International (print edition)

The big result in Doyle's (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) latest Old Master Paintings and Drawings sale in New York was the portrait of Pauline Bonaparte Napoleon’s sister by Marie-Victoire Lemoine pictured in ATG No 2429 that sold for $310,000 (£238,700), an auction high for the artist.

Included in a recent sale of American and European paintings and works of art sale at Skinner (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) in Boston was this 7¼x 12¾in (19 x 32.5cm) oil on copper painting, 'The Dispute'.

One of the many memorable scenes in Charles Dickens’ 'Bleak House' was the portrayal of the apparent spontaneous combustion of Mr Krook, leaving “the cinder of a small charred and broken log of wood sprinkled with white ashes”.

It is safe to say that the canvas 'Panorama of the River Scheldt with the Silhouette of Antwerp', executed by the Flemish artist Mathieu Ignace van Bree (1773-1839) in the late 18th century, will not be the most expensive painting sold in Germany this year.

This well-fitted maple wood artist’s box comes with numerous watercolours, mixing bowls and a small folding easel.

This octagonal brass box, decorated with 17 micro-mosaics featuring subjects from classical antiquity, was created by Augusto Castellani of the famous firm of Roman jewellers founded by his father Fortunato.

Several surprises emerged in the tribal art sale held by Cologne auction house Lempertz (24% buyer’s premium) in a recent sale held in Brussels.

Having been heavily criticised for its antiquated designs at the World Exhibition of 1900 in Paris, the Meissen porcelain factory commissioned avant-garde designers to produce more vibrant pieces.

Throughout the 19th century, picture clocks were popular in many German-speaking parts of Europe.

Marius Borgeaud (1861-1924) was one of several Swiss painters working in Paris around the turn of the 20th century.

Just under 600 lots in the extensive March 16-20 auction at Künker in Osnabrück come from the Samel collection. This highly important collection was put together by Josef Samel and his sister Angela Arluk, who were born in Poland, but settled in Munich after the war.

Raphael’s painting 'Madonna della sedia' is one of the most familiar images of Western art and has been copied by artists since its inception in 1513.

A silver medal on offer at Gorny & Mosch in Munich on March 9-10 commemorates the last pitched battle fought on the British mainland.

A rare example of newly discovered bronze by a French Renaissance sculptor will be making an appearance at the rostrum on April 1 in Paris.

This 17¾in (45cm) high, Gallé glass vase from c.1900 in marqueterie sur verre technique with a carved crocus design is one of the highlights of a sale to be held by Woody auction in Douglass, Kansas, on Mar 14.

Works by the French artist Jean Arp (1886-1966) form the main constituent of the 81-lot sale of the Greta Stroeh collection to be offered by Christie’s Paris rooms on Mar 26.

This damask towel measuring 3ft 5in x 2ft 5in (1m x 75cm) and decorated with wreaths of fleur de lys and a central bouquet of roses will feature in Osenat’s La Royauté à Versailles auction, to be held in Versailles on April 5.

This Ming ink and colour on silk painting of Shakyamuni Buddha, offered for sale by Rob Michiels (27.5% buyer’s premium) in Bruges on February 15, is thought to be part of an imperial order made in the short reign of Emperor Jingtai (1449-57).

The antique toys sale at Morphy in Denver, Pennsylvania, on Mar 10-11 includes an array of French automata with creations by makers Leopold Lambert, Gustav Vichy and Jean Roullet.

Beer was the preferred beverage of all classes in 16th century England and much of it was drunk from imported Rhenish salt-glazed stoneware.