Fine Art

An unusual but welcome inclusion to the latest silver and vertu sale at Lawrences of Crewkerne was a medieval walrus ivory tableman or backgammon piece.

The English artist, illustrator and author Christopher ‘Kit’ Williams (b.1946) is best known for the book 'Masquerade', the pictorial storybook which contained clues to the location of an 18ct gold jewelled hare buried somewhere in the British countryside. It created quite a sensation in 1979.

Follow-up on the mystery covered in ATG No 2422:

A sculpture by Modern British artist Kenneth Armitage (1916-2002), 'Bernadette Going to Wales', is among the works on offer at the 'London Art Fair'.

A sensitive portrait of a First World War soldier by the Irish painter William Orpen (1878-1931) was among a series of valuable lots chased by bidders at art sales in Dublin.

A picture of a famous Italian Grand Tour view by one of the best-regarded artists of the American Hudson River school of painting is one of the highlights of a sale at Skinner in Boston on January 24.

A view of Tower Bridge from the Thames, commuters on the District Line, a 1970s punk and historical shopfronts are among the images of London offered at the second staging of 'Connect: The Independent Art Fair'.

In the latest feature on mystery works the Art UK charity is seeking help to identify, we focus on a portrait of Anne Clive, the honourable Mrs George Sempill.

This carte de visite picturing the author Mark Twain (Samuel L Clemens) is signed and inscribed twice.

Private domestic demand rather than trade drives bidding at Scottish and Irish art auctions.

Richard Turkington of Fifties Art and Design, which focuses the mid-1940s-50s as well as the work of John Piper, is among the exhibitors at 'Connect: The Independent Art Fair'.

The English artist and poster designer Alfred Thomson (1894-1979) painted this eye-catching depiction of the famous penguin pool at London Zoo.

The Old Master paintings section of the sale taking place at Doyle in New York on February 5 will include this large and imposing portrait of Pauline Bonaparte, the younger sister of Napoleon.

A harbour view of Maryport in Cumbria by Victorian artist William Mitchell (1806-1900) topped the lots at local saleroom Mitchells (20% buyer’s premium).

Items from the homes of MJ Long (1939-2018) and Colin ‘Sandy’ St John Wilson (1922-2007), the husband and wife team that designed the British Library, come for sale at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet later this month.

The most interesting recent art world case to find its way to trial, with judgment given in December 2019, was Sotheby’s vs Mark Weiss Limited (‘MWL’) and Fairlight Art Ventures Limited (‘Fairlight’).

Sotheby’s holds the first of its New York series of Old Master paintings and drawings at the end of January with its Masters Week sales running from January 24-31.

Heritage now conducts a monthly online-only auction titled Fine & Decorative Arts. The February 13 sale includes two typical oil on panel works by the French cat painter Jules Gustave Leroy (1856-1921).