Old Masters

Sotheby’s (25/20/13.9% buyer’s premium plus 1% overhead premium) latest Old Master evening sale in London was the smallest in terms of the number of lots that anyone could remember at one of these flagship summer events.

A portrait of a young man once thought to be a self-portrait by the Milanese artist Andrea Solario (1460-1524) attracted keen enquiries ahead of sale.

Among a number of Old Master portraits on offer in Cambridge is a depiction of a gentleman that has been consigned from a private collection in Suffolk.

Arguably the most eyecatching bidding battle at the latest London Old Master series was for a painting of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

A collection of portraits from a descendant of the Hicks Beach family of Witcombe Park will be offered at Chorley’s on September 21-22.

Essex saleroom Sworders will sell a group of works by Angelica Kauffman (1741- 1807) next month.

Consignments thin on the ground judging by the latest auctions series in London

Despite the issues of supply affecting the market, odd pockets of success were evident at the latest Old Master sales in London.

London art dealer Danny Katz is loaning a John Constable (1776-1837) painting which he bought at Sotheby’s last year to Brighton’s Royal Pavilion.

The Aguttes (25/23% buyer’s premium) Old Masters auction on June 28 at Drouot was led by a Murillo oil on canvas depicting the Christ child as The Good Shepherd.

The highlight of Tajan’s (25/20/12%buyer’s premium) Old Masters auction held on June 22 was an impressive large-scale modello created by the Italian artist Francesco Solimena (1657-1747) in preparation for his painting for the ceiling of San Domenico Maggiore, in Naples.

A portrait of a boy with a white cravat by Michaelina Wautier (1604- 89) was among the highlight sales at TEFAF Maastricht.

US museum curators and collectors were among the buyers at London Art Week (LAW) this month.

It was rather thin pickings at the latest series of Old Master auctions in London.

Fabrizio Moretti recently opened an Old Masters gallery, Moretti Fine Art, on Duke Street, St James’s, London.

Thieves hit TEFAF Maastricht last week, entering the venue and smashing a jewellery case on the stand of London’s Symbolic & Chase.

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.