ALBERT NAMATJIRA

Albert Namatjira is one of Australia’s most enduring artists and was the first Aborginal painter to be recognised internationally. He began painting in the early 1930s, and while the average price paid for his works rose steadily subsequent to his death in 1959 the record price for one of his paintings was still just $5,500 at the begining of the 1980s. In 1986 however, Christies sold Large Ghost Gum, estimated at $5000-7000, for what was at that time, a staggering $15,000. During the next two years,1987/1988, all works offered at auction were sold and Sotheby’s set an auction record of $37,400 with White Gums, Central Australia. This lasted just four months before being pipped by a painting titled Central Australian Ranges, which sold for $38,000. By 1986 Namatjira’s average had already leaped to around $15,000 and increased by a further 22% just two years later in 1988 when the average price paid at auction for the 15 works sold was $20,567. While results were similar in 1989, from that point onward interest in his work went into a steep decline. This was due, in part, to the overall collapse IN the Australian art market. Few of his paintings appeared at auction during the following seven years and by 1998 the average price of the ten paintings sold that year was just under to $18,000. Nevertheless, at the dawn of the secondary market for Aboriginal art in 1994, the year Sotheby’s held their first specialist sale, works by Albert Namatjira held 43 of the highest 50 results ever achieved for Aboriginal paintings. They occupied all of the highest ten results other than the record-setting work credited to Tommy McRae. By the following year, his highest-priced work had dropped to seventh on the all-time list and only 22 remained amongst the top 50. A year later only six remained.

By 2002, the year of the important exhibition Seeing the Centre: The Art of Albert Namatjira 1902-1959, curated by Alison French for the National Gallery of Australia, not a single work by Namatjira remained amongst the highest 50 prices achieved for Aboriginal artworks. However, this exhibition provoked a re-evaluation of his work and re-invigorated interest in his paintings. Between 2003 and 2006 prices steadily increased from the nadir in the late 1990s to an average price close to $25,500. In November 2005 Christies achieved a record of $50,190 for Neey-Too-gulpa, (Lot 26). Measuring 35.5 x 46.5 cm, it had been estimated at $35,000-45,000. In Deutscher-Menzies final sale of that year, another work of similar size sold for $48,000 (Lot 25). In fact, all of the artist’s top ten results have been achieved since 2003 with over 50 sales recorded as having exceeded $30,000.

It is difficult to trace all of the works offered in order to detect which works failed to sell and were subsequently successful at auction. The duplication of titles, the lack of dates on most of his works, and inconsistencies in measurements are far too confusing. However, investors should note that of the top 50 results achieved for this artist, the vast majority have sold for between 5% and 20% above their high estimates. Even when looking at works in the lower price range, valuations by auction houses have continually underestimated the level of interest and the amount collectors were prepared to pay. The prejudice against Namatjira amongst some appraisers during the first decade of the 21st century was ‘out of kilter’ with the public's enchantment with his works. This prejudice did not continue post-2005.

In 2006 when Sotheby’s sold Ghost Gum, 36 x 24.5 cm for $58,800 (Lot 35), and Mt Heuglin, 35 x 35 cm for $52,800 (Lot 16). Both sold well above their high estimates. Then, in October, at their Aboriginal fine art sale which featured important works from the Wallent Collection, Sotheby’s achieved a new high water mark for the artist. A rare depiction of the early Hermannsburg mission, Hermannsburg Mission with Mt Hermannsburg in Background 1936 or 1937, estimated at $40,000-60,000 sold for $96,000 smashing the previous record by more than $30,000 (Lot 23). In 2008, despite the gloomy art market overall, another undated but beautiful image called simply Ghost Gum sold for the artist's second highest record (prior to 2016) of $66,000 at the Sotheby’s October sale (Lot 168). Again in 2009 an impressive result for Ghost Gums, Central Australia saw the vendor realise $61,200, the artist's current sixth record. Since the beginning of 2010, Namatjira's success rate at auction has been higher than that of any other individual artist. It has consistently oscillated between 70 and 93%. The artist's highest price ever was set in 2016 when an iconic image of the early Hermannsburg mission sold for $122,000. Another very lovely image of Ormiston Gorge sold in the same auction for $85,400.

Albert Namatjira was the 3rd most successful artist of the year in 2009 and 2nd most successful in every year subsequently other than 2014 when he finished on top of the list. In 2018, 25 of 27 works found buyers with one painting entering is top 10 results having sold for $63,250. In 2019, 24 sold of 28 offered and a work sold for $73,200, displacing others to become his 5th highest result.

These results, and the affection in which Albert Namatjira is held in the national psyche, should ensure that prices for his most successful works will continue to steadily increase over time despite any changes in taste and fashion.

© Adrian Newstead