Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
![‘Le Port au soleil couchant, Opus 236 (Saint-Tropez)’ by Paul Signac](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/39692/paul-signac-christies-christies-2382ne-28-02-19.jpg?center=0.41769547325102879,0.4743362831858407&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131957757740000000&updated=02%2f27%2f2019+21%3a16%3a14)
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's Le Palais Ducal](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/39685/claude-monet-le-palais-ducal-sothebys-2382ne-27-02-19.jpg?center=0.29936305732484075,0.36559139784946237&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131956892350000000&updated=02%2f26%2f2019+21%3a13%3a55)
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 New Bond Street](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/39683/sothebys-new-bond-street-2382ne-26-02-19.jpg?center=0.75411764705882356,0.37389770723104054&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131956570670000000&updated=02%2f26%2f2019+12%3a17%3a47)
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.
![‘Venus and Cupid’ by Lucas Cranach the Elder](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/39469/venus-and-cupid-by-lucas-cranach-2381neb-25-02-19.jpg?center=0.40157480314960631,0.53577371048252909&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131952461710000000&updated=02%2f21%2f2019+18%3a09%3a31)
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.
![Most Read.jpg](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/34324/most-read.jpg?center=0.5,0.48987108655616945&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131837333650000000&updated=10%2f11%2f2018+11%3a09%3a25)
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’.
![Anthony van Dyck portrait](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/39465/anthony-van-dyck-2381ne-21-02-19.jpg?center=0.22705882352941176,0.48469387755102039&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131952324480000000&updated=02%2f21%2f2019+14%3a20%3a48)
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.
![Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/39449/leonardo-da-vinci-salvator-mundi-2381ne-20-02-19.jpg?center=0.344,0.4913294797687861&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131951453780000000&updated=02%2f20%2f2019+14%3a09%3a38)
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.
![Rembrandt’s ‘Head of a Young Man’](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/39209/rembrandt-louvre-abu-dhabi-2381nedi-18-02-19.jpg?center=0.44042232277526394,0.54242928452579031&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131947181680000000&updated=02%2f15%2f2019+15%3a29%3a28)
Louvre Abu Dhabi revealed as buyer of £8.2m Rembrandt portrait at Sotheby’s
18 February 2019The Louvre Abu Dhabi has been revealed as the buyer of the small Rembrandt oil painting that led Sotheby’s Old Master evening sale in London at the end of last year after it went on view at the museum in the United Arab Emirates.
![Maori pendant](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/39180/tiki-grand-auctions.jpg?center=0.25907384230287861,0.47166666666666668&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131946314060000000&updated=02%2f14%2f2019+15%3a23%3a26)
Five lots to watch at auction this week including a Versace tiara sketch, a Tompion clock and a Maori carving
18 February 2019With estimates from £800-50,000, here are five previews from upcoming sales this week.
Christie’s voluntarily returns group of eight looted antiquities to Italy
15 February 2019A group of eight antiquities that was consigned to Christie’s has been returned to Italy after the works were identified as not having the necessary export and provenance details to be sold.
![Most Read.jpg](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/34324/most-read.jpg?center=0.5,0.48987108655616945&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131837333650000000&updated=10%2f11%2f2018+11%3a09%3a25)
Top stories this week – including news of changes to eBay’s new postal tracking policy
15 February 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of a change to eBay’s postal tracking policy and a dealer offering a £10m Victorian painting.
![Richard Green gallery in New Bond Street](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/39167/richard-green-gallery-2380ne-14-02-19.jpg?center=0.74,0.540765391014975&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131945518120000000&updated=02%2f13%2f2019+17%3a16%3a52)
Richard Green gallery to defend High Court claim over €5m paintings sale
14 February 2019London gallery Richard Green has said it will defend a claim made in the High Court by a client who purchased two Old Masters for €5m at TEFAF Maastricht last year.
![recovered manuscripts_4008 2379NE.jpg](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/39125/recovered-manuscripts_4008-2379ne.jpg?center=0.36444444444444446,0.57237936772046594&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131943516010000000&updated=02%2f11%2f2019+09%3a40%3a01)
Rare manuscripts stolen from London auction house recovered in Italy
11 February 2019A group of illuminated manuscripts valued at £100,000 that were stolen from a London auction house in 2016 have been recovered in Italy.
![French President Emmanuel Macron](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/38905/emmanuel-macron-2379ne-08-02-19.jpg?center=0.33,0.51081530782029949&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131941075130000000&updated=02%2f08%2f2019+13%3a51%3a53)
French trade bodies call on President Macron to stop UK art market gaining an advantage from Brexit
08 February 2019Members of the trade federation Conseil National du Marché de l’Art (CNMA) have published an open letter to President Emmanuel Macron and the French government calling for changes to stop France’s art market losing out to the UK after Brexit.
![EBay office](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/38868/ebay-office-2379ne-08-02-19.jpg?center=0.50497512437810943,0.34608985024958405&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=133084098930000000&updated=09%2f23%2f2022+11%3a31%3a33)
Ebay’s new tracking policy could lead to higher postage fees
08 February 2019EBay has announced a change to its postal tracking policy as a caution against buyers who fraudulently claim they never received items that were sent.
![Most Read.jpg](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/34324/most-read.jpg?center=0.5,0.48987108655616945&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131837333650000000&updated=10%2f11%2f2018+11%3a09%3a25)
Top stories this week – including news of a Chinese vase bringing spectacular bidding and Christie’s increasing its buyer’s fees
08 February 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of a Chinese blue and white vase with Ming style decoration making over 10 times estimate, as well as Christie’s decision to raise its buyer’s premium.
![img_5-1.jpg](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/38812/img_5-1.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131937468350000000&updated=02%2f04%2f2019+09%3a40%3a35)
Drawing conclusions from NY Old Master sales as women artists emerge triumphant
04 February 2019A record for a female Old Master and a Rubens with a royal connection was not quite enough to heat up bidding across the latest Old Master auction series in New York this winter.
![Most Read.jpg](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/34324/most-read.jpg?center=0.5,0.48987108655616945&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131837333650000000&updated=10%2f11%2f2018+11%3a09%3a25)
Top stories this week – including news of a fair organiser’s innovative way of discouraging early leavers
03 February 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of Adams Fairs’ interesting approach to discourage exhibitors from leaving early.
![Christie’s auction gavels](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/38632/christies-gavel-2378ne-31-01-19.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131934282290000000&updated=01%2f31%2f2019+17%3a10%3a29)
Christie’s raises buyer’s premium to target 'middle market' and top-end
31 January 2019Christie’s has raised its buyer’s premium, increasing the level at which its 25% threshold applies and adding an extra percentage point to its charges above £3m. The new schedule takes effect from February 1.
![Portrait of Muhammad Dervish Khan by Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun](https://gazette-eu-west2.azureedge.net/media/38625/muhammad-dervish-khan-by-vigee-le-brun-2378ne-31-01-19.jpg?center=0.18,0.50476190476190474&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=131934237200000000&updated=01%2f31%2f2019+15%3a55%3a20)
Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun portrait triples the auction record for any female Old Master
31 January 2019A life-sized portrait by Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) set a record for any female Old Master when it was knocked down at $6.1m (£4.67m) at Sotheby’s New York last night.