Fine Art

Separated for many years, portraits of two brothers by WBE Ranken (1881-1941) came up at auction at different London salerooms last week. The fact that they emerged on the market simultaneously was seemingly pure coincidence.

A newly-discovered work by François Desportes (1661- 1743) sold for a sensational €1.65m (£1.5m) at auction in Bordeaux.

Edward Bawden (1903-89) was one of a number of artists invited to submit designs ahead of Britain’s changeover to decimal coinage. Designs were invited for six coins: the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p pieces.

In 1902, American inventor Frederic Eugene Ives applied for a patent for his Parallax Stereogram.

Among the million-plus visitors to the notorious 'Die Ausstellung Entartete Kunst' organised by the Nazis in 1937 was the painter Karl Kunz (1905-71). He was not there to be disgusted by the excesses of the “modern degenerates”, as was the official intention, but rather to be inspired by the work of his fellow painters.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a Louisa Canziani painting.

Until the process of independence began (starting with Ghana in 1957), photography in West Africa had been mainly a bureaucratic tool and was viewed with suspicion.

August is traditionally a busy month for Edinburgh saleroom Lyon & Turnbull (25/20% buyer’s premium) and this year was no exception – despite the exceptional circumstances.

Early work by the Plymouth artist portrays himself alongside German alchemist

Modern and contemporary gallery recalls the faces and the artists of fabled Soho drinking den

The term ‘works on paper’ encompasses a diverse range of media from the drawings that offer a glimpse into an artist’s creative process to prints, posters, ephemera and documents. Pictured here is a section of items available to buy from dealers or bid for at auction.

Just occasionally it doesn’t always pay to catalogue with great depth.

A group of works by famed Victorian art critic John Ruskin (1819-1900) features in Guy Peppiatt’s latest exhibition of British drawings and watercolours.

Art UK, a charity with a website showcasing artworks in UK public collections, runs the Art Detective forum where specialists and members of the public are invited to help fill in gaps in the knowledge of public art. Their latest question concerns the various artists called Edwin Steele.

The highlight of a two-day sale of works from White Oaks, a prominent Atlanta mansion, was this portrait of Anglo-Irish society hostess Oonagh Guinness by Philip de László (1869-1937).

Twelve pieces of Post-War & Contemporary art from upcoming auctions taking place in the UK and overseas.

Christo (1935-2020) is famous for the series of monumental projects to wrap landmarks around the world undertaken with his wife and collaborator Jeanne-Claude (1935-2008).