Fine Art

A drawing from the early part of Thomas Gainsborough's (1727-88) career, dating from 1748 when the artist was 20 years old, sold to the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cheffins' latest fine art sale.

A work on paper by Italian Baroque artist Pier Francesco Mola (1612-66) was among the lots bringing demand at Christie’s sale of works from London dealer Stephen Ongpin.

A previously unrecorded painting by Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823) that “slipped through the net of all scholars” led the latest fine art sale held by Cambridge saleroom Cheffins (25% buyer’s premium).

A remarkable bronze cast of one of the most revered ancient sculptures, Laocoön and His Sons, drew fierce bidding at Sotheby’s on July 1 and led the latest round of ‘Classic art’ sales in London.

A well known portrait of the Duke of Wellington set an auction record for Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) at Christie’s latest Old Master evening sale.

Charles Rebel Stanton (1887-1954) was a flamboyant and multi-faceted artist. But, although he was something of a minor celebrity in his day, he remains largely unfamiliar to many and has never had a huge presence on the market.

A group of lots with a strong whiff of the Bloomsbury Group emerged at a recent auction held at North Yorkshire saleroom Elstob (25% buyer’s premium).

On a sweltering night in the capital, a record was set for a single-owner sale in London as the Lewis collection raised an extraordinary £296.3m total at Sotheby’s.

Painted with a scene of two St Ives double-ended mackerel luggers heeling to an offshore breeze, this Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) picture has what Mimi Connell-Lay calls “an absolute dream of a provenance”.

A newly discovered portrait by George Frederic Watts (1817-1904) is among the lots on offer at Roseberys’ sale of Old Master, British & European pictures in West Norwood on July 8.