’Mr Melbourne’ art collection goes under the hammer
Artworks from the multi-million dollar collection of the late Ron Walker, nicknamed Mr Melbourne, are going under the hammer.
The collection “represents one of the most significant and focused private collections of Australian art assembled in the last fifty years,” according to Geoffrey Smith from auctioneers Smith and Singer.
Three of the most valuable works for sale are by Brett Whiteley, with Not I – Me 1967, and Reclining Nude (1978) each expected to fetch more than a million dollars.
Whiteley’s Her (1967) could fetch up to $2.4 million, according to the auction house, with the 20 lots in total estimated to fetch up to $7.9 million.
Other artworks for sale are by the likes of Charles Blackman, Sidney Nolan, John Olsen, Clifton Pugh and Albert Tucker.
A “shimmering and brilliant” impressionist work by one of Australia’s most prominent landscape painters, Elioth Gruner, is also for sale, titled Spring Morning, Middle Harbour 1913.
It’s a masterpiece of Australian Impressionism and full of the artist’s characteristic quiet poetry, according to Smith.
The idyllic scene is from an era before Formula One racing: Walker was instrumental in winning the rights to the Australian Grand Prix for Melbourne, with the first race held in 1996.
Walker also developed Crown Casino in the city after co-founding Hudson Conway property group in 1976.
A former Lord Mayor of Melbourne and long time national treasurer of the Liberal Party, Walker died of cancer in 2018.
The auction will be held at Smith and https://zetcasino.one Singer in Melbourne at 6.30pm on Wednesday.
