Mirroring Whyte’s and its own Irish sale back in April, de Veres’ top performer on May 21 was another work by William Scott.
Still life with 8 Forms (1970), a large 4ft x 6ft 6in (1.22 x 1.98m) oil on canvas, dated to the same period as the Scott at Whyte’s, but instead of blue and white it was painted in a (less commercial) palette of orange, black and white. Privately consigned, it drew two interested parties but failed to drum up any serious competition and was knocked down below bottom estimate at €195,000 (£169,600) to a private buyer from Dublin.
A Scott artist’s proof, Black Pan and Jug (1970), pitched at a more modest €5000- 7000, drew decent bidding though and sold for €9500 (£8260). Prints by well-known Mod Brit artists are seen as a relatively affordable alternative to an expensive original work and have become increasingly popular over the last decade.