Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
Leonora Carrington’s surrealist ‘masterpiece’ sets major auction record at Sotheby's
18 May 2024Setting a record for any British-born female artist at auction, a surrealist painting by Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) drew a lengthy bidding battle at Sotheby’s New York on May 15, taking the artist into a new league commercially.
Early Dod Procter portrait turns heads at West Sussex auction
16 May 2024A bidding battle broke out at Bellmans in West Sussex yesterday for an early and engaging portrait by Dod Procter (1890-1972), setting the second highest auction price ever recorded for the artist.
Rare work by English surrealist Pulham appears at Newcastle auction
13 May 2024A painting by the early English surrealist Peter Rose Pulham (1910-1956) will be offered at Newcastle saleroom Anderson & Garland later this month.
How Whistler became a prolific and powerful printmaker
13 May 2024When James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) arrived in Paris in 1855 determined to pursue a career as an artist, printmaking was experiencing a revival.
Fantin-Latour roses rise to a regional high point
06 May 2024Oil on canvas showing favoured subject of the artist takes top spot so far in UK sales outside London
Middle East painted to Western taste by Huysmans
06 May 2024To understand how European audiences viewed the Middle East in the 19th century, you could do worse than look at the body of work produced by Belgian artist Jan-Baptist Huysmans (1826-1906)*.
Oystercatchers create a splash at Macclesfield auction
03 May 2024Somewhat appropriately given the subject matter, a picture of oystercatchers flew away at a recent Adam Partridge sale in Macclesfield, Cheshire.
Indian connections help Devis for a second time
29 April 2024Following the major sum for a rare picture painted in India by Arthur William Devis (1762-1822) at Gorringe’s, another work by the artist flew over estimate a fortnight later in Devon.
Works sourced from artists' relatives add interest to West Sussex sale
29 April 2024Works consigned by family descendants of artists proved to be an intriguing aspect of the latest Old Master, British & European Paintings sale at Bellmans (25% buyer’s premium).
French royal snuffbox found in vendor’s bathroom cabinet stars in single-owner sale
26 April 2024A French gold and diamond Royal presentation portrait snuffbox was among the lots drawing strong interest at a large single-owner sale at Gloucestershire saleroom Chorley’s.
Klimt portrait sets Austrian auction record but fails to ignite bidding battle
25 April 2024A late portrait by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) that emerged at Vienna auction house im Kinsky has sold for €30m (£25.9m).
Getty Museum buys Caravaggisti party scene from private collector
24 April 2024The J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has acquired a lively 17th century genre painting by Italian artist Bartolomeo Manfredi (1582-1622).
Dealer Florence Evans takes the pick of Pillitz
22 April 2024Until late last year, few people involved in the Modern British art market, even veteran dealers, had ever heard of Hedwig Pillitz (1896-1987).
A feather in the cap of Eliot Hodgkin
22 April 2024Artist’s record broken by trademark highly detailed study of natural objects painted in tempera
‘Jazz age’ paintings removed from barn emerge at Duke’s
19 April 2024A cache of works by the ‘forgotten’ artist Kathleen Muriel Scale (1913-2006) will appear at a Dorset auction next week.
Sotheby’s to offer Sutherland study for ‘loathed’ Churchill portrait
18 April 2024Sotheby’s will offer one of the most complete surviving studies of Sir Winston Churchill by Graham Sutherland (1903-80). It was painted in preparation for the famous final portrait – a work which the sitter violently loathed and was later destroyed.
Long journey ends in LA
15 April 2024With international institutions keen to rebalance their collections to include more works by female artists, the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles announced last week that it has bought an early portrait by Sophie Frémiet (1797-1867) from a London dealer.
Seven works give market snapshot of Spencer Watson
15 April 2024A group of seven works by George Spencer Watson (1869-1934) provided a boost to Minster Auctions’ (20% buyer’s premium) recent two-day sale of fine art and antiques.
Cornish art collection creates Newlyn School wave of interest
15 April 2024One of the most important groups of works by the artists’ colony to emerge recently indicates level of demand in this market
Dealer sells portrait by female artist to Getty Museum
11 April 2024With international institutions keen to rebalance their collections to include more works by female artists, the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles announced this week that it has bought an early portrait by Sophie Frémiet (1797-1867).