Art Market

This 18th century English provincial school full-length portrait depicts the jester Black John. He was in the employ of the famously eccentric John Arscott (1718-88) of the Tetcott estate in Devon, said to be the last man in England to keep a professional jester.

Two large watercolours painted by Y Ba Nyan (1897-1947), one of Burma’s most influential Modern artists, emerged for sale in Folkestone at the end of last year.

North Yorkshire saleroom Tennants (20% buyer’s premium) got its inaugural sale of sporting art off to a good start, selling just over £100,000 worth of pictures and sculpture.

Hopes are high that the market for traditional British sporting paintings could experience a boost in demand after a single-owner collection racked up over £2m at auction in London.

Found in the roof space of a Devon cottage, an oil painting of a pointer dog in an open field sold for £3400 at Sherborne saleroom Charterhouse (25% buyer’s premium).

A watercolour study of a dead pheasant attributed to JMW Turner (1775-1851) was taken to £14,000 at a Scottish auction house.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a John Cyril Harrison watercolour.

A sensitive portrait of a First World War soldier by the Irish painter William Orpen (1878-1931) was among a series of valuable lots chased by bidders at art sales in Dublin.

Private domestic demand rather than trade drives bidding at Scottish and Irish art auctions.

The English artist and poster designer Alfred Thomson (1894-1979) painted this eye-catching depiction of the famous penguin pool at London Zoo.

A harbour view of Maryport in Cumbria by Victorian artist William Mitchell (1806-1900) topped the lots at local saleroom Mitchells (20% buyer’s premium).

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a Henry Moore etching.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including an Eric Ravilious print.

Dearth of fresh works coming to the market is a challenge for Old Master auction series.

Varied selection of Down Under images joins British art on offer in Salisbury saleroom.

Two Frances Hodgkins (1869-1947) gouache watercolours painted during her artistic prime were taken to multi-estimate sums at separate UK salerooms in the same week.

Rarely seen in public before, this signed 18in x 2ft (45 x 65cm) gouache is one of the earliest works by the British Modernist painter John Armstrong (1893-1973).

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a William Henry Hunt self-portrait.

A bid of £5000 from a Contemporary art gallery in London secured this post-war portrait by the writer and Vorticist painter Wyndham Lewis (1882-1957).

Paintings by Leeds-born artist Louis H Grimshaw (1870-1943) are often overshadowed by his better-known father, John Atkinson Grimshaw (1863-93).