Midpul Prince of Wales Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Midpul Prince of Wales Art Value Price Guide

Nov. 12, 2024
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), BODY MARKS, 1999
Est: $8,000 - $10,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) c.1937-2002 BODY MARKS, 1999 acrylic on linen 83 x 81 cm artwork cataloguing details verso PROVENANCE Karen Brown Gallery, NT Cat No. KB0585 Private Collection, NT Private Collection, WA Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Karen Brown Gallery EXHIBITED Dreamings. Aboriginal Australian art meets de Chirico, Museo Carlo Bilotti - Aranciera di Villa Borghese, Roma, 4 July - 2 November, 2014 Eaux Vivantes, Living Waters, Musée océanographique de Monaco, 23 March - 30 September 2016 Born with the tribal name Midpul, Prince of Wales was raised among his mother’s people, the Wadgigiyn, on the Cox Peninsula across the harbour from Darwin. Much of his adult life was spent at the beach camp at Cullen Bay, a place that has since transformed into an exclusive marina development. His father, Imabul, known as King George, contributed to his ‘English’ name—a name that was further cemented when Midpul danced for Queen Elizabeth during her visit to Australia in the 1960s. Despite suffering a stroke before gaining recognition, Prince of Wales became the first contemporary Indigenous artist from the Larrakia region to achieve widespread acclaim. His work focused on traditional body designs used in Danggalaba ceremonies, a subject imbued with sacred cultural significance. Through his art, Prince of Wales brought the deep cultural traditions of his people into the contemporary world, securing his place as a pioneering figure in Indigenous art. This piece is a fine example of an Australian Aboriginal artwork.
Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art)
Mar. 26, 2024
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), BODY MARKS, 2001
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) (c.1935 - 2002) BODY MARKS, 2001 synthetic polymer paint on linen 140.0 x 60.5 cm (each) 140.0 x 121.0 cm (overall) i. bears inscription verso: artist's name, date, size and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB0300 ii. bears inscription verso: artist's name, date, size and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB0304 PROVENANCE Commissioned by Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Private collection, Adelaide, acquired from the above in 2001 ESSAY Renowned for his unique interpretations of body decorations and markings used in the ceremonial activities of the Larrakia people, Prince of Wales (Midpul) drew inspiration from these traditional activities for the imagery in his contemporary paintings. Born Midpul at Kah’lin (Cullen) Beach, Darwin in 1935, Prince grew up at Belyuen (Dellisaville), a small community on the far side of Darwin Harbour. He was the son of acknowledged Larrakia leader and traditional landowner Imabul (Old King George) and known as Prince of Wales. A custodian and leader of Larrakia ceremonies and dances, a leading didgeridoo player and ceremonial body painter for much of his life, Prince started painting, initially on discarded pieces of wood and cardboard in 1995, and participated in his first exhibition the following year. ‘In taking up painting in 1995, Prince found a medium through which he could retain the essence of his active ceremonial life. His paintings have a musicality imparted by the lively staccato effect of the dots and intermittent bars, as if to read like sheet music for an improvised symphony. Prince's uninhibited use of colour belies the origins of these designs which were passed on by his ancestors as marks on the bodies of ceremonial participants.’1 Executed on a white ground, Body Marks, 2001 reinforces the ceremonial body decorations that Prince of Wales wanted to preserve in his painting. Alternate white, bronze and deep marine blue dots of the body marks are contained within an ultramarine-coloured frame that together creates a rhythmic energy within the work. These markings evoke the patterns Prince would have originally painted onto the bodies of his clansmen prior to a ceremonial dance, but here they are transferred as a permanent record for posterity. The work was painted in the final years of his life and as Perkins notes ‘In his last years, Prince ‘upped the ante’, scaling up his Body Marks paintings to assert his cultural authority as a Larrakia elder.’2 ‘These paintings... I paint them on bodies... young people and old... ceremony for singing... dance... I make the marks.’3 Prince held his first solo show in Melbourne in 1997 at Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, and in 2001, he won the painting sections of the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award. Prince delighted in the whole process of painting, creating modern minimalist art works characterised by simple geometric forms floating above a sparse ground, with dotting emphasising the forms. 1. Perkins, H., Tradition Today; Indigenous Art in Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2004, p. 166 2. Ibid. 3. The artist, cited in ‘Notes on Prince of Wales and the Gwalwa Daraniki Land Movement’, kindly provided by the late Grant Smith of Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi. CRISPIN GUTTERIDGE © Estate of Prince of Wales and Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin
Deutscher and Hackett
Jun. 20, 2023
Prince of Wales - Body Marks, 1999
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Born with the tribal name Midpul, Prince of Wales grew up with his mother’s people, the Wadgigiyn, on the Cox Peninsula across the harbour from Darwin. He spent much of his adult life living at the beach camp at Cullen Bay, now an expensive marina development. His father, Imabul, was known as King George and this, perhaps as much as the fact that Midpul danced for Queen Elizabeth during a royal trip to Australia in the 1960s, resulted in his familiar ‘English’ name. Despite suffering a stroke prior to gaining fame as an artist, Prince of Wales was the first contemporary Indigenous artist from the Larakia region to gain wide renown. He painted the traditional body designs used in Danggalaba ceremonies, a subject with specific sacred cultural content.
Cooee Art
Jun. 20, 2023
Prince of Wales - Body Marks, 1999
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Despite suffering a stroke prior to gaining fame as an artist, Prince of Wales was the first contemporary Aboriginal artist from the Larakia region to gain wide renown. He painted the traditional body designs used in Danggalaba ceremonies, a subject with specific sacred cultural content. Born with the tribal name Midpul, Prince of Wales grew up with his mother’s people, the Wadgigiyn, on the Cox Peninsula across the harbour from Darwin. He spent much of his adult life living at the beach camp at Cullen Bay, now an expensive marina development. His father, Imabul, was known as King George and this, perhaps as much as the fact that Midpul danced for Queen Elizabeth during a royal trip to Australia in the 1960s, resulted in his familiar ‘English’ name.
Cooee Art
Mar. 22, 2023
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), BODY MARKS, 2000
Est: $14,000 - $18,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) (c.1935 - 2002) BODY MARKS, 2000 synthetic polymer paint on linen 137.0 x 80.0 cm bears inscription verso: Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB0892 PROVENANCE Commissioned by Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Aboriginal Pacific Arts, Sydney Private collection, New South Wales, acquired from the above in 2000 Deutscher and Hackett, Melbourne, 29 November 2017, lot 48 Private collection, Melbourne ESSAY Renowned for his unique interpretations of body decorations and markings used in the ceremonial activities of the Larrakia people, Prince of Wales (Midpul) drew inspiration from these traditional activities for the imagery in his contemporary paintings. Born Midpul at Kah'lin (Cullen) Beach, Darwin in 1935, Prince grew up at Belyuen (Dellisaville), a small community on the far side of Darwin Harbour. He was the son of acknowledged Larrakia leader and traditional land-owner Imabul (Old King George) and known as Prince of Wales. A custodian and leader of Larrakia ceremonies and dances, a leading didgeridoo player and ceremonial body painter for much of his life, Prince started painting, initially on discarded pieces of wood and cardboard in 1995, and participated in his first exhibition the following year. 'In taking up painting in 1995, Prince found a medium through which he could retain the essence of his active ceremonial life. His paintings have a musicality imparted by the lively staccato effect of the dots and intermittent bars, as if to read like sheet music for an improvised symphony. Prince's uninhibited use of colour belies the origins of these designs which were passed on by his ancestors as marks on the bodies of ceremonial participants.'1 Executed on a white ground, Body Marks, 2000 reinforces the ceremonial body decorations that Prince of Wales wanted to preserve in his painting. Alternate white and black dots of the body marks is contained within a bronze-coloured frame that together creates an rhythmic energy within the work. These markings evoke the patterns Prince would have originally painted onto the bodies of his clansmen prior to a ceremonial dance, but here they are transferred as a permanent record for posterity. The work was painted in the final years of his life and as Perkins notes ‘In his last years, Prince ‘upped the ante’, scaling up his Body Marks paintings to assert his cultural authority as a Larrakia elder’2 'These paintings ... I paint them on bodies ... young people and old ... ceremony for singing ... dance ... I make the marks'.3 His first solo show was in Melbourne in 1997 at Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, and in 2001, he won the painting sections of the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award. Prince delighted in the whole process of painting, creating modern minimalist art works characterized by simple geometric forms floating above a sparse ground with dotting emphasizing the forms. 1. Perkins, H., Tradition Today; Indigenous Art in Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2004, p. 166 2. Ibid 3. The artist cited in notes on Prince of Wales and the Gwalwa Daraniki Land Movement, kindly provided by the late Grant Smith of Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi CRISPIN GUTTERIDGE © Estate of Prince of Wales and Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin
Deutscher and Hackett
Oct. 11, 2022
Prince of Wales - Body Marks, 1998
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Born with the tribal name Midpul, Prince of Wales grew up with his mother’s people, the Wadgigiyn, on the Cox Peninsula across the harbour from Darwin. He spent much of his adult life living at the beach camp at Cullen Bay, now an expensive marina development. His father, Imabul, was known as King George and this, perhaps as much as the fact that Midpul danced for Queen Elizabeth during a royal trip to Australia in the 1960s, resulted in his familiar ‘English’ name. Despite suffering a stroke prior to gaining fame as an artist, Prince of Wales was the first contemporary Aboriginal artist from the Larrakia region to gain wide renown. He painted the traditional body designs used in Danggalaba ceremonies, a subject with specific sacred cultural content.
Cooee Art
Aug. 23, 2022
Prince of Wales (Midpul) (circa 1937-2002) Body Marks, 1996
Est: $18,000 - $25,000
Prince of Wales (Midpul) (circa 1937-2002) Body Marks, 1996 inscribed verso: '00122' synthetic polymer paint on canvas 125.0 x 91.0cm (49 3/16 x 35 13/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Mar. 30, 2022
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), BODY MARKS, 1999
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) (c.1935 - 2002) BODY MARKS, 1999 synthetic polymer paint on linen 123.0 x 86.0 cm bears inscription verso: artist's name, title, date, size and Karen Brown Gallery cat. EP16/99 PROVENANCE Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Private Collection Sotheby's, Melbourne, 24 July 2007, lot 166 Private collection, Melbourne ESSAY 'These paintings ... I paint them on bodies ... young people and old ... ceremony for singing ... dance ... I make the marks'.1 In Larrakia culture the traditional land owners and leaders of ceremonies and dances are referred to as 'King'. In around 1935, Prince of Wales was born Midpul to Larrakia leader King George, at Cullen or Kahlin Beach, which at the time was the untouched bay of Darwin. Both parents passed away when Midpul was very young and he was raised by his mother's family to become a Law and Song Man. His ceremonial skills were legendary, and he led many public corroborees for international visitors. As lead dancer for his people, he led the ceremonial dance for Queen Elizabeth II on her Commonwealth visit to the Northern Territory during the 1970s and accordingly, he was forever after known as Prince of Wales. When he suffered an untimely stroke, his ceremonial responsibilities were curtailed and he took up painting on canvas as a way to ensure that the ceremonial body decorations of his dance and song endured. In 2001, his standing as a Larrakia painter was recognised when he won the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in the Open Painting Category. Painted on a black ground, Body Marks, 1999 reinforces the ceremonial body decorations that Prince of Wales wanted to preserve in his painting. The alternate-coloured dotting of the body marks in this particular example is contained within a border of bright white, framing the pattern of red, yellow and white dots together to create an intense energy within the work. These are the markings Prince would have originally painted onto the bodies of his clansmen prior to a ceremonial dance but here they are transferred as a permanent record for posterity. The work was painted just over a year after his landmark solo exhibition of 1997 at Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi in Melbourne. 1. Midpul, Prince of Wales in ‘Notes on Prince of Wales and the Gwalwa Daraniki Land Movement’, kindly provided by Grant Smith at Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, 1997. CRISPIN GUTTERIDGE © Estate of Prince of Wales and Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 17, 2021
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), BODY MARKS, 1998
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) (c.1935 – 2002) BODY MARKS, 1998 synthetic polymer paint on linen 152.0 x 91.5 cm bears inscription verso: artist's name, title, date and cat. 00206 PROVENANCE Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Galerie Exler, Frankfurt, Germany Private collection, Hesse, Germany Van Ham Kunstauktionen, Cologne, Germany, 17 June 2020, lot 787 Private collection, United Kingdom ESSAY Renowned for his unique interpretations of body decorations and markings used in the ceremonial activities of the Larrakia people, Prince of Wales (Midpul) drew inspiration from these traditional activities for the imagery in his contemporary paintings. Born Midpul at Kah'lin (Cullen) Beach, Darwin in 1935, Prince grew up at Belyuen (Dellisaville), a small community on the far side of Darwin Harbour. He was the son of acknowledged Larrakia leader and traditional land owner Imabul (Old King George) and was also known as Prince of Wales – a title that was re-enforced when he danced for Queen Elizabeth during a royal trip to Australia in the 1960s. A custodian and leader of Larrakia ceremonies and dances, a leading didgeridoo player and ceremonial body painter for much of his life, Prince started painting in 1995, initially on discarded pieces of wood and cardboard, and participated in his first exhibition the following year 'In taking up painting, Prince found a medium through which he could retain the essence of his active ceremonial life. His paintings have a musicality imparted by the lively staccato effect of the dots and intermittent bars, as if to read like sheet music for an improvised symphony. Prince's uninhibited use of colour belies the origins of these designs which were passed on by his ancestors as marks on the bodies of ceremonial participants.' Painted on an ochre ground, Body Marks, 1998 reinforces the ceremonial body decorations that Prince of Wales wanted to preserve in his painting. The alternate-coloured dotting of black, white, yellow and brown dots combines together to create an intense energy. These markings evoke the patterns Prince would have originally painted onto the bodies of his clansmen prior to a ceremonial dance, but here they are transferred as a permanent record for posterity. His first solo show was in Melbourne in 1997 at Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, and in 2001, he won the painting section at the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in Darwin. 1. Perkins, H., Tradition Today; Indigenous Art in Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2004, p. 166 CRISPIN GUTTERIDGE © Estate of Prince of Wales and Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin
Deutscher and Hackett
Feb. 24, 2021
PRINCE OF WALES (1938-2002, Larrakia Language Group) Body Marks 2002 synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
PRINCE OF WALES (1938-2002, Larrakia Language Group) Body Marks 2002 synthetic polymer paint on linen inscribed verso with title, date and Karen Brown Gallery cat. no. 0887 80 x 50cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin, Northern Territory The Collection of Gene and Brian Sherman, Sydney Deutscher and Hackett, Melbourne, 13 June 2018, lot 26 Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Dec. 01, 2020
PRINCE OF WALES (1938-2002) Body Marks 2002 synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $4,500 - $5,500
PRINCE OF WALES (1938-2002) Body Marks 2002 synthetic polymer paint on linen inscribed verso with title, date and Karen Brown Gallery cat. no. 0887 80 x 50cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin The Collection of Gene and Brian Sherman, Sydney Deutscher and Hackett, Melbourne, 13 June 2018, lot 26 Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Nov. 25, 2020
Prince of Wales (Midpul) (circa 1937-2002) Body Marks, 1999
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Prince of Wales (Midpul) (circa 1937-2002) Body Marks, 1999 inscribed verso: 'Prince of Wales / 'Body Marks' / July-August 1999 / #EP3 / 99 / 86 x 69cm / / Karen Brown Gallery / NT House / 1-22 Mitchell St / DARWIN NT / Tel: 08 89819985' synthetic polymer paint on linen 85.5 x 67.0cm (33 11/16 x 26 3/8in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Nov. 25, 2020
Prince of Wales (Midpul) (circa 1937-2002) Body Marks, 1999
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Prince of Wales (Midpul) (circa 1937-2002) Body Marks, 1999 inscribed verso: 'Prince of Wales / 'Body Marks' / July-August 1999 / Acrylic on linen 94 x 69cm / #EP4 / 99 / KAREN BROWN / GALLERY / Tel: 08 8981 9985' synthetic polymer paint on linen 94.4 x 67.0cm (37 3/16 x 26 3/8in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Jun. 23, 2020
Prince of Wales - Body Marks
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Born with the tribal name Midpul, Prince of Wales grew up with his motherâs people, the Wadgigiyn, on the Cox Peninsula across the harbour from Darwin. He spent much of his adult life living at the beach camp at Cullen Bay, now an expensive marina development. His father, Imabul, was known as King George and this, perhaps as much as the fact that Midpul danced for Queen Elizabeth during a royal trip to Australia in the 1960s, resulted in his familiar âEnglishâ name. Despite suffering a stroke prior to gaining fame as an artist, Prince of Wales was the first contemporary Aboriginal artist from the Larakia region to gain wide renown. He painted the traditional body designs used in Danggalaba ceremonies, a subject with specific sacred cultural content.
Cooee Art
Jun. 17, 2020
Prince of Wales | "Body Marks"
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
OF WALES, PRINCE ('Prince of Wales') 1935 Kah'lin (Cullen) Beach, Darwin - 2003 Title: "Body Marks". Date: 1998. Technique: Öl auf Leinwand. Measurement: 152 x 91,5cm. Notation: Signiert, betitelt und datiert verso: Prince of Wales Body Marks 1998. Hier zudem mit Richtungspfeil versehen. Provenienz: Galerie Exler, Frankfurt; Privatsammlung Hessen.
Van Ham Kunstauktionen
Mar. 18, 2020
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 – 2002), BODY MARKS, 2001, synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) (c.1935 – 2002) BODY MARKS, 2001 synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: bears inscription verso with artist's name, title, date, size and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB0511 DIMENSIONS: 120.0 x 91.0 cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Private collection, Darwin ESSAY: “In taking up painting in 1995, Prince found a medium through which he could retain the essence of his active ceremonial life. His paintings have a musicality imparted by the lively staccato-effect of dots and intermittent bars, as if to be read like the sheet music for an improvised symphony. Prince’s uninhibited use of colour belies the origins of these designs, which were passed on by his ancestors as marks on the bodies of ceremonial participants. His early works were painted on scraps of cardboard and other found materials, their compact size emulating the proportions of the body. In his last years, Prince ‘upped the ante’, scaling up his Body Marks paintings to assert his cultural authority as a Larrakia elder, as embodied in his statement, ‘… I make the marks.’” Perkins, H. and Pinchbeck, C., Tradition today: Indigenous art in Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2014, (revised edition)
Deutscher and Hackett
Jul. 30, 2018
PRINCE OF WALES (1935-2002) Body Marks 2002 acrylic on canvas
Est: $3,200 - $5,000
PRINCE OF WALES (1935-2002) Body Marks 2002 acrylic on canvas inscribed verso with Karen Brown Gallery cat. no. KB0673 92 x 31 cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin (accompained by certificate of authenticity) Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Jun. 13, 2018
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) , (c.1935 - 2002) , BODY MARKS (KB 1180), 2002 , synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) , (c.1935 - 2002) , BODY MARKS (KB 1180), 2002 , synthetic polymer paint on canvas SIGNED: bears inscription verso: artist's name, date and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB1180 DIMENSIONS: 91.0 x 76.0 cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Gene and Brian Sherman collection, Sydney ESSAY: Prince of Wales (Midpul) lived and worked in Darwin language group: Larrakia SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 2015 No Boundaries: Aboriginal Australian Contemporary Abstract Painting, Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada , USA; Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland, USA, Pérez Art Museum, Miami, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit, USA; Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, New York, USA 2003 Emerge, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin 2001 Winner, 18th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin 1997 Prince of Wales: Body Marks, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne SELECTED COLLECTIONS Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin National Gallery of Australia, Canberra National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Wollongong Art Gallery, New South Wales
Deutscher and Hackett
Jun. 13, 2018
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) , (c.1935 - 2002) , BODY MARKS (KB 0886), 2002 , synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) , (c.1935 - 2002) , BODY MARKS (KB 0886), 2002 , synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: bears inscription verso: artist's name, date, title, size and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB0886 DIMENSIONS: 80.0 x 50.0 cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Gene and Brian Sherman collection, Sydney
Deutscher and Hackett
Jun. 13, 2018
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) , (c.1935 - 2002) , BODY MARKS (KB 0887), 2002 , synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) , (c.1935 - 2002) , BODY MARKS (KB 0887), 2002 , synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: bears inscription verso: date, title, size and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB0087 DIMENSIONS: 80.0 x 50.0 cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Gene and Brian Sherman collection, Sydney
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 14, 2018
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) CIRCA 1935- 2002 | Body Marks
Est: £40,000 - £50,000
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Sotheby's
Mar. 14, 2018
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) CIRCA 1935- 2002 | Untitled (Body Marks)
Est: £12,000 - £18,000
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Sotheby's
Nov. 29, 2017
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 – 2002), BODY MARKS, 2000, synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 – 2002), BODY MARKS, 2000, synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: bears inscription verso: Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB0892 DIMENSIONS: 137.0 x 80.0 cm PROVENANCE: Commissioned by Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Aboriginal Pacific Arts, Sydney Private collection, New South Wales, acquired from the above in 2000
Deutscher and Hackett
Sep. 20, 2017
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 2002), BODY MARKS, 2002, synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 2002), BODY MARKS, 2002, synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: bears inscription verso: artists name, date, title, size and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KBD901 DIMENSIONS: 137.0 x 80.0 cm PROVENANCE: Commissioned by Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Aboriginal Pacific Arts, Sydney Private collection, New South Wales, acquired from the above in 2002
Deutscher and Hackett
May. 25, 2016
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 2002), BODY MARKS, 2002, synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 2002), BODY MARKS, 2002, synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: bears inscription verso: artists name and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB0905 DIMENSIONS: 203.0 x 120.0 cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Gene and Brian Sherman collection, Sydney ESSAY: Renowned for his unique interpretations of body decorations and markings used in the ceremonial activities of the Larrakia people, Prince of Wales (Midpul) drew inspiration from these traditional activities for the imagery in his contemporary paintings. Born Midpul at Kah'lin (Cullen) Beach, Darwin in 1935, Prince grew up at Belyuen (Dellisaville), a small community on the far side of Darwin Harbour. He was the son of acknowledged Larrakia leader and traditional land owner Imabul (Old King George) and was also known as Prince of Wales a title that was re-enforced when he danced for Queen Elizabeth during a royal trip to Australia in the 1960s. A custodian and leader of Larrakia ceremonies and dances, a leading didgeridoo player and ceremonial body painter for much of his life, Prince started painting in 1995, initially on discarded pieces of wood and cardboard, and participated in his first exhibition the following year. 'In taking up painting in 1995, Prince found a medium through which he could retain the essence of his active ceremonial life. His paintings have a musicality imparted by the lively staccato-effect of the dots and intermittent bars, as if to read like sheet music for an improvised symphony. Prince's uninhibited use of colour belies the origins of these designs which were passed on by his ancestors as marks on the bodies of ceremonial participants.'1 Monumental in size and executed on a red ground, Body Marks, 2002 reinforces the ceremonial body decorations that Prince of Wales wanted to preserve in his painting. The alternate coloured dotting of the body marks is contained within a border of bright white, framing the pattern of deep red and black dots together to create an intense energy within the work. These markings evoke the patterns Prince would have originally painted onto the bodies of his clansmen prior to a ceremonial dance, but here they are transferred as a permanent record for posterity. The work was painted in the final year of his life and as Perkins notes In his last years, Prince upped the ante, scaling up his Body Marks paintings to assert his cultural authority as a Larrakia elder2 'These paintings ... I paint them on bodies ... young people and old ... ceremony for singing ... dance ... I make the marks'.3 His first solo show was in Melbourne in 1997 at Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, and in 2001, he won the painting sections of the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award. Prince delighted in the whole process of painting, creating modern minimalist art works characterized by simple geometric forms floating above a sparse ground with dotting emphasizing the forms. 1. Perkins, H., Tradition Today; Indigenous Art in Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2004, p. 166 2. Ibid 3. The artist cited in notes on Prince of Wales and the Gwalwa Daraniki Land Movement, kindly provided by Grant Smith, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi CRISPIN GUTTERIDGE
Deutscher and Hackett
Dec. 02, 2015
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), c.1935 – 2002, BODY MARKS, 2002, synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), c.1935 – 2002, BODY MARKS, 2002, synthetic polymer paint on canvas SIGNED: inscribed verso: artist’s name, title, date, size, Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB1118 DIMENSIONS: 92.0 x 77.0 cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Private collection, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Aug. 26, 2015
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 - 2002), BODY MARKS, 2002, synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 - 2002), BODY MARKS, 2002, synthetic polymer paint on canvas SIGNED: bears inscription verso: artist’s name, date, size and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB1127 DIMENSIONS: 168.5 x 118.0 cm EXHIBITED: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin, 2002 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, 2002 PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin (label attached verso) Gene and Brian Sherman collection, Sydney, acquired from the above in 2002
Deutscher and Hackett
Aug. 26, 2015
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 - 2002), BODY MARKS, 1996, synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c.1935 - 2002), BODY MARKS, 1996, synthetic polymer paint on canvas SIGNED: bears inscription verso: artist’s name, date and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB1181 and code numbers 0118 and 0119 DIMENSIONS: 103.0 x 127.0 cm EXHIBITED: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin, 2002 PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Gene and Brian Sherman collection, Sydney, acquired from the above in 2002
Deutscher and Hackett
May. 06, 2015
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c1935 – 2002), BODY MARKS, 1997, synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c1935 – 2002), BODY MARKS, 1997, synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: inscribed verso: artist's name, title and date DIMENSIONS: 122.0 x 92.0 cm PROVENANCE: Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi (label attached verso) Private collection, United Sates of America
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 08, 2015
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c1935 - 2002), BODY MARKS, 2000, synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c1935 - 2002), BODY MARKS, 2000, synthetic polymer paint on canvas SIGNED: inscribed verso: artist's name, date, title, medium, size and Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB0349 DIMENSIONS: 120.0 x 91.0 cm EXHIBITED: Paintings from Remote Communities: Indigenous Australian Art from the Laverty Collection, Sydney, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand, 15 December 2007 - 24 February 2008; Newcastle Art Gallery, New South Wales, 5 July - 31 August 2008 (illus. back cover of exhibition catalogue) LITERATURE: Beyond Sacred: Recent Painting from Australia's Remote Aboriginal Communities: The Collection of Colin and Elizabeth Laverty, Hardie Grant Books, Melbourne, 2008, p. 255 (illus.) Beyond Sacred: Australian Aboriginal Art: The Collection of Colin and Elizabeth Laverty, edition II, Kleimeyer Industries Pty Ltd, Melbourne, 2011, p. 284 (illus.) PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin The Collection of Colin and Elizabeth Laverty, Sydney, purchased in September 2001
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 08, 2015
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c1935 - 2002), BODY MARKS, 2002, synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $3,000 - $4,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), (c1935 - 2002), BODY MARKS, 2002, synthetic polymer paint on linen SIGNED: inscribed verso: Karen Brown Gallery cat. KB0884 and KB0531 DIMENSIONS: 45.5 x 36.0 cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin The Collection of Colin and Elizabeth Laverty, Sydney
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 26, 2014
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), c1935 - 2002, BODY MARKS, synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL), c1935 - 2002, BODY MARKS, synthetic polymer paint on canvas SIGNED: inscribed verso: cat 00101 DIMENSIONS: 61.0 x 51.0 cm PROVENANCE: Shades of Ochre, Darwin (stamped verso) Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 26, 2014
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) c1935 - 2002, BODY MARKS, 1999, synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Est: $18,000 - $25,000
PRINCE OF WALES (MIDPUL) c1935 - 2002, BODY MARKS, 1999, synthetic polymer paint on canvas SIGNED: inscribed verso: Karen Brown Gallery cat. EP17 DIMENSIONS: 126.0 x 105.0 cm PROVENANCE: Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Private collection, Sydney Annette Larkin Fine Art, Sydney Private collection, Sydney, acquired from the above September 2009
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 24, 2013
Prince of Wales (Midpul) (circa 1937-2002)
Est: £40,000 - £60,000
Body Marks, 2000 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 187 x 146cm (73 5/8 x 57 1/2in).
Bonhams
Mar. 24, 2013
Prince of Wales (Midpul) (circa 1937-2002)
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
Body Marks, 1999 bears artist's name, title, date 'July 1999', dimensions, medium, catalogue number #EP99 and Karen Brown Gallery details on the reverse synthetic polymer paint on canvas 67 x 67cm (26 3/8 x 26 3/8in).
Bonhams
Mar. 24, 2013
Prince of Wales (Midpul) (circa 1937-2002)
Est: £12,000 - £18,000
Body Marks, 1999 bears artist's name, title, medium, dimensions, catalogue number #EP 26/99 and Karen Brown Gallery details on the reverse synthetic polymer paint on canvas 133 x 97cm (52 3/8 x 38 3/16in).
Bonhams
Oct. 15, 2012
Prince of Wales (Midpul) circa 1937-2002 BODY MARKS (2002) synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $22,000 - $28,000
Prince of Wales (Midpul) circa 1937-2002 BODY MARKS (2002) synthetic polymer paint on linen 137 X 81.5CM PROVENANCE Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin (stock KB0535) Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne Private Collection, United States of America Aboriginal Art, Sotheby's Australia, Melbourne, 25 July 2005, lot 175, illustrated Private Collection, South Australia PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Smith & Singer
Sep. 09, 2012
Prince of Wales Body Marks, 2000 synthetic polymer
Est: $12,000 - $15,000
Prince of Wales Body Marks, 2000 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 120 x 78 cm
Mossgreen Auctions
Sep. 09, 2012
Prince of Wales Body Marks, 1999 synthetic polymer
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Prince of Wales Body Marks, 1999 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 60 x 60 cm
Mossgreen Auctions
Jun. 05, 2012
Prince of Wales (Midpul) circa 1937-2002 BODY MARKS (2001) synthetic polymer paint on linen
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
Prince of Wales (Midpul) circa 1937-2002 BODY MARKS (2001) synthetic polymer paint on linen 161.5 X 125CM PROVENANCE Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin Private Collection, Melbourne Aboriginal Art; Including the Wallent Collection of Hermannsburg Watercolours, Sotheby's Australia, Melbourne, 31 October 2006, lot 46, illustrated Private Collection, New South Wales This painting is sold with a Karen Brown Gallery certificate. The subjects of Prince of Wales' entire oeuvre are the designs painted onto participants' bodies in the ceremonies of the Larrakia people of the Darwin area. The Larrakia describe themselves as saltwater people with a strong connection to the sea. The artist seems to combine both concepts in this work; the tactile nature of the traditional markings of dots and rectangles contrast with the deep translucent blues of the ground of the painting suggestive of deep water. The artist won the Open Painting section of the 18th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in Darwin in 2001. Wally Caruana PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, NEW SOUTH WALES
Smith & Singer
May. 28, 2012
Prince of Wales (Midpul) (circa 1937-2002)
Est: -
Untitled; Untitled synthetic polymer paint on canvas 46 x 35.5cm each
Bonhams
May. 25, 2004
[ Aboriginal Fine Art ] PRINCE OF WALES (1935 - 2002) - Body Marks circa 1994
Est: $2,500 - $3,000
[ Aboriginal Fine Art ] PRINCE OF WALES (1935 - 2002) - Body Marks circa 1994
Lawsons
May. 25, 2004
[ Aboriginal Fine Art ] PRINCE OF WALES (1935 - 2002) - Wadjinginy Ceremonial Body Designs (diptych) 2002
Est: $10,000 - $12,000
[ Aboriginal Fine Art ] PRINCE OF WALES (1935 - 2002) - Wadjinginy Ceremonial Body Designs (diptych) 2002
Lawsons