Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
Sketch of Captain Oates walking to his death makes £23,000 in Essex
29 September 2020A sketch for the painting ‘A Very Gallant Gentleman’ by John Charles Dollman (1851-1934) sold for £23,000 at Sworders last week.
Coincidence reunites Messel brothers after 99 years as watercolour portraits emerge at two separate auctions
28 September 2020Separated for many years, portraits of two brothers by WBE Ranken (1881-1941) came up at auction at different London salerooms last week. The fact that they emerged on the market simultaneously was seemingly pure coincidence.
Lord Snowdon sale at Christie’s led by Prince of Wales investiture chairs
28 September 2020Christie’s sale of items formerly owned by Lord Snowdon (1930-2017) was led by a pair of chairs he designed himself for the investiture of the Prince of Wales in July 1969.
Sandro Botticelli portrait comes to Sotheby’s with $80m estimate
24 September 2020Sotheby’s will offer a portrait by Sandro Botticelli (c.1445-1510) with an estimate in excess of $80m in New York next year.
The $275,000 toast to a Golden Guinness Girl
21 September 2020The highlight of a two-day sale of works from White Oaks, a prominent Atlanta mansion, was this portrait of Anglo-Irish society hostess Oonagh Guinness by Philip de László (1869-1937).
André Masson paintings from a V&A curator bring interest at Dominic Winter
21 September 2020The works of French painter André Masson (1896-1987) are regarded as a bridge between Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism.
The normal new: Contemporary art remains at the core of auction and retail market
21 September 2020To seasoned observers, the market for Post-War and Contemporary art might not seem as novel as it once did. Sales in this area are now a core part of the auction calendar and the field has been regarded as having the highest potential for growth for over two decades.
Twelve pieces of Post-War and Contemporary art coming up in autumn 2020
21 September 2020Twelve pieces of Post-War & Contemporary art from upcoming auctions taking place in the UK and overseas.
Market for authenticated Banksy screenprints flexes its muscles at specialist London sale
21 September 2020Interest from overseas bidders appears to be lifting the market for Banksy (b.1974) prints to a higher level.
Reclusive Woodrow emerges in Yorkshire
21 September 2020North Yorkshire saleroom Tennants (20% buyer’s premium) has a solid track-record with the artist Joash Woodrow (1927-2006). Eight of his top 10 auction prices are held by the Leyburn saleroom (source: Artprice by Artmarket).
Grayson Perry’s 'The best of British' taken to new high at Phillips
21 September 2020An auction record for Grayson Perry’s (b.1960) 'Britain is Best', a limited edition coloured embroidery depicting five loyalists from East Belfast, was set at Phillips (25% buyer’s premium) in London on September 10.
Strong response to mixed media works at Roseberys
21 September 2020A notable of feature of the Post-War and Contemporary art market is the wide variety of mediums employed.
Works of international appeal fire London market
21 September 2020A work on paper by Czech artist Mikulas Medek (1926- 1971) drew strong competition at Chiswick Auctions’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest British & European Fine Art sale.
Iraq veteran’s Military Cross sells for £36,000
21 September 2020A Military Cross group awarded to a soldier who carried a fallen comrade through fierce gunfire in Iraq sold at £36,000 (plus 20% buyer ’s premium) in Macclesfield on September 11.
‘A key figure in London’s Caribbean Artists Movement’
21 September 2020The auction record for modern Guyanese artist Aubrey Williams (1926-1990) was broken three times at auctions in the south of England this summer.
Military Cross awarded to Iraq war hero sells at Adam Partridge
18 September 2020Military medals from recent conflicts continue to attract great interest at auction, even if it is a great shame that veterans from these wars have to sell their medals during their own lifetime.
Bidders give their royal approval at Bellmans' sale
14 September 2020Provenance of the Duke of Gloucester adds extra appeal to single-owner collection
Hooray for the hussars: Duke of Gloucester's regimental collection brings demand
14 September 2020The collection of pictures formerly owned by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, offered at Bellmans included 42 lots relating to the 10th Royal Hussars.
Speed dating: Bidders rapidly assess signs of age in hunt for undervalued material
14 September 2020When it comes to Old Masters, sleeper spotters will trawl through auction catalogues looking to spot works of an earlier date than specified.
Interest from overseas bidders lifts Banksy prints market to higher level
09 September 2020Forum Auctions’ latest dedicated sale of Banksy (b.1974) prints was a white glove affair with all 24 lots selling and 22 individual auction records set for the editions to which they belong.