Europe

As part of its So Unique series of single-lot auctions, Millon will be selling this painting by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) in Paris.

Small bust in bronze and wax model were produced by the goldsmith to the emperor

With Brussels’ major art and antiques fair BRAFA postponed from its usual January slot until June, a group of exhibitors have got together to present a foretaste of the type of pieces on offer later in the year at Brussels Expo in galleries around the city under the title Brussels Art Walk supported by BRAFA.

A striking and well-provenanced example of an African mask from the Fang peoples of Gabon is to appear at an auction in the south of France on March 26.

The earliest work in Modernity’s exhibition on Paavo Tynell (1890-1973) is a 1930s ceiling lamp (model 1926).

ARP (Art Research Paris), a new auction house opening in the French capital on the Faubourg Saint Honoré, is holding an inaugural sale of over 200 lots of jewellery on February 10.

Artcurial will offer a painting by the French artist Jean Siméon Chardin (1699-1779), 'Le panier de fraises des bois' (The Basket of Wild Strawberries), at its auction of Old Master and 19th century paintings in Paris on March 23.

Certain areas became hubs for the manufacture of toys, such as Nuremberg and Erzgebirge in Germany.

Prices for more traditional toys such as dolls and teddy bears may not be at the heights of years gone by, but demand remains strong for the best items and rarities.

Found covered in grime in a Portuguese auction house, a three quarter-length portrait of a dark-haired lady by Dutch artist Willem Wissing (1655-1709) has been restored to its former glory by a Belgian dealership and the identity of its sitter revealed as a British aristocrat.

The June calendar for art and antiques fairs is filling up as TEFAF revealed new dates.

Auction totals for 2021 underline the strong recovery since the start of the pandemic

Two British sporting scenes by French artist Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) were among the best-sellers in auctions held within a day of each other on either side of the Atlantic.

Munich auction house Hermann Historica (25% buyer’s premium) regularly turns up showstopping lots of arms and armour and the star of the latest sales series was a weapon that was always designed to impress on every level.

Multi-estimate bidding is no longer just the preserve of Chinese works of art. During the recent Asian art sales, Vietnamese market objects excelled.