Latest News Articles by Jonathan Franks
Roman torso and ‘Cycladic’ figure stand out for bidders
08 May 2026The modest reserve of €2500 for the 13in (34cm) Roman marble torso of a seated man from the 1st or 2nd century left the bidders at Dr Eder (25% buyer’s premium) in Cologne with plenty of upward scope.
Sixteenth century Old Master sleepers awake in Switzerland
08 May 2026In recent sales at Artcurial, Bailly, Beurret and Widner (25% buyer’s premium) in Basel, works of art from the renowned collection of Lotar Neumann in Gingins have been consigned by his descendants and achieved notable results.
Cracking price for rare crackled Primavera glass
08 May 2026Vases and other vessels employing the Primavera technique belong to the rarest types of glass produced in Murano.
Actor star value pushes up prices
08 May 2026Collection of popular and well-respected Austrian figure puts in a notable performance at auction
Naturalist got into a flap after his pigeons book was hijacked
01 May 2026While many people have a decided aversion to pigeons, this did not apply to the bidders at Kiefer (25% buyer’s premium) in Pforzheim, Germany.
Munich auction house Neumeister to close
27 April 2026German auction market in shock after news that Neumeister will close.
More celebrations for de Caullery
17 April 2026There was plenty of interest at a sale held by Van Ham (27% buyer’s premium) in Cologne for a painting of a Medieval scene with jousting tournament.
Three Old Masters come to auction with a direct link to Augustus the Strong
17 April 2026Three Old Master paintings being sold by Van Ham on May 22 in Cologne have a direct connection to the collection of Augustus the Strong.
Cypher machine takes more than eight-times estimate at German auction
17 April 2026With only one key, the Diskret, which was offered at a recent sale at Auction Team Breker (21.8% buyer’s premium), did not conform to the conventional layout of a typewriter.
Davy medal emerges in German sale
17 April 2026In 1869, under the terms of the will of John Davy, brother of the celebrated chemist Humphry Davy, the Davy Medal was established in his name.
'Prismatic Cubism' painting by Romanian artist to be offered in Germany
17 April 2026The Romanian artist Arthur Segal spent much of his career in Germany among the avant garde.
Strong contest for Arita vase Augustus admired
17 April 2026Augustus the Strong, the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, was known as a monumental collector.
German industrialist's collection of bronzes shine at auction
17 April 2026Thuringian auction house enjoys more success with collection of local industrialist
Arms of Prussia Chinese export tureen emerges at Lempertz sale
17 April 2026Founded in 1751 at the behest of the Prussian king Frederick the Great, ‘The Royal Prussian Asiatic Company in Emden to Canton and China’ aimed to profit from the trade between Europe and China.
Criticism of father of Art Nouveau taken with pinch of salt
17 April 2026The Flemish designer Henry van de Velde excelled in many fields, working as a painter and architect, before he devoted himself to creating a multitude of designs, from cutlery to furniture, from wallpaper to porcelain.
Threshing out a deal for the rarest tin play toys
17 April 2026Collectors with a keen eye for rarities saw to it that unusual pieces of Märklin offered by Antico Mondo (21.5% buyer’s premium) in Bornheim went for multiples of their estimates.
Chinese clock market marvel created by Grantham
20 March 2026Very little is known about the late-18th century London maker John Grantham other than that he made many watches for the Chinese market, one of which came up for sale at Cortrie (21% buyer’s premium) in Hamburg.
Polish painter Buchbinder goes for gold in Frankfurt
06 March 2026Prices for the 19th century Polish genre painter Simeon (Szymon) Buchbinder moved to a new level at a sale at Blank (22% buyer’s premium) in Bad Vilbel, near Frankfurt.
Bulky bronze bovine brings in a beefy six-figure sum
06 March 2026Although he produced numerous bronze figures for public monuments and decorative elements for religious building, the German sculptor Ewald Mataré (1887-1965) is best known for his numerous figures of cows in a multitude of styles from realistic to cubistic.
A rare Vizagapatam visitor stars in German auction
06 March 2026It has been some years since a good piece of Vizagapatam furniture turned up at a German auction, so it was quite an event when Bieberle (21.42% buyer’s premium) in Magdeburg offered a writing cabinet.