London

A trio of auctioneers have announced plans for further expansion into the London market. Joined by specialists in new disciplines, The Pedestal has plans for a London sale, Tennants has taken offices in the capital while Chiswick Auctions is hiring more staff.

The Works on Paper Fair has ceased running after more than 30 years – a reflection of a contracting market, dealers say.

The LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, has hired a new fair manager.

A painting created by Antonio Canova (1757-1822) as an 18th century art world prank has been rediscovered after more than 200 years.

“It was totally unexpected – as the best finds always are,” Derbyshire auctioneer Charles Hanson told ATG. “A client came along to our office in East Molesey carrying a cardboard box. Inside, wrapped in an old tea towel, was not one, but two, Fabergé flowers.”

An auction record for FCB Cadell (1883-1937) was the highlight of Sotheby’s 31-lot sale of works from the Harrison collection of Scottish Colourists, writes Alex Capon.

Consisting of just two autograph leaves, but catalogued as “one of the most important fragments still in private hands”, a manuscript dating from the last years of Mozart’s short life topped a recent London music sale.

In 1930, Jonathan Swift’s 18th century satirical book Gulliver’s Travels was republished by Cresset Press with a suite of illustrations by the British artist Rex Whistler (1905-44).

Chinese art specialist Priestley & Ferraro has moved to a new location in St James’s. The new address is 3 Bury Street, not far from 17 King Street where it had been located since 1996.

Karen Taylor Fine Art returns to Illustrationcupboard Gallery for a second summer show, bringing a selection of British 18th and 19th century paintings and drawings this month.

Exhibitor numbers at Masterpiece rise to 160 as trade prepares for summer showcase.

In a selling show at south London’s Morley College dealer Neil Jennings celebrates the work of Edward Bawden (1903-89).

Early manuscript compilations for medical and culinary recipes feature quite regularly and successfully at auction, but an example in a recent London sale was one with a morbid statistical addition that achieved a treble-estimate £15,000.

Paul and Alex Peacock started trading four years ago and opened a showroom in Pimlico earlier this month. They are exhibiting at The Art & Antiques Fair Olympia from June 20-27. Below, Paul discusses the pair’s transformation from collectors to dealers.