Auctioneers

The auction process is a key part of the secondary art and antiques market.

Firms of auctioneers usually specialise in a number of fields such as jewellery, ceramics, paintings, Asian art or coins but many also hold general sales where the goods available are not defined by a particular genre and are usually lower in value.

Auctioneers often provide other services such as probate and insurance valuations.

The Artist's Mother by Harold Gilman

Harold Gilman’s portrait of his mother quadruples estimate at Gorringe’s

03 August 2026

If close personal connections between artist and sitter can raise the value of a portrait, then you might expect a picture by a celebrated artist of his mother to do rather well when offered on the market.

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Hammer total climbs to nearly £35,000 at auction for Arthur Wakefield archive detailing the 1922 British Mount Everest Expedition

03 August 2026

A fascinating archive of diaries and photographs shedding light on the 1922 British Mount Everest Expedition has sold for almost £35,000 in total at auction.

Triqueti Campbell Medallion

Oxfordshire country house buys Triqueti portrait sculpture of a scandalous Victorian heiress after successful fundraising campaign

31 July 2026

A rare portrait sculpture of a scandalous Victorian heiress that sold at auction has been acquired by Buscot Park following a temporary export bar.

2754NEDI Heritage Don Heck Artwork

Iron man shows his auction mettle to set a new high for original comic book artwork

30 July 2026

The image introducing Tony Stark’s superhero persona – Iron Man – has set an auction record.

Portrait of Laura Knight by Harold Knight

Harold and Laura Knight: A husband-and-wife duo with major saleroom presence

29 July 2026

A portrait of the artist Laura Knight (1874-1970) by her husband Harold Knight (1874-1961) sounds like the kind of work always likely to generate interest at auction. And this is especially so if it happens to be previously unrecorded and offered with an inviting estimate.

Madge Gill postcard

Postcards by self-taught artist Madge Gill come to Sworders for selling show

28 July 2026

Postcards by the so-called ‘outsider’ artist Madge Gill (1882-1961) are being offered in a selling show in Cecil Court, London this month.

Movers and Shakers

Appointments and promotions across the world of art and antiques

28 July 2026

A new silver department at Azca Auctions is among the latest industry news

Titanic and Olympic tickets

Titanic rarity: White Star tickets fly above estimate in Dorset auction

27 July 2026

A sale at Duke’s in Dorchester this week included two tickets related to the launching of two of the Olympic class liners in Belfast in 1911.

Otto Hoffmann figurine

Auctioneer wins lengthy battle over Ivory Act exemption

24 July 2026

A Suffolk auction house has successfully received an exemption certificate for an early 20th century ivory figure following a complex appeals process.

Punch bowl

Pleased as punch with Gorham Martelé silver bowl

24 July 2026

A Gorham Martelé silver punch bowl made for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St Louis sold for $120,000 (£89,700) at Freeman’s in Chicago.

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Obituary: Theo Burrell (1986-2026)

24 July 2026

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of long-standing member of the Lyon & Turnbull family Theo Burrell after a four-year battle with an aggressive brain tumour. She died peacefully on Wednesday, July 8, surrounded by her family.

John Singer Sargent watercolour

Why the John Singer Sargent market remains a trans-Atlantic affair

24 July 2026

Artistically and commercially, John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) is a giant that straddles the Atlantic.

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Roman mosaic panels roam to London saleroom via Austria

24 July 2026

A recent sale of ancient art at Apollo Art Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) included a series of Roman polychrome mosaic panels that came for sale from a private London collection.

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Interview: Trust, not persuasion, seals the deal

24 July 2026

Ahead of a busy autumn season for Asian art, Asaph Hyman, Bonhams’ global head of Chinese ceramics and works of art, discusses the pull of single-owner dealer sales, the shifting profile of the Chinese buyer, and what it takes to bring major consignments to the rostrum

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Personal tributes to Theo Burrell (1986-2026) from colleagues at Lyon & Turnbull

24 July 2026

Theo Burrell died peacefully in earlier this month after a four-year battle with an aggressive brain tumour. Here four of colleagues at Lyon & Turnbull share their memories of the ceramics specialist

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Taxidermist Walter Potter became animated by anthropomorphic topics

24 July 2026

Walter Potter (1835-1918) was an extraordinary Victorian.

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Peake takes highest price with Elizabethan portrait

24 July 2026

A portrait by Robert Peake the Elder (c.1551-1619) was the top lot at the Bonhams (28/27% buyer’s premium) Old Master Paintings sale in London on July 1.

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EH Shepard with wind in his sails not Winnie

24 July 2026

While Winnie-the-Pooh works by the renowned illustrator generate most demand, others for Grahame books are also very desirable

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Gainsborough works reveal their face value

24 July 2026

Two notable works by Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88) from different ends of his career drew contrasting levels of demand at separate summer auctions.

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‘Balloon-mania’ blows in to Welsh saleroom

24 July 2026

Italian adventurer Vincenzo Lunardi (1759-1806) first demonstrated his hot air balloon in London on September 15, 1784.

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