Latest News Articles by Jonathan Franks
Lakshmi vendor prospers thanks to US collector's bidding
04 July 2022A US collector went way over the odds to secure a 15th century southern Indian bronze that took top honours at the Asian art sale at Lempertz (26% buyer’s premium) in Cologne.
Alice Bailly loved both art and music
06 June 2022In 1923, soon after the Swiss avant-garde artist Alice Bailly painted her 2ft 2in x 20in (65 x 50cm) canvas La cantatrice, it was bought by the collector Friedrich Trüssel at an exhibition in Bern.
Talent torn apart by tragedies
06 June 2022Two paintings sold in German auctions were produced by artists killed in wartime
Peacock chair struts to five figures
06 June 2022Inspired by British Windsor chairs, the Danish designer Hans J Wegner created his so-called Peacock chair in 1947.
Buddhist deity forges ahead
06 June 2022Among the numerous sculptures for sale at Nagel’s June 13-14 auction of Asian art in Stuttgart is the ferocious figure of the Tibetan Buddhist deity Dorje Legpa in the incarnation of Damchen Garwai Nakpo, or the Lord of the Forge.
Majorelle arrowhead table points to top-quality Art Nouveau
06 June 2022The latter years of the 19th century and the first of the 20th marked the most productive era of the French designer Louis Majorelle.
Porcelain plaque inspired by Hofmann
06 June 2022Twenty-five finely decorated porcelain plaques, several from the legacy of a German aristocratic family, are being sold at auction.
Just what the doctor ordered
06 June 2022Numerous pieces in the Asian art sale at Lempertz in Cologne on June 11 come from the collection of the German doctor Ludwig Jansen.
Headless but not valueless
09 May 2022Even though the head of the Christ Child was missing, numerous bidders joined in the action when a carved figure of the Madonna with Child came up for sale in Düsseldorf.
Mahogany armchairs inspired by Percier and Fontaine offered in Stuttgart
09 May 2022The countless designs for furniture and decorative arts created by Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, who were known as Napoleon’s architects, not only found favour with the French emperor but also had an enduring influence on cabinetmakers throughout Europe.
Romanian artist Brauner does the twist
09 May 2022The Romanian artist Victor Brauner is known above all for his disturbing Surrealist paintings, often incorporating violent scenes.
Treasures escape the Red Army
09 May 2022German castle’s works of art hidden away in the war come to light in Munich saleroom
Roll out the barrel organ
09 May 2022Until the widespread advent of the wireless, barrel organs were a familiar sight (and sound) on the streets of Berlin and other major German cities.
Sculptor on the crest of a wave
09 May 2022The Austrian sculptor Gustav Gurschner, who was particularly productive at the beginning of the 20th century, designed many functional objects such as door knockers, doorknobs and ashtrays, encapsulating the style of Viennese Jugendstil.
Swiss peak proves to be a bargain price 15 years on
09 May 2022During the late summer of 1907, the Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler visited the Engadin region and painted six landscapes of nearby mountains.
Brueghel Junior put in the picture
09 May 2022After the death of his father from cholera in 1625, Jan Brueghel the Younger returned to his home town of Antwerp.
Amber casket strikes ‘Baltic gold’ at auction
09 May 2022Over the years, the extensive general sales at Metz (25% buyer’s premium) in Heidelberg have provided many a surprise, partly explainable by the fact that all lots are offered without reserve.
Kneffel is the realistic choice
25 April 2022Passengers on the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 encounter paintings by the German artist Karin Kneffel (b.1957) whenever they visit the Britannia restaurant: eight of her monumental paintings of fruit adorn the walls. A more accessible way of finding a work by her presents itself at the June 1-3 sale at Grisebach in Berlin. On offer is her diptych (F XXXVIII) from 1997 which consists of two canvases, each measuring 5ft 11in x 5ft 11in (1.8 x 1.8m).
Distinctive body of work by Antes
25 April 2022Since 1962, when the German artist Horst Antes (b.1936) first introduced his profile of the male figure to his art, it has become an instantly recognisable aspect, not only of his paintings and lithographs but also of his sculptures.
Baselitz: the remix version
25 April 2022Since 2005, the German painter Georg Baselitz has been creating a new body of work by revisiting several of his iconic works, primarily from the 1960s, and interpreting them anew. He worked only from photographs, executing not copies, but what he calls a “remix”.