Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
David Bowie demo tape for Starman sells for £41,000 at Merseyside auction
13 March 2019A tape thought to contain “possibly the first ever demo version” of David Bowie’s 1972 hit ‘Starman’ drew strong competition at Omega Auctions’ latest sale.
Irma Stern portrait leads South African politician’s collection of works being offered at Cape Town auction
13 March 2019Two private collections of South African art have yielded works by some of the leading names in the market to Strauss’ sale in Cape Town on March 18.
London's Contemporary art sales fall year-on-year despite sales of Hockney and Freud portraits
11 March 2019A lack of sufficient stellar consignments at the latest Contemporary art sales in London meant the overall total was down on last year.
John Armstrong wartime painting to be offered at Dreweatts' spring sale
11 March 2019Dreweatts’ Modern and Contemporary art sale in Newbury on April 3 will offer a range of Modern British pictures, including a selection of St Ives School group works. However, one of the main highlights in this category is a wartime painting by John Armstrong (1893-1973) which carries an estimate of £20,000-30,000.
Pat Douthwaite and Mary Fedden come to the fore in Edinburgh sale
11 March 2019Lyon & Turnbull is holding an auction of Modern & Contemporary art, sculpture and design at The Mall Galleries in London on March 27 under the title Modern Made.
Anne Redpath still life among leading lots at auction of works from Hertfordshire County Council
11 March 2019An impressive collection of 20th century British pictures will be offered at Cheffins in Cambridge on March 21 after Hertfordshire County Council took the decision to offload them.
Top stories this week – including news of the ‘ultimate attic find’ coming to auction and Bonhams raising its buyer’s premium
08 March 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of a painting found in a French attic believed to be by Caravaggio and now due to be auctioned with a valuation of over £100m, as well as Bonhams raising its buyer’s premium to a level beyond Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips.
David Hockney double portrait at Christie’s tops London’s Contemporary art auction series
07 March 2019A large David Hockney (b.1937) double portrait led Christie’s latest evening sale of post-war and contemporary art in London.
Huge Jenny Saville painting at Sotheby’s auction makes 1000% increase over 10 years
06 March 2019It was a case of little and large at Sotheby’s last night as an enormous work by Jenny Saville (b.1970) and a small portrait by Lucian Freud both sold at the firm’s latest Contemporary art evening sale in London.
Journeys of discovery: Highlights from the stands of 11 dealers at TEFAF 2019
04 March 2019An intriguing find by a dealer new to TEFAF Maastricht leads a look at some of the highlights on offer at the huge event.
How the art and antiques trade is preparing for Brexit
04 March 2019As we approach a crunch vote on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal, a no-deal result is still a possibility – so too the prospect of an extension to the Article 50 process beyond the March 29 deadline. As the selection of comments and advice from across the trade suggests, the art and antiques sector, like businesses up and down the country, is preparing for every eventuality.
Top stories this week – including news of Sotheby’s and Phillips raising their buyer’s premiums
03 March 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of Sotheby’s and Phillips raising their buyer’s premiums with the new rates higher than rivals Christie’s.
The ‘Toulouse Caravaggio’ – painting found in French attic valued at £100m to be offered without reserve at auction
28 February 2019A marketing drive has begun for the sale of a painting touted as the ‘Toulouse Caravaggio (1571-1610)’. The picture was unveiled in London today ahead of its auction in France in June.
Pointillist painting of Saint Tropez by Paul Signac sets artist’s record at Christie’s auction
27 February 2019A quintessential pointillist painting of the sun setting over the port of Saint Tropez made an auction record for Paul Signac (1863-1935) at Christie’s latest Impressionist & Modern art auction in London.
Claude Monet view of the Doge’s Palace in Venice sells for £24m at Sotheby’s
26 February 2019A painting of the Doge’s Palace in Venice made by Claude Monet (1840-1926) during his one and only trip to Venice was knocked down at £24m at Sotheby’s latest Impressionist & Modern art auction in London.
Sotheby’s and Phillips raise buyer’s premium with new rates higher than Christie’s
26 February 2019Auction house Sotheby’s has increased its buyer’s premium to a level that goes beyond the recent changes announced by Christie’s.
Trio of high-value Old Master paintings enter museums
25 February 2019Three major Old Master acquisitions by museums have been announced over the last fortnight. They include two works that headlined London’s latest auction series in this category.
Top stories this week – including news of a dealer defending a High Court claim over the sale of two Old Masters
22 February 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of London gallery Richard Green defending a claim made in the High Court relating to the disclosure of ‘provenance information’.
Hungarian government helps Budapest museum purchase £5m Anthony van Dyck portrait of English princess at Christie’s auction
21 February 2019The Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest has announced that it bought the Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) portrait of Princess Mary, daughter of Charles I, that sold for £5m at Christie’s in December.
Salvator Mundi: Louvre museum asks owner to loan world’s most expensive painting for Paris exhibition
20 February 2019The Louvre museum in Paris has requested the loan of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’ for its major exhibition dedicated to the artist opening in October.