Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
‘For everyday items it will continue to be a buyer’s market’
29 January 2024In Ireland, Adam’s of Dublin held 32 auctions over the course of 2023, raising a hammer total of €13.8m (£12m) which was up from €12.6m in 2022.
Two rare Bessie MacNicol works appear at auction in a week
29 January 2024Works by Glasgow Girl Bessie MacNicol (1869-1904) – who died in childbirth aged 34 – are represented in many public collections, especially in Scotland.
Edward Hopper etching tops Bonhams’ print sale in Los Angeles
25 January 2024American artist Edward Hopper (1882-1967) is known for his moody views of his native New York with his paintings often imbued with garish light and contrasting bright and muted colours.
Major record for Alasdair Gray as apocalyptic canvas turns heads in Edinburgh auction
24 January 2024A shot in the arm for the picture market of Alasdair Gray (1934-2019) came at the start of the year when one of his most momentous paintings emerged at auction and set a major record for the Scottish artist and writer.
Pulham conjures auction magic in South London
22 January 2024Roseberys (26% buyer’s premium) posted the second-highest auction price for Peter Rose Pulham (1910-56) at its most recent sale of Modern British & 20th Century Art.
Fedden in the pink and over the moon
22 January 2024Works by Mary Fedden (1915-2012) are a fairly common sight at regional auctions.
Velázquez portrait withdrawn from Sotheby’s Old Master sale
18 January 2024A Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) royal portrait due to be offered at Sotheby’s New York has been withdrawn ahead of the auction.
Artist Michael Morgan makes presence felt on auction market
18 January 2024West Country painter Michael Morgan’s (1928-2014) career as an artist took off rather late in life.
Six lots from upcoming auction of ‘legendary’ dealer’s collection
10 January 2024Maurice ‘Dick’ Turpin (1928-2005) was one of the best known antiques dealers of his day.
Six highlights selling at Dreweatts’ auction of artist’s collection
09 January 2024Items from the private collection of contemporary artist Pablo Bronstein (b.1977) formed a 289-lot dedicated sale at Dreweatts in Newbury.
‘Giant among ceramicists’: tributes paid to specialist and TV stalwart Henry Sandon
08 January 2024Tributes have poured in for the late ceramics specialist and Antiques Roadshow expert Henry Sandon who died aged 95 at the end of last year.
Art collector loved the excitement of bidding battles
08 January 2024One of the most eyecatching collections of Impressionist and Modern art sold at a provincial auction at the end of last year comprised 17 lots from the late Ralph Bateman.
Royal portrait rescued from a jumble sale is sold for £16,000
08 January 2024Tiny portrait thought to show a Spanish noblewoman was bought at a local school in the 1970s
Marie-Antoinette’s chair sets an auction record
02 January 2024Among the star attractions at the 60-lot evening sale of works from the collection of Hubert Guerrand-Hermès (1940-2016) at Sotheby’s Paris was a carved and regilded Louis XVI chair.
William Nicholson still-life doubles top estimate at west London auction
02 January 2024A still-life by Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949) that appeared in the final sale of the year at Olympia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) “generated ripples of excitement among private collectors and the trade alike” according to the West London saleroom.
Romney screen stands out as an unusual offering
02 January 2024Bonhams’ (28/27% buyer’s premium) latest Old Master sale at its New Bond Street rooms was hard going, with almost half the lots unsold and two-thirds of those that did get away either going on or below their low estimate.
Rachel Ruysch attribution bears fruit
02 January 2024One of the Old Masters attracting significant interest at Lyon & Turnbull’s (25/20% buyer’s premium) latest Five Centuries sale in Edinburgh was a small still-life that drew strong competition against a £5000-8000 estimate.
Remarkable Rembrandt print prices as Christie's disperses Sam Josefowitz collection
02 January 2024Rembrandt prints were a prominent feature of the London Old Master sales in December.
London calling for two artists a century apart
02 January 2024A couple of views of London were strongly contested at the latest Old Master auction series in the capital.
Renaldi captures the imagination at London Old Master sales
02 January 2024Quirky subjects generate the most eye-catching results at the latest Old Master auction series