Art Market

Back in May, Bonhams sold 22 pen and ink drawings by Cecil Beaton (1904-80).

A number of notable Modern British pictures came to the auction block at Lyon & Turnbull (25% buyer’s premium) last month.

As time goes by, an almost imperceptible process seems to take place in the art market where certain artists who were once considered avant garde begin to feel like established names.

The highest price to date at Parker Fine Art Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) came at its latest Fine Paintings sale when a rare ornithological watercolour caught the eye of a number of bidders, including from abroad.

Offered with moderate estimates, two Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) etchings from the Vollard Suite drew demand at the recent timed online sale of Modern & Contemporary art at Halls (20% buyer’s premium).

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a Daniel Sherrin landscape.

Strong bidding emerged at Dreweatts’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest Modern & Contemporary Art auction as a work by Irish artist John Shinnors (b.1950) caught the eye of no fewer than eight trade and private buyers.

Not too many artists appearing at regional auctions have over two million followers on Instagram but, then again, not too many are like Mr Doodle (b.1994).

The latest Post-war & Contemporary results produced some encouraging signs that supply and demand are holding up well in the £1000 to £50,000 level

A group of three etchings by Frank Auerbach (b.1931), all head studies of fellow artists, were among the lots receiving interest at Roseberys’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest sale of Modern and Contemporary prints.

James Dodds (b.1957) has been described as both ‘East Anglia’s most famous Contemporary artist after Dame Maggi Hambling’ and as ‘boatbuilding’s artist laureate’.

As Keith Chapman of Modern Art Auctions in Scarborough says, he rarely prints catalogues but coming up in his next auction is “such a good collection of a very underrated artist, we have made an exception”.

The irrepressible Banksy (b.1975) led the day at Bonhams’ (27.5/25/20/13.9%) latest auction of Post-War & Contemporary Art in London.

Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) latest sale of Modern and Contemporary art generated some confident bidding both online and in the room, taking in limited-edition prints by famous names.

Shifting Covid-19 regulations have complicated the Irish and Scottish art markets but online and phone bidding has helped to keep results relatively robust

Two Scottish coastal pictures attracted multiple bidders at Duke’s (25% buyer’s premium) latest Art & Design sale.

A group of 33 lots that came to auction from a descendant of the artist Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852-1936) drew a strong response at Bonhams’ (27.5/25/20/13.9%) latest Scottish sale in Edinburgh.

As with fellow Dublin saleroom Whyte’s, Adam’s (25% buyer’s premium inc VAT) latest Irish art sale was led by a Paul Henry.

The Irish art market produced lively action just before new Covid-19 rules came into effect.

Works by Daniel O’Neill (1920-74) are a common sight at auction, mostly paintings of mysterious female figures in unspecified landscapes.