Mossgreen-Webb's, the new fine art auction house in town

The auction house Webb’s has had a bumpy ride over the last couple of years. The firm, which was  established in 1976, was sold in 2013 to Mowbray’s, which then renamed itself as Bethune’s Investments. Then last year Bethune’s was sold to the Australian Mossgreen auction house to create Mossgreen-Webb’s.

The new Webb’s will see the return of Sophie Coupland, Peter Webb’s daughter who had worked for the firm for many years.

At the helm of the new MossgreenWebbs enterprise will be Australian Paul Sumner, who is a specialist in Australian, Asian, and European art and design as well as antiques. He has more than 30 years of experience working in the art and antiques industry with international and Australian auction houses, including Sydney’s Rushton Fine Art, Christie’s Australia, Sotheby’s Australia and subsequently the Sotheby’s, London as managing director.

In 2004 he established Mossgreen, which, in turn merged with Leski Auctions in 2013 before acquiring Webb’s last year.

Sophie Coupland, who had worked for Webb’s for many years, sees the coming together of the dynamic Australian brand and the old school  Webb’s auction house as creating a new environment for the secondary art market in New Zealand.

“What happened when we sold back in 2013 was that the people we originally sold to broke down all those component parts. That was a shame and why it’s great that we will again be a multi-category auction house which, for me, made up the brand . We were the sort of mixed vendor, mixed department auction house that set us apart from everyone else, particularly when more competition came along. We were clear that we wanted to maintain that, not merely to follow the model of our competitors.”

“Paul's concept for New Zealand is to replicate the old Webb’s business.”

“For me, it’s great to look at the old shape and form of the old Webb’s business and see it being replicated and not just in terms of content but also the values of the old business where Peter and Annie (Webb) ran a very tight ship. There was always a moral and ethical sense about whether they were doing the right thing by the vendors and that comes across in the way  Paul operates”

“An auction house needs expertise based on the product and knowing the art history of the work. But there is also a need for financial acumen, the ability to be an effective deal maker.”

“The business also needs people with good relationships – it’s easier to do business with people you trust and I’ve been involved for 23 years, I’ve got lots of relationships”

She sees that there are many opportunities for cross marketing between Australia and New Zealand.

"We have a Binney coming to us from a Sydney collector. It’s one of his big bird paintings from the 1970s and it will be marketed through us in New Zealand. There are also some Terry Stringer bronzes which will be coming to us. Normally these works would have sold in Australia. While collectors in New Zealand would have been aware of them, they may not bid on them but now presenting them in New Zealand means more collectors are likely to participate,”

She notes that the collection of Max Dupain photographs held in Australia recently and which was exhibited in New Zealand before the Sydney auction created a lot of interest with local collectors.

“There was one New Zealand collector who bought six works, another who bought four and several who bought individual works.

“As the first exhibition to tour here from Mossgreen Australia it was a great success, with results well over estimates. All 500 photographs were sold, with numerous records established. Dupain’s iconic “Sunbaker,” which would normally sells for around $30,000 sold for a record $112,778.

The company has had a successful August sale which featured two Frances Hodgkins works; Ibiza selling for $246,256 and River Boats for $228,237. The two works were obtained for auction from the Geoffrey Gore family in Maine with whom Webb’s have had a long association. These were probably the last two major Hodgkins works held by the family who had been major supporters of Hodgkins when she lived in England.

Mrs Coupland believes that there are changes happening in the market “There is an increase in competition and professionalism which has led to greater emphasis on greater scholarship which is an absolute benefit to the consumer.

“Key contemporary practitioners will continue to do well and some new contemporary practitioners will come through.”

“More and more the great works from the modernist period are generating competition and there is an interest in those great works. But it comes down to the works being the best of their type.”

The market for both Lindauer and Goldie is strong and anything to do with Maori portraiture is strong and we will be working hard in that area.”

“Anything that is historically important in terms of its subject such as early topographical views of a city or depiction of early Maori by artists such as Robley, George, French, Angas and von Tempsky will continue to sell well but I think that more and more they will be sought by private buyers as opposed to public institutions.”

“However, views of Milford Sound by artists such as Gully, I don’t see that market improving at any time soon – it seems to have stabilised in the past 10 years.”

In September there will be a fine collectable art sale comprising paintings, sculptures, graphic editions and works on paper by leading contemporary, modernist and historical artists, with estimated values under $20,000. European and other international works are also offered. The sale will be presented alongside a sale of decorative art and antique collections and jewels and watches.There will also be a major painting auction in November.