Fine Art

Two previously unpublished ink sketches by John Constable (1776 -1837) excelled at Chiswick Auctions’ latest British & European Fine Art sale.

Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia has acquired a Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-97) portrait of an Irish veteran of the French and Indian War. The foundation bought it at Sotheby’s Old Master day sale in London in December when it sold for £40,000 plus premium.

A lack of sufficient stellar consignments at the latest Contemporary art sales in London meant the overall total was down on last year.

A wave of fresh interest in female artists is sweeping the UK, forcing museums and galleries to rethink their displays and purchasing policies – and driving demand at dealerships and auction houses in the process.

Two early panel paintings, one German, the other Cretan, emerged from a Florida collection to sell for six-figure prices at the Premier Auction at Brunk (20% buyer’s premium) in Asheville, North Carolina, on January 28. Both were new discoveries by rare artists.

Waterhouse & Dodd’s Jamie Anderson attributes a recent flurry of interest in the works of Dorothy Mead (1928-75) to her inclusion in the Tate Britain’s 'All Too Human' show last year.

Scottish artist Craigie Aitchison (1926-2009) painted few subjects more obsessively throughout his career than the crucifixion.

The London Photograph Fair, on March 17, has a new venue at the Hellenic Centre in Marylebone for this edition.

Strauss is holding its latest auction in Cape Town on March 18. Running to more than 600 lots, it offers a wide mix of material: 19th century, post-war and contemporary art, antiques and decorative arts, Asian works and jewellery.

Art historian Magdalen Evans is holding a series of lectures on Women Artists of the Second World War for the Arts Society with the next date set for Harpenden, Hertfordshire, on March 20, followed by Colchester, Essex, in May and Ely, Cambridgeshire, in September.

Post-war art stored in a cupboard for “many years” by an academic institution in Leicestershire drew strong bidding for two British artists in particular at Derbyshire saleroom Hansons (20% buyer’s premium).

The Court Gallery has joined forces with the Museum of Somerset to stage an exhibition of the works of Doris Hatt (1890-1969), a local pioneer of British modernism.

Women artists – historically overlooked in scholarship and undervalued on the market – have emerged more and more at auction over the last few years.

A Cardiff estate has provided a highly useful consignment to Welsh saleroom Rogers Jones (18% buyer’s premium inc VAT) with around 45 modern British paintings in all.

Dreweatts’ Modern and Contemporary art sale in Newbury on April 3 will offer a range of Modern British pictures, including a selection of St Ives School group works. However, one of the main highlights in this category is a wartime painting by John Armstrong (1893-1973) which carries an estimate of £20,000-30,000.

A 16 x 15in (42 x 38cm) linocut by Great Bardfield artist Sheila Robinson (1925-88) more than doubled its estimate to sell for £1000 at Cheffins (22.5% buyer’s premium) of Cambridge.