Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
Bidders snap up letters from Pre-Raphaelite patron’s collection at Trevanion & Dean auction
21 September 2018A group of 66 letters from the collection of an important patron of Pre-Raphaelite artists raised a £25,000 total at Shropshire auctioneers Trevanion & Dean.
Assyrian relief expected to raise over $10m at Christie’s New York
17 September 2018A 3000-year-old Assyrian relief unearthed from the royal palace at Nimrud will be offered at Christie’s New York on October 31. It is expected to exceed $10m.
Christie's to offer one of the earliest pieces of ancient art in the US
17 September 2018One of the earliest pieces of ancient art in the US, an ancient Assyrian relief that arrived in Virginia before the American Civil War, is being offered at auction.
Sotheby’s to offer two Royal portraits by Anthony van Dyck
12 September 2018Two royal portraits by Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), including one of the future King Charles II, have been pitched at a combined £2.6m-3.8m as part of Sotheby’s Old Master auction in London on December 5.
Robert Brooks bows out as Bonhams sold to Epiris
10 September 2018Bonhams’ chairman Robert Brooks is retiring from the auction house after selling the company to private equity group Epiris.
Pick of the Week: Poster promoting first movie show makes £160,000 at Sotheby's
10 September 2018Posters advertising the first-ever public screening of a film, which took place in Paris in 1895, have hardly ever emerged outside France. While one is known in an American collection, the appearance of another at Sotheby’s latest online film posters auction understandably caused some excitement.
Art from Rugby School’s historic collection consigned to Christie’s
10 September 2018Christie’s is staging a stand-alone sale of works from Rugby School in December. The 200 lots are expected to raise around £3m.
Christie’s place $70m estimate on Edward Hopper’s ‘Chop Suey’ after securing $300m Ebsworth collection
08 September 2018Christie’s are offering what they claim is the most important work by Edward Hopper (1882-1967) remaining in private hands. ‘Chop Suey’ from 1929 will be estimated in the region of $70m when it appears at auction later this year.
Bonhams business sold to private equity firm Epiris
04 September 2018Auction house Bonhams has been acquired by the private equity group Epiris.
Unveiling of Salvator Mundi at Louvre Abu Dhabi delayed
04 September 2018Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism is postponing the unveiling of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’ at The Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Italy’s decision to cancel export licence “undermines trust”, says dealer
03 September 2018An art dealership that sold a portrait of Napoleon’s brother-in-law to The Frick Collection in New York has strongly criticised Italy’s decision to retrospectively rescind its export licence.
Christie’s to offer major Chinese rarity as Song Dynasty scroll is given £40m estimate
03 September 2018An extraordinarily rare artwork by pre-eminent Chinese scholar Su Shi (1037-1101) will be offered at Christie’s Hong Kong later this year. The auctioneers are hoping that it could make a record for any Asian work of art.
10 highlights from Sotheby’s Irish art sales going on view in Dublin
30 August 2018Works from two prominent collections of Irish art are going on view at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin this week ahead of being offered at Sotheby’s in London. They feature works by some of Ireland's greatest painters.
A Gold Rush for Heritage Auctions in Philadelphia
27 August 2018Heritage Auctions reported a string of high-value sales as part of its numismatic auctions held alongside Philadelphia’s 'World’s Fair of Money'.
Rare example of the ‘first dollar of the New World’ sells at Heritage’s coin auction
27 August 2018The silver eight-Reales coins struck in Mexico City in the 1530s are sometimes referred to as the ‘first dollar of the New World’.
“Not the product of a human mind”: Christie’s to test market for portrait created solely by Artificial Intelligence
25 August 2018An unfinished copy of 19th century portrait? A defaced painting of a churchman? A piece of contemporary art? This painting could be all three.
“The ultimate collector's poster” – 5 lots from Sotheby’s dedicated sale including the design for the first ever public film screening
24 August 2018Sotheby’s latest online sale of film posters includes plenty of designs for 20th century cinema classics – but also a remarkable 19th century example.
Welsh connections: Christie’s brokers sale of Augustus John portrait of Dylan Thomas to National Portrait Gallery
22 August 2018Christie’s has helped broker the sale of portrait of a young Dylan Thomas by Augustus John (1878-1961) to the National Portrait Gallery.
Why reclining Morris armchair proved a £7600 Victorian seat of power
17 August 2018A Morris & Co adjustable armchair brought strong competition at a recent auction in Cumbria. In largely original condition despite some obvious signs of wear and tear, it was taken to 10 times its estimate at PFK Auctioneers before it was knocked down at £7600.
Rossetti the salesman – unrecorded letters from Pre-Raphaelite patron’s collection discovered in house clearance
17 August 2018A large cache of letters from Victorian artists including founder member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) have been consigned to Shropshire auctioneers Trevanion & Dean.