Art Market Report: Webb's Works of Art, March 2026
At Webb’s Works of Art auction in Auckland, a strong result from the Ohinetahi collection helped deliver a solid overall sale result. Highlights included a Bill Hammond painting selling for $440,000, two Ralph Hotere works reaching $120,000 and $170,000. Pauline Yearbury and Shane Cotton performed well, while some artists like Pat Hanly and Louise Henderson showed softer demand. The auction cleared 62% by lot, achieving a total of $2,238,325 including buyer’s premium.
The first lots in the sale were allocated to sure-fire winner, Pauline Yearbury, whose incised and painted wooden panels depicting scenes from Maori mythology have been one of the saleroom success stories over the last few years, rising from relative obscurity to become a sought-after artist. Hine Ngahuru – Autumn Girl with Child (Lot 1 ) did its job, providing a great start to the sale, selling for $9,000 to the internet. The low estimate was $5,000. The second panel Haumia – Tiketike (Lot 2 ), a male subject aren’t quite so desirable, it was sold subject at $4,000 and transacted at that post sale.
Of the four paintings by Shane Cotton on offer in the sale, three were sold which is a good result for an artist who can struggle on the secondary market. Untitled (Lot 9 ) provided a small windfall for the vendor who had just purchased the work in 2024 for $10,000. This time it was bid to $18,000.
Another painting on the auction house rotation was one of the headline works by Colin McCahon, Floodgate I (Lot 18 ) which had a lovely chain of provenance from the artist’s wife to Peter McLeavy (the singularly important Wellington gallerist), through to artist Rosalie Gascgoine, before being offered in Australia at Deutscher & Hackett in 2023. Despite never living in Australia, there are many McCahon paintings held in private collections there, mainly due to the efforts of expatriate gallerist Martin Browne who sold numerous works in the 1990s and 2000s from his Sydney gallery. In 2023, the painting sold below the estimate at $130,000 AUD and popping up here at Webb’s it carried an estimate of $240,000-$280,000. The painting was bid online and via phone to $210,000 and was hammered subject at that.
Peter McLeavy, the pioneering dealer referred to above, was instrumental in representing major artists, putting together collections of note and handling important works over his distinguished career. One artist he had a long-standing relationship with was Bill Hammond, and a painting exhibited in his gallery in 2011, elicited much interest at the auction. As Hammond’s go, it was a very saleable one, with lots of anthropomorphic birds, pretty urns and a cool colour palette. Wishbone Ash Stash 2, Cornwall Road (Lot 58 ) carried a presale estimate of $360,000 - $500,000 and a bid online at $290,000 got it started. A couple of room bidders competed against the online bidders to raise the price to $380,000 before yet another new room bidder jumped in. The hammer finally came down at $440,000 and it was encouraging to see multiple parties competing for a work at this price point.
Significant levels of engagement were also seen on two very similar paintings by Ralph Hotere. One may question the wisdom of putting two almost identical works side by side in the same sale, but in this instance the concept worked, with Requiem (Lot 48 ) belonging to Ohinetahi selling for its high estimate of $120,000. The second painting Kyrie Eleison Requiem (Lot 49 ) did even better. The more visable paint striations and central text possibly had more appeal, as it sold for $170,000 after numerous online bidders pushed the painting above top estimate.
From the collection at Ohinetahi, most of the works found homes, and it would be interesting to know how many returned to Christchurch as that section of the sale was well supported by phone and internet bidders. Three paintings by Pat Hanly didn’t sell on the night, although Fire This Time (Lot 24 ) and Summer Land (Lot 25 ) were both transacted post sale for $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. The more challenging painting Protective Helmet (Lot 26 ) which also graced the catalogue cover went unsold without a bid.
A signature work by conceptual artist Julian Dashper Untitled (Lot 23 ) topped the prices for this series – the vinyl on drumskin works are some of the most recognizable by the artist. It reached $26,500 from an $18,000 reserve. A very small but desirable Paul Dibble sculpture Standing Figure (Lot 28 ) sold for a huge price, after an auction room tussle between room bidders. It sold for $44,000.
This being the third auction in the cycle of major sales in Auckland, it is interesting to look at some of the trends emerging across the market. The hesitancy in the Pardington market was obvious in this sale too with two of the three works offered selling, just on low estimate or under. Louise Henderson was another artist who had huge growth during the Covid years buoyed by the general enthusiasm for women artists at that time, but this has since subsided. A large abstract painting Cloud over harbour (Lot 20 ) was passed with no bid and Untitled Abstract (Lot 72 ), sold under estimate at $6,000, a price which is comparable with pre-Covid levels.
As the middle east conflict drags on and its potential impacts on the economy are as yet uncertain, Webb’s had a very good sale. Although the bidding was slow in parts, I had lots of prices written down then crossed out again when someone decided to bid at the last minute, the auction returned a great result and the Webb’s team were able to make quick work of the post sales, with a lot more sales transacted the following day. The sale total was $2,238,325 incl BP and the clearance rate was 62% by lot.
Article originally provided for www.aasd.com.au - reproduced here with thanks