Fine Art

Old Master specialist Derek Johns became a director of Sotheby’s in 1968 and head of its Old Master paintings department in 1974. He became an independent art dealer in 1981. He now deals from Bury Street after many years on Duke Street.

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

As celebrations get under way to mark the centenary of women gaining the right to vote (or over-30s at least), the Modern British art market is showing a growing appetite for 20th century female artists.

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham described making her late work, a colourful and energetic collection, as ‘letting rip’.

The 20/21 British Art Fair will take place in Saatchi Gallery this year with an expanded timeline and the new name of British Art Fair following its sale to new owners.

The most eye-catching price at the latest series of Old Master and 19th century art sales in New York came at Sotheby’s separately staged auction of drawings from the collection of the late Howard and Saretta Barnet.

Works on paper, not oil paintings, stole the show at Lawrences (22% buyer’s premium) of Crewkerne.

A previously unrecorded painting attributed to Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, the Italian Old Master known as il Guercino (1591-1666), has been consigned to Cambridge auction house Cheffins.

This painting of a saint sold for a multi-estimate £5400 at London Auctions (22% buyer’s premium) in Chiswick.

Exhibition on Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell comes as interest and stock are both healthy

A trio of literary discoveries star at Sim Fine Art’s upcoming exhibition.

Modern and contemporary British art racked up £195,000 at a Roseberys (23% buyer’s premium) sale, with 80% of the 252 lots sold.

Traditional ‘country house style’ pictures were in plentiful supply at a two-day sale at Tennants of Leyburn.

Dealer, art adviser and former auctioneer Simon Wingett is heading a project to create a new Welsh tourism centre including a sculpture park and gallery.