UK

The United Kingdom accounts for more than one fifth of the global art market sales and is the second biggest art market after the US.

Through auctioneers, dealers, fairs and markets - and a burgeoning online sector - buyers, collectors and sellers of art and antiques can easily access a vibrant network of intermediaries and events around the country. The UK's museums also house a wealth of impressive collections

‘Evening Star at Full Steam’ by Terence Cuneo

Terence Cuneo ‘end of an era’ painting of British Rail’s last steam engine emerges at Sworders’ auction

13 February 2020

A painting of the last steam engine built for British Rail by the celebrated train painter, Terence Cuneo (1907-96), is being offered at Essex saleroom Sworders next month.

David Hockey 'The Splash' at Sotheby's

Hockney leads Sotheby’s Contemporary art evening sale at £21m

12 February 2020

Sotheby’s set the third-highest price for a work by David Hockney (b.1937) in London last night.

Bruton antiques event put on hold as decorative fairs’ dates clash

12 February 2020

The annual Bruton Decorative Antiques Fair is cancelled this year due to a dates clash.

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And the award for ‘best antiques in a movie’ goes to…

10 February 2020

Ever been distracted by the antiques in a movie or TV series and wondered if they were ‘right’ or where they came from?

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Pick of the week: Bidder rides off with a £56,000 Ottoman saddle at Edinburgh auction

10 February 2020

The arts of the Ottoman court are performing strongly in the marketplace. The unexpected highlight of Lyon & Turnbull’s Five Centuries auction in Edinburgh on February 5 was an Ottoman saddle.

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Bomberg buoyant at London Art Fair

10 February 2020

Among several paintings by David Bomberg (1890-1957) that Beaux Arts London sold at London Art Fair (LAF) was an oil, 'Portrait of Dinora' (1952), offered for £70,000.

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Thinking caps on for Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair

10 February 2020

The Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair is a destination for many dealers and collectors, but some exhibitors noticed a cautious approach from buyers at its most recent staging.

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Rugs and carpets move on up at latest staging of London fair

10 February 2020

The latest staging of The London Antique Rug & Textile Art Fair was marked by strong sales of carpets and fewer big-ticket sales, according to organiser and exhibitor Aaron Nejad.

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Battersea fair provides a boost in dry January

10 February 2020

January has become a month of abstinence but bountiful fairs provided a welcome break.

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Lalique panels from luxury train steam into auction after Thomas Cook demise

10 February 2020

Three Lalique glass panels designed for the dining car of the Côte d’Azur Pullman Express train in 1928 will be offered at auction next week. The Joint Special Managers of Thomas Cook Group are the vendors.

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Foiled royal kidnap hero’s George Medal for sale

10 February 2020

The George Medal awarded to a brave boxer who stepped in to foil a kidnap attempt on Princess Anne is up for auction at Dix Noonan Webb in London with an estimate of £15,000-20,000 on March 4-5.

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Well connected for a second time: Connect fair wraps up strong sales

10 February 2020

'Connect: London’s Independent Art Fair' wrapped up its second edition earlier this month, staking its place in the calendar of early fairs around the capital with rising sales and evolving strategies for organisation and selling.

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Impressionist and Modern auctions post lowest totals for a February series in a decade

10 February 2020

The latest Impressionist & Modern auctions in London posted the lowest total for a February series in this category for a decade.

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A Suffolk watercolour, grape shears and Chinese tea caddies are among six lots to watch at auction

10 February 2020

With estimates from £120-3000 here are six previews of upcoming items in the next fortnight.

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Assay office books hit the high-quality mark

10 February 2020

A remarkable collection of books from The Birmingham Assay Office Library will be offered at Forum Auctions in London on March 26.

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Chinese recognition of German contribution

10 February 2020

Gustav Detring (1842-1913) and Constantin von Hanneken (1854-1925) were two of the most influential Germans living and working in China in the late 19th century.

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Astronomical texts and fantastic worlds of fairies

10 February 2020

Two very different lots helped Forum Auctions (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) to boost its first major sale of the year.

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UK auction record for a copper coin at Spink

10 February 2020

A UK auction record for a copper coin was set on September 24 when a rare Edward VIII 1937 pattern penny sold at Spink for £111,000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium). The coin was made as a trial, ahead of the king’s abdication in December 1936, and was never released for circulation.

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Ardizzone is a top draw at auction

10 February 2020

The complete original artworks for two of Edward Ardizzone’s much-loved children’s books were sold for £30,000 apiece at Bonhams (27.5/25/20/13.9% buyer’s premium).

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Sèvres porcelain collection of Judith Howard sold at auction after 48 years of acquisition and study

10 February 2020

Judith Howard (1945-2019), collector, part-time dealer, museum curator, author, TV expert and lecturer, was a self-confessed ‘maximalist’. Every shelf and wall space in her Wiltshire end-of-terrace was there to be filled. Dusting was a chore reserved for just one day a year.

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