Lesley Dumbrell Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Lesley Dumbrell Art Value Price Guide

Sep. 17, 2024
LESLEY DUMBRELL, BLUE MOON, 1980
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
LESLEY DUMBRELL born 1941 BLUE MOON, 1980 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 152.5 x 228.5 cm 153.0 x 229.0 cm (frame) signed, dated and inscribed with title verso: L. Dumbrell. 1980 / Blue Moon PROVENANCE Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne Christie's, Melbourne, 25 June 2002, lot 95 John Barnes, Melbourne, acquired from the above The Estate of John Barnes, Melbourne RELATED WORK Blue Moon II, 1980, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 152.0 x 229.0 cm, in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, gift of Philip Morris Arts Grant, 1982 Blue Moon (Study for Painting Blue Moon), 1980, drawing in brush, gouache, 45.5 x 68.5 cm, in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra © Lesley Dumbrell/Copyright Agency, 2024 This work is located in our Melbourne gallery
Deutscher and Hackett
Jan. 29, 2024
Lesley Dumbrell, Australia (b.1941), Azzuium 1987, Silkscreen ed. 41/100
Est: $400 - $600
Lesley Dumbrell Australia (b.1941) Azzuium 1987 Silkscreen ed. 41/100 Signed, titled & dated lower margin
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Sep. 19, 2023
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Study for Zephyr 1975 gouache on paper 60 x 77cm (102 x 77cm framed)
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Study for Zephyr 1975 gouache on paper signed, titled and dated below image: Study for Zephyr L Dumbrell 75 60 x 77cm (102 x 77cm framed) PROVENANCE: Abraxas Gallery, Canberra, 1976 Private collection, Canberra EXHIBITIONS: Lesley Dumbrell: Paintings and Studies, Abraxas Gallery, Canberra, 1976
Leonard Joel
Sep. 18, 2023
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Untitled 1981 pastel on paper 36 x 59cm
Est: $800 - $1,200
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Untitled 1981 pastel on paper signed lower right: L Dumbrell dated lower left 36 x 59cm PROVENANCE: Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 21 April 1998, lot 652 Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: © Lesley Dumbrell/Copyright Agency, 2023
Leonard Joel
Apr. 04, 2023
Lesley Dumbrell (born 1941) Alizarin, 2001
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Lesley Dumbrell (born 1941) Alizarin, 2001 signed, dated and titled verso: 'L. Dumbrell 2001 / Alizarin' synthetic polymer paint on linen 106.5 x 198.0cm (41 15/16 x 77 15/16in).
Bonhams
Mar. 21, 2023
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Gamboge 1987 Liquitex on canvas
Est: $9,000 - $12,000
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Gamboge 1987 Liquitex on canvas signed, titled and dated verso: "GAMBOGE"/ L. Dumbrell / 87. 197.5 x 197.5cm PROVENANCE: Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 8 August 2000, lot 158 The National Australia Bank Art Collection (label verso) LITERATURE: Chanin, E., Contemporary Australian Painting, Craftsman House, Sydney, 1990, p. 53 Cross, E., Art Review, The Age, 28 October 1987 "The introduction of texture and a lively sense of scale have emerged as recent innovations in Dumbrell's image making. Both receive their broadest handling in 'Gamboge'. 'Here 'wing' of smeared yellow, by virtue of their colour, size and orchestration, fairly burst out of the canvas".
Leonard Joel
Aug. 09, 2022
LESLEY DUMBRELL, SOOMERKI, 1989
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
LESLEY DUMBRELL born 1941 SOOMERKI, 1989 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 182.5 x 243.5 cm signed, dated and inscribed with title verso: Soomerki / 1989 / L. Dumbrell. PROVENANCE Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne (label attached verso) Joseph Brown Gallery, Melbourne The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 25 October 1990 EXHIBITED BUS Art Collection, Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong, New South Wales, 16 March – 12 April 1992, cat. 66 on long term loan to Gippsland Art Gallery, Victoria LITERATURE Nainby, B., Stanhope, Z., and Furlonger, K., The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, in association with Latrobe Regional Gallery, Melbourne, 2009, pp. 15, 218 This work is located in our Sydney Gallery © Lesley Dumbrell
Deutscher and Hackett
Feb. 23, 2022
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Snakes and Ladders 1979 wool, linen, cotton, silk, lurex and rayon tapestry
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Snakes and Ladders 1979 wool, linen, cotton, silk, lurex and rayon tapestry woven Victorian Tapestry Workshop insignia lower right woven by Sara Lindsay, Merrill Dumbrell, Alan Holland, Cresside Collette 181 x 235cm PROVENANCE: The Victorian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne (tapestry no. 79/3) The National Australia Bank Art Collection EXHIBITIONS: The Seventies: Australian Paintings and Tapestries From the Collection of National Australia Bank, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 15 October - 28 November 1982 LITERATURE: Lindsay, R. (ed.), The Seventies: Australian Paintings and Tapestries From the Collection of National Australia Bank, The National Bank of Australasia, Melbourne, 1982, p. 121 (illus.) Walker, S., Artists' Tapestries From Australia 1976-2005, The Beagle Press, Sydney, 2007, p. 89 (illus.) OTHER NOTES: RELATED WORK: Snakes and Ladders 1979, synthetic polymer paint and Liquitex on canvas, 182.5 x 243cm
Leonard Joel
Feb. 23, 2022
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Snakes and Ladders 1979 synthetic polymer paint and Liquitex on canvas
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Snakes and Ladders 1979 synthetic polymer paint and Liquitex on canvas signed and dated verso: L. Dumbrell 1979 182.5 x 243cm PROVENANCE: The National Australia Bank Art Collection OTHER NOTES: RELATED WORK: Snakes and Ladders 1979, tapestry, 181 x 235cm Lesley Dumbrell was a pioneer of geometric abstraction in Australia and remains one of our most renowned abstract artists. Her initial years of training at RMIT in Melbourne were filled with the conformist views and figurative training that was commom amongst the academia of the time, but Dumbrell's curiosity sparked elsewhere. In the immediate years after she graduated at RMIT, Dumbrell's creative output was quiet. It wasn't until 1966 when a teaching job at the Prahran College of Advanced Education ignited her passion for abstraction. Her peers included some of the most recognised abstract artists including Alan Leach-Jones, who also embraced an abstract aesthetic, and Jim Doolin who introduced Dumbrell to Liquitex, the paint that would become synonymous with her work. Her years at Prahran provided more artistic inspiration and encouragement than her formal education, with many students exploring the principles of colour-field painting. The art world would soon catch on, with 1968 bringing forth the ground-breaking exhibition, The Field, at the National Gallery of Victoria. Solo shows for Lesley soon ensued and her career as an abstract artist began to accelerate. Furthermore, her associations with others in the art world encouraged her feminist perspective to take hold, and led to her critical involvement in the Women's Art Register, of which she was a founding member in 1975. A meeting between Kiffy Rubbo, Meredith Rogers, Erica McGilchrist, and Lesley Dumbrell led to a discussion on the need for an archive of local women's art. The Women's Art Forum was developed as a platform, and today the Women's Art Register continues to showcase the voices and talents of women artists in Australia. At this stage, her artworks had taken on a linear approach to Op Art, where increasingly thinner lines were placed in a seemingly spontaneous design across the canvas. In fact, Lesley undertakes a meticulous planning process with preparatory studies to ensure the composition is at its most striking. Her admiration of an international abstract style, à la Bridget Riley, was starkly different to many of her female counterparts. "I'll start with a pencil and a ruler and I'll start working out some kind of repeated element or system. I'll end up with a drawing. I can't really explain what the mesh is between the line or the linear structure and the colour because, you know, they don't come simultaneously. I used to say that the linear structure was just a way of hanging colour across a painting, if you like." (Lesley Dumbrell, in an interview with James Gleeson, 1979) In 1979, Lesley Dumbrell was one of three artists (Jeff Makin and Jan Senbergs the other two) first commissioned to create a tapestry with the Victorian Tapestry Workshop to be acquired by the National Australia Bank. Lesley's sister, Merrill, was a key figure at the workshop and so Lesley was already a regular visitor, intrigued by the medium and how she could translate her own meticulous geometric designs into a weave. In order to keep this process as inherent to her usual ways of working as possible, Lesley first prepared the painting of "Snakes and Ladders". "Snakes and Ladders" is a premium example of the linear abstraction that Lesley had mastered throughout the late 1970s and into the very early 80s. It's smooth surface is meticulous, with thin strips of coloured lines intersecting and overlapping with kaleidoscopic complexity. Many of Lesley's paintings explore elements of movement - something not often associated with geometric abstraction. Many of her artwork titles address this specifically, and in this case we imagine the unpredictable movement associated with the children's game, existing within Lesley's own grid or framework. In the game of Snakes and Ladders, the die instills an element of chance. It's historic roots are based around morality, reflecting life's journey of virtues (ladders) and vices (snakes). In Lesley's painting, we see the small short and evenly spaced lines ascending the work, akin to the ladder, before being quickly intercepted by long diagonals and lightning shapes that bring us back down. In the four decades since "Snakes and Ladders" was first painted, Lesley Dumbrell has traversed the opportunities and challenges of the Australian art world. As one of our foremost female abstractionists, the industry's appreciation for her innovative painterly style is still catching up. With the recent buzz around Australian Women Artists, Lesley's contributions to Australian Abstraction are now finally reaching appropriate heights. Olivia Fuller Head of Art
Leonard Joel
Feb. 22, 2022
LESLEY DUMBRELL, CHINOOK, 1975
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
LESLEY DUMBRELL born 1941 CHINOOK, 1975 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 175.0 x 260.0 cm signed and dated verso: L. Dumbrell 75. bears inscription on stretcher bar verso: CHINOOK PROVENANCE Abraxas Gallery, Canberra Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne The National Australia Bank Art Collection, acquired from the above in 1977 (label attached verso) EXHIBITED Lesley Dumbrell: Paintings and Studies, Abraxas Gallery, Canberra, 16 March - 4 April 1976, cat. 4 The Seventies: Australian Paintings and Tapestries from the Collection of National Australia Bank, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 15 October – 28 November 1982 Good vibrations: the legacy of Op Art in Australia, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne, 7 October – 24 November 2002 LITERATURE de Groen, G., ‘Real Sensitivity Shown’, The Canberra Times, Canberra, 23 March 1976, p. 11 Lindsay, R., The Seventies: Australian Paintings and Tapestries from the Collection of National Australia Bank, The National Bank of Australasia, Melbourne, 1982, pl. 33, p. 46 (illus.), front cover (illus.) Hart, D., William Delafield Cook, Craftsman House, Sydney, 1998, p. 119 Stanhope, Z., Good vibrations: the legacy of Op Art in Australia, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne, 2002, p. 26 (illus.) 'Good vibrations to test the retina', The Age, Melbourne, 16 November 2002 RELATED WORK Foehn, 1975, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 247.3 x 199.8 cm, in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Zephyr, 1975, acrylic on linen, dimensions and location unknown (illus. on Leslie Dumbrell Portfolio. Optical Paintings, https://www.lesleydumbrell.com/portfolio/optical-paintings-1970s) ESSAY Chinook, 1975 is from a time when many Australian artists were flitting between styles with some settling to produce paintings quite unlike earlier but, nevertheless, recent work. During the next decade there was considerable institutional reflection and speculation about the various appearances of abstraction and figuration. These took the form of exhibitions and critical writing: none included Australianness or a vernacular slant to give local meaning to art which was international in character.1 In Lesley Dumbrell’s home city, Melbourne, aspects of the much-vaunted The Field exhibition continued to echo while a variety of other responses were open to new and recent trends. With the rise of Postmodernist theory, we were numbed by its claims of the end of Modernism. Dumbrell was untroubled by any need to accommodate or respond to such fractious debates. Her path was set early. Colourfield formalism and lyrical abstraction painting had been overwhelmingly the dominion of men. Abundant with possibilities, her subtly evolving abstraction would distinguish her career. An early interest in Mondrian and Malevich emphasised the resoluteness of abstraction, while Kandinsky’s colour theories of ‘inner resonance’ and a colour’s need to evoke feeling, were clearly complementary to Dumbrell’s own instincts. Modernism was her wellspring and her encounter with the work of Bridget Riley and Jesús Rafael Soto was telling.2 Feminist activism was flourishing in Melbourne and Dumbrell was involved in various projects and surrounded by like-minded women. This found expression in a variety of ways including the exhibition, A Room of One’s Own in 1975. During the that year, she also became a founding member of the Women’s Art Register.3 ‘The reconciliation of feminism and the new abstract art… was for Dumbrell a vexed issue. Patterning and decoration, which were traditionally associated with women’s art forms, nonetheless found a voice in abstraction.’4 Her work is obviously disconnected from doctrinaire abstract formalists whose pursuit of Greenberg-espoused ‘purity’ rejected externally observed or felt influences intruding into the idea of a standalone and independent painting being self-referential and about itself, nothing else. Chinook shimmers with light and the shapes oscillate with a gently orchestrated palette. It is underpinned by a discreet system and patterned logic, and while its debt to Op art is self-evident, here she reaches a complete resolution of a distinctly personal pictorial vocabulary. It is an intensely visual and sensory painting whose title reminds us of the reach of her inspiration; ‘Chinook’ is a warm prevailing wind in western North America. 1. Australian art 1960 – 1986, Field to Figuration, Works from the National Gallery of Victoria, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1986; Vox Pop, Into the Eighties, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1983; POPISM, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1982; Geometric Abstraction, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, 1986. 2. Bridget Riley (born 1931) and Victor Vasarely (1908 – 1997) were British exponents of Op art, while Jesús Rafael Soto (1923 – 2005) Venezuelan op and kinetic artist. 3. A Room of One’s Own, Ewing & George Paton Galleries, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 1975 4. Kent, R., Sh ades of Light: Lesley Dumbrell 1971 – 1999 , Ian Potter Museum of Art, the University of Melbourne, 1999 DOUG HALL AM © Lesley Dumbrell
Deutscher and Hackett
Jul. 15, 2021
LESLEY DUMBRELL, LUNAR SERIES I 1986, GOUACHE ON PAPER, 46.5 X 94CM
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
LESLEY DUMBRELL, LUNAR SERIES I 1986, GOUACHE ON PAPER, 46.5 X 94CM
Leonard Joel
Jun. 28, 2021
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Depot Glen 3 1982 watercolour on paper
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Depot Glen 3 1982 watercolour on paper signed and dated lower right: L. Dumbrell 82 titled lower left 45 x 60cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Melbourne Thence by descent
Leonard Joel
Apr. 18, 2021
LESLEY DUMBRELL (BORN 1941) Study for Khasim 1973
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
LESLEY DUMBRELL (BORN 1941) Study for Khasim 1973 synthetic polymer paint on paper signed, dated and titled lower right and left: L. Dumbrell '73 Study for Khasim 38 x 60.5 cm PROVENANCE Ray Hughes Collection
Gibson's
Nov. 18, 2020
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Azzuium 1987 screenprint 5/5
Est: $500 - $700
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Azzuium 1987 screenprint 5/5 editioned, titled, signed and dated below image 73 x 54cm OTHER NOTES: © The Artist
Leonard Joel
Nov. 04, 2020
Lesley Dumbrell (b. 1941)
Est: $800 - $1,200
Juggle, 1978 acrylic on linen, titled, signed and dated verso 'Juggle, L. Dumbrell, 1978'
Shapiro Auctioneers
May. 05, 2020
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Untitled 1982 watercolour on paper
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Untitled 1982 watercolour on paper signed and dated lower right: Lesley Dumbrell 82 62.5 x 83.5cm EXHIBITIONS: Colour and Transparency, National Gallery of Victoria, 22 February – 27 April, 1986, cat. no. 4 (label verso) Blue Chip XXI: The Collector's Exhibition - 2019, Niagara Galleries, 5 March - 6 April 2019, cat. no. 11 (label verso) OTHER NOTES: © Lesley Dumbrell
Leonard Joel
Apr. 08, 2020
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Azzuium 1987 screenprint 1/5
Est: $300 - $500
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Azzuium 1987 screenprint 1/5 editioned, titled, signed and dated below image 72.5 x 53.5cm PROVENANCE: The Larry Rawling Collection OTHER NOTES: For over forty years Lesley Dumbrell has been refining her technique of geometric abstract painting, injecting colour, light and emotion into an often precise painting style associated with the Colour Field Painters of the 1960s. Working in this traditionally male-dominated genre, Dumbrell is recognised as a pioneer of the Australian women's art movement of the 1970s, earning her the respect of curators and critics alike. This screenprint forms part of her 'shape painting' series which marked a radical shift in her practice during the years of 1983-1990. © Lesley Dumbrell
Leonard Joel
Oct. 09, 2019
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) June 1982 watercolour on paper
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) June 1982 watercolour on paper signed and dated lower right: L. Dumbrell 82 titled lower left 45 x 53cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: For over forty years Lesley Dumbrell has been refining her technique of geometric abstract painting, injecting colour, light and emotion into an often precise painting style associated with the Colour Field Painters of the 1960s. Working in this traditionally male-dominated painting genre, Dumbrell is recognised as a pioneer of the Australian women's art movement of the 1970s, earning her the respect of curators and critics alike. © Courtesy of the artist
Leonard Joel
Jun. 25, 2019
LESLEY DUMBRELL, FLINT, 1977
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
LESLEY DUMBRELL born 1941 FLINT, 1977 synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: signed and dated verso: L.Dumbrell / 77 bears inscription verso: LESLEY DUMBRELL / … / “FLINT” 51” X 84” / … / POWELL ST GALLERY MELBOURNE. DIMENSIONS: 130.0 x 213.5 cm PROVENANCE: Powell Street Gallery, Melbourne Private collection, Perth RELATED WORK: Spangle, 1977, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 149.0 x 210.0 cm, collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 21, 2019
Lesley Dumbrell (1941 - ) - Harlequin Series 2, 1980 45.5 x 68
Est: $100 - $200
Lesley Dumbrell (1941 - ) Harlequin Series 2, 1980 gouache 45.5 x 68 signed and dated lower right. Provenance: Ray Hughes, 1982
Lawsons
Nov. 28, 2017
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Ultramarine 1997 oil on canvas
Est: $2,500 - $4,500
LESLEY DUMBRELL (born 1941) Ultramarine 1997 oil on canvas signed, titled and dated verso 137 x 137cm PROVENANCE: Christian Abraham Gallery (label verso) Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Nov. 22, 2016
LESLEY DUMBRELL - STUDY FOR ASTRA - Watercolour
Est: $1,800 - $2,500
LESLEY DUMBRELL (B.1941) STUDY FOR ASTRA Signed and dated 84 lower right Watercolour 63 x 125cm $1,800/2,500
GFL Fine Art
Nov. 30, 2015
Lesley Dumbrell (b. 1941) - Study for, 1973
Est: $800 - $1,200
Lesley Dumbrell (b. 1941) Study for, 1973 Synthetic polymer paint on paper, titled l.l.c. 'Study for', signed and dated l.r.c. 'L. Dumbrell, '73' 40 x 62 cm
Shapiro Auctioneers
Dec. 08, 2013
Lesley Dumbrell (b. 1941)
Est: $100 - $200
Lesley Dumbrell (b. 1941) Azzurum, 1987 screenprint 84/100, signed and dated l.r.c. 'L Dumbrell 87'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Dec. 08, 2013
Lesley Dumbrell (b. 1941)
Est: $500 - $800
Lesley Dumbrell (b. 1941) Untitled Drawing, 1980 oil pastel, dated l.l.c '12.2.80', signed l.r.c 'L Dumbrell'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Feb. 13, 2011
DUMBRELL, Lesley 1980 Untitled Oil pastel
Est: $400 - $600
DUMBRELL, Lesley 1980 Untitled Oil pastel
Aalders Auctions
Dec. 14, 2008
Lesley Dumbrell (1941-) Azzuium 1987 screenprint
Est: $150 - $250
Lesley Dumbrell (1941-) Azzuium 1987 screenprint ed. IV/V 56 a 56 cm
Leonard Joel
Aug. 24, 2008
Lesley Dumbrell (born 1941) Violet Evening 1980
Est: $1,500 - $2,000
Lesley Dumbrell (born 1941) Violet Evening 1980 acrylic on paper signed and dated 'L. Dumbrell 1980' in margin lower right titled in margin lower left (pencil all) 45.5 x 68 cm
Leonard Joel
Aug. 09, 2008
DUMBRELL, Lesley (b.1941) 'Azzurum,' 1987. S/Print
Est: $50 - $100
DUMBRELL, Lesley (b.1941) 'Azzurum,' 1987. S/Print 84/100 73x54cm
Davidson Auctions
Apr. 16, 2007
LESLEY DUMBRELL (1941 - ) Trinkets, 1978 signed
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
LESLEY DUMBRELL (1941 - ) Trinkets, 1978 signed 'L. Dumbrell', dated '1978' and titled verso acrylic on linen, 122 x 153 cm. Provenance: Gallery A, Paddington, NSW
Joel
Aug. 22, 2005
LESLEY DUMBRELL (B. 1941)
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Sandy for Astra 3 signed and dated 'L Dumbrell 84' (lower right) gouache and watercolour 60.8 x 121.8 cm
Christie's
Aug. 23, 2004
LESLEY DUMBRELL (B. 1941)
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
No. 27 signed 'L Dumbrell' (lower right); dated '3.10.79' (lower left) pastel 66 x 50.2 cm
Christie's
Jun. 25, 2002
LESLEY DUMBRELL (B. 1941)
Est: $4,480 - $5,600
BLUE MOON signed, dated and titled 'L. Dumbrell. 1980/Blue Moon' (on the reverse) synthetic polymer paint on canvas 152.5 x 228.5 cm PROVENANCE Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne Acquired from the above by the present owner.
Christie's