New Zealand

Goldie portrait fetches highest price at auction

07:40 am on 25 August 2016

A Charles Frederick Goldie portrait has fetched the highest price at an Auckland auction.

The 1916 painting titled 'In Doubt', depicting Arawa Chieftainess Maramena Wiari, went under the hammer for $370,000. The total sale price was $433,000 with the buyers fee included.

The Goldie portrait depicts Arawa Chieftainess Maramena Wiari. Photo: International Art Centre

A second Goldie, an untitled portrait of a French woman, painted by artist when he was a 22-year-old student at the Académie Julian in Paris, brought in $80,000.

It was sold to the same bidder, who wanted to remain anonymous.

The man and his wife had driven up from Hawke's Bay for the auction after being out-bid on another Goldie painting in April when the 1941 oil portrait of Wharekauri Tahuna sold for a record $1.175 million.

A rare 1964 painting by Colin McCahon, considered his first in a series of waterfalls inspired by the work of William Hodges, was also on auction last night but failed to sell.

It reached $300,000, which was $50,000 short of its predicted selling price, and will return to auction at a later date.

A rare 1964 painting by Colin McCahon failed to sell. Photo: RNZ / Mohamed Hassan