Art Market

British watercolours and drawings amassed by dealer came under the spotlight at two salerooms

The Fry collection sold at Chiswick Auctions in London was reminiscent of the kind of auctions the dealer himself would attend

One of the most-represented names in the Fry collection was William Henry Hunt (1790-1864).

Works by Peter De Wint performed well at both Sotheby’s A Fine Line auction on July 7 and the online sale of Old Master and British Works on Paper from July 2-8.

A couple of Modern British works on paper drew keen attention at a recent West Sussex auction.

Pre-1950s Mary Fedden works are stylistically different to her later still-lifes and coastal subjects

Semley (22% buyer’s premium) earlier this summer sold this portrait of a young boy in profile by Maurice William Greiffenhagen (1862- 1931).

A Grand Tour portrait that came to auction directly from the family of the sitter was among the most contested lots at Bonhams’ (27.5%/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) Old Master Paintings sale on July 7.

While Christie’s had by far the top-selling Old Master drawing of the latest series (the £7.5m Leonardo da Vinci drawing of the head of a bear - see ATG No 2501), a good number of other works on paper generated better competition although sold for understandably lower prices.

After a difficult period because of the pandemic, the latest round of Old Master sales in London returned to some kind of normality.

Rare market appearance by a Sir Henry Raeburn work heads a special report on recent Scottish highlights

Growing collector interest in the work of musician-artist Herbert Whone (1925-2011) has meant his auction record price has been beaten on an almost annual basis in recent years.

Vibrant colours, good subject and intriguing composition helped to spark a bidding competition for a painting by George Leslie Hunter (1877-1931).

It was third time lucky for a painting by Scottish artist Alexander Mann (1853-1908) at Cheffins’ (24.5% buyer’s premium) fine art sale in Cambridge.

A high price for Scottish painter Ethel Walker (1861-1951) came at Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) sale of the Sally Hunter and Ian Posgate collection.

Found in the garden room of a local property among a stack of other pictures, this unsigned oil on canvas had a distinct resemblance to portraits by Allan Ramsay (1713-84).

Two views of children in flowery fields, both by Scottish artists, were among the works drawing competition at Woolley & Wallis’ (25/12% buyer’s premium).

The British artist John Glover (1767- 1849) would doubtless have faded into relative obscurity had he not chosen, in 1831, to make a new life in colonial Australia. He ended up being dubbed ‘the father of Australian landscape painting’.

Two rare and evocative paintings depicting a 19th century ironworks in South Wales were hotly contested at a recent Dreweatts (25% buyer’s premium) sale.

Artworks by another legendary musician, Bob Dylan (b.1941), drew decent competition once again at Tennants (20% buyer’s premium) this summer.