London

When, in 1854, William Holman Hunt decided to leave England to further his religious painting in Syria, John Everett Millais was distraught at the prospect of losing the only friend he entirely trusted.

The Royal Academy has outlined its masterplan for what it is calling the most significant revamp since it moved to Piccadilly in 1869.

The sale by Christie’s of 24 items of Chinese ceramics from Croydon’s Riesco Collection will go ahead after a legal challenge failed through lack of funds.

An auction record was set at Christie’s last week when Sir Stanley Spencer's (1891-1959) 'Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta: Conversation Between Punts' sold at £5.3m.

The ownership dispute over a Henry Moore sculpture dubbed Old Flo looks set to rumble on despite one side claiming victory and making plans to sell it.

Dreweatts achieved their highest price to date in the Asian art market when an 18th century Sino-Tibetan thangka depicting the Milarepa cult sold for £450,000 at the firm’s first sale marking their participation in the Asian Art in London initiative.

It is not often that auctioneer Graham Budd finds his name splashed over the front pages of Estonian newspapers but when a particular group of cycling memorabilia came up at his November 4-5 sale it is exactly what happened.

This Yongzheng yellow and green enamel vase was the highest-selling lot from the week-long auction series of Asian art held in London.

Campaigners against the sale of 24 items of Chinese ceramics from Croydon council’s Riesco Collection were in a race against time to raise money for their judicial review.

Sotheby’s are to close Noortman Master Paintings, the London-based international art dealership, by December 31.

Partnership funding is the key to securing the future of a museum dedicated to the life and work of William Heath Robinson, the artist and illustrator whose name has, for 100 years now, been part of the English language.

The 23rd Winter Fine Art & Antiques Fair opened at Olympia in West London last week and as usual trade associations the BADA and LAPADA presented their respective best stand awards to exhibiting members.

This 6¾in (17cm) high, solid ivory head of the Virgin Mary, Hispano-Philippines, dating to the 17th-18th century, is the winner of the ATG Award for Asian art in London.

When Croydon council announced its controversial wish to sell off part of its Riesco collection of ceramics it probably didn’t envisage such a wave of protest.

Bonhams have unveiled their new £30m headquarters at 101 New Bond Street, laying claim to the title of the world’s top saleroom complex.

Art dealers Messum’s have committed their future to London’s embattled Cork Street by acquiring a new gallery just down the road from their current premises.

Frieze Week, London’s annual contemporary art circus, means big business.

Sotheby’s have appointed Fru Tholstrup as director of their new London S|2 gallery, to oversee the running and strategy behind this new purpose-built space for private selling exhibitions of Contemporary Art in Mayfair.

This week is Frieze Week in London, a flurry of fairs, exhibitions and sales including the opening of the Contemporary art giant Frieze London.

Bizarre, bonkers and not quite on the wall – the Bush Beano charity evening at the LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair in Berkeley Square on September 28 was refreshingly different for an antiques fair.