Art Market

Shortly before the UK lockdown, Cumbrian saleroom Thomson Roddick (17.5% buyer’s premium inc VAT) offered works from the collection of The Shorthorn Society, a body that promotes the famous breed of cattle in the UK and Ireland.

It was a case of interesting artist, distinctive painting and intriguing subject that sparked a strong bidding competition at a Glasgow sale.

Turning heads at Bonhams Knightsbridge’s sale of Modern British art was a group of 22 pen and ink drawings by Cecil Beaton (1904-80) which formed part of the photographer’s 'The Book of Beauty' published in 1930.

Work on paper outperforms more traditional works at Bonhams Knightsbridge lockdown sale of Modern British art

This portrait that emerged at the March 18 auction at Halls (20% buyer’s premium) of Shrewsbury appears to be closely based on Sir Peter Lely’s (1618-80) portrait of Mary II as a young girl that now resides in the Royal Collection.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a landscape by French artist Pierre de Clausades that sold over estimate.

The migration to online sales that has occurred during the lockdown has brought about some noticeable changes to the art market. These include, not least, the profile of buyers at auctions.

Auctions may be down in number but pre-lockdown sales provided some positive market signs

Sir Oswald Birley (1880-1952) is among the artists most represented in UK public collections. Art UK records 173 works in national museums and institutions, National Trust properties and local museums.

Seven lots by celebrated local artist Percy Kelly (1918-93) put in a decent performance at the most recent Antiques & Fine Art sale held by Cumbrian saleroom Mitchells (22% buyer’s premium).

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a pencil and watercolour by Russian artist Vladimir Polunin.

Two consignments of works directly from artists' estates added a distinctive flavour to Chiswick Auctions’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest Modern & Post-War British Art sale.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a Frank O Salisbury portrait.

One of the side-effects for the art market of being in a lockdown is that people have more time to discover works that they might have otherwise missed or overlooked.

Works by the prolific John Bellany (1942-2013) appear regularly at auction, with small drawings often available for hundreds of pounds, but the larger and vigorously coloured figurative oils generally make many thousands.

The London auction house holds its first online-only sale dedicated to a single dealer

Unlike in other parts of Europe where portraits of children were a rare phenomenon, the Dutch Republic experienced a rapid increase in this genre of painting between 1500-1700.

Samuel Palmer (1805-81) prints are not unusual on the market but one of two that were offered as a single lot at Chorley’s (22.5% buyer’s premium) in Cheltenham carried an interesting inscription by the artist’s son, AH Palmer.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a Brangwyn and Urushibara woodcut

The bohemian lives of the Bloomsbury Group of artists have long been a source of fascination for the British public.