Inside the Room with Menzies

To begin, could you briefly introduce Menzies to readers who may be new to your auctions: what you specialise in, how often you sell, and the types of collectors you serve?

We are a family-owned and operated auction house, based in Melbourne and Sydney, specialising in the sale of Important Australian & International Art & Sculpture. We conduct three live and one online auction per year – in April, June, August and November. In addition, we conduct private sales, provide written valuations, and offer professional art storage.

We service a broad range of collectors, from those starting out right through to sophisticated private and institutional collections. Buying and selling can be daunting, so we make it as accessible, approachable and transparent as possible. Cultivating an art collection is a wonderfully exciting endeavour, and we are passionate about guiding our clients in an inspired but highly professional and responsible manner.

You are presenting Del Kathryn Barton’s the heart land (2013–14) as a single-lot, live sale on Thursday 27 November 2025. Why a standalone format for this work, and what experience are you aiming to create for bidders on the night?

the heart land is a five-panel masterpiece by this country’s pre-eminent contemporary painter. It spans nine metres and could sell for as much as $2 million. Given its scale, singularity and value, it was an easy decision to give it standalone status. Our last single-lot, live sale was Brett Whiteley’s Henri’s Armchair in November 2020; it achieved $6.25 million, still the international auction record for any Australian work of art. The standalone format certainly works for the right commodity.

This model suits consignors seeking a world-class platform. For bidders, we remain committed to live auctions, which radiate excitement, entertainment and engagement. Despite the shift online in recent years, ours is a conservative business: face-to-face client engagement, rigorous catalogues, and live rooms that foster bonhomie and competition are key pillars.

How did this consignment come about? Could you provide some background on the work’s provenance and recent display history?

The painting was created over two years as a special commission for the Adelaide Biennial in 2014, then shown at Melbourne Art Fair later that year, where it promptly sold. It featured prominently in Know My Name (2020), a publications-and-exhibitions initiative championing Australia’s living female artists, of which Del Kathryn Barton is a true pioneer.

Until recently, it hung in the home/museum of a Sydney collector, specially installed in a subterranean garage with both artificial and natural light — think MONA meets the bat

cave. Despite its size, it is versatile: it can be displayed in an L-shape on adjacent walls, or the five panels can be separated across different locations.

Looking beyond this auction, what can collectors expect from Menzies?

Alongside the Del Kathryn Barton sale, we are conducting a mixed-vendor auction of Important Australian & International Art and the Frank & Janet South Collection on 19 November in Melbourne, featuring masterpieces by Sidney Nolan, John Brack, William Robinson, Arthur Boyd, Charles Blackman and Fred Williams, alongside works across genres and price points.

LEARN MORE https://www.menziesartbrands.com/