UK

The Comerford collection of portrait miniatures, offered for sale by Chiswick Auctions last month, was acquired almost in its entirety by a single bidder.

Giant of the Welsh art market takes the limelight with an intriguing yellow-infused work

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from April 14-28, 2020. All sales are now held online due to the coronavirus alert.

Self-portraits are among the earliest prints that Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69) made, accounting for a large portion of his etching output when he was in his 20s and living in Leiden.

London auctioneer spends nine hours conducting bidding on the rostrum for online sale

Clive Stewart-Lockhart recalls memorable sales, including one ‘barn find’ with a difference, across his 45-plus years as an auctioneer

Since its launch in 1953 there have been well over a dozen distinct references of the Rolex Submariner, with all sorts of minutiae adding up to several hundred different variants.

Although premises are closed, online selling can help to create a sale day sense of excitement

The sale of portrait miniatures held online by Chiswick Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) included a watercolour on ivory of the artist William Holman Hunt (1827-1910).

Auction houses across the country are grappling with the practicalities of staging auctions safely as the UK enters its third week of the government-sanctioned shutdown.

Given the government’s strict guidelines on social distancing, what delivery options can art and antiques buyers use during the lockdown period?

There were two in the room when British Bespoke Auctions held a four-and-a half hour sale last week. On the rostrum on April 1, in an office rather than the saleroom (which is closed), was Nicholas Granger. Behind him was Bella, a blue-and-gold macaw who has been by his side for 20 years.

Although often overshadowed by her famous father William, May Morris (1862-1938) was herself an important figure in the British Arts & Crafts movement.

A number of industrial and commercial-focused businesses have operated online-only and timed auctions for some time and have systems in place that allow for very little contact between individuals.

The recent auction held ‘live online’ by Aldridges of Bath included this spectacular hand-woven north Indian long shawl, or dochalla. It came with a colonial provenance.

Dealers and trade bodies have been adapting to the new normal caused by coronavirus. For most this means isolated living and remote transactions. However, in a spirit of energy and invention, traders are finding new ways to promote both their stock and their brands online.