Europe

In 1959, some two years after the German painter Otto Piene founded the ZERO group of artists together with his colleague Heinz Mack, he began producing his so-called 'Rauchbilder' (Smoke Paintings).

An early 18th century, Qing Dynasty, Chinese blue and white painted porcelain charger caused the biggest surprise at the March 2 sale held by Kendzia (16% buyer’s premium) in Hamburg.

In 1926, after two years of negotiations, two German automobile producers joined forces to become Mercedes-Benz.

Auction staged at Drouot offered a varied selection topped by Louis XVI-era suit

The Paris auction houses will also be hosting plenty of sales devoted entirely or in part to works on paper.

Drawing Week, the Paris annual spring celebration staged around the Salon du Dessin fair and a raft of works on paper auctions, takes place in the latter part of this month when the French capital traditionally turns the spotlight on drawings

A fresh-to-the-market ensemble of rosewood furniture by French designer and architect Pierre Chareau (1883- 1950) met with great enthusiasm when it went under the hammer.

This gem-set gold snake armlet, a gift from the celebrated Victorian artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) to his second wife Laura Epps (1852-1909), will take centre stage on the stand of London jeweller Wartski at TEFAF Maastricht.

A Parisian sale titled Pablo Picasso and his Friends staged at Piasa in France on February 15 included a series of artworks to which the great man had contributed in some way.

Ahead of the 37th edition of TEFAF Maastricht the organisation has streamlined its Old Masters vetting committees.

Antiquities specialists Charles Ede of London and Contemporary New York gallery Sean Kelly share a stand at TEFAF Maastricht’s inaugural Focus section, which is aimed at presenting complementary works from different artists and disciplines.

Our preview of the upcoming Maastricht fair which includes a new section to promote cross-collecting

Legend has it that Charles Arpels (of Van Cleef & Arpels fame) saw a lady friend stashing her lipstick and other cosmetics in an ordinary cigarette tin for a trip out on the town.

Despite specialising in Modern art, Tommaso Calabro hopes to snag some Old Master collectors at his first TEFAF.

At the peak of his fame, the Anglo-Italian jewellery designer Andrew Grima was invited by Omega to create what would become the About Time collection.

Many late 19th and early 20th century art collectors were entranced by Wilhelm Kuhnert’s (1865-1926) realistic portrayals of exotic animals in the wild.

Soon after the Italian coin engraver Benedetto Pistrucci moved to England in 1815, he received a prestigious task from William Wellesley-Pole, the Master of the Mint. He was commissioned with the creation of a series of new gold coins for George III.

Cologne auction house Lempertz (25% buyer’s premium) opened its auction year with a sale of African and Oceanic works of art in Brussels.