Auctions

News and previews of art and antiques sold at auctions throughout the UK and overseas, from multi-million-pound blockbusters to affordable collectables.


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Take a peep at arcade machines sold at auction

05 March 2018

Commonly known as a What The Butler Saw machine, a late 19th-early 20th century Mutoscope was the most alluring of a consignment of a collection of amusement arcade machines offered at Canterbury Auction Galleries (20% buyer’s premium).

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The first Steadman slice of fear and loathing in 1971

05 March 2018

Sold for $28,000 (£20,820) by Christie’s New York (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) on December 5 was this original drawing by Ralph Steadman for the 1971 first appearance of Hunter Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

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Scrapbook conjures Austen atmosphere

05 March 2018

Running to some 300pp and described by the auctioneers as “a most enchanting album, redolent of Jane Austen and her world”, a scrapbook compilation of paper cut-outs, views and figural studies, sold for £1550 in a general sale held in Sussex.

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Gurr Johns bulk-buys Picasso by the dozen

05 March 2018

Works by Pablo Picasso (1881- 1973) dominated the latest series of Impressionist and Modern art auctions in London, with Gurr Johns securing nearly all of them.

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Parisian Book of Hours with Russian princess link

05 March 2018

A Parisian Book of Hours dating to c.1440-50 was among illuminated or decorated manuscripts sold during in the closing weeks of 2017.

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Previews: £30,000 plus

05 March 2018

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

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Carpenter’s tool store is chest the thing for unusual purchases

05 March 2018

Outselling much of the sort of furniture its owner could have worked on, an 18th century carpenter’s oak tool chest on stand was among the pleasant surprises for vendors at the opening sale of the year at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood (21% buyer’s premium).

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John Nash is flavour of the months

05 March 2018

The Buckinghamshire countryside, with its rolling hills, fields, hedgerows and trees, inspired much of the art of John Nash (1893-1977), the younger and less well-known brother of Paul Nash.

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Conservative depiction could be of colourful noble

05 March 2018

A portrait thought to depict one of the most notorious characters of the Jacobean age drew strong bidding in Canterbury.

Mander Auctions’ saleroom

Heavy snow affects auction calendar as eBay removes customer complaints for delayed deliveries

01 March 2018

A number of auction houses across Britain and Ireland have had to reschedule their sales after heavy snow hit many parts of the country.

Sotheby's

Sotheby’s posts strong full year results as sales hit $5.5bn

01 March 2018

Sotheby’s reported a 12% jump in sales last year to $5.5bn (£4bn). The US-listed auction house said profit, or adjusted net income, improved by 22% from $99.6m to $121.7m in 2017, boosted by an increase in commission and fees.

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Rolex made famous by Steve McQueen makes house record hammer price at Dudley saleroom Aston's

01 March 2018

A Rolex of the model made famous after being worn by King of Cool Steve McQueen has set a house record at West Midlands saleroom Aston’s Auctioneers.

Picasso portrait at Sotheby's

Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern evening auction lifted by Picasso portraits

28 February 2018

Works by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) dominated the latest series of Impressionist and Modern art auctions in London with the evening sales at Sotheby’s and Christie’s both led by works by the Spanish artist.

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Brunel technical drawing instruments are sharp seller at auction

28 February 2018

Brunel stories are like buses. Or maybe horse buses, considering the era. None for ages then all at once.

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“His eyes shine, his nose is wet, he’s about to move”… Guercino’s canine portrait set to lead Old Master offering at Cambridge auction – video

28 February 2018

A group of intriguing Old Masters being offered at Cheffins next month was the catalyst for the auction house holding its first London viewing. With the works including a rare, striking and potentially very valuable Guercino (1591-1666) dog portrait, ATG spoke to head of the Cambridge saleroom’s head of pictures Sarah Flynn about the upcoming sale.

‘Mousquetaire et nu assis’ by Pablo Picasso

Picasso in demand – Gurr Johns wins multiple bidding battles for Spanish painter’s works at Christie’s

28 February 2018

Works by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) led the latest sales of Impressionist & Modern and Surrealist art at Christie’s.

Robert Hardy

Harry Potter and All Creatures Great and Small actor Robert Hardy’s art and antiques collection comes to auction in Gloucestershire

28 February 2018

Sir Winston Churchill stetson and a name plaque from the door of the vet Siegfried Farnon from ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ are among the lots to be offered at auction from the estate of Robert Hardy (1925-2017) at Dominic Winter Auctioneers.

Russell Crowe

Actor Russell Crowe sells film memorabilia and more in ‘divorce’ auction at Sotheby’s Australia

27 February 2018

Australian art, film memorabilia and jewellery all feature at Sotheby’s Australia’s auction of Russell Crowe’s collection candidly titled The Art of Divorce.

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Doctor Who script for very first episode owned by William Hartnell comes up at auction

27 February 2018

The original Doctor Who script for the first-ever Doctor Who episode is something always likely to attract high demand at auction. Chuck in the fact that it was used and owned by the very first Doctor Who actor, William Hartnell, and it just gets better and better.

James Alec Hanley

Beatrix Potter letters on farming advice sell for £10,000

27 February 2018

Rare letters written by children’s author Beatrix Potter just nine months before she died have sold at auction in Maidenhead.

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