Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
Kyiv belltower view stands out as a Williams watercolour highlight
04 October 2024A collection of watercolours amassed by Iolo Williams (1890-1962) which had been kept under a bed for over half a century raised a total of £89,150 at Olympia Auctions on October 2.
More antiques head for scrap as gold reaches all-time high
02 October 2024This week’s record gold price has led to greater amounts of antique items being scrapped.
Dealer Dickinson offers ‘early Michelangelo’
30 September 2024London dealer Dickinson is offering what it says is ‘the one of the most exciting old master discoveries to have been made in recent decades, and is an important addition to the small group of extant drawings by Michelangelo’.
Paul Allen’s science and tech lots tell a story of human ingenuity
30 September 2024Memorabilia collected by a founding father of modern computing makes for a remarkable auction
Whistler’s first paid portrait brings £320,000
30 September 2024James McNeill Whistler’s (1834-1903) first portrait commission, a painting of Lucas Alexander Ionides, drew a strong bidding battle at Bonhams on September 25.
‘A treasury of theatrical and cultural life’: John Osborne collection comes to Olympia Auctions
26 September 2024The collection of playwright John Osborne (1929-1994) is coming to auction next month.
Early Whistler portrait makes £320,000 at Bonhams
25 September 2024James McNeill Whistler’s (1834-1903) first portrait commission, a painting of his friend Lucas Alexander Ionides, drew a strong bidding battle at Bonhams earlier today.
Getty museum returns ancient bronze couch
23 September 2024The J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has returned an ancient bronze funerary couch to Turkey after concluding that it had been illicitly excavated in the early 1980s.
Art Market: Results leave you feeling cocky
23 September 2024Recent picture highlights at auction include works by artist renowned for his poultry depictions and writing on the subject
Getty Museum returns ancient bronze couch to Turkey
19 September 2024The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has returned an ancient bronze funerary couch to Turkey after concluding that it had been illicitly excavated in the early 1980s.
Bruun collection sets record for any Scandinavian coin
18 September 2024The first part of the auction of the extraordinary coin collection of Lars Emil Bruun (1852-1923) raised a total of €14.8m (£12.5m) including premium last week.
Member of Reverend’s family buys LS Lowry collaborative work
17 September 2024A depiction of a church by LS Lowry (1887-1976) made in collaboration with his lifelong friend Revd Geoffrey Bennett drew strong interest at the latest sale at Mitchells in Cumbria.
Records tumble at Paul Allen auctions
16 September 2024Christie’s posted a spate of record prices at three New York sales from September 10-12 offering Paul Allen’s extraordinary collection of scientific and technological items.
Hublin's peasant girl returns to France
16 September 2024In the 1870s, French artist Émile-Auguste Hublin (1830-91) made frequent trips to the villages of Brittany, producing a large body of work recording the customs – and costumes – of traditional rural life as the region rapidly industrialised.
William Prinsep prices pick up the pace as records tumble
16 September 2024Recent sale results for the Anglo-Indian artist show a sharp rise as topographical views gain popularity
Hughes prices go with the tidal flow
16 September 2024Two views of the same stretch of Cornish coastline by Arthur Hughes (1832-1915) both attracted interest but made contrasting sums at a recent sale at Canterbury Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium).
‘Dutch school’ portrait catches the eye making over 40 times estimate in Ruislip
13 September 2024With Old Master sleeper spotters trawling through online catalogues looking for works with hidden potential, it’s not unusual for the odd lot to draw an unexpected bidding at sales all over the country.
Auction record for any computer as Paul Allen’s Cray-1 sells at Christie’s
11 September 2024A Cray-1 Supercomputer owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen set a new high for any computer sold at auction when it took $810,000 (£618,320) at Christie’s New York.
Contemporaneous sketch of the demolished Bastille makes $1.6m at Freeman’s Hindman
10 September 2024A sketch which was given by the Marquis de Lafayette to the first American president George Washington sold for $1.6m (£1.22m) at an auction in Philadelphia earlier today.
Restituted Cranach the Elder comes to auction after museum deal with heirs
09 September 2024A portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) and his workshop which has been in an American museum since the 1960s will be offered at Christie’s New York in January following an agreement between the institution and the heirs of a Jewish collector.