Art Market

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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).

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

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.

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.

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.

Record for a painting by the music legend David Bowie leads a look at rockstar attempts at visual art

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

An early painting by Roger ‘Syd’ Barrett (1946-2006) of Pink Floyd led a 200-lot picture section at a recent Cheffins (22.5% buyer’s premium) sale.

View of George III’s new wife’s journey shows departure instead of the usual arrival.

A large 18th century watercolour of a Scottish loch by William Turner of Oxford (1789-1862) emerged as a star lot at Parker Fine Art (25% buyer’s premium).

Sporting artist John Boultbee (1753-1812) is best known for portraits of horses and cattle.