Bonhams to sell Zulu heritage in London: German art training that gave new insights into Africa

LONDON.- When does a work of art become part of a country’s national heritage? Bonhams next sale of South African Art on 21st March 2012 in New Bond Street, London, may go some way towards answering that question when ‘Zulu Woman’ by Irma Stern goes under the hammer. Painted in 1935 at the height of her creative powers by South Africa’s leading artist, Irma Stern, it is estimated to sell for £400,000 to £600,00. As Irma Stern’s reputation is without equal in the [...]

Bonhams takes United Kingdom market leadership with £4.1 million fine jewellery sale

LONDON.- A selection of outstanding diamonds, natural pearls and important signed pieces were the highlights of the Fine Jewellery Sale that took place on the 8th December at Bonhams, New Bond Street. The sale realised £4.1 million with 82% sold by lot and 90% sold by value. Jean Ghika, Director of the Jewellery Department comments, “We are delighted with such a fantastic result, ending an exceptional year of Fine Jewellery sales at Bonhams. With sale totals up 70% on 2010 and the [...]

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 [...]

Bonhams offers two masterpieces of American landscapes by Russian painter in $14 Million Russian sale

LONDON.- Two rare works by the celebrated Russian artist Nikolai Roerich are amongst the highlights of the Russian sale, taking place on the 30th November at Bonhams, New Bond Street in London. “The Grand Canyon” (estimate 100,000-150,000 GBP) and “Rocky Landscape” (estimate 100,000-150,000 GBP) depicting breathtaking landscape of the South-West are among a small group of paintings completed by the artist during his short stay in New Mexico, Arizona and California in August-October 1921. Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich (Russian, 1874-1947), The Grand Canyon, [...]

Sotheby’s London to sell Waiting to Cross by Albert Moore in Victorian & Edwardian art sale

LONDON.- Sotheby’s Victorian & Edwardian art sale on Tuesday, 15 November 2011 will be headlined by Waiting to Cross by Albert Moore (1841-1893). Estimated at £300,000-500,000, the painting was the artist’s only contribution to the Grosvenor Gallery exhibition of 1888. It comes to auction following the success of the exhibition The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1890 at the Victorian & Albert Museum in London earlier this year and currently on view at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. The Aesthetic Movement [...]

Newly discovered portrait by Spanish artist Diego Velazquez to be sold at Bonhams

LONDON.- A previously unknown portrait by the Spanish artist Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660) will be the highlight of the Old Master Paintings auction on Wednesday 7th December 2011 at Bonhams, 101 New Bond Street, London. The work is a Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length, in a black tunic and white golilla collar and measures 47 x 39cm. It is estimated to sell for £2,000,000-3,000,000. Andrew Mckenzie, Director of Old Master Paintings at Bonhams, comments, “This is an extraordinarily beautiful [...]

Bonhams to sell stunning JMW Turner painting of Kirkby Lonsdale Churchyard

LONDON.- A beautiful watercolour of Kirkby Lonsdale Churchyard by Joseph Mallord William Turner RA (1775-1851) is to be offered for auction as part of the 19th Century Paintings sale on Wednesday 25th January 2012, at Bonhams New Bond Street, London. The watercolour of a lyrical English landscape has not been seen at auction since 1884 and is estimated to fetch £200,000-300,000. In this work Turner has painted the scene of the River Lune from the churchyard of St Mary’s Church in Kirkby Lonsdale, [...]

South Indian Jewelery and Iznik outperform estimates at Bonhams Indian and Islamic sale

LONDON.- Bonhams sale of Islamic and Indian Art on October 4th at New Bond Street attracted stiff competition for the best items, boosting prices way beyond pre-sale estimates. The cover lot, A 16th century Iznik bottle flask from a private Belgian collection, estimated to sell for £60,000 to £80,000 made £184,850. This important Iznik water bottle made in Turkey around 1575 is only the third such flask to come to the market in the last 10 years. Within the lexicon of shapes [...]

Snap up an iconic work by Banksy or Shepard Fairey at Bonhams Urban Art sale

LONDON.- Several works by the renowned graffiti artist Banksy are to be sold at Bonhams, New Bond Street, as part of its Urban Art sale on 21 September 2011. Leading the way is a work featuring one of Banksy’s most iconic images, the monkey, entitled Monkey Detonator, which has attracted a pre-sale estimate of £70,000 – 90,000. Executed in 2000, this canvas displays the typically dark sense of humour which has endeared Banksy to both art collectors and the general public. Other [...]

Bonhams offers a rare and unique Zand Dynasty 18th century Persian gilded celestial Globe

LONDON.- Bonhams is to auction a rare and unique Zand Dynasty (1751-1794) gilded celestial Globe dated 1190AH/1776AD at its next sale of Indian and Islamic art on October 4th in New Bond Street. It is estimated to sell for £40,000 to £60,000. Passed down through a private English family, the finely engraved globe contains the position of 83 stars and their Persian names as well as the Persian names for the North and South Poles. The only known dated example securely attributable [...]

Bonhams offers two masterpieces by celebrated Russian painter Vasili Polenov, unseen for 80 years

LONDON.- Two rare works by the celebrated Russian artist Vasili Polenov are amongst the highlights of the Russian sale taking place on the 30th November at Bonhams, New Bond Street. Considered masterpieces of the golden age of 19th century Russian painting, the two works entitled “He that is Without Sin” (est. £1.2 – 1.8million) and “He is Guilty of Death” (est. £600,000 – 800,000) are new to the market and have never been seen at auction before. Both works are part of [...]

Iconic image of Kate Moss by Corinne Day to sell at Bonhams, exhibition opens at Gimpel Fils

LONDON.- Just over a year after the untimely death of British fashion photographer, Corinne Day (1962-2010), one of her most iconic images of Kate Moss is to be sold at Bonhams, New Bond Street, as part of its Photographs Sale on 17 November 2011. The image was taken for the February 1991 issue of The Face magazine for a feature called Heaven is Real. The photograph on offer is a rare vintage print and has attracted a pre-sale estimate of £1,000 – [...]

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, [...]

Bonhams to Sell J.M.W. Turner Masterpiece Depicting Whitstable Oyster Beds

LONDON.- One of the highlights of Bonhams next 19th Century Paintings sale will be a remarkable watercolour of the Oyster Beds at Whitstable, Kent by the master of colour, light and atmosphere, J.M.W. Turner. It is estimated to sell for £120,000-180,000 when it is offered for auction on 13th July 2011, at Bonhams New Bond Street. Turner lived in Margate for 20 years, just along the coast from Whitstable, and was fascinated by the pure, bright light of the region and [...]

Sotheby’s London Presents Beautiful and Rare Objects from Its April Sale of Arts of the Islamic World

LONDON.- Sotheby’s sale of the Arts of the Islamic World to take place in London on the 6th April will offer an array of beautiful and rare objects, paintings and manuscripts which highlight the achievements of artists and craftsmen from across the Muslim world. The sale is particularly rich in works which reveal the cultural efflorescence which took place during the Middle Ages on the Mediterranean seaboard from Islamic Spain to the Levant. A pre-sale exhibition will take place at [...]

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