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Louis le Brocquy.

RTÉ sells off Louis le Brocquy painting for €102,000

The national broadcaster is dealing with a serious financial crisis.

JUST ONE OF three paintings put up for auction by RTÉ at Sotheby’s in London managed to sell.

The only lot to sell was lot 73, Louis le Brocquy’s Táin. This was sold for €102,253, after bidding on the phones and the internet – but it was a room bidder who secured the painting. 

It had a bid of €58,390 prior to the auction and was valued at between €81,746 and €116,780. However, the €102,253 reached will be split 50/50 between RTÉ as the Arts Council, as the council financed half of the purchase. This means RTÉ will receive around €50,000.

The national broadcaster will also have to pay a private vendor’s commission to Sotheby’s.

Another Louis Le Brocquy, The Massing of the Armies, had a bid of €99,263 prior to the auction and was valued at between €140,000 and €210,000 – but did not sell as it reached only €110,000 in the room, some €30,000 lower than its starting estimate.

The two Le Brocquys were commissioned by RTÉ in 1966 and 2000.

Lot 86, by the late award-winning Tony O’Malley, Inscape Mozaga, had a prior bid of €12,845 and was valued at €17,517 to €29,195, but did not sell as it reached only €16,349.

Another painting, George Campbell’s Symphony Orchestra, was also listed with an estimated price of between €26,950 and €41,000. The lot was withdrawn prior to the sale and it has been sold privately.

If all of the paintings had sold, including Symphony Orchestra,  for the higher price they would have raised €691,300.

A spokesperson for Sotheby’s said: “Just one of the paintings sold and the commission to be paid to us by RTÉ is agreed privately and is on a sliding scale. The amount paid on commission is on a case by case basis.

“I can confirm that the George Campbell painting was sold privately prior to the auction but cannot say how much it was sold for.”

He said they would not be commenting on the next move by RTÉ on when and if the paintings which did not sell would go back on the public market or were to be sold privately.

RTÉ’s takings from the sales will be further reduced because it has to split the proceeds from the sale of Táin and Abstract Painting with the Arts Council because it helped to fund the original purchases. 

RTÉ financial situation has been under considerably pressure in recent years, recording losses of €20 million in 2016 and €13 million in 2018. 

In a statement, the national broadcaster said all proceeds raised from the sale of the art works will be reinvested in the organisation.

“The five art works put up for action by RTÉ are part of a wider collection which dates back over 50 years. While the proceeds raised in the auction will be reinvested in the organisation, as previously stated, RTÉ is well aware that this sale will not solve our financial issues. In this regard, RTÉ recently published a plan which we are confident can address many of the challenges we face and bring Ireland’s national public media to stability.”

RTÉ said it has no further comment while the auction is ongoing.

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    Mute Marilyn Maroney
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    Jun 30th 2013, 3:54 PM

    Funny Facebook status: I’m sick of the gov’t reading but never liking my statuses

    56
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    Mute William Cassidy
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    Jun 30th 2013, 1:39 PM

    Can u hear me now.

    38
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    Mute John O'Brien
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    Jun 30th 2013, 1:59 PM

    Pray do explain ….

    2
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    Mute J.Rudd
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:02 PM

    Expect this article to maybe vanish mysteriously also?
    If the USA and England state secret services gets its way – maybe so!

    33
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    Mute Marilyn Maroney
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:12 PM

    Madsen sounds like just another crackpot to me.

    27
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    Mute J.Rudd
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:24 PM

    Very much so – but that don’t explain the pulling of the article regarding the EU bugging?
    A re-write was all that was needed.

    27
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    Mute Sydney shaw
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:48 PM

    That’s what they want you to think..

    23
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    Mute Jamie Edwards
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:02 PM

    Tin foil hat much?

    23
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    Mute Gearóid O Machain
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:14 PM

    when “conspiracy” theories start repeatedly slapping you in the face tin foil hats won’t save us anymore!!

    59
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    Mute Jamie Edwards
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:46 PM

    How about producing some evidence before making assertions.

    Also, the government is spying and Obama is gay. Why include the gay part? What does he gain?

    Oh yes, sensationalism. God damn sheeple will believe anything these days.

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    Mute Johnny Reynolds
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:51 PM

    Shur he’s American and part Irish too :P

    11
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    Mute guardian
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    Jun 30th 2013, 3:06 PM

    Sure they removed it as editor say the story and thought wtf sre you thinking. I could talk to someone in nut house and get same info

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    Mute Daniel Knight
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    Jun 30th 2013, 4:16 PM

    Hey moron, can you stop repeating your anti Christian hate speech sheeple slur? And moron, learn about sheep before bashing them you goat that eats anything in front of you. Why do you keep bashing God’s creatures which he made for us as a symbol, and to eat and cloth us you idiot? Grow up dummy. Might wanna watch the vid of sheep chasing a way a wolf like you, assuming idiot. Sheep have a brain, learn more about it before playing God of the animal kingdom, you cow.

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    Mute Jonny Rigley
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    Jun 30th 2013, 4:45 PM

    @ Daniel:

    That has got to be the most moronic comment i have ever read. In fact i think i have lost several IQ points just reading it the whole way through.

    I’d like to go through all the points of where your wrong but i really think it would be lost on you. I’m going to boil my point down to this: When he says sheep its a metaphor for people who are easily led in to going (believing) anywhere thier owners want them to (like sheep).

    Now go back to your sky-fairy

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    Mute benny the ball
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    Jun 30th 2013, 4:55 PM

    Comment of the week right there Daniel, you gob*hite.

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    Mute Ed Kavanagh
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    Jun 30th 2013, 6:59 PM

    Sorry Jamie, but if waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck and you still think its a sheep then you have to question which one of us are crazy. Us tin foil hatters are starting to outnumber you and very soon you will be the only sane person in a world of crazies. Then who will be the crazy one.

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    Mute Jamie Edwards
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    Jul 2nd 2013, 5:18 AM

    I must say I’m flattered you describe me as a wolf. Also, wanting evidence before believing a claim is now disliked.

    Am I seriously the only sane person here.

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    Mute Mark Mahon
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:11 PM

    NOW WE KNOW WHY SNOWDEN IS NEEDED TO AMERIKAN “KGB” SO MUCH AND SO URGENTLY!

    20
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    Mute Paul Loye
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:21 PM

    Obama would reverse into ya

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    Mute Paul Brophy
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    Jun 30th 2013, 2:36 PM

    Not if I had a US Embassy ramp in front of me.

    51
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    Mute Little Jim
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    Jun 30th 2013, 5:13 PM

    Oh, the time the beast got stuck into the ramp!

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    Mute Brian Burke
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    Jun 30th 2013, 5:13 PM

    Obama is part Irish and gay. Everyone knows that an Irish queer prefers women to drink.

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    Mute Patch Quinn
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    Jun 30th 2013, 6:00 PM

    I think the internet should be closed down country wise! Every country should be segmented!

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