Europe

Representing just a fraction of the international art market and often overshadowed by the demand for 2D art, Irish sculpture has undergone a quieter recovery.

Tribal art is very much a strength of the Paris art market, with sales taking place throughout the year.

This little oil on canvas showing a seated lion watching the setting sun from the top of a rocky plateau is evocatively titled Les Deux Majestés and is a work by the 19th century Orientalist Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904).

Fourteen unpublished paintings by Maurice Utrillo, the artist renowned for quintessential Paris street scenes, will be coming up for sale on November 23.

A newly discovered work by the 17th century French artist Jacques Stella (1576-1657) found by Xavier de la Perraudière of auction house Ivoire Angers in a local property is to be offered for sale on December 5.

The multi-talented Deco designer and artist Jean Dunand (1877-1942) is one of the names celebrated in Christie’s selected design sale in Paris on November 14 with around 20 pieces in different media.

At a time when catering for niche interests is a profitable path for auctioneers, recent sales in Scotland, Ireland and England have shown that the furniture market can still come to life – provided it meets three criteria.

This small-scale, 17th-18th century, Italian vanitas of a skull carved from Cararra marble measures 7½ x 9½in (19 x 24cm).

An ensemble of fans both Oriental and Occidental is the subject of the dedicated sale organised by Coutau-Bégarie that takes place at Drouot on November 19. Examples date from the 17th century through to the early years of the 20th.

A sale of contents of four homes belonging to the late Pierre Bergé is to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Paris rooms in association with auction house Pierre Bergé & Associes.

A classic Art Nouveau display cabinet by Emile Gallé is part of a collection of furniture by Gallé and Majorelle assembled over half a century ago to be offered for sale by Ivoire Reims on November 18.

While demand is encouraging, a scarcity of high-quality work is hitting the supply side

Since the first Festival of Music and the Arts took place in 1951, the annual Wexford Festival Opera in the south-east Irish town has specialised in neglected works and has become one of the world’s leading opera festivals.

Catching the eye in a German auction was a fine example of the most beautiful of all piscatorial plate books.

Geble auction house in Radolfzell, on the shores of Lake Constance, has an intriguing work by the renowned French craftsman Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751- 1843) in its October 20 auction.

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from October 9-20, 2018.