Europe

This Charles II ebony and silvermounted table clock by the London golden-age clockmaker Joseph Knibb (1640-1711) emerged for sale in Germany.

A late version of the Penitent Magdalen by Titian (c.1485- 1576) that surfaced at Austrian saleroom Dorotheum has sold for €4.1m (£3.5m).

Specialist toy sales held in April on either side of the Atlantic have yielded some notable prices for items from two specific categories: toys relating to Popeye and a collection of toy boats.

Though it is the pineapple that is most prominent, it is the assortment of creatures that flutter around, climb or emerge from its leaves that are the principal attraction of this coloured plate, below.

A fair featuring books, posters, photographs, pictures and records covering Surrealism, counter culture and underground movements will take place in Paris this summer.

German castle’s works of art hidden away in the war come to light in Munich saleroom

Over the years, the extensive general sales at Metz (25% buyer’s premium) in Heidelberg have provided many a surprise, partly explainable by the fact that all lots are offered without reserve.

Even though the head of the Christ Child was missing, numerous bidders joined in the action when a carved figure of the Madonna with Child came up for sale in Düsseldorf.

Until the widespread advent of the wireless, barrel organs were a familiar sight (and sound) on the streets of Berlin and other major German cities.

During the late summer of 1907, the Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler visited the Engadin region and painted six landscapes of nearby mountains.

The countless designs for furniture and decorative arts created by Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, who were known as Napoleon’s architects, not only found favour with the French emperor but also had an enduring influence on cabinetmakers throughout Europe.

The Romanian artist Victor Brauner is known above all for his disturbing Surrealist paintings, often incorporating violent scenes.

After the death of his father from cholera in 1625, Jan Brueghel the Younger returned to his home town of Antwerp.

The Austrian sculptor Gustav Gurschner, who was particularly productive at the beginning of the 20th century, designed many functional objects such as door knockers, doorknobs and ashtrays, encapsulating the style of Viennese Jugendstil.

One of the last five works created by the German Expressionist August Macke is for sale at Ketterer Kunst after being family owned for almost 100 years.

Described by Bonhams (15% buyer’s premium) as “the ultimate in rally equipment from the 1960s”, a pair of stopwatches mounted on an original Heuer plate intended to be attached to the dashboard of a racing or rally car received a suitably enthusiastic response.

Among the salerooms in Paris holding auctions of drawings, or sales with a drawing section, around the time of the Salon du Dessin is Christie’s.

A group of works assembled by a collector from Normandy focusing on paintings and drawings from the region will be offered at the Hôtel des ventes de la Seine in Rouen on May 19.

This street scene by Louis-Léopold Boilly (1761-1845) will feature in the sale of Old Master and Modern drawings from 1500-1900 to be held by Millon on May 19 at Drouot in Paris.