Art Market

Street view by British artist offered in Orientalist sale sells at four times estimate

When people think of the Newlyn School, most commonly it is pictures of Cornish fishermen, farmers and miners that spring to mind.

In February 2020 Lancashire saleroom Gerrards (20% buyer’s premium) sold a watercolour by Trinidad’s first internationally known artist, Michel-Jean Cazabon (1813-88), for £24,000 (see News, ATG No 2430).

Investors are targeting the Post-war and Contemporary market for high returns as inflation soars and uncertainty reigns

The expansion in prices for David Hockney (b.1937) has affected not just his large and famous works which now sell for multi-millions but also his smaller drawings and printed works that fall further down the price scale.

Interest from both trade and private buyers helped set an auction record for Paul McPhail (b.1966) at Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest sale of Modern and Contemporary art.

Not all Contemporary art has to be either abstract or wacky.

A small work by Maggi Hambling (b.1945) was among the pieces of Modern and Contemporary art attracting interest recently at Parker Fine Art Auctions (25% buyer’s premium).

William Gear (1915-97) is among the Modern Scottish artists whose work regularly appears at auction.

One of the highlights at the timed online of Modern and Contemporary Art Auction at Halls of Shrewsbury, which closes on May 2, is a large painting of sunflowers by John Bratby (1928-92).

Dreweatts’ (25% buyer’s premium) Modern & Contemporary Art sale on March 16 was led by some distance by the rare lead Mother and Child sculpture by Henry Moore (1898-1986) which was bid to £320,000 (see News, ATG No 2535).

Contemporary African art was a topic of discussion at last month’s The Art Business Conference in London.

Group of 12 offered in Cambridge saleroom comprised mainly 18th century British works

Two views of historic British landmarks by John Martin (1789-1854) attracted interest in different parts of the country.

Scottish artist Joseph Farquharson (1846-1935) is best known for his snowy landscapes with sheep that earned him the nickname ‘Frozen Mutton Farquharson’.

A number of portraits of women from different periods of history were among the most contested pictures at sales around the country in the early part of this year.

A couple of elegant portraits from the collection of Professor Bernard Nevill (1930-2019) drew keen interest at Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium).

Although an artist may not have wide recognition, strong local links can compensate

Local appeal propelled a naïve painting of Farnham to 40-times its top estimate at Parker Fine Art Auctions’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest sale.

The Kent artist William Stephen Tomkin (1861-1940) is best known as a proficient watercolour painter of marine subjects and a draughtsman who worked for General August Pitt Rivers (of Oxford museum fame) between 1882-90.