Auctioneers

Strong results and supply boost the market but challenges remain with bidders highly selective

From late 1940 to early 1941 André Breton and a group of other Surrealists including Wifredo Lam, Max Ernst, Oscar Dominguez, Victor Brauner, André Masson and Frédéric Delanglade re-located to Marseille where they anxiously awaited visas to escape occupied France.

The ivory-made launching mallet and silver casket from the ill-fated RMS Empress of Ireland came for sale at McTear’s (24% buyer’s premium) in Glasgow.

Famous Frenchman has amassed an impressive wide-ranging array of acquisitions over six decades

Ornate creation from Gothic fantasy comes for sale as part of the Bayreuth collection

This Heal’s set of garden furniture added seasonal warmth to Great Western Auctions’ (24% buyer’s premium) Glasgow sale.

A fine Oscar Wilde letter sold for £16,000 at Dawsons (25% buyer’s premium) in Maidenhead on June 29.

The presence of a cat added commercial appeal to a 17th century portrait of a young girl offered at Bonhams’ latest Old Master sale in London.

Thoughts that the sweet homely watercolours of Helen Allingham (1848-1926) have fallen from favour commercially may be premature, at least judging by the performance of a couple of works sold at a recent regional sale.

Luxury fashion discovered in a charity shop is heading to upmarket London retailer Fortnum & Mason.

A silver and gold presentation belt given to a civilian volunteer nurse who looked after the sick and wounded during the Siege of Ladysmith during the second Boer War has soared over estimate in a London auction.

In recent times the work of newspaper cartoonists has been reassessed with a nod to its artistic, technical and historical merit.

A number of strong sums for Frederick Gore’s (1913-2009) richly coloured views of Mallorca and the French countryside have been recorded since his auction record was smashed two years ago.

Do embroidery and cut-paper pictures count as art? Bidders certainly appreciate their expertise

Stand-out original among the 76 pieces from Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson’s workshops offered at Tennants’ (22% buyer’s premium) 20th Century Design auction was a carved oak monk sold with its working drawing.

Such was the notoriety of Gunner James Collis that his family did not attend the funeral even though he had three sons in the army.

Thomas Bradshaw has been described as a poor civil servant but a brilliant artist.

The esteem in which British botanist William Lawrence Balls (1882-1960) was held is obvious from lots offered at Norfolk auction house Keys (25% buyer’s premium) on July 26-28.

A Queen’s Gallantry Medal in its case of issue awarded to a police constable who helped to catch two violent escaped prisoners sold for £2400 at auction.

Founder of London gallery Agi Katz had personal experience after escaping from persecution herself