Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
Starman in the saleroom – David Bowie’s art collection heads to Sotheby’s
14 July 2016Sotheby’s have announced that they will be selling David Bowie’s art collection in November.
Art dealer faces fresh questions over Picasso theft after images of works found on his laptop
13 July 2016A Paris art dealer was placed under renewed investigation last week in the latest twist involving the alleged theft of three works from Pablo Picasso’s stepdaughter.
Sotheby’s appoint Helena Newman as European chairman
11 July 2016Helena Newman has been appointed as chairman of Sotheby’s Europe. She will hold the new role in addition to her current position as co-head of Impressionist and Modern art worldwide.
‘They think it’s all over’… England’s 1966 World Cup victory still holds special place in collecting market
11 July 2016It may only be a few weeks until the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup final but, judging by the way their team exited the Euros, England fans will have to wait a lot longer before their team ever again reaches the final a major football tournament.
Momentous Lot – Rubens raises the bar for an Old Master at Christie’s
08 July 2016‘Lot and his Daughters’ by Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) sold for £40m at Christie’s last night, setting a house record for an Old Master painting.
Sotheby’s Old Master sale led by Liotard’s breakfast scene, selling to a museum at £3.8m
07 July 2016A rare interior scene by Swiss painter Jean-Etienne Liotard (1702-1789) was the top lot at Sotheby’s Old Masters evening sale last night, selling at £3.8m.
Early William Dobson self-portrait takes £920,000 at Bonhams
06 July 2016An early 17th century self-portrait by the English court painter William Dobson (1611-46) was knocked down at £920,000 at Bonhams’ Old Masters sale today.
Echoes of William Beckford as silver-gilt teaset triples estimate at Stansted sale
05 July 2016Among the works sold over estimate at today’s silver and jewellery auction at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet was a rare silver-gilt three-piece teaset that tripled expectations when it was knocked down at £4100.
Ex-Sotheby’s duo Wyndham and Clore to set up in London as fine art advisors
05 July 2016Two key figures who left senior roles at Sotheby’s earlier this year, Henry Wyndham and Melanie Clore, are setting up their own fine art company.
Sidney Barnsley furniture from maker’s family sells for over £30,000 at Salisbury auction
05 July 2016Five pieces of furniture consigned from direct descendants of architect and craftsman Sidney Barnsley (1865-1926) drew bidders’ attention at Woolley & Wallis’ latest Arts and Crafts sale in Salisbury.
In numbers: London’s Contemporary art sales
04 July 2016The Contemporary art sales in London last week saw a reduced supply of major works affect the overall totals which came in at their lowest levels since 2013. However, the material on offer generally met with decent demand and fears of a Brexit meltdown in the market did not materialise.
10 highlights and key statistics from Christie’s ‘Defining British Art’ sale
01 July 2016The latest themed auction held by Christie’s was their ‘Defining British Art’ evening sale in London. View ATG’s selection of 10 highlights here.
Christie’s British art auction survives Brexit and sets £22m record for Henry Moore sculpture
01 July 2016A series of blue-chip consignments from different sectors of the market helped Christie’s ‘Defining British Art’ evening sale in London last night to a £99.5m total including premium. The auction offered paintings by major names including Joshua Reynolds, John Constable, Stanley Spencer, Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon but it was a Henry Moore sculpture that led proceedings, selling at £22m.
Florida fair organisers fight over new event in Palm Beach
30 June 2016A dispute has erupted between fair organisers in Florida over a new event being launched in Palm Beach next January.
Johnny Depp’s Basquiat paintings fetch £7.6m at Christie’s
30 June 2016Two paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) consigned to auction by the actor Johnny Depp sold for a combined £7.6m at Christie’s evening sale of post-war and Contemporary art last night.
Nazi-looted art body calls for more transparency in German art market
29 June 2016Calls for greater transparency in the way German institutions deal with Nazi-looted art should be extended to the country’s art and antiques trade, the Commission for Looted Art in Europe has said.
Market rides Brexit fears at Sotheby’s Contemporary art sale as major record set for Jenny Saville
29 June 2016Fears that the Brexit vote would seriously impact the art market were partially allayed last night as Sotheby’s Contemporary art sale delivered robust results.
Modigliani portrait of dealer’s wife is top lot at Christie’s as market looks uncertain
22 June 2016In a difficult evening sale of Impressionist and Modern art at Christie’s, Amedeo Modigliani’s (1884-1920) portrait of Madame Hanka Zborowska was one of few highpoints.
Picasso and Modigliani headline Sotheby’s slim Impressionist and Modern art auction
22 June 2016It was a pretty short sale. Sotheby’s evening sale of Impressionist and Modern art auction last night offered just 27 lots and took less than 90 minutes to complete.
Sotheby’s launch specialist auctions in London of Modern and Contemporary African Art
21 June 2016Sotheby’s will start dedicated sales of Modern and Contemporary African Art in London next year. The decision underlines the growing importance of a sector in which Bonhams have stolen a march in recent years.