Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
Modern British Art: a market benefitting from changing tastes
12 October 2020The Modern British art sector is now one of the most vibrant in the market and represent a good slice of business for both auction houses and dealers
Marquess heads back to ancestral home from US
05 October 2020A portrait of George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly, catalogued as in the ‘manner of Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641)’ was offered as the opening lot of a sale held by Sarasota Estate Auction (20% buyer’s premium) in the US.
Hard yards measure up for success
05 October 2020Challenging times mean lots of extra legwork – but London sale shows how it can be rewarded.
Affordable art: Three works sold for under £1000 including a Tom Scott watercolour
05 October 2020Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a Tom Scott watercolour.
Mystery man in pastel makes bidding lively
05 October 2020On the same day as Chiswick Auctions’ British & European Fine Art auction (see main report), a sale of Old Master Paintings & Drawings took place immediately beforehand. Comprising nearly 50 lots, it totalled £102,500 including buyer’s premium.
Austrian apples bloom in UK
05 October 2020A painting of apple blossom by the Austrian Impressionist Olga Wisinger-Florian (1844-1926) drew a five-way online bidding battle at Canterbury Auction Galleries (24% buyer’s premium inc VAT) on August 1.
Christie’s offers dedicated sale of works from Italian dealer Giuseppe Rossi’s collection
02 October 2020Items from the collection of the late Italian dealer Giuseppe Rossi (1914-89) are to be offered at Christie’s this month.
Russell Drysdale outback scene heads to Australian auction
01 October 2020One of the most important works by modern Australian artist Russell Drysdale (1912-81) has been consigned to auction by descendants of the well-known art critic Clive Turnbull.
Sketch of Captain Oates walking to his death makes £23,000 in Essex
29 September 2020A sketch for the painting ‘A Very Gallant Gentleman’ by John Charles Dollman (1851-1934) sold for £23,000 at Sworders last week.
Coincidence reunites Messel brothers after 99 years as watercolour portraits emerge at two separate auctions
28 September 2020Separated for many years, portraits of two brothers by WBE Ranken (1881-1941) came up at auction at different London salerooms last week. The fact that they emerged on the market simultaneously was seemingly pure coincidence.
Lord Snowdon sale at Christie’s led by Prince of Wales investiture chairs
28 September 2020Christie’s sale of items formerly owned by Lord Snowdon (1930-2017) was led by a pair of chairs he designed himself for the investiture of the Prince of Wales in July 1969.
Sandro Botticelli portrait comes to Sotheby’s with $80m estimate
24 September 2020Sotheby’s will offer a portrait by Sandro Botticelli (c.1445-1510) with an estimate in excess of $80m in New York next year.
The $275,000 toast to a Golden Guinness Girl
21 September 2020The highlight of a two-day sale of works from White Oaks, a prominent Atlanta mansion, was this portrait of Anglo-Irish society hostess Oonagh Guinness by Philip de László (1869-1937).
Twelve pieces of Post-War and Contemporary art coming up in autumn 2020
21 September 2020Twelve pieces of Post-War & Contemporary art from upcoming auctions taking place in the UK and overseas.
Strong response to mixed media works at Roseberys
21 September 2020A notable of feature of the Post-War and Contemporary art market is the wide variety of mediums employed.
André Masson paintings from a V&A curator bring interest at Dominic Winter
21 September 2020The works of French painter André Masson (1896-1987) are regarded as a bridge between Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism.
Market for authenticated Banksy screenprints flexes its muscles at specialist London sale
21 September 2020Interest from overseas bidders appears to be lifting the market for Banksy (b.1974) prints to a higher level.
Iraq veteran’s Military Cross sells for £36,000
21 September 2020A Military Cross group awarded to a soldier who carried a fallen comrade through fierce gunfire in Iraq sold at £36,000 (plus 20% buyer ’s premium) in Macclesfield on September 11.
Works of international appeal fire London market
21 September 2020A work on paper by Czech artist Mikulas Medek (1926- 1971) drew strong competition at Chiswick Auctions’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest British & European Fine Art sale.
‘A key figure in London’s Caribbean Artists Movement’
21 September 2020The auction record for modern Guyanese artist Aubrey Williams (1926-1990) was broken three times at auctions in the south of England this summer.