sunset oil on board 41.5 x 49.5 cm PROVENANCE Clarice Beckett, Melbourne Hilda Mangan, Melbourne, by descent from the above Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne (label verso) Private Collection, Melbourne Kozminsky Galleries, Melbourne (label verso) Private Collection, acquired from the above in 1999 Private Collection, Sydney EXHIBITED (Possibly) Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887-1935): Idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris, Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne, 12 November - 1 December 1972, no. 55, $200 Winter Exhibition 1999, Kozminksy Galleries, Melbourne, 1999, no. 20, illustrated
Smith & Singer
Nov. 16, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Clarice Beckett Images Comprising: (i) Boatsheds; (ii) Misty Evening, Beaumaris; (iii) Bathing Boxes; (i...
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Clarice Beckett Images Comprising: (i) Boatsheds; (ii) Misty Evening, Beaumaris; (iii) Bathing Boxes; (iv) Yellow Leaves, Alexandra Avenue; (v) Bay Road, Beaumaris complete suite of screenprints (5), ed. 4/75, printed posthumously artists name embossed lower right editioned lower left titled lower centre accompanied by the original portfolio with title page and frontispiece 56 x 76cm (each, sheet) PROVENANCE: Marnling Press, Sydney Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: This folio of 5 screenprints is a rendition of original paintings by the artist, printed posthumously, by master printmaker Michelle Perry at Marnling Press and published by Clarice Beckett Images. The original paintings that the prints are based from were provided by Rosalind Hollinrake.
Leonard Joel
Oct. 12, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935), Clarice Beckett Images
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Clarice Beckett Images complete set of colour screenprints (5) 56.0 x 76.0 cm (each, sheet) comprising: (i) Boatsheds; (ii) Misty Evening, Beaumaris; (iii) Bathing Boxes; (iv) Yellow Leaves, Alexandra Avenue; (v) Bay Road, Beaumaris edition: 41/75 each numbered lower left: 41/75 each titled lower centre presented with title page and colophon in original portfolio published by Marnling Press, Sydney
Menzies
Oct. 04, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Grey Day oil on board
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Grey Day oil on board signed lower right: C Beckett titled on label verso 22 x 29cm PROVENANCE: The Radcliffe Collection, Melbourne c.1920 The Collection of Alan Martin Private collection, Melbourne Mossgreen Auctions, Melbourne, 11 October 2015, lot 2 Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: Clarice Beckett was perhaps the most important yet underappreciated woman artist during the 1920s and 1930s in Australia. Capturing Melbourne's landscape and its most atmospheric nuances, Beckett's works appear effortless, bringing a sincere and truthful representation of nature before her. Only since her rediscovery in the 1970s by Rosalind Hollinrake has she now been formally recognised and celebrated as one of the most important female artists and Tonalist innovators to capture Melbourne at a time of growth, making her an invaluable part of Australian art history. We would like to thank Rosalind Hollinrake for her kind assistance in cataloguing this work.
Leonard Joel
Sep. 14, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT, SKETCH FOR BEACH ROAD, C.1933
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) SKETCH FOR BEACH ROAD, c.1933 oil on cardboard 16.0 x 23.0 cm PROVENANCE Mrs Hilda Mangan, Victoria, the artist’s sister Gallery Huntley, Canberra (label attached verso) Private collection, Canberra EXHIBITED Exhibition of paintings by Clarice Beckett, Gallery Huntley, Canberra, 10 – 28 June 1980, cat. 2 (as ‘Sketch for "Bay Road"’) RELATED WORK Beach Road, c.1933, oil on canvas on board, 44.0 x 49.0 cm, private collection, illus. in Lock, T., Clarice Beckett: The Present Moment, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2021, p. 123
Deutscher and Hackett
Sep. 14, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT, TREES BESIDE THE YARRA RIVER, C.1925
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) TREES BESIDE THE YARRA RIVER, c.1925 oil on pulpboard 25.0 x 35.5 cm signed lower left: C. Beckett PROVENANCE Estate of Max Meldrum, Melbourne Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITED Max Meldrum & Associates, Sotheby’s, Melbourne, 19 – 26 March 1997, cat. 75 ESSAY Clarice Beckett painted several works featuring the Yarra River during the middle of the 1920s. By selecting a simple subject of the trees and river, she was able to transform the subject through tone into one of light and shade. Writing about Beckett in a feature article in The Age at this time, art critic Alexander Colquhoun states, ‘when Miss Clarice Beckett held her first show at the Athenaeum gallery in 1923, her work certainly found admirers, but the admiration was by no means general, and there was a good deal of confusion in the public mind as to whether she was a futurist, or only a new and dangerous variety of Meldrumite.’1 Neither her work, nor her way of working are, however, in any respect uncertain; rather merely the results of a sincere and reverent observation of Nature. As her teacher and mentor Max Meldrum observed following Beckett’s memorial exhibition in 1936 ‘the late Miss Beckett had done work of which any nation could be proud. No European critic would say that Miss Beckett belonged to any particular school, and that would be the highest compliment one could bestow. She ranked as a great artist.’2 1. Colquhoun, A., ‘Australian Artists of To-Day: Miss Clarice Beckett’, The Age, Melbourne, 18 July 1931, p. 7 2. Meldrum, M., ‘Work of Clarice Beckett’, The Age, Melbourne, 5 May 1936, p. 9
Deutscher and Hackett
Sep. 14, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT, BATHING BOXES, BEAUMARIS, 1928 - 30
Est: $60,000 - $80,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) BATHING BOXES, BEAUMARIS, 1928 - 30 oil on canvas on compressed card 47.0 x 67.0 cm signed lower left: C Beckett bears inscription verso: 29 framer's label attached verso: John Thallon, Melbourne PROVENANCE Private collection, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne, thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne, a gift from the above ESSAY Clarice Beckett’s enduring connection to the Bayside region of Port Phillip Bay was forged in early childhood. Although raised in Casterton in regional Victoria, her family often holidayed at Beaumaris, a coastal suburb to the south of the city of Melbourne.1 Beckett’s mother counted the artists Walter Withers and Ola Cohn among her friends and on their advice, she enrolled Clarice (and her sister Hilda) in National Gallery School in 1914, studying under Frederick McCubbin. Inspired later by a lecture by the artist-theorist Max Meldrum, Beckett joined his classes for nine months. Meldrum taught his own theory of ‘optical science’ aka Tonalism, which, as its name implies, revolved around building an image based on tonal values alone. Although she remained within the Meldrumite orbit throughout her subsequent career, Beckett’s paintings were truly a combination of the Gallery School’s academic teaching, Tonalism – and herself. As her colleague Elizabeth Colquhoun noted, her paintings were more ‘fragile’ than Meldrum’s; ‘It was a different kind of thing, but it was very truthful.’2 With her hand-made painting trolley in tow, Beckett would wander the same areas repetitively, always approaching a scene with a different ambition as to the mood she wished to capture. Indeed, when asked why she never felt the desire to travel more widely, she responded ‘I have only just got the hang of painting Beaumaris after all these years, why should I go somewhere else strange to paint?’3 From the earliest days of colony, this locale attracted pleasure seekers with the first public swimming baths dating from the 1840s. By the turn of the century, clusters of bathing boxes were built within the ti-tree scrub by private individuals, or to service the patrons of nearby guesthouses. In Bathing Boxes, Beaumaris, Clarice Beckett turns her gaze to one such group located in the cove of Watkins Bay, at the end of the street where the artist lived. Beckett’s distinctive style is immediately recognisable and, when seen collectively, her paintings provide an unsurpassed record of the changing landscape of the region. By the time Bathing Boxes, Beaumaris was likely painted, bathing huts could be found on all beaches in the area, sometimes two or three deep. The aspect of this work is nearly identical to that of Yachts in the bay, c.1933, a smaller painting in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia; and the Beckett family’s own hut was just outside the frame to the left. The artist’s compositional skill and mastery of colour allows the jumble of huts to be elegantly constrained by the greens of the grass and trees; and the single patch of blue water to the right emphatically anchors the whole design. A related work, Bathing Boxes, Beaumaris, c.1932, depicts the same scene from the seaward side, and was offered by Deutscher and Hackett in April 2021. Ultimately, this idyllic view no longer remains as a huge storm in 1934 destroyed bathing boxes up and down the coast, most of which were not replaced. Bathing boxes Beaumaris, therefore, retains historic as well as aesthetic importance. 1. The family subsequently lived at ‘St Enoch’s’, Dalgetty St, Beaumaris, from 1919. The house burned down in 1945. 2. Elizabeth Colquhoun cited in Peers, J., More than just gumtrees: a personal, social and artistic history of the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors, Dawn Revival Press, Melbourne, 1993, p. 197 3. Clarice Beckett, c.1928, cited in Hollinrake, R, Clarice Beckett: the artist and her circle, Macmillan, Melbourne, 1979, p. 21 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Aug. 23, 2022
Clarice Beckett (1887-1935) (Path Through the Ti-Trees)
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Clarice Beckett (1887-1935) (Path Through the Ti-Trees) oil on board 40.0 x 35.0cm (15 3/4 x 13 3/4in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Jul. 27, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT, BEACH SCENE, C.1932 – 33
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) BEACH SCENE, c.1932 – 33 oil on canvas 35.0 x 45.0 cm signed lower left: C. Beckett PROVENANCE Private collection, Melbourne Christie’s, Melbourne, 9 April 1991, lot 177 Joseph Brown Gallery, Melbourne, acquired from the above The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 22 April 1991 EXHIBITED The Bus Collection of Australian Art, Wollongong City Gallery, New South Wales, 16 March – 12 April 1992, cat. 54 A Century of Australian Art, Gosford Regional Gallery, New South Wales, 14 April – 28 July 2000 A New World, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 1 May – 30 August 2009 Figurative Works from the Cbus Collection, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 4 August – 2 December 2012 The Ordinary Instant, Bayside Arts & Cultural Centre, Melbourne, 22 July – 11 September 2016 Clarice Beckett: The Present Moment, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 27 February – 23 May 2021 on long term loan to Wollongong City Gallery, New South Wales (label attached verso) LITERATURE Lock, T., Clarice Beckett: The Present Moment, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2021, pp. 149 (illus.), 195 (illus.) Nainby, B., Stanhope, Z., and Furlonger, K., The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, in association with Latrobe Regional Gallery, Melbourne, 2009, pp. 18, 57 (illus.), 238 ESSAY In Beach scene, c.1932 – 33, Clarice Beckett gives us a perfect and familiar scene of Melbourne bayside leisure as played out in the shallows of Port Phillip Bay. These mostly calm waters provide a languid experience for swimmers, and for children who find their own teasures as they investigate the waters and nearby rock pools. Beckett lived nearby and was an avid bather, taking a dip every morning before returning to the necessary domestic duties that were now, in the early 1930s, making major intrusions on her ability to find time for painting. Beckett was at the forefront of Australian modernism in these years, in spite being almost forgotten in the decades after her death; thankfully, the forensic research done since the early 1970s by gallerist-historian Rosalind Hollinrake has seen this neglect overturned. Beckett’s art was based on rigorous training at the National Gallery School and followed by nine months with the ‘Tonalist’ painter Max Meldrum. There is a softness inherent in paintings which adhere to Meldrum’s theories as the emphasis is placed on tone and proportion, underscored by a rejection of preliminary sketching and hard lines. Beckett’s genius was to take these ideas further and the comprehensive exhibition Clarice Beckett: The present moment held at the Art Gallery of South Australia in 2021 opened many people’s eyes to her achievement in this regard. Beckett’s bayside paintings such as Beach scene possess an intimate modesty where no single figure appears to be posing or even inferring anything greater than a personal absorption in their own private activities. It is Beckett’s paint application, composition and technique that she wished to be at the forefront, as much as the subject itself; she sought to ‘give a sincere and truthful representation of a portion of the beauty of Nature, and to show the charm of light and shade.’1 Beckett’s paintings are evocative, poetic ruminations on the world around her, and companion works to Beach scene include Sandringham beach, c.1933, and Yachts in the Bay, c.1933 (both in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia); and Beach scene, 1932, The red sunshade, 1932, and Bathing boxes, Brighton, 1933 (all in the collection of the Art Gallery of South Australia). 1. Beckett, (catalogue entry), Twenty Melbourne painters: 6th annual exhibition, Atheneum Gallery, Melbourne, 1924 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Jun. 29, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935), Beaumaris Foreshore
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Beaumaris Foreshore oil on board 37.0 x 29.0 cm
Menzies
Jun. 28, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Beaumaris Seascape c.1928 oil on board
Est: $35,000 - $45,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Beaumaris Seascape c.1928 oil on board 18 x 22cm PROVENANCE: The Collection of Brian Mangan, Victoria cat. no. 270 The Collection of Rosalind Hollinrake, Victoria c.1980s Private collection, Victoria, acquired from the above OTHER NOTES: Before adopting Tonalism, Beckett graduated from the National Gallery School, studying under L. Bernard Hall and Frederick McCubbin in 1916. After leaving the school, she continued her studies with Max Meldrum, becoming involved with A.M.E. Bale, Colin Colahan, Percy Leason and Alma Figuerola. Unlike many of her other female counterparts who travelled abroad to further her studies in Europe, she chose to remain in Melbourne, unmarried and her parents' primary caregiver. In 1919 Beckett's family moved to Beaumaris where she lived and worked without a studio. (1) Despite not having a physical studio, Beckett made the outdoors her space with the opportune moments she had, painting en plein air. While prioritising her home duties, Beckett's painting time was limited to the early hours of the morning and evenings. This work, Beaumaris Seascape c.1928 captures Beckett's extraordinary skill with light and texture. Drawing out the warm tones from the Beaumaris coast-line, Beckett effortlessly creates a complex pallete of creamy yellows, pale greens and crisp blues. This particular aspect invites the viewer to look through the scene while catching wisps of colour and movement, suggesting a warm breezy day. The little time Beckett had to paint was cherished and did not arrest her development as an artist. Honing pace and consistency, Clarice managed a large output of works over a small period of time, exhibiting regularly with the Society of Twenty Melbourne Painters and the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors. Clarice Beckett was perhaps the most important yet underappreciated woman artist during the 1920s and 1930s in Australia. Capturing Melbourne's landscape and its most atmospheric nuances, Beckett's works appear effortless, bringing a sincere and truthful representation of nature before her. Only since her rediscovery in the 1970s by Rosalind Hollinrake has she now been formally recognised and celebrated as one of the most important female artists and Tonalist innovators to capture Melbourne at a time of growth, making her an invaluable part of Australian art history. Lucy Foster | Art Specialist (1) Burke, J., Australian Women Artists 1840-1940, Greenhouse Publications, Melbourne, 1980, p. 160
Leonard Joel
Jun. 20, 2022
AFTER CLARICE BECKETT Misty Evening, Beaumaris
Est: $550 - $750
AFTER CLARICE BECKETT Misty Evening, Beaumaris silkscreen titled and editioned on margin: Misty Evening, Beaumaris AP and embossed with Clarice Beckett Images published by Clarice Beckett Images and printed by Michelle Perry, Marnling Press, Sydney 42 x 59cm (image size) 76 x 89.5cm (frame size)
Gibson's
Jun. 20, 2022
AFTER CLARICE BECKETT The Boat Sheds
Est: $550 - $750
AFTER CLARICE BECKETT The Boat Sheds silkscreen titled and editioned on margin: The Boat Sheds AP and embossed with Clarice Beckett Images published by Clarice Beckett Images and printed by Michelle Perry, Marnling Press, Sydney 45.5 x 68cm (image size) 80 x 99.5cm (frame size)
Gibson's
Jun. 20, 2022
AFTER CLARICE BECKETT Bay Road Beaumaris
Est: $550 - $750
AFTER CLARICE BECKETT Bay Road Beaumaris silkscreen titled and editioned on margin: Bay Road Beaumaris AP and embossed with Clarice Beckett Images published by Clarice Beckett Images and printed by Michelle Perry, Marnling Press, Sydney 49 x 65.5cm (image) 80 x 93cm (frame)
Gibson's
May. 11, 2022
Clarice Beckett (1887-1935) Figure and Bathing Boxes, c.1932
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
Clarice Beckett (1887-1935) Figure and Bathing Boxes, c.1932 bears label verso with statement of authenticity signed by the artist's sister Mrs Hilda Mangan oil on canvas on board 36.5 x 44.0cm (14 3/8 x 17 5/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
May. 04, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT, THE SOLITARY BATHING BOX, C.1932
Est: $150,000 - $200,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) THE SOLITARY BATHING BOX, c.1932 oil on canvas on board 38.5 x 45.5 cm signed lower left: C Beckett bears inscription verso: “THE SOLITARY BATHING BOX” / BY CLARICE BECKETT. 10 guineas – / THE MELDRUM GALLERY / (J. H. MINOGUE) / 127 QUEEN ST / MELBOURNE PROVENANCE Private collection L.J. Cook and Company Pty. Ltd., Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 30 June 1998 EXHIBITED Probably: Exhibition of Paintings by Clarice Beckett, The Meldrum Gallery, Melbourne, 28 November – 9 December 1933 Clarice Beckett: Politically Incorrect, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne; SH Ervin Gallery (National Trust of Australia), Sydney; Orange Regional Gallery, New South Wales; Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria; Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart; Burnie Regional Art Gallery, Tasmania, 5 February 1999 – 22 May 2000 (label attached verso) LITERATURE Hollinrake, R., Clarice Beckett: Politically Incorrect, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 1999, cat. 65, p. 76 We are grateful to Rosalind Hollinrake for her assistance with this catalogue entry. ESSAY For nearly four decades, the paintings of Clarice Beckett vanished from public view and it was not until the gallerist, Ros Hollinrake, mounted a series of ground-breaking exhibitions from 1971 that this omission began to change. An early visitor to the first show was the painter Fred Williams, who then encouraged the National Gallery of Australia’s inaugural director James Mollison to follow suit. Equally impressed by what he saw, Mollison purchased eight paintings for the national collection, and Beckett’s fame has since increased to such an extent that almost every one of the country’s major institutions now owns examples of her work. She was, in the words of Germaine Greer, ‘the first artist to paint the suburbs of Australia… Australia as it really is, as we know it’;1 whilst the artist Sir William Dargie considered her to be ‘a pure and perfect artist in her own way, one of the finest ever to work in Australia.’2 Beckett famously studied for a short period under the theorist Max Meldrum who expounded his theory of the ‘Science of Appearances’, but hers was a talent which would not be shackled to such rigid rules. She read widely and was a committed attendee to lectures regarding Theosophy and Buddhism. On top of her prior training at the National Gallery School under Fred McCubbin, Beckett’s combined talents saw her transcend the work of Meldrum who, for example, abhorred too much colour, an opinion in stark contrast to the radiant hues in paintings by Beckett such as The Solitary Bathing Box, c.1932. She was a prolific artist who used flat brushwork and thin paint that was smoothed into the canvas, a technique Hollinrake once described as being ‘really healthy. It’s paint you want to touch… They have that glow.’3 Others recognised a moody haze akin to Whistler, whilst Beckett herself talked of the ‘musicality’ her works projected. In all her paintings – undeniably – is an enveloping atmosphere of tranquillity that underscores an equal sense of spontaneity, of a snapshot quickly taken before the subject is even aware. Although she travelled much within Victoria, Beckett’s home base was Beaumaris on Port Phillip Bay and she painted the region ceaselessly. Resisting her colleague’s suggestions that she should travel abroad, she argued that ‘I have only just got the hang of painting Beaumaris after all these years, why should I go somewhere else strange to paint?’4 Numbers of these bathing huts were clustered on the foreshore during Beckett’s lifetime, but many were destroyed through a series of tremendous storms starting at the end of 1934. As such, it is hard to exactly situate the subject of The Solitary Bathing Box but its outlook on the long expanse of the Mentone cliffs with the hint of a headland to the left suggests that it may have been sited at her local beach on Watkin’s Bay. The hazy summer sky and the jaunty red bathing suit of the striding figure indicates a hot, sunny day - the colours of which radiate through the waters to the right of the hut, painted by Beckett in striking bands of violet, blue and soft ochre. 1. Germaine Greer, quoted in Smee, S., ‘Painter put her soul into suburbia’, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 April 1999, p. 5 2. Dargie, Sir W., ‘Introduction’ in Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887-1935): idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris, Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne, 1971 3. Rosalind Hollinrake, quoted in Smee, S., ibid. 4. Clarice Beckett, quoted in Hollinrake, R., Clarice Beckett: the artist and her circle, Macmillan, Melbourne, 1979, p.21 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
May. 04, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT, THE RED BUS,
Est: $90,000 - $120,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887 - 1935) THE RED BUS oil on canvas on compressed card 37.5 x 45.5 cm bears inscriptions verso: Athenaeum / A / 45/ 75 bears inscriptions verso on backing paper: 5. "THE RED BUS" / Exhibited Solo Exhibition / David Sumner Gallery, Adelaide, 1973 bears label verso with statement of authenticity signed by the artist's sister Mrs Hilda Mangan PROVENANCE Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne (label attached verso) Private collection Peter Walker Fine Art, Adelaide Sandra Powell and Andrew King, Melbourne Mossgreen, Melbourne, 19 March 2014, lot 1 Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne (label attached verso) Private collection, Sydney, acquired from the above in 2015 EXHIBITED Probably: Athenaeum Gallery, Melbourne, cat. 45 Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887 – 1935): Idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris, Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne, 12 November – 1 December 1972, cat. 14 Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887 – 1935): Idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris, David Sumner Gallery, Adelaide, 25 July – 19 August 1973, cat. 5 Australian Women Artists Between the Wars, Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne, 3 March – 30 April 2015 (illus. in exhibition catalogue) ESSAY We are grateful to Olivia Abbay, Sandringham and District Historical Society, for her assistance with this catalogue entry. On an invitingly sunny day, a red bus trundles through a quiet bayside street south of Melbourne whilst stray pedestrians walk the other way. It is a simple moment from a simpler time, but one made manifest – and therefore significant – through the unparalleled aesthetic eye of Clarice Beckett. She is best known for her paintings of Beaumaris and the city, each infused with her trademark ‘blur and haze’, suggestive of an alternate world informed by Theosophy and allied spiritual philosophies. Beckett was deeply interested in such views and actively attended seminars and socialised with other advocates, including the family of Colquhoun artists. In line with Theosophic and Buddhist principles, Beckett saw each painting as ‘a self-renewing act’ akin to that of devotion.1 She was also a prodigious reader, with the famed modernist Gino Nibbi, owner of the Leonardo Bookshop in Little Collins Street, once proclaiming her ‘the best read woman in Melbourne.’2 Whilst the painterly technique Beckett developed was informed strongly by the ‘tonalist’ theories of Max Meldrum, it was also built upon her own nascent talent and her training between 1914 and 1916 under Frederick McCubbin at the National Gallery Art School. Indeed, Beckett only studied under Meldrum for nine months after she had attended one of his lectures in 1917, but ultimately transcended all these influences to become the distinctive artist whose work is so treasured today. A distracting part of the reason for this eminence is the tragic elements of her story including her premature death at forty-eight and the disastrous loss of so many of her paintings due to exposure to the elements, but such perspectives undermine the strength of her achievements. One of her best known statements reinforces her belief that ‘[my aim is] to give a sincere and truthful representation of a portion of the beauty of Nature, and to show the charm of light and shade, which I try and set forth in correct tones so as to give nearly as possible an exact illusion of reality.’3 In paintings such as The Red Bus, this ambition is evident through a marvellous interplay of colour, design, armature and technique. The white vertical dashes, indicative of telegraph poles or trees, provide a balanced counterpoint to the visual weight of the bus’ red, and leads the eye effortlessly to the pedestrians. The juxtaposition of the forward-facing vehicle and the retreating figures creates a duality of force that emphasises the snap-shot immediacy of the scene, whilst the feathered edges increase the sense of ephemerality. The bus itself is hard to identify specifically as a number of services operated in the area from as early as 1912, with ‘Mr Boyd’s service’ to Black Rock, and many used vehicles with a similar front cowling to Beckett’s. However, it is her inclusion of the bus as a central motif, as with cars, telegraph poles and motor bikes in related paintings, that marks Beckett for all time as a painterly herald for modernism in life as well as art. 1. Hollinrake, R., ‘Behind the scenes’ in Clarice Beckett biography, unpublished, cited in Lock, T., Clarice Beckett: The present moment, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2021, p. 32, fn. 5 2. Hollinrake, R., Clarice Beckett: politically incorrect, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 1999, p. 12, fn. 6 3. Clarice Beckett, (catalogue entry), Twenty Melbourne painters: 6th annual exhibition, Atheneum Gallery, Melbourne, 1924 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 22, 2022
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Studley Park Footbridge c.1924 oil on board
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
CLARICE BECKETT (1887-1935) Studley Park Footbridge c.1924 oil on board signed lower left: C. Beckett inscribed verso: indefinite/ 10/ The Bridge 25.5 x 35cm PROVENANCE: Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne (label verso) The Collection of Alan Grant, Melbourne Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITIONS: Athenaeum Hall, Melbourne, September 1924 Homage to Clarice Beckett (1887 – 1935): Idylls of Melbourne and Beaumaris, Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Melbourne, 12 November – 1 December 1972, cat. no. 62 LITERATURE: The Herald, 1 September 1924, p.17 "...the three impressions of bridges, in which Miss Beckett's blurred technique fits itself to the atmosphere. These have a certain quality that is apposite to the time of day and lighting of her subjects." OTHER NOTES: We are grateful to Rosalind Hollinrake for her assistance with cataloguing this painting Clarice Beckett was perhaps the most important yet underappreciated woman artist during the 1920s and 1930s. Max Meldrum's theories assisted Beckett in the understanding of soft-focus realism and the importance of handling paint in the execution of light, tone and colour. Capturing Melbourne's landscape and its most atmospheric nuances, Beckett's works appear effortless, depicting foggy streets, misty mornings and hazy sunsets. Before joining the school of Tonalism, Beckett graduated from the National Gallery School. Unlike many of her other female counterparts, travelling abroad to further her studies in Europe was not an option. Instead, she chose to remain in Melbourne unmarried and cared for her parents as their primary caregiver. While prioritising her home duties, Beckett's painting time was limited to the early hours of the morning and evenings when she was not required in the home. (1) The little time Beckett had to paint was cherished and did not arrest her development as an artist. Honing consistency, Clarice managed a large output of works over a small period of time. Her focus was established early on, as she so commented at the 1924 Twenty Melbourne Painters Society's annual exhibition - "To give a sincere and truthful representation of a portion of the beauty to nature, and to show the charm of light and shade, which I try to set forth in correct tones so as to give as nearly a possible an exact illusion of reality." (2) Beckett's execution was far removed from the conventional methods of painting during this time, Clarice took to her surface with a flat, rounded brush, with a thinned paint rendered to the surface for a flawless finish. Regularly depicting the freshness of early mornings, cold drizzly days, twilight, rainy reflections, and boats at dusk, it was the essence of the scene she sought for, a purist approach none the less. On the doorstep of the city, lays a footbridge over the Yarra bend in Abbotsford and it was this location that Beckett chose for Studley Park Footbridge c.1924. Nestled in the misty stillness, Beckett uses soft renderings of grey to create the early morning fog and glassy reflections. A stillness sets upon this work, the bridge itself almost appears part of nature. Permitting only the most vital details, purposeful placement was key. Emerging from the skyline, the spires appear from the nearby Abbotsford Convent. Although Clarice Beckett received very little attention as an artist during her lifetime, she was without question one of the most unique artists of the 1920s and 1930s. Only since her rediscovery in the 1970s by Rosalind Hollinrake has she now been formally recognised and celebrated as one of the most important female artists and Tonalist innovators to capture Melbourne at a time of growth, making her an invaluable part of Australian art history. Lucy Foster | Fine Art Specialist (1) Hollinrake, R., Clarice Beckett: The Artist and Her Circle, The MacMillan Company of Australia, Melbourne 1979 p.15 (2) Burke, J., Australian Women Artists 1840-1940, Greenhouse Publications, Melbourne 1980, p. 56
Leonard Joel
Nov. 16, 2021
CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 The Boat Sheds oil on canvas on board
Est: $80,000 - $100,000
CLARICE BECKETT 1887-1935 The Boat Sheds oil on canvas on board 50.5 x 55.5 cm PROVENANCE Clarice Beckett, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne, by descent from the above EXHIBITED (Possibly) Clarice Beckett: Memorial Exhibition, Athenaeum, Melbourne, 4-16 May 1936, no. 7, 15 gns
Smith & Singer