Contemporary Art

A string of top-end consignments of British works boosted the latest London sales of Modern and Contemporary art.

Underlining the recovery of the post-covid art market, at the very top-end at least, the latest series of 20th and 21st century auctions in New York posted a record total for a flagship auction fortnight.

Christie’s flagship sales of Modern and Contemporary art in New York produced a running total of $1.25bn (£1.02m) including premium from four evening auctions last week.

Investors are targeting the Post-war and Contemporary market for high returns as inflation soars and uncertainty reigns

Passengers on the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 encounter paintings by the German artist Karin Kneffel (b.1957) whenever they visit the Britannia restaurant: eight of her monumental paintings of fruit adorn the walls. A more accessible way of finding a work by her presents itself at the June 1-3 sale at Grisebach in Berlin. On offer is her diptych (F XXXVIII) from 1997 which consists of two canvases, each measuring 5ft 11in x 5ft 11in (1.8 x 1.8m).

Rob Fisher painted 'Splash Test One' specially for inclusion in the exhibition Splash: Ode to Hockney.

The expansion in prices for David Hockney (b.1937) has affected not just his large and famous works which now sell for multi-millions but also his smaller drawings and printed works that fall further down the price scale.

A small work by Maggi Hambling (b.1945) was among the pieces of Modern and Contemporary art attracting interest recently at Parker Fine Art Auctions (25% buyer’s premium).

Dreweatts’ (25% buyer’s premium) Modern & Contemporary Art sale on March 16 was led by some distance by the rare lead Mother and Child sculpture by Henry Moore (1898-1986) which was bid to £320,000 (see News, ATG No 2535).

Since 1962, when the German artist Horst Antes (b.1936) first introduced his profile of the male figure to his art, it has become an instantly recognisable aspect, not only of his paintings and lithographs but also of his sculptures.

With heroic bearing, patrician features and draped fabric fit for a Roman emperor, an iron bust by Kehinde Wiley exemplifies the spirit of TEFAF New York.

This painting of a blackbird is one of a flock of avian paintings featured at Grosvenor Gallery’s show See them Richards? It features the work of Jim Moir (b.1959) – more familiar to most as the comedian Vic Reeves (his stage name).

Interest from both trade and private buyers helped set an auction record for Paul McPhail (b.1966) at Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest sale of Modern and Contemporary art.

Identical twin brothers Josep and Pere Santilari (b.1959) star in Stuart Lochhead Sculpture’s exhibition Masters of Realism: Vanitas, Kunstkammer & Still Lifes.

A full-length portrait of the queen by Nicky Philipps is among the highlights at Fine Art Commission’s exhibition of Royal Portraits this spring.

Not all Contemporary art has to be either abstract or wacky.