Europe

A late version of the Penitent Magdalen by Titian (c.1485- 1576) that surfaced at Austrian saleroom Dorotheum has sold for €4.1m (£3.5m).

Though it is the pineapple that is most prominent, it is the assortment of creatures that flutter around, climb or emerge from its leaves that are the principal attraction of this coloured plate, below.

Specialist toy sales held in April on either side of the Atlantic have yielded some notable prices for items from two specific categories: toys relating to Popeye and a collection of toy boats.

A fair featuring books, posters, photographs, pictures and records covering Surrealism, counter culture and underground movements will take place in Paris this summer.

Even though the head of the Christ Child was missing, numerous bidders joined in the action when a carved figure of the Madonna with Child came up for sale in Düsseldorf.

The countless designs for furniture and decorative arts created by Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, who were known as Napoleon’s architects, not only found favour with the French emperor but also had an enduring influence on cabinetmakers throughout Europe.

The Romanian artist Victor Brauner is known above all for his disturbing Surrealist paintings, often incorporating violent scenes.

One of the last five works created by the German Expressionist August Macke is for sale at Ketterer Kunst after being family owned for almost 100 years.

German castle’s works of art hidden away in the war come to light in Munich saleroom

Until the widespread advent of the wireless, barrel organs were a familiar sight (and sound) on the streets of Berlin and other major German cities.

The Austrian sculptor Gustav Gurschner, who was particularly productive at the beginning of the 20th century, designed many functional objects such as door knockers, doorknobs and ashtrays, encapsulating the style of Viennese Jugendstil.

During the late summer of 1907, the Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler visited the Engadin region and painted six landscapes of nearby mountains.

After the death of his father from cholera in 1625, Jan Brueghel the Younger returned to his home town of Antwerp.

Over the years, the extensive general sales at Metz (25% buyer’s premium) in Heidelberg have provided many a surprise, partly explainable by the fact that all lots are offered without reserve.

This table by Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) sold for €92,000 (£77,700) at Stockholms Auktionsverk in Helsinki – a record for the Finnish designer.

Ader is holding a sale of Old Master drawings on May 20 at Drouot in Paris.

Described by Bonhams (15% buyer’s premium) as “the ultimate in rally equipment from the 1960s”, a pair of stopwatches mounted on an original Heuer plate intended to be attached to the dashboard of a racing or rally car received a suitably enthusiastic response.

A group of works assembled by a collector from Normandy focusing on paintings and drawings from the region will be offered at the Hôtel des ventes de la Seine in Rouen on May 19.

Paris opens its doors to the world of drawings later this month with three dedicated fairs plus a selection of auctions featuring works on paper and a raft of drawing-related events in the city’s museums – all under the umbrella of the 'Semaine du Dessin' (or Drawing Week).