North America

This early 18th century portrait by Thomas Gibson (1680-1751) shows Lady Bridget Poulett (1702-73) in her prime.

Noke’s portrait of a humiliated child was one of the very first models from the Royal Doulton HN series

A work catalogued as “an 18th-century French School portrait of a gentleman” went for Can$32,000 (£17,180) at a Montreal sale, well above its broad guide of Can$1000-2000.

Georgian giltwood mirrors were the big winners at Doyle New York’s (28% buyer’s premium) January 28 auction of British and European art and antiques.

A spectacular Wedgwood Fairyland lustre vase in the Dragon King pattern has sold for $87,500 (£67,900) in Kansas.

Gustave Doré (1832-83) was celebrated in the 19th century for his wood-engraving illustrations of Biblical scenes.

Decisively claiming top-lot status in the January 12 sale at Clarke Auction Gallery (28% buyer’s premium) was a Florentine School gold ground and tempera panel that hammered for $230,000 (£177,380).

The February 14 sale at Freeman’s Hindman (27% buyer’s premium) was dubbed Interiors featuring a Collection of Canine Art.

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.

The Ephemera Fair, the annual event from the Ephemera Society of America (ESA), runs this year with a conference on the history of invention as well as the usual huge selection of stock.

Edward Curtis is famed for his photographs documenting the disappearing world of Native Americans

Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-71) began to develop the very first mystery clocks in c.1830.

De’ Conti and Tintoretto works shine as part of the Old Master sales in New York

A first edition copy of a book documenting the sinking of a ship by a sperm whale in 1820 went under the hammer at Potter & Potter (25% buyer’s premium).