Lot 55

The Collection of Donald Holt, Delmore Gallery
Sotheby's, Supporter of the Arts Charity Auction, Melbourne, 31 May 2000, lot 13
Private collection, Melbourne

This painting was acquired at Sotheby's Melbourne in the 2000 Supporters of the Arts charity auction. The initiative brought together leading collectors, gallerists, philanthropists and prominent public figures, who donated works to raise funds for some of Victoria's most significant cultural institutions, including the Melbourne Theatre Company, Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet, Arts Centre Melbourne and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

The painting was donated by Delmore Gallery, then under the direction of Donald Holt, Emily Kame Kngwarreye's representative. According to the Sotheby's catalogue, Holt commissioned the work while Emily was at Delmore Station in 1994. He remarked, "Emily enjoyed painting this work, my family and friends have always liked it. I'm sure it will be appreciated in the future!" Before donating it to the charity auction, Holt told the current owner that the painting had hung in his own living room, further underscoring its quality and distinguished history. Emily Kame Kngwarreye is widely regarded as one of Australia's most significant Indigenous artists, with her paintings among the most sought after works in the Australian art market.

© Emily Kam Kngwarray/Copyright Agency, 2026