Art Market

Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-98) was the toast of London during the latest Victorian art sales held in the capital, where buyers continued to covet blue-chip Pre-Raphaelite art, market-fresh material – and invest in female names.

A trademark nocturnal scene by Victorian painter John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-93) got away on low estimate for £80,000 at John Nicholson’s (25% buyer’s premium) of Haslemere in Surrey.

Portraits of prize-winning racing pigeons are the latest must-haves in decorative collecting circles, judging by a recent spate of high prices in the regions.

This unfinished oil sketch of a tree was kept by pre-Raphaelite painter John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) until his death and sold in his last major studio sale, held in 1926 at Christie’s.

A selection of three works priced under £1200 at UK regional auctions.

Four works sold in Essex auction could be part of Marks’ Eaton Hall commission.

Early works from artist known as Marevna is key feature of family collection sold in London.

More female talent emerged at Roseberys in the form of this fiery piece of Abstract Expressionism below by American painter Grace Hartigan (1922-2008).

The Victorian Conservative politician Lord Coventry is believed to have commissioned this portrait of favourite hounds Rambler and Marksman.

This seasonal watercolour of figures ice skating in the Lake District (below) sold for a mid-estimate £3600 at local Cumbria saleroom Mitchells (20% buyer’s premium) on November 28.

Three modestly valued works in regional sales, including a mini-sleeper at an Essex auction.

After a summer series remembered for its quirky ‘warts and all’ portraiture and an improbable list of celebrity endorsers, including former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham who hosted a series of Sotheby’s consignments at her London fashion showroom, Old Masters were back in familiar territory for the latest offerings in London.

Results from the December 2018 auction series of Old Masters in London.

Golden Age Dutch art topped the bill at Bonhams in the December 5 sale via a fresh-to-market still-life attributed to the 17th century painter Pieter Claesz (1597-1660), which sold for over four times the estimate at £130,000.

Combining results from the Albada collection and its evening sale, Christie’s achieved its highest evening total for a December Old Masters sale in London for seven years.

Dutch and Flemish art also dominated takings at Sotheby's in New Bond Street on December 5. The category was 90% sold and netted the lion’s share of the sale at £24.6m (with premium), against hopes of £16.8m-23.7m.

The festive season is upon us. And as art market tradition dictates, this means a generous helping of Old Masters.

Identifying the sitters of the past is one of the biggest drivers of value when it comes to selling traditional portraits on the secondary market.

The Dutch animal painter Paulus Potter (1625-54) succeeded in producing about 100 paintings before he died at the tender age of 28 from tuberculosis.

Three modestly valued works in regional sales, including a Keith Vaughan pen, ink and wash.