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.

Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’ first edition

Hindman sets auction record for copy of Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’

08 November 2019

A record for a copy of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species came at Hindman’s sale of the library of a Midwestern collector in Chicago earlier this week.

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Christie’s seeks exemption from Chinese import tax in US

08 November 2019

Christie’s has been praised for its stance on US tariffs on Chinese art after it became the first art market firm to seek exclusion from the tax, part of the ongoing trade war between the US and China. Late in October, Christie’s applied for exemption from a “punishing” import tax on seven types of Chinese art.

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Sculpture of Emperor Hadrian reigns supreme in Christie's Classic Week

04 November 2019

Christie’s latest ‘Classic week’ in New York raised a premium-inclusive $59.9m (£46.8m) from nine separate sales.

Evening in Spring by Jack Butler Yeats

Irish auction house Whyte’s teams up with Christie’s to disperse the Ernie O’Malley collection

04 November 2019

Dublin auction house Whyte’s will be offering works from the collection of leading Irish revolutionary Ernie O’Malley (1897-1957) on November 25. The sale is held in association with Christie’s and will take place at the Royal Dublin Society.

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Collector with an eye for the birds

04 November 2019

A sale at Rago Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in its New Jersey rooms offered potential buyers the Andrew Furer and Elle Douglas collection: 27 lots of Martinware (mostly composed of the potters’ iconic Wally Bird creations).

British and Irish book auctions: November 4-21, 2019

04 November 2019

Our regular listing of British and Irish book auctions.

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Golf guide chips in for a sport surprise

04 November 2019

Golf books do not bring as many really high prices as was once the case, but the most recent of the regular sales in this category held by a Californian saleroom did contain a couple of surprises.

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Paris fair aims at fine arts revival

04 November 2019

The Carrousel du Louvre will be the setting for the 'Fine Arts Paris' fair which opens to the public next week with a five-day run from November 13-17.

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Melville library in demand at Swann

04 November 2019

Two books from Herman Melville’s library, both volumes of classical poetry that were annotated throughout and in one instance signed, topped a recent New York sale.

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Pick of the week: Buyer gets claws into rare St James’s

04 November 2019

This sculptural white porcelain group of Ganymede and the Eagle is a rare survivor from the St James’s factory run by Charles Gouyn in London c.1749-60.

French auction reform closer to reality as bill passes through Paris’ Senate

01 November 2019

A draft bill recommending further reform to the French auction system has passed through the Senate in Paris.

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New Jane Austen auction record for signed letter in New York

31 October 2019

A rare handwritten letter by Jane Austen (1775-1817) detailing a visit to the dentist has set a new auction record for a signed autograph letter by her.

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Rare prototype Star Wars figures could make auction record

30 October 2019

A new record for any Star Wars toy is anticipated next month with the appearance at auction of a rare prototype action figure.

Charles F Stewart, CEO of Sotheby’s

New CEO for Sotheby’s following Patrick Drahi acquisition

28 October 2019

Sotheby’s has appointed Charles F Stewart as chief executive officer. Joining from communications and media company Altice USA, he takes over from Tad Smith who has served as CEO since 2015.

Cimabue's ‘The mocking of Christ’

Cimabue panel found hanging in kitchen sells for over £20m at auction in France – watch video of auction

28 October 2019

A panel ascribed to the Italian artist Cimabue (c.1240-1302) drew dramatic competition this weekend at French auction house Actéon, becoming the eighth most expensive Old Master ever sold.

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Stuck sculpture shows athletic inspiration

28 October 2019

The German artist Franz von Stuck is generally associated with portraits of sultry, mystical fin-de-siècle women, laden with symbolism.

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Charlotte Brontë’s teenage miniature manuscript returns to auction

28 October 2019

Parsonage Museum ‘determined to make the most of second opportunity’ to own miniature manuscript

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Vroom shows a sense of perspective

28 October 2019

It was a visit to the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino with his parents that first whetted the 15-year-old Thomas Vroom’s appetite for perspective.

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Panels portray palaces and architectural scenes

28 October 2019

One of the highlights at Lempertz in Cologne on November 15 is a set of nine late-18th century scagliola panels.

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EH Shepard pictures Bertie

28 October 2019

Coming up for sale at Swann Galleries in New York on December 10 is an original, initialled ink and wash drawing by EH Shepard for a lesser-known work by Kenneth Grahame, Bertie’s Escapade, that was published by Lippincott in the US in 1949.

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