Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
Louvre Abu Dhabi revealed as buyer of £8.2m Rembrandt portrait at Sotheby’s
18 February 2019The Louvre Abu Dhabi has been revealed as the buyer of the small Rembrandt oil painting that led Sotheby’s Old Master evening sale in London at the end of last year after it went on view at the museum in the United Arab Emirates.
Five lots to watch at auction this week including a Versace tiara sketch, a Tompion clock and a Maori carving
18 February 2019With estimates from £800-50,000, here are five previews from upcoming sales this week.
Christie’s voluntarily returns group of eight looted antiquities to Italy
15 February 2019A group of eight antiquities that was consigned to Christie’s has been returned to Italy after the works were identified as not having the necessary export and provenance details to be sold.
Top stories this week – including news of changes to eBay’s new postal tracking policy
15 February 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of a change to eBay’s postal tracking policy and a dealer offering a £10m Victorian painting.
Richard Green gallery to defend High Court claim over €5m paintings sale
14 February 2019London gallery Richard Green has said it will defend a claim made in the High Court by a client who purchased two Old Masters for €5m at TEFAF Maastricht last year.
Rare manuscripts stolen from London auction house recovered in Italy
11 February 2019A group of illuminated manuscripts valued at £100,000 that were stolen from a London auction house in 2016 have been recovered in Italy.
French trade bodies call on President Macron to stop UK art market gaining an advantage from Brexit
08 February 2019Members of the trade federation Conseil National du Marché de l’Art (CNMA) have published an open letter to President Emmanuel Macron and the French government calling for changes to stop France’s art market losing out to the UK after Brexit.
Ebay’s new tracking policy could lead to higher postage fees
08 February 2019EBay has announced a change to its postal tracking policy as a caution against buyers who fraudulently claim they never received items that were sent.
Top stories this week – including news of a Chinese vase bringing spectacular bidding and Christie’s increasing its buyer’s fees
08 February 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of a Chinese blue and white vase with Ming style decoration making over 10 times estimate, as well as Christie’s decision to raise its buyer’s premium.
Drawing conclusions from NY Old Master sales as women artists emerge triumphant
04 February 2019A record for a female Old Master and a Rubens with a royal connection was not quite enough to heat up bidding across the latest Old Master auction series in New York this winter.
Top stories this week – including news of a fair organiser’s innovative way of discouraging early leavers
03 February 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of Adams Fairs’ interesting approach to discourage exhibitors from leaving early.
Christie’s raises buyer’s premium to target 'middle market' and top-end
31 January 2019Christie’s has raised its buyer’s premium, increasing the level at which its 25% threshold applies and adding an extra percentage point to its charges above £3m. The new schedule takes effect from February 1.
Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun portrait triples the auction record for any female Old Master
31 January 2019A life-sized portrait by Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) set a record for any female Old Master when it was knocked down at $6.1m (£4.67m) at Sotheby’s New York last night.
Dutch royal family Rubens drawing sets $7m auction record
30 January 2019A sketch by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) that formerly belonged to the Dutch King William II and his wife Anna Pavlovna has set an auction record for a drawing by the artist at Sotheby’s New York.
Top stories this week – including news of a James Bond Moonraker laser gun selling at auction
25 January 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of a James Bond Moonraker laser gun selling at an auction in the Midlands and a sardonyx cameo ring fetching 195-times top estimate in Yorkshire.
Oxford’s Bodleian Library buys 500-year-old book-box from Paris dealer
24 January 2019The University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries has acquired a rare 15th-century French Gothic coffer – one of the largest-surviving examples of a late medieval box used for transporting precious books.
Top stories this week – including news of a Roger Moore letter and a fish restaurant’s ‘rediscovered’ Meiji vase
18 January 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of an eyebrow-raising letter by James Bond actor Roger Moore and the sale of a Meiji vase ‘rediscovered’ at a fish restaurant.
Gallery takes legal action against Christie’s over private sale of Francis Bacon painting
16 January 2019A legal claim lodged against Christie’s in New York has highlighted some of the practices relating to private sales that top-end auctioneers make behind closed doors.
Learn about the art market in six weeks: online learning course with economist Dr Clare McAndrew about to go live
15 January 2019An online course is being launched this week that aims to create a “virtual environment” for learning about today’s art market. The course called ‘Art Market Economics’ is written and presented by Dr Clare McAndrew and will go live on January 18.
Top stories this week – including news of a new auction house, a new book and new years’ resolutions
11 January 2019The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of the launch of a new saleroom in Yorkshire, the publication of a glass specialist’s new book and industry figures sharing their resolutions for 2019.