Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
7 reasons why this portrait of a dog looks set to get tails wagging at Cambridge auction
01 February 2018A previously unrecorded painting attributed to Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, the Italian Old Master known as il Guercino (1591-1666), has been consigned to Cambridge auction house Cheffins. It will be offered its sale on March 7-8 with an estimate of £80,000-120,000.
German frogman’s Panerai watch sells for £41,000 at Birmingham watch auction – video
01 February 2018The star lot at Fellows’ latest watch auction in Birmingham was a rare Panerai military diver's wrist watch which had been acquired by a British soldier in the Second World War from a Kampfschwimmer (German frogman).
Saleroom selection: 5 silver tea caddies at upcoming auctions
30 January 2018Silver tea caddies come in many different shapes and sizes, but also range in price from the few hundreds to the few thousands with differences in terms of marks, makers, rarity and condition influencing value. Here, we pick out a selection of items available in the next fortnight, with estimates ranging from £100-5000.
Market for Evelyn Dunbar continues to grow as Cheffins sells ‘student’ work for £19,000
29 January 2018Works by Evelyn Dunbar (1906-1960) rarely occur on the market but when they do they are now making remarkable prices.
Sotheby’s buys AI start-up in bid to connect images with buyers
27 January 2018Sotheby’s have purchased a New York-based artificial intelligence company that specialises in image recognition and ‘recommendation’ technology.
Unfinished business – Eight works testing the market for ‘incomplete’ Old Masters
25 January 2018Do unfinished pictures appeal to connoisseurs? On the one hand you can argue that they show the working methods and creative process of the artist. On the other, they could be considered scraps left over by a painter or a remnant of a long-abandoned project that surely few collectors could want?
Dealer Joel Chen gives a tour of his collection ahead of Christie’s auction – video
24 January 2018Furniture and decorative arts dealer Joel Chen has been in the antiques business for 40 years. He started out with a $6000 loan but, after branching out from his initial focus on Chinese works of art, he expanded to a point where he now runs a 30,000 sq ft showroom in Los Angeles, offering everything from archaic bronzes to contemporary lighting.
London Art fair announces string of sales at latest run
24 January 2018Dealers at the London Art Fair reported a number of notable sales of both Modern British and Contemporary art at its latest run at the Business Design Centre in Islington.
Sotheby’s to “vigorously challenge” Russian billionaire over legal action in UK
22 January 2018Sotheby’s have said they will “vigorously challenge” any attempt by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev to bring a claim against it in the UK.
Pick of the Week: Second wind for Nelson lots
22 January 2018Sotheby’s sale of 80 pieces of memorabilia relating to Lord Horatio Nelson featured a return to the saleroom of many lots acquired by the ‘Princely’ vendor in 2005.
Nelson’s flag from HMS Victory hoisted to £297,000 at Sotheby’s
17 January 2018A large fragment of the Union Jack believed to have flown from HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 drew determined competition at Sotheby’s.
“Big-name artists and emerging young talent” – organiser and dealers on this year’s London Art Fair: VIDEO
17 January 2018The London Art Fair is a fixture in the January fairs calendar and this year celebrates its 30th anniversary at the Business Design Centre in Islington.
2016-17 museum donations rise in boost for inheritance tax scheme
15 January 2018Donations to museums via inheritance tax schemes grew 22% in the past year, according to the latest Arts Council annual report.
Sailing into the saleroom – Canaletto’s journey to auction aided by new video technology
11 January 2018Among the highlights of the upcoming Old Master auction series in New York is a pair of vedute by Canaletto (1697-1768) for which Sotheby’s have produced a promotional video using CGI animation.
Rare 19th century topographical painting of Mexico emerges at Bonhams
11 January 2018An original painting showing the Castle of San Juan de Ulúa in Mexico by 19th century British topographical artist Daniel Egerton is one of highlights of Bonhams’ Travel and Exploration auction in London next month.
Francesco Guardi’s Grand Canal painting sold at Christie’s is now barred from export
05 January 2018A classic vedute by Francesco Guardi (1712-93) that sold at Christie’s in London this summer has been blocked from export.
“A museum-worthy piece and a powerful painting”: auctioneer on record-breaking Artemesia Gentileschi painting
03 January 2018Establishing an auction record for Artemesia Gentileschi (1593-1652), a rediscovered self-portrait that sold for €1.85m (£1.63m) in Paris was described as “a museum-worthy piece and a powerful painting” by Eric Turquin, appraiser and expert in Old Master paintings.
Hairy portrait bought by institution
02 January 2018A 17th century portrait of a woman who suffered from a rare congenital condition resulting in excessive hair growth on the body has been acquired by the Wellcome Collection.
Dealers sell rare portrait of bearded woman to Wellcome Collection
31 December 2017London dealers Agnews and Rafael Valls have jointly sold a 17th century portrait of a woman who suffered from a rare congenital condition to the Wellcome Collection.
Grosvenor School linocuts add Power to dedicated print sale
22 December 2017A group of Grosvenor School linocuts by Cyril Power (1872-1951) gave a lift to Bonhams’ latest Prints and Multiples sale.