International

About 80% of the global art market by value takes place outside the UK. The largest art market in the world is the US with China in third place (after the UK) followed by France, Germany and Switzerland.

Many more nations have a rich art and antiques heritage with active auction, dealer, fair, gallery and museum sectors even if their market size by value is smaller.

Read the top stories and latest art and antiques news from all these countries.

NYC Court

Test case for Nazi-looted artworks rules in favour of Holocaust victim's heirs on Egon Schiele pictures

06 April 2018

A judge in a test case in international restitution law relating to Nazi-looted artworks has ruled in favour of a Holocaust victim's heirs rather than an art dealer who owned the pictures.

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Buy a dinosaur skeleton and name a new species after yourself

06 April 2018

The sale of a skeleton of a newly discovered species of carnivorous dinosaur to be sold by Aguttes auction house in Paris this June offers the opportunity to name it after the buyer.

Lowet de Wetrange

Early highlights for London Art Week revealed

04 April 2018

It may only be April but dealers and collectors across the UK and beyond are already turning their minds to the busy days of summer.

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Pete Townshend guitar smashed at end of The Who concert now on offer at US auction

04 April 2018

High at the top of any list of seminal moments in rock history will be Pete Townshend’s penchant for often destroying guitars at the end of a gig with The Who.

Victoria and Albert Museum wall hanging

V&A Museum buys large embroidery made for Louis XIV’s mistress at Brussels fair

03 April 2018

The Victoria & Albert Museum has purchased a rare 17th century wall hanging from the Belgian restorer and weaver De Wit Fine Tapestries.

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UK buyer wins as €1.8m Meynier resurfaces

02 April 2018

A rediscovered neoclassical painting by Charles Meynier somersaulted nine times over its estimate to sell for €1.8m (£1.57m) at a sale in Nantes.

Auguste Rodin’s bronze Le Baiser (The Kiss)

Christie’s brings in three European dealers for Hong Kong showcase

02 April 2018

Christie’s is ringing the changes for its auction series in Hong Kong this spring by inviting three European dealers exhibit works at its sale venue.

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Huge photograph archive of luxury transatlantic liner Normandie heads to Paris auction

02 April 2018

Synonymous with luxury and style, the Normandie epitomised the Art Deco era.

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Einstein and Beethoven in tune with bidding tastes

02 April 2018

Successful lots in a Bonhams New York (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) March 9 auction included, at $85,000 (£61,595), a letter that Einstein wrote to his son, Hans Albert, on the very day in September 1945 that the Second World War officially ended.

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The late, late show at TEFAF

02 April 2018

Good things come to those who wait. That is exactly what happened for Lawrence Steigrad Fine Arts. At last year’s TEFAF Maastricht a Dutch collector showed interest in a painting on his stand by Jacob Henricus Maris.

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Domenico Tintoretto's 'Supper at Emmaus' emerges in Madrid

02 April 2018

Domenico Tintoretto (1560-1635), trained in Venice in the workshop of his renowned father, Jacopo.

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Feel the force of Darth Vader demand

02 April 2018

When the first wave of Kenner Star Wars action figures began arriving on the market in 1978, the Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker figures came with ‘double telescoping’ light sabres.

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James Bond 'Thunderball' poster resurfaces in Texas

02 April 2018

Only a few examples of the rare four-part British quad poster for the 1965 James Bond movie 'Thunderball' exist in uncut form.

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Rare copy of Thomas Paine's 'The American Crisis' offered at Swann New York

02 April 2018

The English-born political theorist Thomas Paine lived through the most turbulent of times.

Sotheby's New York headquarters

Sotheby’s announces ownership scheme for staff

29 March 2018

Auction house Sotheby’s has launched a share scheme for employees that it says will benefit 98% of its staff.

Darth Vader

Early and rare Darth Vader figure among stand out lots in US auction of Kenner Star Wars toys

28 March 2018

The sale of a well-known collection of Star Wars production figures has set new price levels at a Pennsylvania auction.

Cranach

Nazi-looted Cranach painting returned to rightful heirs to be sold at Christie’s Old Masters auction

27 March 2018

An Old Master portrait missing for nearly 80 years has been returned to the heirs of Dutch banker and art collector Fritz Gutmann. They now plan to auction the picture with an estimate of $1m-2m.

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‘Bigger and better’ Liotard portrait sold to German museum

26 March 2018

A private museum in south-west Germany has bought a portrait by Swiss artist Jean- Etienne Liotard (1702-89) from London Old Master dealer Derek Johns.

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Classic Chinese works shine across New York Asia Week series

26 March 2018

More than $120m of Asian art was sold at auction during last week’s New York Asia Week.

‘Money-laundering’ limit to apply to all transactions

26 March 2018

The art and antiques trade is facing further money laundering regulation from the European Union.

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