Old Masters

Expecting to collect a bureau advertised on marketplace Gumtree, a dealer spotted two 18th century Venetian scenes leaning against a wall in the home he visited.

Old Master and a string of heavy hitters boost an encouraging event despite challenging times

Among the works attracting interest at a recent Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium) sale were two pictures formerly in the collection at Shakenhurst Hall.

A newly discovered first edition copy of Francisco Goya’s most celebrated printed work, 'Los Caprichos' (The Caprices), is up for auction at Butterscotch in Bedford, New York, on December 4 with an estimate on request.

A dealer has identified a design for a cenotaph to Antonio Canova (1757-1822) in time for the 200th anniversary of the Italian sculptor’s death.

While many US museums display portraits of famous Patriots from the War of Independence, especially the likes of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Nathanael Greene, pictures of Loyalists are less common in their collections.

Since its inception, the focus of the 'Highlights' fair on Modern and Contemporary art has increased and in recent years photography dealers have also been given more space.

The private collector who consigned a painting he had bought at Sotheby’s in London in 2013 to Koller (25/22/15% buyer’s premium) in Zurich for the auction on September 23 will have been most agreeably surprised by the result.

A little-known theatrical portrait painted by Johan Zoffany (1733-1810) towards the end of his career sold for £330,000 at auction in Dorset.

Depictions of north Africa and the Middle East became commonplace in Western art as the Orientalist art movement reached its height in the 19th century.

Titled 'De Watteau à Vuillard Une Collection Parisienne', paintings, works on paper, furniture and objects from a Parisian collection were the object of the first of two single-owner classic contents sales marking the start of the new auction season for the Old Master, furniture and objects departments at Artcurial (26/20/14.5% buyer’s premium).

An early 17th century gouache by the German artist Johann König (1586-1642) was a highlight of the Ivoire Troyes (24% buyer’s premium) auction.

Dickinson Gallery’s managing director Emma Ward and James Roundell have left to set up a firm with Old Master specialist Fabrizio Moretti.

A single-owner sale of property from a Parisian collection will be on offer at Artcurial in Paris on September 21.

An unframed painting offered at a Norfolk auction was bid to 2000 times its high estimate when bidders detected in it the hand of an Italian Old Master.