Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
German artist's view of Oxford from afar brings bidding at Sherborne sale
06 July 2020The German-born watercolourist and musician John Baptist Malchair (c.1730-1812) was a key figure in 18th century Oxford.
Local scenes lift Cornish art offered in Penzance
06 July 2020As might be expected, local scenes were an important feature of David Lay’s Cornish art sale on June 11. Among them was a view of Penzance’s Market Jew Street by Norman Garstin (1847-1926) that depicted a location only a 10-minute walk from the saleroom.
Auctioneers in Dorset and Cornwall benefit from vendors with close links to famous artists
06 July 2020Consignments from vendors with a close connection to famous artists are always a welcome boon for any auction.
Lowry’s rugby crowd posts online-only record for Christie's
03 July 2020Leading a dedicated sale of works by LS Lowry, a painting believed to be the artist’s only picture relating to a rugby match set the highest price so far at an online-only auction at Christie's.
Pick of the week: Harry Becker's farmhands shine in Mid-Summer
29 June 2020This 8 x 10in (21 x 25cm) oil on canvas board sketch of two farmhands cutting grasses with a scythe is unsigned but it carries a label on the back from an Ipswich Borough Council exhibition which identifies the artist as Harry Becker (1865-1928) and the picture’s title as Fieldworkers in Mid-Summer.
Partridge adds weight in lockdown
29 June 2020‘Freshness and sensible estimates’ contribute to record 5016 registrants for Macclesfield sale.
Paoletti’s postcards from Venice shine in Maidenhead
29 June 2020A trio of oils by Venetian artist Antonio Ermolao Paoletti (1834-1912) were consigned to Dawsons (23% buyer’s premium) of Maidenhead from a private London collection.
Overall total at Christie’s Classic Week falls as sales pushed back until the autumn
25 June 2020The postponement of three top-end paintings and objects sales meant that the overall total generated by Christie’s latest ‘Classic Week’ in New York was well down on previous years.
Dod Procter's high brow oil takes £26,500 in Cornwall art auction
22 June 2020The stand-out lot at David Lay’s latest Cornish art sale was an oil by Dod Procter (1891-1972), a leading member of the colony of avant garde artists working in Cornwall in the 1920s-30s.
Dealer Katz defined and refined
22 June 2020London auction of dealer's works follows similar 2013 sale and Rafael Valls offering held this April
David Bomberg coverage takes in Tower Bridge and Jerusalem
22 June 2020Different in style, medium and subject but both bringing demand, two contrasting works by David Bomberg (1890-1957) sold above estimate at Sotheby’s auction of works from the Daniel Katz collection.
Phoenix rises high amid a flurry of bidding
22 June 2020The move towards online auctions during the lockdown has not led to the disappearance of intense bidding battles, as witnessed with a number of works at the Daniel Katz auction (see main report) and earlier at the Rafael Valls sale (see ATG No 2440).
US saleroom Skinner reports record participation
22 June 2020US auction house Skinner (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) reported record levels of participation at its latest American & European Works of Art sale.
Old Masters bidders display appetite for works unattributed or with condition issues
15 June 2020The lockdown may have reduced the number of UK auctions taking place but buyers have been looking more eagerly for opportunities at those events that have been staged.
Hambling makes sale waves
15 June 2020A group of eight works by Maggi Hambling (b.1945) appeared at a recent online sale held by Welsh saleroom Rogers Jones (22% buyer’s premium).
Old Master dealers consign works directly to Sotheby’s for dedicated online auctions
12 June 2020Sotheby’s is staging two online auctions of works consigned directly from 39 different Old Master dealers.
Dealer Daniel Katz sells Sorolla’s study of a drunkard to National Gallery
11 June 2020The National Gallery in London has bought a painting by Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923) for £325,000 from London’s Daniel Katz Gallery.
People watching: Christie’s to stage auction of LS Lowry works online
08 June 2020A group of 19 paintings and drawings by LS Lowry will offered in a one-off online auction at Christie’s that closes on July 2.
Zinkeisen sisters double up at auctions
08 June 2020It was a case of interesting artist, distinctive painting and intriguing subject that sparked a strong bidding competition at a Glasgow sale.
Suffolk artist shines in Norfolk auction
08 June 2020Three works by Ipswich painter perform well in rescheduled East Anglian-themed auction