Watercolours

One of the most-represented names in the Fry collection was William Henry Hunt (1790-1864).

Works by Peter De Wint performed well at both Sotheby’s A Fine Line auction on July 7 and the online sale of Old Master and British Works on Paper from July 2-8.

British watercolours and drawings amassed by dealer came under the spotlight at two salerooms

The Fry collection sold at Chiswick Auctions in London was reminiscent of the kind of auctions the dealer himself would attend

Semley (22% buyer’s premium) earlier this summer sold this portrait of a young boy in profile by Maurice William Greiffenhagen (1862- 1931).

A couple of Modern British works on paper drew keen attention at a recent West Sussex auction.

While Christie’s had by far the top-selling Old Master drawing of the latest series (the £7.5m Leonardo da Vinci drawing of the head of a bear - see ATG No 2501), a good number of other works on paper generated better competition although sold for understandably lower prices.

This late 18th century Indian watercolour view was painted in 1796 by Thomas Daniell (1769-1837).

The Salon du Dessin, the Paris fair dedicated to works on paper, finally staged its 30th edition this month.

Exhibitors at London Art Week have reported a good flow of visitors to galleries as well as demand for the online series of talks.

A large 18th century watercolour of a Scottish loch by William Turner of Oxford (1789-1862) emerged as a star lot at Parker Fine Art (25% buyer’s premium).

A third-generation dealer, Elizabeth Fitzsimmons specialises in Old Master portraiture and has recently launched her first website selling portraits from the 16th-20th centuries.

Richard Miller (1947-2018) was a man with many interests and a good eye.

Discovered lying unrecognised on a bookcase in a Sussex cottage, a unique edition of Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard will be offered at Gorringe’s this month with a £100,000-150,000 estimate.

Interest in the exquisitely detailed ornithological paintings produced by Indian artists from the late 18th to the mid-19th centuries has grown significantly over the last few decades.

With a major photography exhibition under way at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire dedicated to celebrity portraits by Cecil Beaton, two satellite shows open their doors celebrating the British photographer’s costume designs and theatrical pictures.

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

Algernon Newton (1880-1968) has been one of the stars of the season with both his urban and rural scenes attracting high prices in the regions in the last month.

This late 18th century watercolour of the famous cascades at Neptune’s Grotto in Tivoli forms part of a private collection of works on paper currently offered in Classic Ground: Travels in Italy, an online exhibition at Karen Taylor Fine Art.