Fine Art

Two sculptures of well-known 20th century British cultural figures drew attention at different regional sales recently.

A British subject born in Rio de Janeiro, Reginald Fairfax Wells (1877-1951) studied sculpture at the South Kensington School of Art in the 1890s and then studio pottery at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts.

A rediscovered album of 19 cartes de visite portrait photographs documenting Charles Darwin’s changing visage over three decades sold for £126,000.

Two miniatures of Derby winners belonging to John Bowes (1811-85), founder of the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, come for sale at Elstob & Elstob’s Ripon saleroom on November 30.

The major talking point of Tennants’ (22/20% buyer’s premium) Modern & Contemporary Art sale was the £840,000 seascape by LS Lowry which was the highest total for a picture at the auction house and the second-highest price for any lot ever sold at the saleroom (see ATG No 2565).

Welsh gallery holds exhibition on the Welsh artist hot on the heels of a show about his sister

Two closely related bronze sculptures by Alberto Giacometti are among the highlights of the Modern and Contemporary sales on December 2 at Lempertz in Cologne.

Though largely unknown on the market today, British artist Gerald Marks (1921-2018), the subject of a show at Abbott and Holder, had a colourful life. For a long time that colour was red.

Brijitte Dreyfus runs Mandrake Petworth, offering art, books and furniture.

This snowy scene by Suffolk artist Thomas Smythe (1825-1907) features in English and Continental Antiques’ winter exhibition in Eye.

One of the masterpieces of printmaking in Prague during the reign of the Emperor Rudolf II (1576- 1612), and a highlight of the important exhibition 'Printmaking in Prague' held in the British Museum this summer, is the famous etching of the interior of the Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle by Aegidius Sadeler II.

Tory politician acquired the artist’s watercolours before London dealer raised the profile

Outside the John Patten collection at Lawrences of Crewkerne on October 12 were several other good-quality pictures boosting the bottom line.

The sculptor Prosper d’Épinay (1836-1914) was a true cosmopolitan. Born in Mauritius, he later became a British subject, but is still often considered to be a French artist.

Trio of paintings depict life at a long-disappeared family home

A round up of portrait miniatures appearing at auction and offered by dealers.

Works from the 1930s are arguably the most desirable pictures when it comes to Oldham-born artist James Fitton (1899-1982). They just do not appear very often.