Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
‘Lost’ Jungle Book watercolours head to south London auction
20 February 2026Emerging unrecognised from a London home, two ‘lost’ illustrations from a celebrated edition of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book will be offered at Roseberys next month.
Sotheby’s raises buyer’s premium to 28% at the lower tier
18 February 2026Auction house Sotheby’s has amended its buyer’s premium, raising its baseline rate to 28% for works selling for a hammer price of under £1.5m.
Walter Greaves portrait of his brother Henry turns heads at Dorset auction
16 February 2026Thanks to their artistic bent, the London-born brothers Walter Greaves (1846-1930) and Henry Greaves (1844-1904) are now two of the city’s most famous ever boatsmen.
Michelangelo puts his stamp on latest Old Master sales
13 February 2026The sale of big-ticket lots by artists such as Rembrandt, Canaletto and Michelangelo boosted the overall total at the latest Old Master auction series in New York to a record high.
Sitting comfortably as online bidding boosts number of new year auctions
13 February 2026Along with August, January is traditionally the quietest month in terms of regional auctions.
Rare Antonello da Messina panel sells to Italian government following auction withdrawal
10 February 2026Following the last-minute withdrawal of arguably Sotheby’s headline lot of the latest round of Old Master sales in New York, it has been announced that the rare double-sided panel by Antonello da Messina (c.1430-79) has been acquired by the Italian Ministry of Culture.
Petal power: Eliot Hodgkin study brings ‘extremely wealthy’ collectors to Chichester sale
09 February 2026Berkshire-born artist Eliot Hodgkin (1905-87) is known for his highly detailed still-lifes of natural objects, depicting subjects ranging from fruit and vegetables to eggs and pastries.
Fresh-to-market Clifford Hall works bring demand in Surrey
06 February 2026A group of five pictures by Clifford Hall (1904-73) came to Parker Fine Art Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in Farnham sale courtesy of the daughter of a collector who used to paint with the artist.
Even small Gabriel Loppé works hit saleroom highs
06 February 2026‘Any half-good work’ by the artist-mountaineer ‘seems to get several phone lines booked’, says expert
Two works demonstrate demand for Tuke drawings
06 February 2026Strong competition came for two small sketches by Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929) at different regional salerooms in January.
Footing the bill: Michelangelo drawing for the Sistine Chapel makes $23.1m at Christie’s
05 February 2026A previously unknown study of a foot for a figure in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling drew remarkable bidding at Christie’s, making one of the highest ever prices for an Old Master drawing.
Rembrandt’s lion drawing takes $15m bid at Sotheby’s
04 February 2026A Rembrandt (1606-69) sketch of a lion set the highest price for a drawing at auction by the artist when it sold for $15m (£10.9m) at Sotheby’s in New York today.
Wide range of portrait prices as Reynolds sold to ‘major national institution’
04 February 2026When it comes to the market for two of the biggest names in British portraiture, Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) and Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), the range of prices fetched by works attributed to these two greats is really quite remarkable.
Grandeur and solemnity: Painting of Nelson's funeral procession brings demand at Charles Miller sale
02 February 2026Today, when it comes to any major news story, ‘live’ or on-the spot images of an event get published pretty much immediately. But that wasn’t always the case.
Not one but two Duncan Grant studies for Sussex murals emerge
30 January 2026Preparatory works by the Bloomsbury artist were created for spectacular works at Berwick church
Scrap silver trade suspended due to ‘chaotic’ market conditions
29 January 2026The continuing surge in precious metals prices has led to a temporary cessation in the trade of scrap silver.
Royal Air Force Museum buys wartime aerial studies at Roseberys’ auction
28 January 2026The Royal Air Force Museum has purchased two preparatory drawings for major wartime paintings by Walter Thomas Monnington (1902-76).
David Bomberg’s view of St Ives makes £145,000 in Newcastle auction
27 January 2026Drawing competition between six phone bidders, a rare work depicting St Ives in Cornwall by David Bomberg (1890-1957) flew above estimate at Newcastle saleroom Anderson & Garland’s latest Modern Art & Design auction.
‘A collection that mirrors its owner’s encyclopaedic mind’
21 January 2026The collection of art and books amassed by one of Britain’s most influential critics of the post-war era, the late John Russell Taylor (1935-2025), has been consigned to west London saleroom Olympia Auctions.
Rare unpublished Hans Baldung drawing emerges in France
20 January 2026A small drawing by Hans Baldung (c.1484-1545) which has been in the same family for over 500 years will be offered at auction in March.