International

About 80% of the global art market by value takes place outside the UK. The largest art market in the world is the US with China in third place (after the UK) followed by France, Germany and Switzerland.

Many more nations have a rich art and antiques heritage with active auction, dealer, fair, gallery and museum sectors even if their market size by value is smaller.

Read the top stories and latest art and antiques news from all these countries.

Medium 375968 51 1

Asian works bring thrills to Freeman’s Hindman debut at Asia Week NY

28 March 2025

Freeman’s Hindman is represented in 18 cities across the United States and operates six salerooms, more than any other auction house in the country.

'Writing ball' designed by Rasmus Malling-Hansen

World’s first commercial typewriter hits six figures at auction

27 March 2025

Rasmus Malling-Hansen designed the pincushion-like device in 1865 to help deaf students "speak with their fingers" – this example more than doubled its low estimate in Cologne

img_5-4.jpg

Early Klimt African prince portrait stars in Maastricht

24 March 2025

A hit at TEFAF was a rediscovered portrait that Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) painted in 1897 of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona, from the Ga people of west Africa.

img_34-3.jpg

Classic Sengantini mountain view climbs to €150,000 hammer price

24 March 2025

A landscape by Gottardo Guido Segantini (1882-1974) was the highly fought-after favourite at Döbritz (26% buyer’s premium) in Frankfurt on February 22.

img_34-4.jpg

Zsolnay snakes in with a jardiniere

24 March 2025

The continuing interest of international collectors for ceramics by the Zsolnay factory in Pécs in south-west Hungary could be seen at a recent auction held by Mehlis (24% buyer’s premium) in Plauen.

img_33-2.jpg

Mona Lisa 'taken as tourist souvenir'

24 March 2025

One of the factors that made the Mona Lisa probably the most-visited work of art in the world was that the painting was stolen from the Louvre in 1911.

img_32-1.jpg

Top British honours shine in Viennese auction

24 March 2025

Late 18th century Order of the Garter soars way over estimate as part of an Austrian sale

img_33-1.jpg

Good bit of monkey money business

24 March 2025

One of several known versions of the most famous painting by Gabriel von Max (1840-1915) caused quite a stir at Plückbaum (26.5% buyer’s premium) in Bonn.

img_26-1.jpg

Confidence high at TEFAF 2025

24 March 2025

Collectors and institutions flooded into the huge art fair for an ‘exceptional calibre’ of works on display

img_23-3.jpg

Pulling your leg? No, it really is a portrait with no body

24 March 2025

A curious unsigned oil on linen soared past its $800- 1200 guide to achieve $7000 (£5400) at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium) in Maine.

img_34-1.jpg

Masterful Gruber stained glass stands out

24 March 2025

Windows from 1923 by a master of the craft mark the move from Art Nouveau to Art Deco

War of the Worlds poster

Top billing: Major movie poster collection heads to Heritage Auctions

21 March 2025

Poster collector Dwight Cleveland’s rare collection spans more than 100 years of film – the best of them will be offered at Heritage Auctions

E.T. model by Carlo Rambaldi

Sotheby’s to auction screen-used E.T. model

21 March 2025

Three E.T. models were used in the 1982 science fiction classic – one of them will appear at Sotheby’s in New York with a $600,000-900,000 estimate

img_6-1.jpg

TEFAF ‘back to its best’, say dealers

17 March 2025

Exhibitors at The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in Maastricht made a string of early sales at the prestigious event which opened on Thursday, March 13.

img_9-4.jpg

Martin Brothers group set for sale in Sydney

17 March 2025

The Cheong family collection of Martin Brothers comes for sale at Bonhams in Sydney on March 27.

img_37-5.jpg

Bracket clock by Huguenot talent emerges in Hanover

17 March 2025

The revocation of the Edict of Nantes by the French king Louis XIV in 1685 led to the massive exodus of Huguenots, many of whom moved to Great Britain.

img_36-1.jpg

Different type of expressionism: three extraordinary character heads

17 March 2025

Produced by a German-Austrian sculptor in the 18th century, three intriguing marble sculptures were among the attractions of the sale at EP Deutsch (24% buyer’s premium) on January 31 in Vienna.

img_37-6.jpg

Sew recognisable as a Jennens & Bettridge production

17 March 2025

A mid-19th century papier-mâché globe sewing table from Birmingham, part of the legacy of a South American collector, has found its way to Heidelberg, where it is being sold by Metz on March 21-22.

img_36-3.jpg

Bridal beaker for a double toast

17 March 2025

Since the 16th century, silversmiths in Germany have produced so-called Brautbecher (bridal beakers), a tradition that still exists today.

img_37-1.jpg

Paperweight princess comes to Munich sale

17 March 2025

A large part of the auction at Neumeister in Munich on March 19-20 is devoted to works of art from the legacy of Alexander Eugen, Duke of Württemberg who died last year at the age of 91.

News

Categories