Fine Art

In the third multi-million-pound sale this year of a rediscovered Old Master at a provincial French auction house, a late Gothic panel offered at Cortot & Associés of Dijon brought a dramatic competition late last month.

Two recently restituted panels by Sienese artist Giovanni di Paolo (c.1399-1482) lifted the latest series of Old Master auctions in London.

An autograph painting by German artist Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-79) was one of the stand-out sales during London Art Week (LAW).

Consigned from a scholarly collector in New Zealand, a pair of relief-carved ivory panels was the among the highlights of Fonsie Mealy’s (22% buyer’s premium inc VAT) Castlecomer sale on November 26.

Polly Bielecka is director at sculpture gallery Pangolin London.

This portrait by Nicolas Régnier (1588-1657) of a richly attired lady possibly depicts Maria Farnese and appears to have been executed when the artist was in Modena where he painted several portraits of members of the d’Este court.

A Post-Impressionist painting of a horse-drawn hansom cab by Robert Bevan (1865-1925) was one of the headline lots at the Modern British art sales in London.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a John Piper church screen print.

Watercolour collection sold at auction represents a ‘who’s who’ of the city in the 1830s

An early watercolour by Isabel Codrington (1874-1943) depicts the Norse legend of the goddess Iduna and King Thiassi, who disguised himself as an eagle to kidnap her.

Fewer than 30 works are known by the Victorian artist and noted Suffragette Susan Isabel Dacre (1844-1933).

Besch holds its traditional winter sale series from December 27-31 at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes. Wines, champagne and spirits; Impressionist and Modern art; designer watches, pens, jewellery and coins all feature.

A piece of Orientalist art by German-born watercolourist Carl Haag (1820-1915) drew multiple bids at Maidenhead saleroom Dawson’s (23% buyer’s premium).

The British Art Fair (BAF) is to return to its previous dates in late September.

This classic mail coach scene by the 19th century painter James Pollard (1792-1867) doubled pre-sale hopes in a picture auction at Surrey saleroom John Nicholson’s (25% buyer’s premium).

London’s Russian week of auctions put in a consistent performance last week with the sales at four salerooms generating a combined £37.5m with fees. This compared to £39.2m for the equivalent series last year and the £35.8m raised at the June series.