Latest News Articles by Alex Capon
‘Prime period’ Canaletto makes record £27.5m at Christie’s
02 July 2025A painting by Canaletto (1697-1768) once owned by the first British prime minister Sir Robert Walpole sold for £27.5m at Christie’s latest Old Master evening sale.
Ben Enwonwu paintings bring strong interest at Surrey auction
02 July 2025Nigerian artist Ben Enwonwu (1917-94) is sometimes described as ‘the first African artist to gain international recognition in the modern art world’.
Record for Ethel Walker as elegant still life emerges from huge collection
01 July 2025An enormous deceased estate in West Yorkshire has been providing Scarborough saleroom David Duggleby (25% buyer’s premium) with a vast range of works to offload over the last two years.
Monumental Hungarian painting makes 60 times the high estimate in West Sussex
30 June 2025A large diptych depicting a profusion of colourful and curious figures attracted spectacular bidding at a recent sale held by Toovey's (24.5% buyer’s premium).
John Nash brings in big Bucks with his countryside scenes
30 June 2025Local landscapes by brother of the prominent Modern British artist Paul are now witnessing growing demand
Tamara de Lempicka leads latest London Modern and Contemporary art series
27 June 2025The latest Modern and Contemporary art auctions in London raised a combined £97.8m. This compared to £132.3m from the equivalent series last year.
Italy aims to become ‘increasingly competitive’ in the global art market after VAT cut
26 June 2025Italy has announced a cut in VAT for art and antiques from 22% to 5%, making it lower than any other EU state. The country also aims to halve VAT on imports to 5%.
Royal approval: Edward Seago works attract interest after emerging from Cotswolds house
25 June 2025The ‘quintessential’ Cotswolds property Ready Token House near Cirencester has had an interesting recent history.
Pioneering Victorian photograph book found in closet now heads to Roseberys
24 June 2025A scarce copy of a pioneering photograph book showing views of the Norfolk Broads has been consigned to south London saleroom Roseberys.
Only photograph of Abraham Lincoln with a family member emerges at Bonhams
23 June 2025Bonhams is offering a rare portrait of former US President Abraham Lincoln seated with his young son Tad.
Spotlight: 250 years of JMW Turner
23 June 2025Many works by the great British artist are now owned by institutions but smaller paintings and sketches are common sights at salerooms
Painter Devis whose passage to India proved to be a difficult process
23 June 2025Artist survived a shipwreck but then spent a decade creating portraits and views of the local landscape
Grandmother’s Alfred Wallis purchases bring reward for vendor
20 June 2025Provenance is all important when it comes to the works of Alfred Wallis (1855-1942).
CINOA issues rallying cry for the art trade to unite
19 June 2025The new president of CINOA has issued a call for unity across the cultural sector in response to “increasingly restrictive legislation affecting the global art and antiques trade”.
Mortimer Menpes travel pictures bring demand at West London sale
18 June 2025The artist Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938) was something of a jack of all trades. But contrary to the old adage he was a master of many.
Devis in demand: ‘Relaxed’ portrait of a civil servant bid to £140,000
16 June 2025Over recent years, works painted in India by Arthur William Devis (1762-1822) have become a valuable proposition.
Largest Tirzah Garwood group to emerge in one go sets a test of the market
16 June 2025The most extensive selection of works to come on the open market provides an opportunity to assess the market for the Modern British print specialist
Dealer brokers sale of Dobson self-portrait to two London museums
13 June 2025A rare self-portrait by William Dobson (1611-46) has been jointly acquired by Tate Britain and the National Portrait Gallery in a £2.37m private treaty sale brokered by dealer Hazlitt.
Turner prize: Rediscovered painting bought for £400 now estimated at up to £300,000 at Sotheby’s
10 June 2025The first oil painting ever exhibited by JMW Turner (1775-1851) in his lifetime will be offered at Sotheby’s this summer.
High expectations means bidders thin on the ground for Saunders Old Master collection
09 June 2025The Saunders collection seems to have been the consignment that Sotheby’s could not afford to lose.