Latest News Articles by Jonathan Franks

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Guillaumin captivated by the Mediterranean light

27 March 2023

On numerous occasions in the early part of the 20th century, Armand Guillaumin visited the picturesque medieval seaside village of Le Brusc.

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Bavarian connoisseur clocks collection comes up for auction

27 March 2023

For three decades, from the 1950s-80s, a Bavarian connoisseur amassed a collection of clocks, some of which are being sold by Nagel in Stuttgart.

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Wauer finally took a shot at sculpture

27 March 2023

William Wauer was a man of many facets.

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Artist rated as the first exponent of modern Turkish painting

27 March 2023

The Franco-Turkish painter Osman Hamdi Bey bridged the gap between Orient and Occident and is regarded as the first exponent of modern Turkish painting

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End of the world viewed by Haring

20 March 2023

Much has been made of the fact that in 1988 Keith Haring produced a series of 10 signed and dated serigraphs with texts by the veteran writer William Burroughs with the title 'Apocalypse'.

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Märklin central station just the ticket among railway toys

20 March 2023

Some serious bidding action took place in the room when Lankes (25% buyer’s premium) sold tinplate toys in the small Bavarian town of Döhlau.

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Second-heaviest coin in classical numismatics sells at Berlin auction

20 March 2023

One would hardly call a 13in x 2ft 1in (34 x 63cm) copper block, weighing more than 32 pounds (14.6kg), a convenient method of payment, but in the mid-17th century such plates were indeed issued in Sweden under King Charles X Gustav.

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Postcard sends a €4000 Bauhaus message

20 March 2023

Director Gropius invited promising student Helm to promote an exhibition

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Celebrity lawyer collection brings fame and fortune

20 March 2023

The new season got off to an encouraging start for Cologne auction house Lempertz (26% buyer’s premium) when it held an African and Oceanic art sale on February 1 in Brussels

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Historic Pathé Frères films reeled in at auction

02 January 2023

A treasure trove for film aficionados was one of the highlights at Auction Team Breker (24.8% buyer’s premium) on November 5.

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Famous canine Nipper finds his voice

02 January 2023

In these days of music-streaming, the once ubiquitous image of the mongrel Nipper listening to a gramophone is no longer such a familiar sight.

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Bellotto by royal appointment

02 January 2023

One of four works as commission for the Polish king is the star lot of an Austrian collection

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Code machine not all it was cracked up to be

02 January 2023

A chance find proved to be very fortuitous for one of the consignors of the auction held by Schreiber (22% buyer’s premium) on November 5.

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Hans Coper on the hour

02 January 2023

Long before the auction in Krefeld began, it was clear that the price for a vase by Hans Coper would be way higher than the estimate of €8000.

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Chadwick proved his mettle

21 November 2022

A welding course was to have a lasting effect on the artistic development of the British sculptor Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003).

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Augsburg and Meissen mix help fuel demand for cutlery set at Metz auction

14 November 2022

The combination of Meissen porcelain and Augsburg silver proved to be a winning formula at a sale held by Metz (25% buyer’s premium) in Heidelberg.

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Bixie could bring power and position if third time lucky

14 November 2022

A multitude of fabulous creatures are an integral part of traditional Chinese mythology. Among them is the Bixie, whose name translates as ‘to ward off evil spirits’.

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Venus sculpture triples estimate in Munich

14 November 2022

The sculptor Prosper d’Épinay (1836-1914) was a true cosmopolitan. Born in Mauritius, he later became a British subject, but is still often considered to be a French artist.

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First Giacometti man strides out

14 November 2022

Two closely related bronze sculptures by Alberto Giacometti are among the highlights of the Modern and Contemporary sales on December 2 at Lempertz in Cologne.

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Eighteenth century flask sells for strong price

14 November 2022

Glassware with provenance to Augustus of Saxony takes five-figure sum