Napoleon's Final Days

A+O's June 29 auction of Napoleonic material is generating international interest. The collection of works by Denzil Ibbetson (1785 - 1857) features many images of Napoleon and life on the island of St. Helena but perhaps the single most important item is Denzil Ibbetson's diary which commences on August 3, 1815, just a few days before Napoleon and his entourage sailed from Torbay in England.

Pictured here are a few pages from the diary which details amongst many anecdotes and first hand observations of the deposed Emperor a conversation in which Napoleon discussed invading England. The entry on August 7 reads... 'Napoleon talked of invading England with 200 000 infantry & 6000 cavalry but was uncertain of the disposition of the people of England, whether they would be for or against, as he had been induced to believe at the time a great many would join him.'

A complete transcript of the diary is being prepared and will be available by June 4.

Noelle McCarthy Interviews Napoleonic Society President David Markham on Radio NZ

If you're interested in the Napoleonic collection coming up you can listen to Noelle McCarthy's interview of David Markham, President of the Napoleonic Society here:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/search?mode=results&queries_all_query=Napoleon

June 29th - Naopleon's Final Days...

Earlier this year ART+OBJECT conducted an antique's roadshow in Rotorua. Such events are relatively commonplace, yet what this roadshow unearthed was anything but common. No one in the industry would dispute that the central North Island has been a fertile area for discovering previously hidden treaures, but to come across an entire collection of Naopleonic material belonging to one family, with impeccable provenace, was a wonderful surprise. Handed down through descendants of Denzil Ibbetson, a talented artist and chief commissary officer on the Atlantic island of St Helena, the collection comprises of 39 lots which has, until now, stayed in the family. The catalogue will be out soon and more details will follow. This morning the NZ Herald ran an article which you can read here:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10647694

NZ AIDS FOUNDATION CHARITY AUCTION - JULY 8

HIV is a cause that doesn’t often hold its hand out in a public way, yet it is a major issue facing all of us. The number of people in New Zealand living with HIV is higher than ever before and this number is increasing every year.

To raise funds for essential HIV prevention initiatives for the people most at risk of HIV, the New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF) in conjunction with ART+OBJECT will be hosting a charity art auction, For the Love of Art, to take place on Thursday 8 July at 3 Vernon Street (beside the Drake Pub), Freeman's Bay.

Many of New Zealand’s most respected and accomplished artists such as Michael Parekowhai and Shane Cotton are participating. Peter Stichbury has donated a piece of work from his personal collection, Karen Walker will contribute a piece of custom-made jewellery and there are other luxury packages including one carat diamond earrings from Graham Thompson Antique Jewellery and an Eagles Nest luxury retreat in the Bay of Islands.
The scale of the auction will be small with around twenty handpicked lots. All proceeds raised at For the Love of Art will directly benefit NZAF HIV prevention initiatives.

For further details, information and the For the Love of Art online catalogue please check
www.nzaf.org.nz/artauction

Media Picks Up on Photography Auction

TV 3 ran a story on the sale of the Fiona Pardington Quai Branly Suite on Wednesday night's news and today in the Dominion Post you can read a story on the record breaking sale here:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/3721846/Photos-come-out-of-arts-shadows-topping-64-000

And a report on the Australian Art site Australian Art Sales Digest here:

http://www.aasd.com.au/index.cfm/news/116-market-for-new-zealand-photography-comes-of-age

Finally by John Daly-Peoples in National Business Reiew here:

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/new-zealand-photography-sells-well-auction-123470

Samsung 3D Television Launch

Two days after the photography auction the gallery at ART+OBJECT has been transformed into a state of the art multi-media platform to showcase the launch of Samsung's 3D television in New Zealand. The function takes place tonight at A+O and is invite only.

UNPRECEDENTED RESULTS AT LAST NIGHT"S PHOTOGRAPHY AUCTION

Last night A+O held their most successful sale of photographs yet, creating a raft of new auction records and raising the bar for secondary sales of New Zealand photography. In what is a record price in this country for the sale of a photographic work at auction, Fiona Pardington's Quai Branly suite of nine Heitiki realised $64 275, and her single image Ake Ake Huia wasn't too far behind flying out the door well over its top estimate for $26 000 ($30 385). Yvonne Todd's Goat Sluice also made a record $9350. The total turnover for the sale sits at $231 000 and we'll have more information soon.