Latest News Articles by Alex Capon

Jean-Etienne Liotard scene at Sotheby's

Sotheby’s Old Master sale led by Liotard’s breakfast scene, selling to a museum at £3.8m

07 July 2016

A rare interior scene by Swiss painter Jean-Etienne Liotard (1702-1789) was the top lot at Sotheby’s Old Masters evening sale last night, selling at £3.8m.

William Dobson self-portrait at Bonhams

Early William Dobson self-portrait takes £920,000 at Bonhams

06 July 2016

An early 17th century self-portrait by the English court painter William Dobson (1611-46) was knocked down at £920,000 at Bonhams’ Old Masters sale today.

silver gilt teaset at sworders

Echoes of William Beckford as silver-gilt teaset triples estimate at Stansted sale

05 July 2016

Among the works sold over estimate at today’s silver and jewellery auction at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet was a rare silver-gilt three-piece teaset that tripled expectations when it was knocked down at £4100.

Ex-Sotheby’s duo Wyndham and Clore to set up in London as fine art advisors

05 July 2016

Two key figures who left senior roles at Sotheby’s earlier this year, Henry Wyndham and Melanie Clore, are setting up their own fine art company.

Sidney Barnsley coffer

Sidney Barnsley furniture from maker’s family sells for over £30,000 at Salisbury auction

05 July 2016

Five pieces of furniture consigned from direct descendants of architect and craftsman Sidney Barnsley (1865-1926) drew bidders’ attention at Woolley & Wallis’ latest Arts and Crafts sale in Salisbury.

Sotheby’s auction selling Jenny Saville Shift

In numbers: London’s Contemporary art sales

04 July 2016

The Contemporary art sales in London last week saw a reduced supply of major works affect the overall totals which came in at their lowest levels since 2013. However, the material on offer generally met with decent demand and fears of a Brexit meltdown in the market did not materialise.

Joshua Reynolds portrait at Christie's

10 highlights and key statistics from Christie’s ‘Defining British Art’ sale

01 July 2016

The latest themed auction held by Christie’s was their ‘Defining British Art’ evening sale in London. View ATG’s selection of 10 highlights here.

Henry Moore at Christie's Defining British Art

Christie’s British art auction survives Brexit and sets £22m record for Henry Moore sculpture

01 July 2016

A series of blue-chip consignments from different sectors of the market helped Christie’s ‘Defining British Art’ evening sale in London last night to a £99.5m total including premium. The auction offered paintings by major names including Joshua Reynolds, John Constable, Stanley Spencer, Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon but it was a Henry Moore sculpture that led proceedings, selling at £22m.

Florida fair organisers fight over new event in Palm Beach

30 June 2016

A dispute has erupted between fair organisers in Florida over a new event being launched in Palm Beach next January.

Christie’s post-war and contemporary art auction

Johnny Depp’s Basquiat paintings fetch £7.6m at Christie’s

30 June 2016

Two paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) consigned to auction by the actor Johnny Depp sold for a combined £7.6m at Christie’s evening sale of post-war and Contemporary art last night.

Nazi-looted art body calls for more transparency in German art market

29 June 2016

Calls for greater transparency in the way German institutions deal with Nazi-looted art should be extended to the country’s art and antiques trade, the Commission for Looted Art in Europe has said.

Sotheby’s auction selling Jenny Saville Shift

Market rides Brexit fears at Sotheby’s Contemporary art sale as major record set for Jenny Saville

29 June 2016

Fears that the Brexit vote would seriously impact the art market were partially allayed last night as Sotheby’s Contemporary art sale delivered robust results.

Amedeo Modigliani portrait

Modigliani portrait of dealer’s wife is top lot at Christie’s as market looks uncertain

22 June 2016

In a difficult evening sale of Impressionist and Modern art at Christie’s, Amedeo Modigliani’s (1884-1920) portrait of Madame Hanka Zborowska was one of few highpoints.

Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso

Picasso and Modigliani headline Sotheby’s slim Impressionist and Modern art auction

22 June 2016

It was a pretty short sale. Sotheby’s evening sale of Impressionist and Modern art auction last night offered just 27 lots and took less than 90 minutes to complete.

Hannah O’Leary of Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s launch specialist auctions in London of Modern and Contemporary African Art

21 June 2016

Sotheby’s will start dedicated sales of Modern and Contemporary African Art in London next year. The decision underlines the growing importance of a sector in which Bonhams have stolen a march in recent years.

Dr Clare McAndrew

TEFAF to maintain annual art market report as Clare McAndrew joins Contemporary fair

21 June 2016

TEFAF have said they still will maintain an annual art market report despite losing the services of Dr Clare McAndrew who is joining up with Art Basel.

Chinese blue and white vase with a Qianlong seal

Qianlong vase emerges at Derbyshire auction with £300,000-500,000 estimate

17 June 2016

Auctioneers Hansons of Etwall, Derbyshire have announced they will be offering a fine Chinese blue and white vase with a Qianlong seal mark at their sale on July 1.

A still life of roses by FCB Cadell

Edinburgh surgeon’s Scottish Colourist paintings give £1.23m lift to Lyon & Turnbull’s fine art auction

17 June 2016

A private collection of Scottish Colourist paintings assembled by a former president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh gave a major boost to Lyon & Turnbull’s latest specialist auction of Scottish Paintings & Sculpture.

LS Lowry works from Cilla Black's collection

Cilla Black’s Lowry paintings sold at Sotheby’s Modern British art auction

14 June 2016

Three works by LS Lowry (1887-1976) formerly owned by the late Cilla Black sold for almost £700,000 (including premium) at Sotheby’s yesterday.

Affordable Art Fair Running Gallery

A fair preview with a difference on London's Hampstead Heath

13 June 2016

People out for an early morning jog or dog walk on Hampstead Heath, London had a bit of a surprise today as heads were turned by seven artworks on display to promote the forthcoming return of the Affordable Art Fair.