As Leonard Joel’s Head of Luxury, John D’Agata sees his fair share of beautiful luxury handbags. Here, he shares five reasons to love them. 1. A Personal Tool-Kit Don’t leave home without it! Everything that you need must be at your fingertips. Looking for that credit card for that ‘must have’ purchase? Need a freshen […]
“I was not a pusher, and maybe that’s the reason I did not get to the place I should have had.” Eileen Gray As Le Corbusier’s heart failed him and he was lost beneath the waves of the French Riviera, he found himself – for one last time – in the shadow of Eileen Gray’s […]
Chiara Curcio, Leonard Joel’s Head of Decorative Arts, sits down with Asian Art Specialist Carl Wantrup to explore the world of collecting, appreciating, and understanding Asian antiques and works of art. Where did your passion for Asian antiques and design begin? My grandfather was a collector of old European paintings and decorative arts, but also […]
Throughout shifting cultures, societies, and tastes, portraiture has remained one of the most popular, prosperous, and personal choices of artistic subject matter. Britain’s obsession with portraiture infiltrated Australian art from its colonisation in the 1780s. Our first artist professionally trained as a portrait painter was Richard Read Senior, who arrived in Sydney as a convict […]
Colour surrounds us in the natural world, and while we often take it for granted, it has more influence on us than we may imagine. Some behavioural scientists contended that colour has an impact on our moods. Marketers frequently leverage colour to sway our buying behaviour. Stylists use colour to assert attitude. Ancient civilisations allocated […]
For many regular Leonard Joel clientele, Wednesday viewing days are an unmissable ritual that forms part of their weekly routine, serving as both a shopping exercise and a social event. This was true for long-time patron, Rodney Permezel. Every Wednesday, he would be seen visiting all departments, effortlessly engaging in lengthy discussions on antiques or […]
The economy of beautiful things and interesting people, as I like to personally describe Leonard Joel, is, with 2020 behind us, a very different auction house that looks to the future with a commitment to improving our digital and physical customer experiences. Having pushed through all the challenges – both frightening and fascinating – of […]
With a dazzling natural blue hue and weighing an impressive 45.52cts, the Hope diamond is unrivalled as a rare natural wonder. With impressive provenance and owners including Louis XVI, Pierre Cartier and Harry Winston, stories surrounding the stone have associated it with tragedy and misfortune – a supposed ‘curse’ of the blue diamond. Originally known […]
Following the success of our first collection of works by Wes Walters in 2020, we are pleased to present ‘A Collection of Works by Wes Walters: Part II’ within our forthcoming Auction Salon on Thursday 28 January. Known for his near-realistic portraits and abstract landscapes, Wes Walters was arguably one of the most talented artists […]
We are thrilled to announce that on the 8th of December 2020 in Sydney, the highly anticipated Important Jewels auction became our most successful sale to date, realising a total of $2,337,250 IBP across 99 lots. The collection was curated by Hamish Sharma, our recently appointed Head of Important Jewels, and included a diverse selection […]