Latest News Articles by Alex Capon

Andrea del Sarto drawing

Andrea del Sarto drawing chalks up €3.2m at auction in France

20 December 2016

A rediscovered chalk portrait by Andrea d’Angiolo, called Andrea del Sarto (1486-1530), has set an record for any Old Master drawing sold at auction in France.

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld drawing

German drawing sells at auction for €1.7m following restitution

15 December 2016

A remarkable drawing by German artist Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872) that was recently restituted to the family of a Holocaust victim has sold for €1.7m (£1.44m) at an auction in Berlin.

Auctioneer Jesper Bruun Rasmussen

Watch auction of Chinese vase making house-record at Denmark’s Bruun Rasmussen

15 December 2016

Copenhagen auction house Bruun Rasmussen posted a house record when an early Ming fruit meiping vase was knocked down at Dkr12m (£1.37m) – the highest price for any piece of porcelain ever sold at auction in Denmark.

Jacob Jordaens

Jordaens’ Holy Family leads Christie’s auction after Landseer and Goya withdrawals

09 December 2016

The withdrawal of two key works dented the overall total at Christie’s evening sale of Old Masters last night. However, some spirited bidding did emerge on a number of lots which helped lift proceedings.

John Constable’s Flatford Lock

Bonhams sells John Constable’s Flatford Lock sketch at £720,000

08 December 2016

A preparatory sketch by John Constable was knocked down for £720,000 at Bonhams earlier today.

The Flagellation sotheby's

Weaker supply means lesser names provide highlights at Sotheby’s Old Master sale

08 December 2016

Sotheby’s Old Master evening sale in London last night was somewhat short of stellar works but the auction registered a decent performance for the material on offer.

Christie's King Street

Christie’s reaches 250-year milestone

05 December 2016

Christie’s is officially turning 250 years old today.

Beethoven manuscript at centre of attribution debate fails to sell at Sotheby’s

29 November 2016

A musical manuscript at the centre of a row over whether it was handwritten by Ludwig van Beethoven or a copyist has failed to sell at an auction at Sotheby’s.

April 57 (Arbia 2) by Ben Nicholson

Record for Ben Nicholson rounds off record year for Mod Brits at Christie’s

25 November 2016

Christie’s auctions of Modern British & Irish art this week helped lift their annual total in this category to £68m, the highest figure the firm has ever posted.

Westminster Parliament London

Trade associations seek to amend bill in Parliament to ‘protect’ legitimate art market

25 November 2016

Politicians and trade bodies have raised further concerns over how a new Cultural Property Bill could impact the art market.

Parent 1 by  Barbara Hepworth

Huge Hepworth bronze leads Sotheby’s Modern British art sale at £3.2m

22 November 2016

A large-scale sculpture by Dame Barbara Hepworth led Sotheby’s evening sale of Modern British art tonight.

Anne Estelle Rice  still life

Anne Estelle Rice painting emerges at Folkestone auction

22 November 2016

A still life by American painter Anne Estelle Rice (1877-1959) and a piece of early English furniture are among the top items on offer at Grand Auctions’ upcoming sale on December 12.

Claude Monet Meule

10 highlights from the Modern and Contemporary art auctions in New York

21 November 2016

The flagship Modern and Contemporary art sales in New York in November are an important bellwether of the global art market. This year a total of $1.29bn (£1.03bn) changed hands, including the auctioneers’ premium. Here ATG picks 10 individual highlights from around the salerooms.

FA Cup medal 1933

FA Cup winner’s medal from Everton’s Cliff Britton appears at auction

18 November 2016

Medals won by former Everton winger Cliff Britton (1909-75), who later went on to manage the club in the 1950s, are being offered at an auction in East Yorkshire.

Meule (Grainstack) by Claude Monet

Christie’s sets auction record for Claude Monet painting at $72.5m

17 November 2016

A ‘Grainstack’ painting by Claude Monet set a major auction record for the artist at Christie’s in New York last night.

Queen Anne Vigo gold coin

Queen Anne ‘Vigo’ coin sells for £225,000 at Boningtons

17 November 2016

Boningtons have sold a rare Queen Anne 'Vigo' gold coin for £225,000. One of Britain's rarest coins, it was knocked down to a buyer in the room and set a house record for the Essex auctioneers.

Abstraktes Bild (809-2) by Gerhard Richter

‘Slowhand’ turns vendor as Eric Clapton sells $19.5m Gerhard Richter at Christie’s

16 November 2016

A large abstract painting by Gerhard Richter consigned by musician Eric Clapton was among the highlights of last night’s auction at Christie’s New York.

Chinese imperial enamel vase

'Car boot' Chinese vase sells for £50,000 at Salisbury auction

15 November 2016

A rare Chinese imperial enamel vase bought for £10 at a car boot sale has been hammered down for £50,000 at Woolley & Wallis’ Asian sale today. It sold on the phone to a Chinese buyer.

Edvard Munch's Girls on the Bridge at Sotheby's

Muted performance for Munch as Sotheby’s sale falls below estimate

15 November 2016

Edvard Munch’s ‘Girls on the Bridge’ was knocked down at $50m (£40m) and led Sotheby’s evening sale of Impressionist & Modern in New York last night.

Ettore Sottsass Tartar centre table from David Bowie auction

Five funky designs drawing serious bidding at Sotheby’s David Bowie auction

15 November 2016

The stand-alone design section at Sotheby’s auction of the David Bowie collection followed in much the same vein as the Modern & Contemporary art. High demand for items from the singer’s collection led to a ‘Bowie premium’ with 13 records posted for individual designers and an overall total of £1.11m from 100 lots.