A quick guide to the art market recovery, studio earnings and collecting costs, with practical opportunities for artists and collectors.
Art Market Opportunities: A Quick Read — Part 1: The Recovery and Where It Matters
The Perfect Affordable Gift for Creatives Actually Exists — FOLLOW.ART Nexus Card
This Valentine’s Day, FOLLOW.ART invites art lovers, collectors, and cultural supporters to celebrate love in its most lasting form: support, connection, and belief in creative practice. Instead of traditional Valentine’s gifts that fade quickly, FOLLOW.ART proposes something meaningful and enduring — the Nexus Card, a digital portfolio and professional connector designed for artists and curators, available for under $50!
Banksy’s British Cool Mickey Snake Triumphs at Bonhams, Selling for £330,600
Banksy’s Mickey Snake, a rare sculpture from the artist’s infamous Dismaland exhibition, stunned the art world this week by more than doubling its estimate at Bonhams. With its unsettling blend of pop culture and dark satire, the piece drew intense interest—and an even higher final bid. Here’s how this unexpected result is reshaping conversations around contemporary British art.
Whistler’s First Portrait Commission Sells for Five Times Estimate, Fetching $495,000
When a long-hidden portrait by James McNeill Whistler—his very first commissioned work—resurfaced after nearly six decades in private hands, it sparked a frenzy that few in the art world saw coming. Auctioned for over five times its estimate, the painting’s dramatic return to the spotlight is more than just a story of numbers. Behind the canvas lies a deeply personal connection between the young artist and the Ionides family, early patrons who helped shape his rise to fame. From its quiet presence in Victorian homes to its record-breaking moment at Bonhams, this extraordinary work carries with it a rich legacy waiting to be uncovered.
The King’s Cadillac: Elvis Presley’s Last Car, 1977 Seville, to Be Sold in Sealed Auction
A piece of rock and roll history is hitting the auction block as Elvis Presley’s 1977 Cadillac Seville, one of the last cars the King of Rock and Roll ever purchased, goes up for a rare sealed-bid auction with Bonhams|Cars. This customized Cadillac, featuring a powerful 5.7-liter V8 engine and fitted with a CB radio for private communication within Graceland, reflects Presley’s larger-than-life persona and unique style. Authenticated by Graceland and still bearing his name on the title, the car offers collectors a chance to own a personal artifact from Elvis’s final years. Bidding opens on November 4, inviting fans and collectors alike to pursue this exceptional piece of cultural history.
Rare $1 Million Japanese Whisky Collection to Hit the Auction Block in Paris
One of the world’s most exclusive Japanese whisky collections, the Hanyu Ichiro Malt Full “Card” Series, is set to be auctioned in Paris this November. Expected to fetch between $750,000 and $1.28 million, the collection features 54 bottles, each representing a playing card and signed by master distiller Ichiro Akuto. Known for setting record-breaking prices, Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr will host this online auction from November 12 to 29, offering collectors a rare opportunity to acquire a complete set of this historic Japanese whisky.
Rory Gallagher’s Legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster Sells for Over $1.15 Million, Returns to Ireland
The collection of famed Irish musician Rory Gallagher reached an extraordinary milestone at Bonhams New Bond Street auction house this October, where every item offered was sold. Leading the sale was Gallagher’s legendary 1961 Fender Stratocaster, which fetched a remarkable £889,400 ($1,156,793). The guitar, which Gallagher famously purchased for £100 on credit from Crowley’s Music Store in Cork in 1963, has become an icon in rock history for its worn look and unmistakable sound.
Alexander Fleming’s ‘Mold That Made Penicillin’ Sells for Record $76,000
In a landmark auction event, a medallion featuring the original mold used in Alexander Fleming’s groundbreaking discovery of penicillin sold for a record $76,000 at Bonhams History of Science and Technology sale in New York on October 23. The medallion, one of a select few made by Fleming himself, was inscribed with the words: “The mould that first made penicillin / Alexander Fleming.”
Lewis Hamilton’s IWC Schaffhausen Watch Sells for Seven Times Its Pre-Sale Estimate
In a remarkable moment for charity, the IWC Schaffhausen watch worn by British Formula One™ legend Lewis Hamilton on the podium of his record-breaking ninth victory at the 2024 Silverstone Grand Prix was sold at auction for $244,000. Bonhams hosted the online auction in collaboration with IWC Schaffhausen, and the watch was the star of the event, fetching seven times its original estimate. The auction concluded in tandem with The Laureus Charity Night in Zurich on October 19, 2024.
One of the Rarest and Most Important Islamic Glass Artifacts to Appear at Auction: Egypt’s First Prime Minister Nubar Pasha’s Ancient 14th-Century Sarghitmish Mosque Lamp
A rare and historically significant 14th-century Mamluk mosque lamp from Egypt, known as the Sarghitmish lamp, will be a highlight at Bonhams’ Islamic and Indian Art Sale on 12 November 2024. With an estimated value of £600,000-1,000,000, this exquisite piece of Islamic glassware boasts impeccable provenance, having been in the family of Egypt’s first Prime Minister, Nubar Pasha, for over a century. The lamp, commissioned by Emir Sarghitmish during the reign of Sultan an-Nasir Muhammad, is adorned with intricate enamel and gilded inscriptions, blending piety and politics in its design. Its rich exhibition history includes displays in some of Paris’ most prominent museums, making it one of the most important examples of medieval Islamic craftsmanship ever offered at auction.
