Europe

When it was introduced to the public in 1956 by the electronics company Braun, the compact stereo system Phonosuper was a spectacular design innovation.

The furniture in the background of many paintings by Walter Sickert has proved to be a useful aid when dating his works.

Chairs by leading early 20th century designers were in high demand at an online sale at Dorotheum (25% buyer’s premium) in Vienna this summer.

The name Ducret has been closely connected to the world of faience ever since the 1950s, when Siegfried Ducret published the first of numerous indispensable handbooks for collectors of and dealers in European porcelain and faience.

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

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

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.

Proud penguins and contemplative cows were popular subjects for two German animaliers

For almost half a century, a portrait of a young nobleman by the Flemish artist Bernard van Orley had been hidden.

An unattributed French 18th century pen and ink drawing was highly sought after at the auction held by Bassenge (25% buyer’s premium) in Berlin.

After almost a century since it was last shown in public, a painting by Wassily Kandinsky, Villa Seeburg am Staffelsee from 1911 topped the evening sale at Ketterer (29/23/15% buyer’s premium) in Munich.

Kinsky (25% buyer’s premium) in Vienna completely underestimated the international interest for a painting by the late 17th century Swiss artist Joseph Werner (1637-1710) offered in an art and antiques sale this summer.

The one-time director of the State Museum of Baden in south-west Germany, Rudolf Schnellbach, was obviously an astute buyer of art.

Several bidders set their sights on a late 18th century flintlock hunting rifle which was offered by Dawo (25.95% buyer’s premium) in Saarbrücken.

One year after the EU’s ‘new’ cultural goods import regime became fully operational, a leading arts and culture lawyer says the EU is failing in its stated objective of combating illicit trade.

The new rules aimed to prevent objects of illicit origin from reaching the European market. Fred Clark, partner at Boodle Hatfield and arts and culture specialist, gives his expert view on progress 12 months later

By coincidence, in the very week that a recently discovered work by Mozart – a previously unknown composition for harp and flute – was premiered in Paris, a piece of Mozart ephemera caused a stir in Vienna.