Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
‘A testament to elegance’: Bach manuscript goes to Bodleian in lieu of inheritance tax
15 March 2024A rare autograph manuscript by composer Johann Sebastian Bach has been acquired by the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries.
‘Quintessential English’ collection of family portraits comes to auction in Gloucestershire
13 March 2024A group of portraits from the collection of the 3rd Earl of Liverpool, Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson (1784-1851), will be offered at Gloucestershire saleroom Chorley’s auctioneers in April.
Atmospheric Foord Hughes painting of a rural scene gathers demand
11 March 2024The highest price at auction for 12 years for Arthur Foord Hughes (1856-1934) came at Nottingham saleroom Mellors & Kirk (24% buyer’s premium) at the start of the year.
‘Beechey’ portrait of an Indian sitter, the mysterious Moonshee, is ready for research
11 March 2024A mixture of leading artist, intriguing subject, ‘prominent’ background and perhaps a bit of speculation helped propel a portrait of an Indian figure to 36 times the top estimate.
Dealer 'Dick' Turpin's fine art exemplifies his eclectic taste
11 March 2024Although the late antiques dealer Maurice ‘Dick’ Turpin (1928-2005) may have been better known for his expertise in furniture and works of art, he also had an eye for a painting.
Call for new rules on ‘cold cast bronzes’
11 March 2024A surge in websites selling ‘cold-cast bronzes’ – sometimes passing them off as original metal alloy sculptures – has led to calls for tighter rules to distinguish them from genuine works.
Magritte leads Modern art auctions in London as overall totals fall
09 March 2024A surrealist painting by René Magritte (1898-1967) led the latest series of Modern and Contemporary art sales in London although overall the auctions at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips were rather flat compared to previous years.
JMW Turner watercolour takes £96,000 at Herefordshire auction
06 March 2024A watercolour by JMW Turner (1775-1851) depicting a famous English country estate has sold for £96,000 at Minster Auctions.
Fierce negotiator who had a sharp eye for artistic talent
04 March 2024Roseberys’ sale of Modern British & 20th Century art on March 12 will include works from the collection of Bernard Sheridan (1927-2007).
Modern British works from artistic sources boost Colchester sale
04 March 2024A group of four pictures on offer in an Essex auction came from a vendor whose grandmother was part of the Fitzrovian set - the Bohemian group of artists and intellectuals centred around Charlotte Street in London, just north of Soho, in the 1920s-50s.
Works fly over estimate at Lay’s sale of the Branfield collection
29 February 2024Underlining the strength of demand for quality pieces of 20th century Cornish art by well known names, the collection of art historian and author John Branfield and his late wife Kathleen (known as Pep) commanded plenty of interest at Penzance saleroom Lay’s.
Pick of the week: Daniells artwork is the Shore thing
26 February 2024It is a good time to be selling works by Thomas Daniell (1749-1840).
Frederick Austin: an artist of the old school
26 February 2024Group of works by a maker who used mostly traditional techniques creates a secondary market test
Stannard still life keeps up standards in East Anglia
22 February 2024Like a number of East Anglian artists, Eloise Harriet Stannard (1829-1915) has a decent following among both the trade and a core group of private collectors.
Old Masters: Supply lines come under strain
19 February 2024Market shows strength only for select works as sourcing high-quality material proves inceasingly difficult
Hubert Robert's range on show at Old Master sales
19 February 2024Both Sotheby’s and Christie’s offered notable works by French artist Hubert Robert (1733-1808) at the latest Old Master auction series in New York.
Five highlights from the Branfield collection of Modern British art at Lay’s
15 February 2024Art historian and author John Branfield and his late wife Kathleen spent 50 years building their collection of Cornish art and ceramics. It will now be dispersed at Lay’s in Penzance on February 29.
Sotheby's sets record for a work on paper by a female Old Master
14 February 2024Some of the strongest demand at the latest Old Master auctions in New York came among the works on paper sales.
Dealers and auctioneers react after Sotheby’s shock changes to both buyer’s and vendor’s fees
12 February 2024The surprise decision by Sotheby’s to cut its buyer’s premium and standardise its vendor fees sparked a wave of comments across the art and antiques trade.
Gray’s apocalyptic vision of Glasgow acted as anti-nuclear bomb protest
12 February 2024A shot in the arm for the picture market of Alasdair Gray (1934-2019) came at the start of the year when one of his most momentous paintings emerged at auction and set a major record for the Scottish artist and writer.