Leonard French Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Leonard French Art Value Price Guide

Nov. 27, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH 1928-2017 Archaic Fish (1963) enamel paint on hessian on composition board 45 x 60 cm
Est: $6,000 - $9,000
LEONARD FRENCH 1928-2017 Archaic Fish (1963) enamel paint on hessian on composition board signed ‘French [indistinctly]' lower right 45 x 60 cm PROVENANCE Leonard French, Victoria Australian Historical and Contemporary Drawings and Paintings, Christie's Australia, Sydney, 24 September 1969, lot 157 Private Collection Rudy Komon Art Gallery, Sydney Private Collection, Perth, acquired from the above
Smith & Singer
Nov. 26, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017), Study for Black Rain circa 1974
Est: $500 - $800
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Study for Black Rain circa 1974 watercolour and pencil on paper signed lower right: French 38 x 28.5cm
Gibson's
Nov. 21, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (born 1928 - 2017) Boris Godunov 1980 lithograph, ed. 91/150 67 x 51cm, 86.5 x 64.5cm (frame size)
Est: $300 - $400
LEONARD FRENCH (born 1928 - 2017) Boris Godunov 1980 lithograph, ed. 91/150 signed and dated lower right 67 x 51cm, 86.5 x 64.5cm (frame size) PROVENANCE: The Estate of Reginald Maurice Berkley, Victoria Thence by descent
Leonard Joel
Nov. 13, 2024
Leonard French, Australian 1928 - 2017, Serpent study, mixed media on board, 18 x 25 cm. (7.0 x 9.8 in.), Frame: 37 x 44 cm. (14.5 x 17.3 in.)
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Leonard French Australian, 1928 - 2017 Serpent study mixed media on board signed lower centre, French circa 1960 A seminal study of the serpent that would appear in later artworks, including Day 3 of the remarkable series of 7 major artworks: Genesis at the end of 1960. The series was acquired by the Myer family and donated to the Australia. National University. Canberra. " On the Third Day the fish teemed in the sea, the serpent entwined with the turtles, and the air was full of birds." Ref.: Lot 101 of current fraction.com.au auction - Photographs of Australia's Most Celebrated Artists from the Sydney Morning Herald Archive. Leonard French, Australian 1928 - 2017, Leonard French with His Painting 'The Burial' at Rudy Komon Gallery Sydney circa 1964, Black and White Press Photograph, 18cm by 26cm
For-Auction
Nov. 13, 2024
Leonard French, Australian 1928 - 2017, Serpent in the Garden, mixed media on board, 18 x 25 cm. (7.0 x 9.8 in.), Frame: 37 x 44 cm. (14.5 x 17.3 in.)
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Leonard French Australian, 1928 - 2017 Serpent in the Garden mixed media on board signed and inscribed on back according to the catalogue listing (obscured by current frame) A seminal study of the serpent that would appear in later artworks, including Day 3 of the remarkable series of 7 major artworks: Genesis at the end of 1960. The series was acquired by the Myer family and donated to the Australia. National University. Canberra. " On the Third Day the fish teemed in the sea, the serpent entwined with the turtles, and the air was full of birds." Ref.: Lot 101 of current foraction.com.au auction - Photographs of Australia's Most Celebrated Artists from the Sydney Morning Herald Archive. Leonard French, Australian 1928 - 2017, Leonard French with His Painting 'The Burial' at Rudy Komon Gallery Sydney circa 1964, Black and White Press Photograph, 18cm by 26cm
For-Auction
Oct. 27, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017), Rain and Fire
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Rain and Fire mixed media on paper signed lower right: Leonard French 64.5 x 48.5cm PROVENANCE Private Collection, Melbourne © Leonard French/Copyright Agency, 2024
Gibson's
Oct. 27, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017), The Street 1969
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) The Street 1969 mixed media on paper inscribed verso" THE STREET" / 1969 / LEONARD FRENCH 136 x 121cm PROVENANCE Private Collection, Melbourne © Leonard French/Copyright Agency, 2024
Gibson's
Oct. 22, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Untitled c.1960 enamel on composition board 150.5 x 120.5cm
Est: $18,000 - $24,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Untitled c.1960 enamel on composition board 150.5 x 120.5cm PROVENANCE: Gift from the Artist Private collection, Western Australia Thence by descent OTHER NOTES: RELATED WORK: Leonard French, Death in the Garden 1960, enamel paint on hessian on composition board, 204 x 183.8cm, The Collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne © Leonard French/Copyright Agency 2024
Leonard Joel
Oct. 22, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Study for the Animal Painter 1982 oil and enamel on board 45 x 39.5cm
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Study for the Animal Painter 1982 oil and enamel on board signed lower right: French artist's name, date and title on gallery label verso 45 x 39.5cm PROVENANCE: Australian Galleries, Melbourne (label verso) Eva Breuer, Sydney 1999 The Collection of Dina Kamsler, Queensland Thence by descent EXHIBITIONS: Leonard French, Australian Galleries, Melbourne, November 1982, cat. no. 24 OTHER NOTES: © Leonard French/Copyright Agency 2024
Leonard Joel
Oct. 22, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Pale Image oil and goldleaf on board 67 x 59cm
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Pale Image oil and goldleaf on board signed lower right: French titled on gallery label verso 67 x 59cm PROVENANCE: Australian Galleries, Melbourne (label verso) Private Collection, Melbourne Thence by descent EXHIBITIONS: Leonard French: Paintings 1974-1980, Australian Galleries, Melbourne, 2 - 14 June 1980, cat. no. 14 OTHER NOTES: © Leonard French/Copyright Agency 2024
Leonard Joel
Oct. 17, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH, (1928 - 2017), Study for First Chant No. 2, 1965, enamel on composition board, 67.5 x 60.5 cm. (26.5 x 23.8 in.), frame: 82 x 76 x 4 cm. (32.2 x 29.9 x 1.5 in.)
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928 - 2017) Study for First Chant No. 2, 1965 enamel on composition board signed lower right: French; signed, dated 'America 1965' and inscribed and signed with title on label verso: Study for the First Chant, no. 2/ Leonard French, Rudy Komon Art Gallery label verso, cat no. 2198
Lawsons
Sep. 17, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH, DEATH OF A MARTYR, 1961
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928 - 2017) DEATH OF A MARTYR, 1961 from The Campion Paintings series enamel on hessian on board 136.5 x 121.5 cm 171.5 x 157.0 cm (frame) signed and dated lower left: French, 61 PROVENANCE F. L. Kennett, London Richard Crebbin, Sydney Private collection, Sydney Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne John Barnes, Melbourne, acquired from the above The Estate of John Barnes, Melbourne EXHIBITED 12 Paintings on the Life of Edmund Campion, Farmers Blaxland Gallery, Sydney, 1961; Argus Gallery, Melbourne, 23 October - 3 November 1961 Leonard French, Commonwealth Institute, London, 21 March – 16 April 1967 Leonard French Retrospective, Sixth Adelaide Festival of the Arts, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 6 – 28 March 1970, cat. 40 Modern Australian Paintings, Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne, 4 – 29 June 1991, cat. 31 LITERATURE Buckley, V., The Campion Paintings, Greyflower, Melbourne, 1962, cat. 25, pp. 74, 75 (illus.) Pringle, J. D., Australian Paintings Today, Thames and Hudson, London, 1963, p. 87 (illus.) RELATED WORK Death full of wounds, 1961, enamel on hessian covered hardboard, 183.0 x 152.5 cm, private collection © Leonard French/Copyright Agency, 2024 This work is located in our Melbourne gallery
Deutscher and Hackett
Aug. 20, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017), The Burial 1970
Est: $500 - $600
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) The Burial 1970 colour screenprint signed, dated, titled and editioned on margin: Leonard French 1970 / The Burial / 21/25 80.5 x 94.5cm
Gibson's
Aug. 20, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017), The Wharf 1970
Est: $500 - $600
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) The Wharf 1970 screenprint signed, titled, dated and editioned on margin: Leonard French 1970 / The Wharf / 21/25 95.5 x 82cm
Gibson's
Jul. 24, 2024
LEONARD WILLIAM FRENCH - THE CART - PENCIL DRAWING
Est: $500 - $800
LEONARD WILLIAM FRENCH (1928-2017) THE CART Signed lower right titled and dated 61 verso Pencil drawing 28.5 x 36.5cm Estimate $500/800 AUD
GFL Fine Art
Jul. 11, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH, THE CANNON 1970, SCREENPRINT ED. 15/25, SIGNED AND DATED LOWER RIGHT, 94 X 81CM, FRAME SIZE: 107 X 92CM
Est: $400 - $600
LEONARD FRENCH, THE CANNON 1970, SCREENPRINT ED. 15/25, SIGNED AND DATED LOWER RIGHT, 94 X 81CM, FRAME SIZE: 107 X 92CM
Leonard Joel
Jun. 26, 2024
Leonard French, Australian 1928-2017, Nicholas Copernicus 1543, enamel with gold leaf on hessian covered hardboard and sheet copper, 181cm by 151cm
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
Leonard French Australian, 1928-2017 Nicholas Copernicus 1543 enamel with gold leaf on hessian covered hardboard and sheet copper signed lower right Provenance: A Distinguished Melbourne family collection Leonard French OBE (1928–2017), who created the great stained-glass ceiling at the National Gallery of Victoria, was widely regarded as one of the leading Australian artists of his day. By the early 1970s this outgoing working-class boy from rough and tough inner-Melbourne Brunswick had become top of the artistic heap, cock of the walk: his monumental glass commissions, murals and paintings were critically acclaimed and his commercial success was firmly established. A feisty contrarian with an eloquence that belied his humble origins, he delighted in publicly roasting the Australian art establishment. Sasha Grishin in his book on Leonard French talked of his early influences and in particular that of Fernand Leger, whose work French had seen in the 1940's. Grishin comments that in 1950 in London French visited the Leger retrospective exhibition at the Tate and that he immediately identified with the son of a cattleman from Normandy that wanted to bring art to the people through murals and via accessible public art. Despite his humble background French had a keen appetite for literature which ranges from the classics to poetry and through his artistic associations at the Swanston Hotel in Melbourne he was exposed to the raging left-wing intelligentsia of the time, where T ,S Eliot, Albert Camus and Dostoevsky were the staples that were much discussed.Through his travels to Ireland and Europe he was exposed to ancient cultures such as Celtic and Ancient European and Mediterranean art, which had a great influence on him and his work. French would go on and become a leading light within the star-studded artis stable of legendary Australian art dealer Rudy Komon in Sydney and would win the much revered Blake Prize twice in 1963 and 1980 and The Sulman at the AGNSW in 1960. The application of sheet copper is seen in several of French's important works from the 1960's, such as: The Cannon and The Wind 1966-70 See Sasha Grishin Leonard French colour plates 115/119 However, French exhibited a body of work called the Copernicus series with Rudy Komon in 1973 and this work may well have been included in that exhibition . Nicolaus Copernicus the great Renaissance mathematician, administrator, astronomer and physician died aged 70 in 1543. Amongst his many extraordinary achievements, perhaps the greatest was in formulating what became known as the Copernican system, a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than Earth at its center.
Artvisory
May. 16, 2024
Leonard French, Australian 1928 - 2017, Moon turtle, colour lithograph, 75 x 56cm
Est: $600 - $800
Leonard French Australian, 1928 - 2017 Moon turtle colour lithograph signed "Leonard French 78" and titled "Moon Turtle" in pencil on margin edition 32/300
For-Auction
May. 16, 2024
Leonard French, Australian 1928 - 2017, Warrior 1963, mixed media on paper on board, 137 x 120.5cm
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Leonard French Australian, 1928 - 2017 Warrior 1963 mixed media on paper on board signed "Leonard French' and inscribed "Warrior" verso dated "63"
For-Auction
May. 07, 2024
Leonard French (1928-2017) The Coming of the Turtle, The Source of the River, 1973
Est: $35,000 - $45,000
Leonard French (1928-2017) The Coming of the Turtle, The Source of the River, 1973 signed lower right: 'French' enamel and gold leaf on hessian on board 136.0 x 120.5cm (53 9/16 x 47 7/16in).
Bonhams
Apr. 21, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017), Still Life
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
oil on board signed and titled verso: LEONARD FRENCH / STILL LIFE 46.5 x 63cm PROVENANCE Eastgate & Holst, Melbourne The David and Susi Caddy Collection © Leonard French/Copyright Agency, 2024
Gibson's
Apr. 21, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017), Rain and Fire
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
mixed media on paper signed lower right: Leonard French 64.5 x 48.5cm PROVENANCE Private Collection, Melbourne © Leonard French/Copyright Agency, 2024
Gibson's
Feb. 15, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH, (STREET SCENE WITH CHURCH), OIL ON BOARD, SIGNED LOWER LEFT, 26.5 X 19.5CM, FRAME SIZE: 53 X 45CM PROVENANCE: PRIV...
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
LEONARD FRENCH, (STREET SCENE WITH CHURCH), OIL ON BOARD, SIGNED LOWER LEFT, 26.5 X 19.5CM, FRAME SIZE: 53 X 45CM PROVENANCE: PRIVATE COLLECTION, MELBOURNE
Leonard Joel
Feb. 08, 2024
LEONARD FRENCH, THE CART 1969, PENCIL ON PAPER, SIGNED LOWER RIGHT, 28.5 X 37CM, FRAME SIZE: 53.5 X 60.5CM
Est: $400 - $600
LEONARD FRENCH, THE CART 1969, PENCIL ON PAPER, SIGNED LOWER RIGHT, 28.5 X 37CM, FRAME SIZE: 53.5 X 60.5CM
Leonard Joel
Nov. 19, 2023
LEONARD WILLIAM FRENCH (1928 - 2017), The Soul Cages No.2, enamel on hessian-covered plywood, signed lower left, 107 x 122cm; framed 112 x 128cm overall.
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
LEONARD WILLIAM FRENCH (1928 - 2017), The Soul Cages No.2, enamel on hessian-covered plywood, signed lower left, 107 x 122cm; framed 112 x 128cm overall.
Leski Auctions Pty Ltd
Nov. 05, 2023
Leonard William French, Australia, Britain, Europe (1928-2017), The Journey, A Suite of 10, 1970, Colour screen prints on wove paper, ed. 16/25
Est: $1,800 - $2,500
Leonard William French Australia, Britain, Europe (1928-2017) The Journey, A Suite of 10, 1970 Colour screen prints on wove paper, ed. 16/25 including: Title Page, The Wind, The Fortress, The Wreck, The Cart, The Inferno, The Burial, The Canon, The Wharf, The Monument Each signed, dated, entitled and numbered in pencil to lower margin
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Oct. 19, 2023
LEONARD FRENCH, UNTITLED 1980, LITHOGRAPH ED. 126/150, SIGNED DATED AND EDITIONED BELOW IMAGE, 67 X 50CM, FRAME SIZE: 97 X 77CM
Est: $300 - $500
LEONARD FRENCH, UNTITLED 1980, LITHOGRAPH ED. 126/150, SIGNED DATED AND EDITIONED BELOW IMAGE, 67 X 50CM, FRAME SIZE: 97 X 77CM
Leonard Joel
Sep. 20, 2023
Leonard French (1928-2017) Landscape with Helmets, 1961
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
oil on board, labels from previous frame verso
Shapiro Auctioneers
Sep. 18, 2023
Leonard William French, Australia (1928-2017), Boris Godunov 1980, Lithograph ed. 3/150
Est: $200 - $400
Leonard William French Australia (1928-2017) Boris Godunov 1980 Lithograph ed. 3/150 Signed, titled & dated lower margin ICI Australian Opera Collection Certificate of Authenticity
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Sep. 12, 2023
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017), Boris Gudenov 1980
Est: $200 - $400
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Boris Gudenov 1980 screenprint signed, dated and editioned on margin: Leonard French 80 / AP 68 x 50.5cm
Gibson's
Aug. 29, 2023
Leonard French (1928-2017) White Towers in a Landscape, 1962
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Leonard French (1928-2017) White Towers in a Landscape, 1962 signed and dated to artist's label attached verso enamel and gold leaf on hessian on board 30.5 x 25.0cm (12 x 9 13/16in).
Bonhams
Aug. 29, 2023
Leonard French (1928-2017) Fish Around an Island, 1965
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Leonard French (1928-2017) Fish Around an Island, 1965 signed, dated and titled on artist's label attached verso enamel and gold leaf on board 35.0 x 30.0cm (13 3/4 x 11 13/16in).
Bonhams
Aug. 23, 2023
LEONARD FRENCH 1928-2017 The Catch (1987-1989) enamel and gold leaf on hessian on hardboard 137 x 122 cm
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
LEONARD FRENCH 1928-2017 The Catch (1987-1989) enamel and gold leaf on hessian on hardboard signed 'French' lower right; inscribed 'The Catch (Fisherman Series)' verso 137 x 122 cm PROVENANCE Leonard French, Victoria Savill Galleries, Sydney (label verso) Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above Australian and International Art, Sotheby's Australia, Melbourne, 21 November 2006, lot 40, illustrated Selwyn and Renata Litton, Sydney, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Leonard French: Paintings 1987-1989, Powell Street Gallery, Melbourne, 10-30 June 1989, no. 8, illustrated Leonard French: Paintings 1987 to 1993, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney, 30 March - 24 April 1993, no. 4 Leonard French: Dark & Light, Savill Galleries, Sydney, 10 November - 11 December 1999, no. 4
Smith & Singer
Jun. 27, 2023
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Study for Creation oil and gold leaf on canvas laid on board 46 x 46cm
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) Study for Creation oil and gold leaf on canvas laid on board signed lower right: French 46 x 46cm PROVENANCE: Corporate collection, Melbourne Bonhams & Goodman, Masterpieces of Australian Art from the Julian & Miriam Sterling Collection, Melbourne, 26 August 2008, lot 58 Private collection, Melbourne The Estate of the above OTHER NOTES: © Leonard French/Copyright Agency, 2023
Leonard Joel
May. 28, 2023
LEONARD WILLIAM FRENCH (1928 - 2017), The Warrior, 1963, Mixed media on paper on board, signed lower right Leonard French, signed, dated and inscribed verso: 'The Warrior' Leonard French 63, 136.5 x 121cm, Provenance: Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 13 Oc
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
LEONARD WILLIAM FRENCH (1928 - 2017), The Warrior, 1963, Mixed media on paper on board, signed lower right Leonard French, signed, dated and inscribed verso: 'The Warrior' Leonard French 63, 136.5 x 121cm, Provenance: Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 13 October 2003, lot 297. Private collection, Melbourne.
Leski Auctions Pty Ltd
May. 15, 2023
Leonard William French, Australia (1928-2017), Boris Godunov 1980, Lithograph ed. 3/150
Est: $400 - $600
Leonard William French Australia (1928-2017) Boris Godunov 1980 Lithograph ed. 3/150 Signed, titled & dated lower margin ICI Australian Opera Collection Certificate of Authenticity
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Apr. 04, 2023
Leonard French (1928-2017) Turtle Rising, 1970
Est: $7,000 - $10,000
Leonard French (1928-2017) Turtle Rising, 1970 signed lower right: 'French' enamel and gold leaf on hessian covered hardboard 68.5 x 61.0cm (26 15/16 x 24in).
Bonhams
Dec. 15, 2022
LEONARD FRENCH (1928 - 2017) Mural Fragment I oil on panel 27 x 17 cm (frame: 47 x 37 x 4 cm) unsigned, titled verso
Est: $800 - $1,200
LEONARD FRENCH (1928 - 2017) Mural Fragment I oil on panel 27 x 17 cm (frame: 47 x 37 x 4 cm) unsigned, titled verso
Lawsons
Dec. 15, 2022
LEONARD FRENCH (1928 - 2017) Mural Fragment IV oil on panel 27 x 17 cm (frame: 47 x 37 x 4 cm) unsigned, titled verso
Est: $800 - $1,200
LEONARD FRENCH (1928 - 2017) Mural Fragment IV oil on panel 27 x 17 cm (frame: 47 x 37 x 4 cm) unsigned, titled verso
Lawsons
Nov. 23, 2022
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017), The Tomb 1963-67
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928-2017) The Tomb 1963-67 enamel and gold leaf on hessian on board 68.0 x 61.0 cm bears inscription verso: "The Tomb"/ 24" x 27"/ Enamel on Hardboard/ London 1963 - Completed 1967 Melbourne/ Leonard French
Menzies
Nov. 16, 2022
LEONARD FRENCH 1928-2017 Intruder in the Dunes enamel on hessian on hardboard
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
LEONARD FRENCH 1928-2017 Intruder in the Dunes enamel on hessian on hardboard signed 'French' lower left; inscribed 'Intruder in the Dunes' verso (label) 91 x 81 cm frame: original, Leonard French, Victoria PROVENANCE Leonard French, Victoria Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above
Smith & Singer
Oct. 04, 2022
LEONARD FRENCH, THE BRIDGE, 1983
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928 - 2017) THE BRIDGE, 1983 enamel on hessian on composition board 122.5 x 244.0 cm 128.5 x 250.0 cm (frame) signed lower right: French inscribed on artist’s label verso: 1983 / Study for the Oppenheimer Mural / Brenthurst Library Johannesburg / South Africa PROVENANCE Powell Street Gallery, Melbourne Joseph Brown Gallery, Melbourne The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 29 May 1990 EXHIBITED Leonard French ‘The Bridge’, Powell Street Gallery, Melbourne, 28 September – 17 October 1985 (illus. on exhibition invitation) The Bus Collection of Australian Art, Wollongong City Gallery, New South Wales, 16 March – 12 April 1992, cat. 58 Morning, Noon and Night, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 13 July - 13 October 2019 Leonard French 'The Bridge', Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 3 November 2018 – 3 March 2019 on long term loan to Latrobe Regional 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. 130 (illus.), 219 RELATED WORK The Bridge, 1982 – 84, mural, 275.0 x 500.0 cm, in the collection of The Brenthurst Library, Johannesburg, South Africa This work is located in our Melbourne Gallery © Leonard French/Copyright Agency 2021
Deutscher and Hackett
Aug. 23, 2022
Leonard French (1928-2017) Man With A Serpent, 1960
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Leonard French (1928-2017) Man With A Serpent, 1960 signed and dated upper left: 'French 1960' titled verso: 'MAN WITH A SERPENT' enamel on hessian on composition board 122.0 x 122.0cm (48 1/16 x 48 1/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Jul. 27, 2022
LEONARD FRENCH, THE BRIDGE, 1983
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928 - 2017) THE BRIDGE, 1983 enamel on hessian on composition board 122.5 x 244.0 cm signed lower right: French inscribed on artist’s label verso: 1983 / Study for the Oppenheimer Mural / Brenthurst Library Johannesburg / South Africa PROVENANCE Powell Street Gallery, Melbourne Joseph Brown Gallery, Melbourne The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 29 May 1990 EXHIBITED Leonard French ‘The Bridge’, Powell Street Gallery, Melbourne, 28 September – 17 October 1985 (illus. on exhibition invitation) The Bus Collection of Australian Art, Wollongong City Gallery, New South Wales, 16 March – 12 April 1992, cat. 58 Morning, Noon and Night, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 13 July - 13 October 2019 Leonard French 'The Bridge', Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 3 November 2018 – 3 March 2019 on long term loan to Latrobe Regional 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. 130 (illus.), 219 RELATED WORK The Bridge, 1982 – 84, mural, 275.0 x 500.0 cm, in the collection of The Brenthurst Library, Johannesburg, South Africa ESSAY The following excerpts are from Arnold, M., ‘‘ The Bridge’, by Leonard French, Melbourne’, reproduced at https:// www.brenthurst.org.za/the-bridge/ ‘By the time he received the commission from Harry Frederick Oppenheimer for The Brenthurst Library, South Africa [for which the present work is the study], French had established a distinctive relationship between form and content, favouring a stylised schema of representation married to themes where opposing forces were distributed in conceptual and visual tension. Leonard French visited South Africa in 1982. The Bridge was generated by his travels and observations at a time when attempts were being made to restructure rather than dismantle the apartheid artifice. French travelled widely throughout South Africa but The Bridge is not based on a particular place or event and it offers no direct social comment… [Rather] The Bridge is about people… The subject is a synthesis of contradictory and complex sense-experiences, encounters with people from all sectors of the community, and information about South Africa. The assimilated sources are transformed into an image that explores the tension between opposing forces and the literal and metaphorical implications of the concept, ‘bridge’. A bridge is a physical structure erected to afford safe passage over a barrier and its presence directs human beings along a specific route. It may be a transitional phase connecting two conditions and, in this sense, it is a very apt metaphor for the situation in which South Africa found itself as the architects of apartheid attempted to plan new social routes. Since a bridge facilitates movement and manifests human skill at overcoming impediments, its collapse initiates chaos, signifies human fallibility and implies failure of a system. French depicts a bridge that arches across his entire format and is torn asunder in the centre. French poses his interpretation of the human condition in South Africa in symbolic terms, avoiding the particularisation that is generated by naturalistic detail. The multitudes that crowd the bridge are mechanised forms, people reduced to automata with heads resembling canon mouths. Accompanied by weapons, wagons and crosses the crowd cannot be identified ethnically or historically. The imagery itself is universalised; conflict and disaster are posed in general terms and the situation relates to South Africa only when a non-formal reading of the imagery admits the relevance of the socio-political South African situation to the interpretation… …The dominant visual metaphor in The Bridge is that of containment, established by the bridge as a structural container and by its separate bolted units which frame and contain sections of the human procession… Symbolically, the bridge structure is also a container. It is formed by wooden units, irregularly shaped crosses which denote the controlling power of church doctrine. Some figures carry crosses, reinforcing the reference to Christianity and its emotive force within society, something which French must have observed in Nationalist government debates about apartheid. Placed against a gold background, the central shattered area of the bridge contrasts strongly with the moody dark-blue sky… In French’s narrative the break in the bridge is the key to his meaning. Topped by flames, the bridge is broken by an organic black form that plunges vertically through the format. Quite literally, ‘Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.’ Tearing the opposing forces apart and breaking the structure, the black form is – in the context of the South African situation – a forceful reminder of black power.’ © Leonard French/Copyright Agency 2022
Deutscher and Hackett
May. 24, 2022
LEONARD WILLIAM FRENCH - THE MOON TABLE (COPERNICUS SERIES) - Enamel and gold leaf on board
Est: $22,000 - $28,000
LEONARD WILLIAM FRENCH (1928-2017) THE MOON TABLE (COPERNICUS SERIES) Signed lower right Enamel and gold leaf on board 92 x 138cm $22,000/28,000
GFL Fine Art
May. 24, 2022
Leonard French (1928-2017)
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
Landscape enamel on composition board
Shapiro Auctioneers
May. 17, 2022
LEONARD FRENCH, JOURNEY OF THE BULL, 2000 - 01
Est: $12,000 - $16,000
LEONARD FRENCH (1928 - 2017) JOURNEY OF THE BULL, 2000 - 01 (from THE MINOAN PAINTINGS) enamel on hessian on board 76.5 x 102.5 cm signed lower left: French PROVENANCE Estate of Leonard French, Victoria Private collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above in 2019 EXHIBITED Leonard French: The Minoan Paintings, Savill Galleries, Melbourne, 20 September – 7 October 2001 and Sydney, 16 – 31 October 2001 Explaining the reasons for the Minoan works Len stated: 'I began as a young man painting from the Greek myths and legends of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Now I have come back to the Greeks and looked at what came before - the Minoans - a civilisation that was brought to an end in the 2nd millennium BC as a result of a volcanic eruption of cataclysmic proportions. These paintings are my response'. 1 1. MacDonald, R., The Boy from Brunswick: Leonard French, a Biography, Australian Scholarly Press, Melbourne, 2018, p. 483 © Leonard French/Copyright Agency 2021 This work is located in our Melbourne Gallery
Deutscher and Hackett
May. 11, 2022
Leonard French (1928-2017) Abstract, 1963
Est: $800 - $1,200
Leonard French (1928-2017) Abstract, 1963 signed, titled, and dated verso: 'LEONARD FRENCH / 'Abstract' / 1963' oil on board 29.5 x 19.5cm (11 5/8 x 7 11/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams