Newly discovered portrait by Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez sells for £3 million at Bonhams

LONDON.- A previously unknown Portrait of a gentleman by the Spanish artist Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660) sold for £3million today (Wednesday 7th December 2011) in the Old Master Paintings auction at Bonhams, 101 New Bond Street, London. The sale total was £6,329,500. Andrew Mckenzie, Director of Old Master Paintings at Bonhams, comments, “This is a portrait of outstanding quality which has the most extraordinary presence. To have worked so closely with it has been a wonderful experience and a [...]

Rediscovered Velazquez among old masters for sale at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams

LONDON (REUTERS).- Booming art prices have produced plenty of “treasures in the attic” of late, and this week could see another when a painting first valued at 300 pounds is set to fetch up to three million after Bonhams discovered it was by Velazquez. The portrait of an unknown gentleman goes under the hammer on Wednesday, as London hosts a series of old master and British art auctions featuring works worth tens of millions of pounds. While the newly discovered Velazquez [...]

Two trial proofs for Andy Warhol’s iconic image of a dollar sign for sale at Bonhams

LONDON.- Two trial proofs for Andy Warhol’s iconic image of a dollar sign are for sale at Bonhams Print sale on 29 November in London. The signed prints, estimated at between £15,000- 20,000, date from 1982 – just five years before the artist untimely death – and are based on paintings executed the year before. They are among the most obvious representations of the link he often drew between art and money, underlined by the high prices paid for them by collectors at [...]

One of the most iconic post-modernist designs, Proust’s Armchair, to sell at Bonhams

LONDON.- One of the most iconic and important post-modernist designs, Proust’s Armchair, by Italian designer and architect Alessandro Mendini, is to be sold at Bonhams as part of its Contemporary Two sale on 19 October 2011. Designed in 1978, and executed in 1981, for a performance based exhibition entitled Robot Sentimentale, it has attracted a pre-sale estimate of £20,000 – 30,000. Mendini describes his design, which was privately commissioned by the present owner from him in 1981, in The Story of the Proust [...]

Painting of the Inaugural Festival of Britain by Ruskin Spear to Sell at Bonhams

LONDON.- In the year of the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain, Bonhams are to sell a painting by Ruskin Spear of the inaugural Festival in 1951. It is estimated to fetch £10,000-15,000 when it goes under the hammer in the Modern Pictures auction at Bonhams, Knightsbridge on Tuesday 20th September. Ruskin Spear, Festival of Britain. Photo: Bonhams. This painting depicts the celebrations along the Embankment during the Festival of Britain in 1951. The festival aimed to create a feeling of hope, [...]

Rare Portrait of 1920s Hermes Designer Offered by Bonhams

LONDON.- A portrait of François Roques, the first outside artistic advisor to the renowned Fashion House Hermès, will be offered in the Russian Sale on 8th June at Bonhams, New Bond Street. Painted by Marie Vassilieff in 1930, the portrait is estimated to sell for £50,000 – 80,000. During the 1920s François Roques produced designs for a huge range of Hermès items including leather cushions, stationery, belt buckles, hat trimmings, handbags and luggage. His craftsmanship was apparent in the simple, [...]

World Famous Portraits of 20th Century’s Greatest Poets for Sale at Bonhams

LONDON.- Portraits of some of finest 20th century poets in the English language are at the heart of the Roy Davids collection of Papers and Portraits at Bonhams on 29 March. Roy Davids, himself a poet inspired to write by his close friendship with Ted Hughes, has assembled a collection of stunning portraits of the biggest names in literature from Auden to Eliot, Frost to Graves, Larkin to Heaney and naturally, Hughes. Eliot and Auden. Photo: Bonhams The fine and [...]

Rare Painting of Doomed WW2 Bomb Store that was Covered Up for Years, Offered at Bonhams

LONDON.- A powerful painting of a Staffordshire bomb store by the artist David Bomberg will be offered by Bonhams in the 20th Century British Art sale on March 9th. The painting is estimated to sell for £80,000 – 120,000. As World War II broke out in Europe, Bomberg felt a pressing need to contribute in some way and repeatedly suggested that artists be employed to depict and document the historic events. To his satisfaction, in 1939 it was announced that a [...]

Unknown Painting by Walter Sickert Re-Surfaces After 80 Years to Sell at Bonhams

LONDON.- A previously unknown painting by Walter Sickert, entitled The Blind Sea Captain, is one of the highlights of the 20th Century British Art Sale in New Bond Street on the 9th March. The painting, which is estimated to sell for £40,000 – 60,000, is from a private collection, inherited by the vendor from her grandfather. The art historian Wendy Baron, who has devoted her life to studying the works of Walter Sickert, was astounded to find a painting by [...]

Banksy’s Original Art Work for Greenpeace Campaign Poster Makes £78,000 at Bonhams

LONDON.- An original art work by the legendary street artist, Banksy, for a Greenpeace Save or Delete campaign photographic poster, sold for £78,000 last night (11 January 2011) at Bonhams, New Bond Street, as part of its Urban Art sale. The unique piece (lot 67), which was given to the vendor by the artist himself, was among a host of Banksy’s that fetched top prices in the sale. A Bonham’s auction house employee poses for photographers in front of ‘Save [...]

Image of Francis Bacon, One of Ireland’s Top Artists, to Sell in First Irish Art Sale at Bonhams

LONDON.- An evocative portrait of Francis Bacon, one of Britain’s leading 20th century artists, painted by one of his friends, Louis Le Brocquy, Ireland’s foremost living artist, is for sale at Bonhams inaugural Irish Art Sale in London on 9th Feb 2011. The picture is one of the most significant lots to feature in the auction. A watercolour, titled Image of Francis Bacon No 18, it is estimated to sell for £60,000 to £80,000. Although he painted Bacon several times, trying [...]

Two Evocative Paintings of Welsh Landscapes to be Auctioned at Bonhams

LONDON.- Two beautiful oil paintings of the Welsh countryside by Alfred de Breanski are to feature in Bonhams auction of 19th Century Paintings on 27th January 2011. Fishermen and cattle, Betts-y-Coed is expected to fetch £10,000-15,000 while The Llugwy from Pont-y-Cyfyng, Capel Curig is estimated to sell for £5,000-7,000. Alfred de Breanski (1852-1928) was a British landscape artist admired for his spectacular and resplendent views of Wales and the highlands of Scotland. These rural scenes are noted for their beautiful [...]

Stunning Watercolour of East Sussex Cottage by Helen Allingham to be Sold at Bonhams

LONDON.- A beautiful painting by the Victorian watercolourist Helen Allingham entitled By the cottage gate, Mayfield, East Sussex is estimated to sell for £7,000-10,000 in Bonhams 19th Century Pictures auction on 27th January 2011. East Sussex was a county well known to Helen Allingham. Watercolours dating from the late 1870s show her children playing on the beach at Eastbourne or Beachy Head during the family’s summer holidays. She painted the church at Etchingham, sketched in Robertsbridge and painted the countryside around [...]

Pictures by Grandmother Who Picked Up Paintbrush in Her Sixties Offered at Bonhams

LONDON.- Following the Bonhams’ sale in June, where a picture by Helen Bradley was sold at a world record price, three pictures by the artist will be offered in the 20th Century British Art Sale held at Bonhams New Bond Street on the 17th November. Born in 1900 in Lancashire, Helen Bradley was always interested in art, but it was not until she was in her sixties and her grandchildren were asking what life was like when she was a [...]

Photos of Gandhi on Momentous Day in Indian History for Sale at Bonhams

LONDON.- Photographs of Mahatma Gandhi taken on 7 August 1942, one of the most momentous days for Indian Independence, are for sale at Bonhams India and Beyond sale in London on 5 October 2010. It was on 7 August that Gandhi addressed the opening day of the historic All India Congress Committee at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai (then known as Bombay) and launched his call for non violent protest against British rule. “I stick to the principle of [...]

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