The Dublin-based auction house deVeres is holding an online sale on Tuesday 18 May. The auction will see nearly 400 of fine art, furniture and decorative art pieces going under the hammer. A true cross-section of art and design, the sale features unique pieces from the eighteenth century until today. DeVeres is offering furniture and design objects ranging from classic twentieth-century makers, like Le Corbusier, to period Irish Georgian and Victorian furniture. The sale also features contemporary fine art from the likes of Mark Francis and Kenneth Webb. Read on to discover some of the star lots from this upcoming sale.
One of the finest pieces in the auction, this beautiful piece was created in 1928 by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand and exhibited a year later at the 1929 Paris Salon d’Automne. The LC4 was designed for relaxation, and exemplifies a perfect balance between form and function, beauty and comfort. The seat is adjustable and can be arranged from an upright position to nearly horizontal.
Collectors will recognise Le Corbusier as one of the twentieth century’s most influential designers. He was known for a remarkable understanding of space, giving his works harmonious and simple beauty. In 1964, the Italian furniture maker Cassina signed the first exclusive licensing agreement for Le Corbusier’s design, and started producing the LC3 shortly after.
This Rover Chair is certain to add flair to your sitting room. Israeli-born Ron Arad was educated at the prestigious Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. Following his studies, he moved to London in 1973 and became an accomplished architect. One day, in 1981, after discovering a Rover car seat in a local scrapyard, Arad left his job as an architect. He transformed the leather seat into the base of the Rover Chair. This chair became Arad’s first iconic product and is now in MoMA’s collection. In an interview, Arad said the following about his design: "I picked up this Rover seat and I made myself a frame and this piece sucked me into this world of design. If someone had told me a week before that I was going to be a furniture designer, I would think they were crazy."
Michael Butler was a master cabinet-maker who was active between 1885 and 1903. Coming from a family of Dublin cabinetmakers, his firm specialised in reproducing high-quality Irish eighteenth-century mahogany furniture. In 1903, Butler received a prestigious commission to furnish the Viceregal Lodge in preparation for a state visit. His other esteemed patrons included Earl of Abercorn, the Earl and Countess of Coventry, the Countess of Clonmel and the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, who bought furniture for Clarence House. These ten chairs would make a fine addition for any formal dining room.
Contemporary Northern Irish artist Mark Francis is best known for his paintings that subtly reflect biological and cellular forms. His work often refers to an internal environment and biology. In our current digital age, Francis is interested in the impact of scientific and technological advances on the way in which we perceive the world around us.
Donald Teskey is a contemporary Irish landscape painter noted for his large-scale landscapes, many of which offer powerful images of the western seaboard. Since 1992, he has crafted a notable body of work as a painter of the urban landscape and of the rugged Irish seaside. This work enacts the drama of waves crashing onto the shore. The artist captures a powerful moment, one in which the elemental powers of earth and water are pitted against each other.
DeVeres’ ‘Design of Our Times’ sale will take place on Tuesday 18 May. The catalogue is now available for viewing online.