World’s local Fine Art  HOME

Shipping Worldwide

Brett Whiteley AO ( 1939-1992) is one of the most famous Australian painters. His work is held in international collections including Tate Gallery London, Museum of Modern Art New York, National Gallery of Australia. Awards:  1975 Sir. William Anglis Memorial Art Prize, 1976 Archibald Prize, 1976 Sulman Prize and 1977 Wynne Prize.

Whiteley Henri's Armchair sold for $6,136,364; My Armchair $3,927,270; The Olgas  $3,480,000 and Opera House $2,880,000.

 Unashamed Angophora
Oil, Collage, Branch on Board
 120 x 150 cm
Cat. no. 69.90
Price: SOLD

If you consider buying or selling an original work of Brett Whiteley, Arthur Boyd, Charles Blackman, Fred Williams, Garry Shead, John Perceval, Arthur Streeton or another significant work of fine art, please contact us. 
 

Auction Results

Details		Price excl. GST
	Henri's Armchair 1974-75 Oil, ink and charcoal on canvas, signed, dated inscribed verso: "Henri's Armchair"/  1974/ Brett Whiteley/, 195x302cm, Menzies, Sydney, 26/11/2020, Lot No. 1	$6,136,364
	My Armchair, 1976 Oil on canvas, signed dated lower right Brett Whiteley 1976, inscribed upper right interior at Lavender Bay under sunlight, artist's monogram, 206.5x283.5cm, Menzies, Important Australian and International Fine Paintings and Sculpture, Melbourne, Lot No. 42	$3,927,270
	The Olgas for Ernest Giles (Also Known as to Ernest Giles) 1985 Oil and mixed media on board, signed with initials and dated lower right: BW/ 85, inscribed lower right: To Ernest Giles, 213.5 x 244.5 cm, Deutscher~Menzies, Fine Australian & International Art, Sydney, Lot No. 35	$3,480,000
	Opera House Oil, cardboard, collage, shell, ink on canvas board, signed and dated 1971-82 lower left; inscribed to John Cage upper right, 203x244cm, Sotheby's Important Australian Art, Sydney, Lot No. 7	$2,880,000
	'Frangipani and Humming Bird' Japanese: Summer Oil tempera on canvas, 211x400cm, Sotheby's, Important Australian Art, Sydney, Lot No. 39	$2,040,000
	Gauguin, 1968   (Also Known as Portrait of Paul Gauguin on the Eve Of His Attempted Suicide, Tahiti) Oil, acrylic, charcoal, graphite, plastic, glass, wood & printed paper collage construction on panel, signed, dated inscribed lower right portrait of Paul Gauguin on the eve of his attempted suicide, Tahiti/ Brett Whiteley 1968, NY, 152.5x264.5cm (irreg.), Menzies, Australian & International Fine Art & Sculpture, Melbourne, Lot No. 37	$2,024,999
	The Jacaranda Tree (On Sydney Harbour), 1977 Oil on canvas, signed 'Brett Whiteley 1977' lower right, 208x456cm, Christies, Australian & International Art, Sydney, Lot No. 85	$1,982,500
	Orange Fiji Fruit Dove c. 1983 Oil on canvas, signed lower right: Brett Whiteley, 184x202.5cm, Deutscher~Menzies, Australian and International Fine Art, Sydney, Lot No. 36	$1,920,000
	Washing the Salt off 1, 1985 Oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right: Brett Whiteley July 85, inscribed lower left: at most Australian beaches/ showers are provided right on the/ beach, for people who don't like the salty [sic] feeling.. stamped lower left, 167.5x152cm, Menzies, Australian & International Fine Art, Sydney, Lot No. 42	$1,860,000
	The Paddock - Late Afternoon, 1979 Oil on canvas, signed lower centre Brett Whiteley, 202x152cm, Est: $1500,000-1,800,000, Menzies, Australian & International Fine Art & Sculpture, Sydney, 28/03/2019, Lot No. 40	$1,840,908
	The Sunrise - Japanese: 'Good Morning!', 1988 Oil and collage on board with electric light, signed and dated lower left brett whiteley 88, inscribed with calligraphy characters upper left. sketch of beach scene on verso, 244 x 204.5 cm, , Menzies, Australian & International Fine Art & Sculpture, Sydney, 19/11/2020, Lot No. 33	$1,748,863
	Arkie Under the Shower 1986-87 Oil on board, signed lower right: Brett Whiteley, signed, dated and inscribed verso: 'arkie under the shower'/ 1986-87/ brett whiteley, 173x112cm, Deutscher~Menzies, Australian and International Fine Art, Sydney, Lot No. 31	$1,680,000
	The Arrival – a Glimpse in the Botanical Gardens 1984 Oil, collage and charcoal on canvas, signed 'Brett Whiteley' lower right; signed, dated and inscribed '“The arrival – a glimpse in the Botanical Gardens” / 1984 / Brett Whiteley' verso, 106x90.6cm, Smith & Singer, Masterpiece Auction, Sydney, 13/10/2020, Lot No. 1	$1,626,135
	The Orange Table 1977-1978 Synthetic polymer paint, oil, tempera, charcoal and oyster shells on plywood, signed and dated 'Brett Whiteley / 78' lower right, dated and inscribed 'The Orange Table'(Sketch)/1977-78' verso, 124x205cm, Sotheby's, Important Australian Art, Sydney, 20/11/2019, Lot No. 30	$1,586,000
	View from the Sitting Room Window, Lavender Bay, 1991 Oil, mixed media and collage on board, signed and dated lower centre: Brett Whiteley 91, 122x198cm, Deutscher~Menzies, Fine Australian & International Art, Sydney, Lot No. 33	$1,500,000
	The Meeting 1981 Oil and collage on composition board, signed dated 'Brett Whiteley / 4/81' lower centre, 183x120cm, Sotheby's, Important Australian & New Zealand Art (lots 1-98) | Important Australian Art from The J.G.L. Collection (lots 99-137), Sydney, 16/05/2018, Lot No. 36	$1,464,000
	Little Orange (Sunset) 1974 Oil and mixed media on board, signed lower right, brett whiteley, 205.5 x 76 cm, Menzies, Australian and International Fine Art, Melbourne, Lot No. 27	$1,380,000
	Washing the Salt off III, 1985 Oil on canvas on composition board, signed, dated and inscribed with title verso: Brett Whiteley / 'Washing the salt off 3' / 1985, 92x61cm, Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian & International Fine Art, Sydney,  Lot No. 17	$1,220,000
	Lavender Bay at Dusk 1984 Oil on board, signed lower left: Brett Whiteley, signed, dated and inscribed verso: Brett Whiteley/ 84/ 'Lavender Bay at Dusk', 122x152.5cm, Deutscher~Menzies, Sydney June Fine Art Auction, Sydney, Lot No. 21	$1,175,750
	Shao 1979 Oil and collage on board, signed 'Brett Whiteley' lower right, inscribed 'No. 13 'Shao'' verso, 100.6 x 78.4 cm, Est: $850,000-950,000, Sotheby's, Important Australian Art, Sydney, 21/11/2017, Lot No. 20	$1,159,000
	The Robin and the Moon 1981 Oil on canvas, signed 'Brett Whiteley' lower left, dated '81' lower right, signed, dated and inscribed 'Brett Whiteley 'The robin and the moon' '81' verso (frame), 86.5x86.5cm, Sotheby's, Important Australian Art, Sydney, Lot No. 8	$1,098,000
	The Drought Crow: Sloping Up on the Olgas 1 (Up Front and Outback) 1984-1985 Oil, tempera, nails and photographs on plywood, signed and inscribed 'the drought from the land and the air' / brett whiteley (walking + using a chopper)' lower left, dated and inscribed 'Sloping Up / On The Olgas' I / 1984-85 (With Crow)' verso, 124 x 104 cm, Sotheby's, Important Australian Art, Sydney, Lot No. 21	$1,024,800
	Vincent, 1968 Oil, ink, mirror and razor on board, signed and dated lower right: Brett 68 inscribed upper left: The departure of Gauguin from Arles, 221.5x167.5cm, Deutscher and Hackett, Australian & International Fine Art, Melbourne, 29/08/2007, Lot No. 10	$1,020,000
	Rain Oil on composition board, signed and inscribed with title lower right, 107x92cm, Sotheby's, Important Australian Art, Sydney, Lot No. 15	$996,000
	Balmoral Oil and collage on canvas, signed dated 1975-78 lower left; signed and dated 1975-78 on reverse; bears artist's name and title label on reverse, 180x204cm, Sotheby's, Important Australian Art, Melbourne, Lot No. 23	$990,000

 

Works on paper - watercolor, ink and mixed media		Price Excl. GST
	Everything, Ink, gouache on paper and collage on board, signed, dated 1970, inscribed on the reverse 183x122cm Sotheby's, Important Australian Art Sydney, Lot No. 69	$300,000
	Harry's Building - Sydney Harbour, 1976 Etching, ink and oil on paper, signed lower right with artist's monogram, signed dated lower right, inscribed lower left harry's building/ Sydney Harbour 60 x 48 cm  Est: $50,000-70,000  86 x 64.5 cm (sheet size) Menzies, Important Australian & International Art, Sydney, 01/12/2021, Lot No. 38	$115,364
	Approaching Storm, 1979 watercolor and gouache on paper on card, stamped lower left artist's monogram, dated lower right 21/Aug/79 52 x 41cm Menzies, Australian and International Fine Art, Melbourne, 10/08/2017, Lot No. 32	$165,682

For more information subscribe to http://www.aasd.com.au/

Brett Whiteley AO (7 April 1939 –15 June 1992) Australian artist is one of the most famous Australian painters of the twentieth century.

Whiteley original works on paper sell from few hundred thousand to under one hundred thousand dollars. ABC net story: Whiteley paintings sells for record price

Brett Whiteley is famous for semi-surreal landscape-gardens and nudes, created paintings, drawings and sculpture. Whiteley's topics also included portraits, still-life's, birds and abstracts. Brett Whiteley was inspired by singers like Bob Dylan and lived the lifestyle of a rock star. He married Wendy who was his "Muse".

Whiteley is known for his skill as a great draughtsman, had many shows in his career, and travelled extensively around the world. Brett Whiteley is represented in all Australian National galleries. He is one of the most important and best loved Australian artists, Whiteley painting sells for record price, his original paintings have sold for many millions dollars. Famous Works: The Soup Kitchen 1958, Red Painting 1960, Alchemy 1972-73, Self Portrait the Studio 1976, The Jacaranda Tree (Sydney Harbour) 1977. 

In 1960, aged 21, Whiteley left Australia on a Travelling Art Scholarship (judged by Sir Russell Drysdale at the Art Gallery of New South Wales), and by 1961 had settled in London where his work was shown at the Whitechapel and Marlborough galleries. In London he met many other painters, including fellow Australians, Arthur Boyd and John Passmore.

In 1962, he married Wendy Julius and their only child, daughter Arkie Whiteley, was born in London in 1964. While in London, Whiteley painted works in several different series: bathing, the zoo and the Christies. His paintings during these years were influenced by the modernist British art of the sixties - particularly the works of William Scott and Roger Hilton - and were of brownish abstract forms. It was these abstracted works which established him as an artist, right at the time when many other Australian artists were exhibiting in London. He painted Woman in Bath as part of a series of works he was doing of bathroom pictures. It has primarily black on one side and an image of his wife Wendy in a bathtub from behind. Another in the series was a more abstracted Woman in the Bath II, which owed a debt to his yellow and red abstract paintings of the early sixties.

Whiteley was awarded the Wynne Prize again in 1984, and the following year purchased an old T-shirt factory in Surry Hills, Sydney and converted it into a studio. Further renovations followed and in later years the downstairs gallery area was repainted and now houses changing exhibitions. In 1991 he was awarded the Order of Australia (General Division). In the last years of his life Whiteley travelled far and wide, taking in England, Bali, Tokyo, and spending two months in Paris in an apartment on Rue de Tournon. On 15 June 1992 he was found dead from a heroin overdose in a motel room in Thirroul on the NSW coast. The coroner's verdict was 'death due to self-administered substances'. He was 53 years old.

In the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1991, Brett Whiteley was appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia. On 15 June 1992, aged 53, he was found dead from a heroin overdose in a motel room in Thirroul, north of Wollongong. The coroner's verdict was 'death due to self-administered substances'.

In 1999, Brett's mother Beryl Whiteley founded the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship in memory of her son. Also in 1999, Whiteley's painting The Jacaranda Tree (1977), which had won the Wynne Prize, sold for $1,982,000, a record for a modern Australian painter.

In 2007 his painting The Olgas sold for an Australian record of $3.5 million. On 7 May 2007, Opera House, (which took Whiteley a decade to paint, and which he exchanged with Qantas for a period of free air travel) sold for $2.8 million, in Sydney.

Brett Whiteley is one of Australia's most revered artists. His lyrical expressionism and lack of inhibition placed him at the forefront of Australia's avant-garde art movement. He won many prizes and awards and his work hangs in numerous galleries, including the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, the Tate Gallery in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.