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Lot 35
William Dargie(1912-2003)(Still Life), c.1930
26 August 2025, 18:00 AEST
SydneySold for AU$3,444 inc. premium
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Alex Clark
Head of Sale, Senior Specialist
Merryn Schriever
Managing Director, Australia
William Dargie (1912-2003)
(Still Life), c.1930
signed upper left: 'Dargie'
oil on board
37.0 x 45.5cm (14 9/16 x 17 15/16in).
signed upper left: 'Dargie'
oil on board
37.0 x 45.5cm (14 9/16 x 17 15/16in).
Footnotes
PROVENANCE
Private collection, acquired directly from the artist in 1931
thence by descent
Private collection, Sydney
This work was the first painting sale William Dargie made, and is accompanied by a letter from the artist to the owner which reads:
My dear Jamie,
Your letter and the photograph of the flower painting brought back to me many memories and – above all – a poignant reminder of the gravity of our human span.
Yes you have the facts right. It was in the autumn of 1933 that Kathleen Hewitt, who was to become (and still is) my wife, introduced me to your father in Melbourne. In the best art tradition, I was very poor but I knew where I was going. The three guineas your father paid for that painting was a godsend for me. I don't bother to keep up with current valuations but should you take it to someone such as Phillip Bacon's galleries in Brisbane, I guess you would find it to be about $3000.
Kathleen and I are both saddened to know that Frank and your mother have died for many years. We kept in touch but recently, as happens when one becomes older and one's friends seem to live further away, we lost contact.
My kindest regards
Yours sincerely
William Dargie