Vida Lahey Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Vida Lahey Art Value Price Guide

Nov. 21, 2024
FRANCES VIDA LAHEY, (1882 - 1968), Floral Still Life, watercolour, 38.5 x 24.5 cm. (15.1 x 9.6 in.), frame: 63 x 47 x 2 cm. (24.8 x 18 1/2 x 0.7 in.)
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
FRANCES VIDA LAHEY (1882 - 1968) Floral Still Life watercolour signed lower left: V. Lahey
Lawsons
Nov. 20, 2024
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968), Wattle and Ifafa Lilies 1956
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, MELBOURNE VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Wattle and Ifafa Lilies 1956 oil on board 45.0 x 35.0 cm; 59.0 x 49.0 cm (framed) signed and dated lower right: V.LAHEY./ 56.
Menzies
Oct. 24, 2024
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) White Daisies in Brown Bowl oil on canvas 49.5 x 29.5cm
Est: $2,200 - $3,200
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) White Daisies in Brown Bowl oil on canvas signed lower right: F. V Lahey artist's name and title on gallery label verso 49.5 x 29.5cm PROVENANCE: Riverhouse Galleries, Brisbane (label verso) Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Oct. 17, 2024
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) White Daisies in Brown Bowl oil on canvas 49.5 x 29.5cm
Est: $2,500 - $3,500
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) White Daisies in Brown Bowl oil on canvas signed lower right: F. V Lahey artist's name and title on gallery label verso 49.5 x 29.5cm PROVENANCE: Riverhouse Galleries, Brisbane (label verso) Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Oct. 17, 2024
§ VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Still Life in Glass Vase watercolour and gouache on paper 32 x 33cm
Est: $1,500 - $2,000
§ VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Still Life in Glass Vase watercolour and gouache on paper signed verso: V. LAHEY 32 x 33cm PROVENANCE: Davidson Auctions, Sydney, 8 October 2023, lot 294 Private collection, South Australia
Leonard Joel
Sep. 23, 2024
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Vegetable Still Life c.1907 oil on canvas 55 x 90.5cm
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Vegetable Still Life c.1907 oil on canvas signed lower right: F. V. LahEy artist's name inscribed on partial exhibition label verso 55 x 90.5cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Brisbane Thence by descent EXHIBITIONS: First Australian Exhibition of Women's Work, Exhibition Building, 23 October - 20 November 1907 OTHER NOTES: In 1906 the Governor-General's wife, Lady Alice Northcote announced the intention of holding an 'Australian Exhibition of Women's Work', and at the time few people realised how the movement would expand, becoming greatly important to the whole continent. Progressing the movement, Lady Northcote formed strong general committees in appointing each state Governor General's wife to form bodies in their state, ensuring that the exhibition was given every possible publicity until the attention of Australian women as a whole country was attracted. Special efforts were made in involve country and suburban women in the exhibition plans, to give these women the same opportunities for showing their work. Each state selected the best works to be shown in Melbourne. The 'Australian Exhibition of Women's Work' officially opened in 1907 at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne, bringing together thousands of visitors. The exhibition was divided into various categories, including fine art, photography, needlework, musical, cookery, amongst others. The Fine Art selection was further sub-categorised into genres and mediums, making it available to all artists to exhibit. Among the notable participants was Miss F. V. Lahey, a prominent Queensland artist, who entered multiple Fine Art categories, including, Flower Painting, Still Life Painting, and Australian Landscape. Vida Lahey's entries, particularly her still life painting, garnered high praise. Her celebrated work, a meticulously detailed portrayal of an overturned kitchen basket brimming with pumpkins, onions, and other household vegetables, captivated judges, and audiences alike. "Miss F. V. Lahey has had three placed - "Niphetos Roses" whose white petals look sufficiently lifelike to possess a delicate perfume (this work has received great praise from all the artistic members of the different committees); a "Shady Pool", a cool and quiet spot for lovers on a hot sunny day; and last, but not least, a very domestic kitchen basket filled with pumpkins, onions, and other serviceable vegetables, which reminds one of the family's weekly supply from "John", and which on no account could belong to a small family." (Australian Women's Exhibition in Melbourne, The Queenslander, Brisbane, 2 November 1907, p. 7) The 'Australian Exhibition of Women's Work' not only showcased the artistic talents of women from across the nation, but also underscored the growing importance of women's contributions to the cultural landscape of Australia. In celebrating the exhibitions centenary, the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum developed a significant exhibition and catalogue to highlight the 'Australian Exhibition of Women's Work' event, bringing together a selection of pieces across all mediums and emphasise the historical significance of once was in 1906. Hannah Ryan Art Specialist
Leonard Joel
Sep. 23, 2024
§ VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Still Life in Glass Vase watercolour and gouache on paper 32 x 33cm
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
§ VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Still Life in Glass Vase watercolour and gouache on paper signed verso: V. LAHEY 32 x 33cm PROVENANCE: Davidson Auctions, Sydney, 8 October 2023, lot 294 Private collection, South Australia
Leonard Joel
Sep. 23, 2024
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) White Daisies in Brown Bowl oil on canvas 49.5 x 29.5cm
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) White Daisies in Brown Bowl oil on canvas signed lower right: F. V Lahey artist's name and title on gallery label verso 49.5 x 29.5cm PROVENANCE: Riverhouse Galleries, Brisbane (label verso) Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Sep. 18, 2024
Frances Vida Lahey (Australian, 1882-1968)
Est: £200 - £400
Frances Vida Lahey (Australian, 1882-1968) View of a timber sawmill with horse-drawn wagon signed lower right ‘F.V. Lahey’ watercolour on board, unframed, the reverse bearing the trade label of ‘George Gough and Son, Albert Street, Brisbane, Also at Valley Corner’ 27 x 35cm An early work by the artist, possibly depicting the Lahey timber company sawmill at Canungra, circa 1913.
Cheffins
Aug. 21, 2024
§ VIDA LAHEY 1882-1968 Vermillion and Blue 1932 watercolour and gouache over pencil on paper on cardboard 55 x 65.5 cm frame: original,
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
§ VIDA LAHEY 1882-1968 Vermillion and Blue 1932 watercolour and gouache over pencil on paper on cardboard signed and dated ‘V. LAHEY. 32' lower right 55 x 65.5 cm frame: original, maker unknown, Brisbane PROVENANCE Vida Lahey, Brisbane The Fine Arts Society's Gallery, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Exhibition of Paintings by Miss Vida Lahey, The Fine Arts Society's Gallery, Melbourne, 19-31 October 1932, no. 22, 35 gns LITERATURE Blamire Young, ‘Great Colorist. Art of Miss Vida Lahey', The Herald, Melbourne, 18 October 1932, p. 17 Arthur Streeton, ‘Miss Vida Lahey's Art. Olis and Water-Colours. Distinguished Flower-Painting', The Argus, Melbourne, 19 October 1932, p. 5 ‘A Brisbane Artist. The Art of Vida Lahey', The Age, Melbourne, 19 October 1932, p. 11 ‘Vida Lahey's Art. Distinguished Flower Painting', The Brisbane Courier, Brisbane, 22 October 1932, p. 14 Harold Herbert, ‘Art. Miss Vida Lahey', The Australasian, Melbourne, 29 October 1932, p. 16
Smith & Singer
May. 08, 2024
Vida Lahey- Still Life, oil on canvas, 50x29cm, signed lower right
Est: $2,700 - $3,500
Vida Lahey- Still Life, oil on canvas, 50x29cm, signed lower right
Christian McCann Auctions
Mar. 24, 2024
Vida Lahey- Still Life, oil on canvas, 50x29cm, signed lower right
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Vida Lahey- Still Life, oil on canvas, 50x29cm, signed lower right
Christian McCann Auctions
Mar. 21, 2024
VIDA LAHEY, England, Australia (1882 - 1968), Village in Essex, Kersey, oil on canvas, 39.5 x 44 cm. (15.5 x 17.3 in.), frame: 51 x 56 x 6 cm. (20.0 x 22.0 x 2.3 in.)
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
VIDA LAHEY England, Australia, (1882 - 1968) Village in Essex, Kersey oil on canvas signed lower right
Lawsons
Oct. 08, 2023
LAHEY Frances Vida (1882-1968), Flowers in Crystal Vase, W/Clr, 31.5x32.5cm
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
LAHEY, Frances Vida (1882-1968) Flowers in Crystal Vase Signed verso. W/Clr 31.5x32.5cm
Davidson Auctions
Sep. 18, 2023
§ VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) White Roses c.1937 watercolour on paper 30 x 35cm
Est: $2,800 - $3,800
§ VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) White Roses c.1937 watercolour on paper signed lower right: V.LAHEY 30 x 35cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Adelaide Scammells Auctions, Adelaide, 27 March 2023, lot 217 Private collection, Brisbane EXHIBITIONS: Exhibition of Water Colours, The Macquarie Galleries, Sydney, June, 1937, cat. no. 11 Exhibition of Paintings, The Canberra Gallery, Canberra Hotel, Brisbane, 9 – 25 November 1944, cat. no. 63 John Martin's Art Gallery, Adelaide, 2 – 15 June 1948, cat. no. 27
Leonard Joel
Jun. 15, 2023
FRANCES VIDA LAHEY (1882 - 1968) White Daisies in Brown Bowl, c1908 - 1914 oil on canvas 49.5 x 29.5 cm (frame: 70 x 49 x 5 cm) sign...
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
FRANCES VIDA LAHEY (1882 - 1968) White Daisies in Brown Bowl, c1908 - 1914 oil on canvas 49.5 x 29.5 cm (frame: 70 x 49 x 5 cm) signed lower right; Riverhouse Galleries label verso | Exhibited at Queensland Art Gallery
Lawsons
Apr. 04, 2023
Vida Lahey (1882-1968) Still Life with Flowers
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Vida Lahey (1882-1968) (Still Life with Flowers) signed lower right: V LAHEY watercolour on paper 25.5 x 30.0cm (10 1/16 x 11 13/16in).
Bonhams
Feb. 26, 2023
Frances Vida Lahey (1882-1968) Roses oil on board signed lower right
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Frances Vida Lahey (1882-1968) Roses oil on board signed lower right
Artvisory
Oct. 04, 2022
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) The Green Vase watercolour on paper
Est: $800 - $1,200
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) The Green Vase watercolour on paper signed lower right: V.Lahey 34.5 x 24cm PROVENANCE: Private collection Lawsons, Sydney, 27 August 1985, lot 255 Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Aug. 23, 2022
Vida Lahey (1882-1968) Bougainvillea, Canungra, 1926
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Vida Lahey (1882-1968) Bougainvillea, Canungra, 1926 signed lower right: 'V. LAHEY' oil on canvas on board 21.5 x 29.0cm (8 7/16 x 11 7/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Jul. 27, 2022
VIDA LAHEY, STILL LIFE WITH FUCHSIAS, C.1930
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882 - 1968) STILL LIFE WITH FUCHSIAS, c.1930 watercolour on paper 39.0 x 37.0 cm signed lower right: V. LAHEY. PROVENANCE Private collection Joseph Brown Gallery, Melbourne The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 15 April 1991 EXHIBITED The Bus Collection of Australian Art, Wollongong City Gallery, New South Wales, 16 March – 12 April 1992, cat. 13 (as ‘Fuschias, c.1920) Colour and Movement, Benalla Art Gallery, Victoria, 19 February – 9 June 2015 Arrangement, Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria, 26 May – 8 July 2018 on long term loan to Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria LITERATURE Nainby, B., Stanhope, Z., and Furlonger, K., The Cbus Collection of Australian Art, in association with Latrobe Regional Gallery, Melbourne, 2009, pp. 55 (illus.), 223
Deutscher and Hackett
Jun. 29, 2022
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968), Brisbane from South Bank c1930
Est: $40,000 - $50,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Brisbane from South Bank c1930 oil on plywood 24.5 x 29.5 cm signed lower right: V. LAHEY.
Menzies
Apr. 12, 2022
§ VIDA LAHEY 1882-1968 A Flower Study (circa 1924) oil on board
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
§ VIDA LAHEY 1882-1968 A Flower Study (circa 1924) oil on board signed 'V.L.' lower right 35 x 30.5 cm frame: original, maker unknown, Brisbane PROVENANCE Vida Lahey, Brisbane Private Collection, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne, by descent from the above Fine Art, Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 17 March 2020, lot 1, 'Still Life', illustrated Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above EXHIBITED (Possibly) Annual Exhibition, Art Society of Tasmania, Masonic Hall, Hobart, 4-14 March 1925, no. 54, 10 gns (Possibly) Annual Exhibition, Australian Art Association, Athenaeum Hall, Melbourne, 27 August - 11 September 1925 LITERATURE (Possibly) 'Society's Splendid Hanging. Pictures of High Merit', The News, Hobart, 4 March 1925, p. 1 (Possibly) 'Exhibition of Pictures. Works by Australian Artists', The Argus, Melbourne, 27 August 1925, p. 15 (Possibly) 'By Australian Artists', The Australasian, Melbourne, 29 August 1925, p. 45
Smith & Singer
Apr. 12, 2022
§ VIDA LAHEY 1882-1968 Silence (1945) oil on canvasboard
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
§ VIDA LAHEY 1882-1968 Silence (1945) oil on canvasboard signed 'F.V. LAHEY' lower right; inscribed '"Silence" / by Vida Lahey / Canungra Creek' verso 66 x 56 cm frame: original, maker unknown, Brisbane PROVENANCE Vida Lahey, Brisbane Private Collection, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne, by descent from the above Fine Art, Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 17 March 2020, lot 175, illustrated Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Vida Lahey: Exhibition of Recent Paintings, Finney's Art Gallery, Brisbane, 27 June - 12 July 1946, no. 14, 40 gns LITERATURE 'Watercolours by Vida Lahey', The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, 27 June 1946, p. 2 'Vida Lahey's Paintings', The Telegraph, Brisbane, 27 June 1946, p. 8 'A Vida Lahey Exhibition', Queensland Country Life, Brisbane, 4 July 1946, p. 7
Smith & Singer
Apr. 12, 2022
VIDA LAHEY 1882-1928 Morning at Seven (1907) oil on canvas
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
VIDA LAHEY 1882-1928 Morning at Seven (1907) oil on canvas signed 'F.V. Lahey.' lower right; inscribed 'Morning' at seven' verso 41 x 25.5 cm PROVENANCE Vida Lahey, Brisbane George Nicholas Trovas, Queensland E. Trovas, Queensland, by descent from the above Private Collection, Queensland, by descent from the above Important Fine Art, Deutscher and Hackett, Sydney, 2 December 2015, lot 115, illustrated Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above EXHIBITED 20th Annual Exhibition, Queensland Art Society, Technical College Hall, Brisbane, 6 October 1908, no. 11, 3 gns Winter Exhibition, Victorian Artists' Society, Melbourne, Melbourne, 16 July 1909, no. 107, 3 gns Songs of Colour: The Art of Vida Lahey, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 14 April - 25 June 1989, illustrated LITERATURE 'The Queensland Art Society', Truth, Brisbane, 11 October 1908, p. 8 Bettina MacAulay, Songs of Colour: The Art of Vida Lahey, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 1989, p. 94 (illustrated) Bettina MacAulay, Supplement to Songs of Colour: The Art of Vida Lahey, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 1989, pp. 1-2
Smith & Singer
Nov. 10, 2021
VIDA LAHEY, EARLY MORNING, BRISBANE RIVER, 1932
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882 - 1968) EARLY MORNING, BRISBANE RIVER, 1932 oil on canvas on board 51.5 x 76.5 cm signed and dated lower right: V. LAHEY 32 PROVENANCE The Canberra Gallery, Brisbane Dr Thomas Montagu Mansfield, Brisbane Thence by descent Sally, Lady Croft, Armidale, New South Wales Thence by descent Private collection, New South Wales EXHIBITED Exhibition of Paintings by Vida Lahey, Fine Art Society’s Gallery, Melbourne, 19 – 31 October 1932, cat. 2 Vida Lahey: Exhibition of Paintings of Brisbane and of Other Things, Union Trustee Chambers, Brisbane, 20 May – 3 June 1936, cat. 16 (as ‘Early Morning’) Vida Lahey: Exhibition of Paintings, The Canberra Gallery, Brisbane, 9 – 25 November 1944, cat. 16 LITERATURE Young, B., ‘Great colourist: the art of Miss Vida Lahey’, The Herald, Melbourne, 18 October 1932, p. 1 Herbert, H., ‘A Brisbane Artist’, The Age, Melbourne, 19 October 1932, p. 11 ‘Vida Lahey’s Art’, The Brisbane Courier, Brisbane, 22 October 1932, p. 14 ‘Vida Lahey’s Art’, The Telegraph, Brisbane, 20 May 1936, p. 7 ‘Fine Work in 1-Woman Show’, The Telegraph, Brisbane, 8 November 1944, p. 8 MacAulay, B., Supplement to Songs of Colour. The Art of Vida Lahey, Works Located to 1989, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 1989, pp. 9, 34, 37, 40 ESSAY We are grateful to Joanna Bosse, Curator, Bayside Gallery, and her Queensland colleagues for their assistance with this catalogue entry. Vida Lahey’s exhibition at the Fine Arts Society’s Gallery in Melbourne in 1932 featured seventeen oil paintings, the second largest of which was Early morning, Brisbane River, 1932. It was an immediate hit with the critics. Harold Herbert, writing for The Age, considered the painting to be an oil of ‘high order ... an admirably painted stretch of land and blue water, spacey in conception, and simple yet convincing in treatment.’1 Blamire Young, in his review for The Herald, described Lahey as a ‘great colourist’, and that her evocation of the early morning riverscape was marked by its ‘pure light and the hush of dawn.’2 Arthur Streeton was also an admirer of the ‘fine qualities of light and air’ in her work,3 as was George Bell who considered her to be ‘an artist of consummate taste, an exquisite sense of colour, and a fine sense of composition.’4 Lahey was not only a celebrated artist; she was also a noted author, educator and arts advocate, conferred a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1958 for her services to culture and the arts in Queensland. An early talent, she was awarded first prize for landscape by the Australian Natives’ Association, Brisbane in 1903, before she moved to Melbourne to commence formal studies at the National Gallery Art School in 1905. Two years later, whilst still a student, she won first prize for still life in the landmark First Australian Exhibition of Women’s Work held at the Exhibition Building. However, it was the painting Monday morning, 1912, which really launched her career, a powerful study of two young women labouring in the Lahey family’s household laundry. It entered the collection of the Queensland Art Gallery that same year. The outbreak of war saw her travel to London and at its conclusion, she took classes in Paris in 1919, first at the Académie Calorossi, then with Ethel Carrick Fox; and in St. Ives the following year with New Zealand artist Frances Hodgkins. The 1920s saw further travels through Europe before Lahey settled permanently in Queensland in 1929. In Early morning, Brisbane River, 1932, the artist captures a sparkling image of an urban river landscape in its heyday. To the right can be seen the old Naval Stores which still stand on the site of a former quarry, the scars of which are evident in the adjacent cliffs. Across the water lies a glimpse of the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens buttressing the former Eagle Street wharves, one of the city’s busiest locations in the 1930s. Characterised by its ‘picturesque personality of salt seas and sailor men’,5 Eagle Street’s row of low sheds marked the locations of Raff’s Wharf, Newton’s Wharf and Barkers Wharf. Presiding over these was a streetscape of multi-storey warehouses once described as being ‘probably, as a group, the best in Brisbane.’6 These architectural symbols of trade and prosperity included Harpers Building (1889); the Mutual Life Association of Australasia (1888); and Parbury’s (1912); with the tallest and newest being the Orient Steam Navigation Company headquarters (1930). Sadly, all were swept away by building booms in the 1960s and early 1980s. 1. Herbert, H., ‘A Brisbane artist: The art of Vida Lahey’, The Age, 19 October 1932, p. 11 2. Young, B., ‘Great colourist: the art of Miss Vida Lahey’, The Herald, Melbourne, 18 October 1932, p. 1 3. Streeton, A., ‘Miss Vida Lahey’s art: oils and watercolours. Distinguished flower painting’, Argus, Melbourne, 19 October 1932, p. 5 4. George Bell. Quoted on catalogue for: Vida Lahey: Exhibition of Paintings of Brisbane and of Other Things, Union Trustee Chambers, Brisbane, 1936 5. ‘Growing City. Romance and Adventure: Street of Adventure’, Courier-Mail, Brisbane, 26 September 1933, p. 12 6. ‘Real Estate. Queensland Trustees: Building extensions’, The Daily Mail, Brisbane, 14 October 1924, p. 14 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 10, 2021
VIDA LAHEY, (CARTS IN EAGLE STREET), c.1913
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882 - 1968) (CARTS IN EAGLE STREET), c.1913 oil on board 39.5 x 49.5 cm signed lower right: F. V LAHEY PROVENANCE Possibly: James Herbert Forrest, Charters Towers, Queensland Thence by descent The estate of Michael Forrest, Melbourne E. J. Ainger Pty Ltd, Melbourne, 1 August 2021, lot 242 (as ‘European Street Scene with Horses’) Company collection, Sydney EXHIBITED probably: Exhibition of Paintings, Empire Chambers, Brisbane, 13 – 18 October 1924, cat. 6 (as ‘The banyan trees, Eagle street’) RELATED WORK The Carter's Rest, Eagle Street, 1913, watercolour on paper, 33.0 x 42.0 cm, Exhibition of Paintings, Empire Chambers, Brisbane, 13 – 18 October 1924, cat. 12, in the collection of the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane The carter’s resting place, oil on board, 20.5 x 20.5 cm, Oil and Watercolours by Vida Lahey, Athenaeum Hall, Melbourne, 29 September – 10 October 1925, cat. 31, Private collection ESSAY At the junction of Creek and Eagle streets in Brisbane, a group of horse-drawn carts take shelter from the heat of the Queensland sun. Despite the suggested tranquility, this urban island, captured by Vida Lahey in (Carts in Eagle Street), c.1913, was only fifty metres from the bustling commercial hub of wharves and warehouses located on the banks of the Brisbane River. Here, ‘draymen and cabmen ... waited at the reserve for hire (as did) waterside workers who waited at ‘The Triangle’ each morning to be hired as day-labourers.’1 Visible at the centre of the composition are wooden sheds containing public urinals for the men’s convenience (later removed in the 1970s) and to the right, just out of view, was a water fountain set up for the horses and workers which survived at the site until the Second World War. At the rear is the ‘old’ Dalgetty Building (1883 – 84), and presiding over the whole scene is a majestic Banyan fig tree and two figs planted in the 1870s by Walter Hill, superintendent of the nearby City Botanic Gardens. Due to their prominence, it is possible that this work is actually The banyan trees, Eagle Street, exhibited in the artist’s solo exhibition in 1924. Eagle Street was once Brisbane’s ‘most romantic street’, full of picturesque maritime personalities who populated the ‘shabby, friendly quays and lanes that debouch on the river. In (Carts in Eagle Street), Vida Lahey set up her easel on The Triangle’s third boundary of Elizabeth Street, from which she also painted The carter’s rest, Eagle Street, 1913, now in the collection of the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art.3 Initially trained at the Brisbane Central Technical College under Godfrey Rivers, Lahey moved to Melbourne in 1905 to study at the National Gallery Art School under Frederick McCubbin and Bernard Hall. She attracted public notice two years later when she was awarded first prize for still life in the landmark First Australian Exhibition of Women’s Work held at the Royal Exhibition Building in 1907. She subsequently returned to Brisbane and by the time she painted (Carts in Eagle Street), Lahey was already noted for her empathetic portrayal of workers, both domestic and commercial, through such works as Monday morning, 1912, a powerful portrait of two women laboring in her family’s laundry. Gifted that same year to the Queensland Art Gallery, this life-size painting quickly became one of the most popular works in the collection. However, little of Lahey’s output prior to these years survives due to a fire which burnt her studio down in 1912 with all her paintings.4 As such, (Carts in Eagle Street) marks a renewal of practice for the artist. During the Great War, she based herself in London, and studied further in England and France. On her return, Lahey was peripatetic for some years with periods in Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney before finally re-settling in Brisbane in 1929. She would return to painting images of the rapidly changing city, particularly for a solo exhibition in 1932 (see lot. 7), but the number of surviving pre-war works that have survived is few. Inevitably, the drowsy ambience of this scene is long gone, overtaken by the increasing use of motor-driven transport which eventually supplanted the ranks of horse-drawn carts. Today, only the heritage-listed Banyan tree and its White Fig companions remain. 1. East, J. W., ‘ The lost heritage of Eagle Street: a case study of the commercial architecture of Brisbane 1860-1930, 2019, p.16 at www.espace.library.uq.edu.au/data/UQ_733239 (viewed 17.09.21) 2. ‘Growing City. Romance and Adventure: Street of Adventure’, Courier-Mail, Brisbane, 26 September 1933, p.12 3. The carter’s rest, Eagle Street is incorrectly described on the Queensland Art Gallery’s website as being on the corner of Eagle and Queen’s streets, which is approximately 100 metres further north and features the Moonie Memorial fountain (extant). 4. See Lloyd Rees, 1988, cited in MacAulay, B, Songs of Colour: The art of Vida Lahey, exhibition catalogue, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 1989, p.38 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Apr. 29, 2021
VIDA LAHEY (1882 - 1968) - Still Life 28.5 x 22 cm (frame: 49 x 41 x 2 cm)
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
VIDA LAHEY (1882 - 1968) Still Life watercolour 28.5 x 22 cm (frame: 49 x 41 x 2 cm) signed lower right. Provenance: Estate of June Caroline Sherry
Lawsons
Jul. 30, 2020
Frances Vida Lahey (1882 - 1968) - Floral Still Life 31.5 x 44 cm (frame: 50 x 60 x 2 cm)
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Frances Vida Lahey (1882 - 1968) Floral Still Life watercolour 31.5 x 44 cm (frame: 50 x 60 x 2 cm) signed lower right
Lawsons
May. 21, 2020
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Landscape with Cows oil on board
Est: $2,800 - $4,200
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Landscape with Cows oil on board signed lower right: F. V. LAHEY 36 x 53cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Melbourne Thence by descent
Leonard Joel
Mar. 17, 2020
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Landscape with Cows oil on board
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Landscape with Cows oil on board signed lower right: F. V. LAHEY 36 x 53cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Melbourne Thence by descent
Leonard Joel
Mar. 17, 2020
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Silence oil on board
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Silence oil on board signed lower right: F. V LAHEY titled verso 64 x 55cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Melbourne Thence by descent
Leonard Joel
Mar. 17, 2020
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Still Life oil on board
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Still Life oil on board initialled lower right: V.L. 34.5 x 29cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Melbourne Thence by descent
Leonard Joel
Oct. 29, 2019
VIDA LAHEY, ROSELLA ON A FUSCHIA BRANCH
Est: $2,500 - $3,500
VIDA LAHEY (1882 – 1968) ROSELLA ON A FUSCHIA BRANCH watercolour on card SIGNED: signed lower right: VIDA LAHEY inscribed verso: 6 bears inscription on old label verso: QAG REF NO 53.1988.6 DIMENSIONS: 31.0 x 26.5 cm PROVENANCE: Art Galleries Schubert, Queensland Private collection, Queensland Estate of the above, Queensland LITERATURE: MacAulay, B., Songs of Colour. The Art of Vida Lahey, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 1989, pp. 17, 20 This work is located in our Sydney gallery.
Deutscher and Hackett
Oct. 09, 2019
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Washer Women 1920 watercolour and pencil on paper
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Washer Women 1920 watercolour and pencil on paper signed and dated lower right twice: J V Lahey 1920 22 x 19cm PROVENANCE: Adam Galleries, Melbourne Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Nov. 30, 2017
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968), In Bruges 1928
Est: $6,000 - $9,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968), In Bruges 1928 VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968), In Bruges 1928 oil on canvas on board, 40.0 x 30.0 cm signed lower right: V. Lahey inscribed verso: In Bruges, , Leonard Joel, Melbourne 17 June 2013, lot 6 Private collection, Melbourne
Menzies
Nov. 22, 2017
Frances Vida Lahey (1882-1968)
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
Billbergias & Gladioli, 1938, watercolour on paper, signed l.r.c. 'V Lahey'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Oct. 12, 2017
§ VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Still Life oil on canvas
Est: $5,500 - $7,500
§ VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Still Life oil on canvas signed lower left: F. V. Lahey 41.5 x 100cm PROVENANCE: Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 25 November 1992, lot 16 Private collection, Canberra Menzies, Melbourne, 11 December 2014, lot 181 Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: Vida Lahey exhibited extensively in Europe and Australia and is considered a major contributor to the introduction of Modernism in Australia. Through her career, Lahey became increasingly drawn to still life and it was a theme she returned to regularly. It provided her the opportunity to explore composition, texture, form and her love of colour. By the mid-1920s she was highly regarded amongst Australian women artists and was admired for her bold and proficient use of light and colour.
Leonard Joel
Sep. 20, 2017
VIDA LAHEY, (1882 1968), ALLAMANDA, 1919, watercolour on paper
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
VIDA LAHEY, (1882 1968), ALLAMANDA, 1919, watercolour on paper SIGNED: signed and dated lower right: V. LAHEY 1919 signed and inscribed with title verso: Allamanda / Vida Lahey / 1 / /x / Dr Ivan Maxwell / DIMENSIONS: 60.5 x 84.0 cm PROVENANCE: Dr Ivan Maxwell, Melbourne Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Sep. 05, 2017
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Bruges oil on board
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Bruges oil on board signed lower right: V. LAHEY 20.5 x 28cm PROVENANCE: The Collection of Gladys Crawford Thence by descent Private collection, Canada
Leonard Joel
Feb. 09, 2017
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) The Spit Bridge from Clontarf
Est: $18,000 - $24,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) The Spit Bridge from Clontarf , oil on canvas on board, 40.5 x 50.5 cm signed lower right: V. Lahey
Menzies
Sep. 21, 2016
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968), From Greenmount, Tweed Heads c1952
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) From Greenmount, Tweed Heads c1952, oil on plywood, 34.5 x 40.0 cm signed lower right: V. LAHEY inscribed verso: V. LAHEY/ from Greenmount Tweed Heads/ Palette knife
Menzies
Sep. 21, 2016
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968), Summer Afternoon, near Hobart c1926
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) Summer Afternoon, near Hobart c1926, oil on canvas-board, 31.0 x 37.5 cm signed lower right: F. V. LAHEY
Menzies
Sep. 08, 2016
Frances Vida Lahey (1882 - 1968) - Bushscapes, Bardon 37 x 29.5cm
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Frances Vida Lahey (1882 - 1968) Bushscapes, Bardon watercolours (double-sided) 37 x 29.5cm signed lower right
Lawsons
Jun. 23, 2016
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968), Mixed Flowers
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
VIDA LAHEY (1882-1968) , Mixed Flowers, oil on panel, 34.0 x 39.5 cm, signed lower right: V. LAHEY
Menzies
Jun. 09, 2016
Frances Vida Lahey (1882 - 1968) - Still Life 24 x 33cm
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Frances Vida Lahey (1882 - 1968) Still Life watercolour 24 x 33cm signed lower right
Lawsons
May. 04, 2016
VIDA LAHEY - (1882 - 1968), BANKSIA, oil on cardboard
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
VIDA LAHEY - (1882 - 1968), BANKSIA, oil on cardboard SIGNED: signed lower right: V. LAHEY. DIMENSIONS: 40.5 - 35.0 cm PROVENANCE: Ian Callinan AC QC, Brisbane Private collection, Melbourne
Deutscher and Hackett
Apr. 10, 2016
Frances Vida Lahey (1882-1968) At Bardon Oil on board
Est: $8,000 - $10,000
Frances Vida Lahey (1882-1968) At Bardon Oil on board Signed lower right 27 x 36 cm PROVENANCE: Purchased 1953 in Brisbane by the vendor's father, thence by descent
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers