Europe

A previously undocumented painting, bought from an English dealer by a European collector in 1995, shines at Vienna sale.

This late untitled drawing by Arshile Gorky (1904-48) in pencil and crayon on paper was the highlight of a sale of Modern and Contemporary paintings held by Digard (25/20/14% buyer’s premium) on March 28 at Drouot in Paris.

A classic pale pastel toned still-life by Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964) is one of the headline lots in a two-day sale of Modern and Contemporary Art at Farsettiarte in Prato in Italy on May 26-27.

It is a rare event when a painting by Howard Hodgkin (1932-2017) turns up at a German auction, but on June 5, Van Ham can offer his 1996 painting Miami in its Modern and Contemporary sale.

The composition and use of colour make 'Monica nude with Lichtenstein', which is being sold by Ketterer Kunst in Munich on June 9, instantly recognisable as a work by American pop-artist Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004).

This Normandy beach scene by Kees Van Dongen (1877-1968) from c.1948-49 will be offered for sale by Gros & Delettrez at Drouot in Paris on June 20.

Art from the collection of Christine Poirot-Delpech was the object of a sell-out single-owner sale at Art Valorem (28.8% buyer’s premium inc tax) at Drouot on April 6.

Artcurial has two days of sales devoted to Impressionist and Modern and Postwar and Contemporary art in Paris on June 7-8.

The artist couple Christo (1935-2020) and Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009) were obviously in equal measure creative, determined and patient.

A section of period costume and textiles that featured in a general sale at Thierry de Maigret (24% buyer’s premium) on March 24 produced some notable results for several well-preserved examples of 18th century costume.

Involving a string of spectacular works, the saga of the collapsed French firm is worth a novel itself

A rare souvenir, an example of correspondence between two key figures in the French Revolution, was one of the highlights of a sale held by Osenat (25% buyer’s premium) in Versailles on March 12.

The first 90 or so lots in Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr’s (27.5/26/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) sale of Islamic and Indian Art held in Paris on April 6 were the property of a Royal collection.

Disputed sculpture was given the thumbs-up by the French emperor and then greatly admired

Colonial French-influenced Vietnamese painting continues to be a strong market performer with examples regularly turning up in French auctions and making significant sums.

François Pierre de la Varenne (1618-78) is the chef credited with bringing French cuisine into the modern era.

This work by Henry Fuseli (1741-1825) is a study for the figure of a kneeling figure of Caractacus’ daughter in the artist’s painting 'Caractacus’ speech before Claudius'.

An early 16th century illustrated edition Aesop was the highlight of an auction of books held by Giquello & Associes (25/20.5/17% buyer’s premium) in Paris on April 14.

A library of works relating to hunting, horseriding and dogs assembled over a 40-year period by a hunting historian, the Comte d’Orglandes, went under the hammer on April 12 at Deloys (22% buyer’s premium inc tax) in Angers, part of the Ivoire group.

This drawing by the Surrealist artist Francis Picabia (1879-1953) had several interesting associations in its provenance.