Art Market

With the traditional hiatus in the UK auction market typically stretching across the month of August, a number of notable picture highlights appeared slightly earlier this summer at sales around the country.

The artist Richard Ernst Eurich (1903-92) is rather hard to categorise.

What’s best to do with unsold lots… offer them again at half the price guide perhaps?

Testing the market for still-lifes by Bloomsbury school favourite Duncan Grant (1885-1978), a painting by the artist emerged fresh from a notable source in Somerset.

Coastal scene formerly owned by collector in the diamond mining industry attracts considerable interest

Trial run for a full worked-up version counts as a highly sought-after picture in its own right

When it comes to historic views of England’s university cities, bidders’ interest is not only determined by the usual factors such as the calibre of the artist and the picture’s condition.

Works coming fresh to the market from British aristocratic sources were once a staple of London Old Master sales.

Strong results and supply boost the market but challenges remain with bidders highly selective

The presence of a cat added commercial appeal to a 17th century portrait of a young girl offered at Bonhams’ latest Old Master sale in London.

A number of strong sums for Frederick Gore’s (1913-2009) richly coloured views of Mallorca and the French countryside have been recorded since his auction record was smashed two years ago.

Founder of London gallery Agi Katz had personal experience after escaping from persecution herself

A couple of cat pictures made bidders’ whiskers twitch of late.

There was a time when historic racing pictures by a top name might have been priced close to six figures.

Like his father of the same name, Thomas Miles Richardson Jnr (1813-90) began his career in Newcastle but he moved to London in 1846.

Previously unrecorded view by the Italian scenic painter now joins six others of Naples already known

In the oeuvre of ‘primitive’ painter Bryan Pearce (1929-2006), still-lifes are significantly rarer than his marine and harbour scenes.

Olympia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) reported some significant overseas interest at its latest Fine Paintings, Works on Paper & Sculpture auction with almost a third of buyers from outside the UK.

Family group at auction offered works by several generations including the renowned John Sell Cotman

Five original LS Lowry (1887-1976) pictures sold to five different buyers at Tennants’ (22% buyer’s premium) latest Modern & Contemporary art sale.