As part of our special auctions that occur every five weeks, our Scottish Contemporary Art Auction on the 22nd June saw many attractive and desirable paintings go under the hammer, with a good few reaching and exceeding their auction estimates.

In particular, this eerie looking oil on hardboard by John Bellany showing a peculiar looking man playing an accordion sold for a fantastic £24,000. Bellany is a highly respected Scottish painter with many of successful paintings and a unique style in this field. This particular piece had never been publicly exhibited or offered at auction before appearing at McTear’s and definitely caused a lot of excitement in the auction house. It was noted that “The Accordionist” was painted not long after Bellany’s trip to Buchenwald where he encountered a very traumatic experience, which could explain the eeriness of the painting. 

Lot 1781: "The Accordionist"

Sadly, Bellanny past away last year but his paintings will maintain and prolong the memories people hold of him and his work. 

“I paint from my very soul and I want to move people to get inside their hearts” 

John Bellany 1942 - 2013 (Credit – http://www.bellany.com/) 

Lot 1716: Wildcat 

Lot 1826: Woman of The Mediterranean Sea 

Our next special auction are as follows: 

The Asian Works of Art Auction - 22nd July 2014 at 10.30am

The Clocks, Scientific & Musical Instruments Auction - 22nd July 2014 at 5.00pm 

The Furniture, Works of Art & Collectables Auction - 22nd July 2014  at 6.00pm 

The Rare and Collectable Whisky Auction - 23rd July 2014 at 10.30am

The Watches and Coins Auction - 23rd July 2014 at 5.00pm 

The Jewellery Auction - 23rd July 2014 at 6.00pm 

The British and International Pictures Auction - 24th July 2014 at 6.00pm 

The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction - 27th July 2014 at 2.00pm

A Taste of Scotland at McTear's

With July's special auctions just around the corner we are reflecting on some of the Scottish highlights from our June's special auctions... We have something for all 'tastes' at McTear's!

The Scottish Picture Auction on Thursday 27th June, offered a selection of pictures from Scotland's best known artists from the last 200 years. This favourable auction brings great interest and keen bidders. In particular, the signed oil canvas, named 'Girl With Ducks' from the Scottish Artist Annie Muirhead Paterson (1847-1947), will make a beautiful Scottish contribution to the successful bidder who won this canvas for the bid of £1700. Look out for our International Pictures Auction on Thursday, 1 August 2013 at 06:00 PM.


Lot 1706

From the traditional, to the more modern and 'interesting' type of artwork... The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction held on Sunday 30th June added a splash of unique taste. Check out the bird in this oil canvas titled 'The Voyagers' by John Bellany. This exquisite piece had a hammer price of £4800, and will certainly be a feature in the winning bidder's home. Our next Scottish Contemporary Art Auction is on Sunday, 4 August 2013 at 02:00 PM.


Lot 1706

JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA THE VOYAGERS oil on canvas

Back to Scottish tradition, on Wednesday 26th June at McTear's, this 1938 Single Highland malt whisky, 'The MacAllan' in a branded wooden box, estimated between £2000 and £3000 went under the hammer for an amazing £3400- just one of numerous fantastic bids in our 'Rare & Collectable Whisky, Wine and Port' Auction. We are sure this will be saved for a more than very special occasion!


Lot 572

Also, watch out for our other upcoming auctions:
Asian Works of Art Auction on Tuesday, 30 July 2013 at 10:30 AM
Clocks, Scientific and Musical Instruments Auction on Tuesday, 30 July 2013 at 06:00 PM
Furniture, Works of Art and Collectables Auction on Tuesday 30 July 2013 at 07:00 PM
Watches and Coins Auction on Wednesday 31 July 2013 at 05:00 PM
Fine Jewellery Auction on Wednesday 31 July 2013 at 06:00 PM

View our website, 'like' us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with McTear's.

Spotlight on Sunday: Scottish Contemporary Art

Being the only auction house in the UK to provide a monthly sale dedicated to Scottish Contemporary Art, McTear’s unique auction on Sunday is set to be one to cause great interest.

It can’t be ignored that last months various auctions were both distinctive and in some cases record breaking! First of all was April’s Scottish Contemporary Art auction that saw a variety of special pieces going under the hammer including likes of John Bellany, Hamish MacDonald and Alison Watt OBE to name a few. Overall, the sale caught the eye of many keen bidders producing some fantastic results.


Lot 1687: John Bellany: Estimate: £700 - £1000 Hammer: £1100


Lot 1688: Hamish MacDonald: Estimate: £500 - £800 Hammer: £1600


Lot 1718: Alison Watt: Estimate: £8000 - £12000 Hammer: £7000

Then came the unforgettable Terry Howson Collection auction with almost 400 drawings, sketches and etchings by her former husband Peter Howson. It was questionable whether we would be able to fit such a massive sale in between April and May’s Scottish Contemporary Art auctions but with the effort and commitment of the McTear’s team “we worked something out”. It was not surprising that such a unique sale would have acquired such global interest especially with the pictures being sold at No Reserve with David Bowie fans competing to get that winning bid, the sale was a sell-out success.


Lot 56: Peter Howson OBE 'Monique' mixed media, signed and dated '07: Estimate: £200 - £500 Hammer: £2400


Lot 310: Peter Howson OBE 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' (The First Of The David Bowie Drawings): Estimate: £1000 - £2000 Hammer: £6000

This Sunday once again people will be eagerly watching and bidding as McTear's hold another Scottish Contemporary Art auction. After the Terry Howson collection last month this Sunday boasts an exciting array of Howson oils, from 1982 onwards. Other notable items going under the hammer include George Wyllie MBE and Jack Vettriano OBE.


Lot 1877: Peter Howson OBE 'The Justified Sinner': Estimate: £2000 - £3000


Lot 1889: George Wyllie MBE sculpture: Estimate: £500 - £1000


Lot 1902: Jack Vettriano OBE 'Letter of Consequence' oil on canvas: Estimate: £15000 - £20000

We are hoping that the upcoming Scottish Contemporary Art auction will be as successful as our previous ones and look forward to welcoming you there.

The Scottish Contemporary Art auction is this Sunday, 26th of May at 2pm.

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