London

Three oils by Victorian greats Frederic Lord Leighton, William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais are coming to market in London.

The Gentleman’s Library Sale at Bonhams on February 12-13 included a miniature William and Mary or Queen Anne walnut armchair standing 21in (53cm) high).

Pair of Abstract oils by Richard Smith had been cut in two but that did not deter the bidders.

German silver Kiddush cups survived the Second World War in only relatively small numbers but there were some treasured heirlooms, part of Jewish family festivals for generations, that were kept safe throughout the religion’s darkest times.

Two broadsides describing and illustrating with wood engravings the executions of convicted murderers were sold online at £1600 apiece by Forum.

Featuring one historiated initial depicting a priest blessing the marriage of a couple who stand before him, a medieval guide to marital problems and resolutions made £32,000 online at Forum Auctions (25/20/12% buyer’s premium).

The overall total from the latest London series of Contemporary art auctions was down year-on-year. With one day sale still to run at the time of going to press, the running total of £197.4m from the sales at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips compared to £253.9m from the equivalent sales in 2019.

This large lithograph forms part of the Weather Series, a suite of prints created by David Hockney (b.1937) in 1973.

Dealer Michael Shapiro’s exhibition of Modernist photography showcases works capturing a fundamental shift in style.

A UK-based design studio trio last year took over the UK licence to the archive of Florence Broadhurst, an Australian designer whose whirlwind life came to a tragic end in 1977.

The market for both film and music posters is booming but original artwork for such designs can also be a very collectable option for buyers.

Star turn among some 120 lots of playing cards offered as part of a Stroud Auctions (18% buyer’s premium) sale was the last to be offered. A complete set of Charles Hodges’ Astronomical Playing Cards, it sold online for £3000.

Fine European porcelain specialist Serhat Ahmet has opened a new shop in London’s Cecil Court after more than five years in Grays Antique Centre.

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.

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.

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.

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