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It was in the 1970s when I first had the privilege of meeting with Vincent Ferguson. An eminent and important collector, a visit by Vincent to one's gallery (then the Lad Lane) was met with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. The fact that this elegant man was coming to see the current exhibition was seen as a mark of approval and meant a lot to the exhibiting artist. Vincent's passion, enthusiam and love of the visual arts was second to none. Only a handful of serious collectors existed in Ireland at this time, Gordon Lambert, Karl Mullen (with whom Vincent shared a love of rugby) and in Cork J.B. Kearney and Gerald Goldberg to name but a few. Later in the 1980s I got to know Vincent and his family better. Upon him acquiring the Hendriks Gallery he asked me to come and run it for him, but as I had just started negotiations to purchase the Solomon Gallery I had to turn down his kind offer. However, being the ever-helpful person he was, he agree to go guarantor for me, thus enabling me to realise my ambition to own the Solomon. Vincent's ever discerning eye led him to collect work by artists who were relatively unknown but were later to become Ireland's leading painters and sculptors. He was one of the first collectors of sculptures that I ever encountered (an interest we shared) - some beautiful examples of which are in this sale, including the work of Rowan Gillespie. Vincent was to form great friendships with many of these artists, in particular with Basil Blackshaw whose work Vincent adored. Indeed one of Basil's most brilliant portraits is of Vincent Ferguson. Sligo featured greatly in Vincent's life and he loved the countryside. Also a great family man, both he and his dear wife Noeleen enjoyed on a daily basis the stunning view of Rosses Point from their home. One of my abiding memories of Vincent will be of the time that he took me to visit W.B. Yeats' grave nearby. It is appropriate I think that both Vincent and the great poet were laid to rest in their beloved Sligo. They have indeed left us a lasting legacy. Suzanne Macdougald Solomon Fine Art

Rowan Gillespie (b. 1953)

Lovers

Details

Rowan Gillespie (b. 1953)
Lovers
signed, inscribed and dated 'ROWAN/1981/1/9' (on the side); signed, inscribed and dated 'ROWAN/4/9/1982' (on the side); signed, inscribed and dated 'ROWAN/5/9/1982' (on the side); signed, inscribed and dated 'ROWAN/3/9/82' (on the side)
each bronze with a light brown patina
4½ in. (11.4 cm.) high; 7 in. (17.8 cm.) high; 6½ in. (16.5 cm.) high; 6½ in. (16.5 cm.) high (4)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis. Artist's Resale Right ("Droit de Suite"). Artist's Resale Right Regulations 2006 apply to this lot, the buyer agrees to pay us an amount equal to the resale royalty provided for in those Regulations, and we undertake to the buyer to pay such amount to the artist's collection agent.

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