Fine Art

Fine art is a staple of the dealing and auctioneering industry, featuring works ranging from Medieval art to traditional Old Masters, and right through to cutting-edge Contemporary art.

While oil paintings represent a large part of the sector, other mediums adopted by artists across the ages include drawings, watercolours, prints and photographs.

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Miniatures move on from niche

28 August 2026

Demand for the distinctive portraits is rising among new and younger collectors, says specialist

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‘Face painting well performed’

28 August 2026

Among the major dealers in portrait miniatures are Elle Shushan and Philip Mould & Company.

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Keep your eye out for a fascinating look at the history

28 August 2026

For all their diminutive scale, the term ‘portrait miniature’ originally had nothing to do with size.

Rembrandt’s Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet

Rembrandt portrait blocked from export for second time in 11 years

27 August 2026

A Rembrandt portrait sold privately via Christie’s has been temporarily blocked from export in the hope a museum in the UK can raise the £71.7m needed to keep it in the country.

Return of the Life Boat by Thomas Rose Miles

Victorian lifeboat scene triples estimate at Buckinghamshire auction

27 August 2026

The artist Thomas Rose Miles (1844-1916) had a keen sense of drama.

Portrait miniature of Anne Lefroy

Jane Austen’s House buys portrait miniature of writer’s friend and mentor at auction

21 August 2026

A portrait miniature of Anne Lefroy, a writer who was close friends and a mentor of Jane Austen, has been acquired by Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire.

Toasting the Bride by Louis Wain

Louis Wain wedding scene is toast of Gillingham auction

21 August 2026

Hugely popular in the Edwardian era, Louis Wain’s (1869-1939) anthropomorphic cats continue to charm a 21st century audience.

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Welsh ceramics designer Weston Young lived a life full of creativity and chaos

21 August 2026

Archive and avian template for porcelain designs reflect the life of a remarkable 19th century polymath

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Original Wedgwood Makeig-Jones watercolour design wows buyer

21 August 2026

A Wedgwood Fairyland lustre rarity – an original work on paper design by Daisy Makeig-Jones (1881-1945) – featured among the top lots in the July 12 auction at Lion and Unicorn (28% buyer’s premium).

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Zoffoli cast of the Farnese Hercules found in a box under the stairs steps up to £12,000 hammer

21 August 2026

Giacomo Zoffoli (c.1731-85) and his younger brother Giovanni (c.1745-1805) ran a highly successful workshop in Rome, specialising in the bronze casting of reproductions of antique originals.

Art dealer James Birch

Dealer James Birch to sell items at Sworders

20 August 2026

Art dealer James Birch was brought up surrounded by art.

Labourers after Dinner by George Clausen

Major work by George Clausen heads to Australian auction

19 August 2026

An important and well known picture by British artist George Clausen (1852-1944) will appear at auction in Australia next week.

Port Talbot at Night by Valerie Ganz

Cardiff auction indicates increasing American interest in Welsh art

17 August 2026

A notable feature of the latest Welsh sale at Rogers Jones (24% buyer’s premium) in Cardiff was the level of interest from the US.

Lowry print

Lowry print market given a fresh kick with new auction record

14 August 2026

The auction record for a print by LS Lowry has crept higher.

The Tent Family by David Bomberg

Demand for ‘Tents’ reflects rising prices for Bomberg

14 August 2026

Underlining the growing demand for David Bomberg (1890-1957) over recent years, a work on paper titled ‘The Tent Family’ recently appeared at auction for the third time in 10 years, selling for a greater amount on each occasion.

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Sintenis entranced by transformational story

14 August 2026

The artist Renée Sintenis (1888-1965) had a very varied career.

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Exceptional – but all at prices under £1000

14 August 2026

Petworth’s Ottocento has opened its summer exhibition featuring artworks from across the 19th and 20th century spectrum all priced at under £1000.

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Warmer side of sculptor Lehmbruck comes out in a sculpture of his wife

14 August 2026

The sculptor Wilhelm Lehmbruck (1881-1919) is primarily known for creating figures which embody pain and suffering.

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Weathered rose girl finds place in the sun

14 August 2026

One of the highlights at the sale held by Henry’s (25% buyer’s premium) on May 30 in Mutterstadt was a large, electroplated cast of a sculpture created by Heinrich Waderé for an art show in the Glaspalast in Munich.

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Royal Hospital painted by Samuel Scott when views of London were the height of fashion

14 August 2026

An early view of the Royal Hospital in Greenwich was among the lots generating interest at Sloane Street Auctions (26.5% buyer’s premium) in London this summer.

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