Europe

This portrait by Nicolas Régnier (1588-1657) of a richly attired lady possibly depicts Maria Farnese and appears to have been executed when the artist was in Modena where he painted several portraits of members of the d’Este court.

Copy of only the fourth book to be printed using the new types comes to auction

A pair of Castelli maiolica plaques will feature in Artcurial’s mixed-discipline sale of furniture and works of art in Paris on December 16-17.

Consigned from a scholarly collector in New Zealand, a pair of relief-carved ivory panels was the among the highlights of Fonsie Mealy’s (22% buyer’s premium inc VAT) Castlecomer sale on November 26.

Our regular listing of British and Irish book auctions.

Pictured here is a selection of notable Old Master results from recent sales in Cologne and Munich where international bidders battled with German dealers and collectors.

Old Masters are much to the fore in the calendar across Europe at this time in the auction season.

The Bordoni and the Luini were not the only strong results achieved in the Drouot auction centre in the November sales.

Plenty of opportunities were available to purchase Old Master or 19th century works for more affordable prices across Paris last month. Pictured here are three works from recent auctions.

The Château de Pontchartrain and the Phélypeaux family who lived there for almost two centuries was much in evidence as a provenance in the recent sales in Paris.

Our regular listing of British and Irish book auctions.

This rare late-17th century 4in (9.5cm) devotional pendant displays the craft of 'scherenschnitte' (scissor cuts).