Pollock, Basquiat, Warhol, Twombly Headline Monumental Phillips AuctionARTEVENTO CERVIA – World’s Longest-Running Kite Festival Returns to Italy for the 43rd Time!GOING BEYOND – Pushing the Boundaries of Textiles and Ceramics at Taste ContemporaryStunning Discovery: Van Dyck’s Only Surviving Landscape Found and Sold for Over $4 Million
Maurice Leloir’s Four Historical Scenes Sell for €128,600 at BonhamsJacob Jordaens’s Portrait of His Wife Sells for €154,200 at BonhamsRenaissance Portrait Attributed to Conrad Faber Sells for €295,000 at BonhamsJodi the Nanotyrannus Sells for US$47.3 Million at Sotheby’sQianlong Emperor’s Jewel-Encrusted Gold Ewer Sells for US$7.11 Million at Christie’sHockney’s €282,200 Print Leads Warhol and Banksy in €1.06 Million Bonhams SaleMV Agusta Sells for $1.3 Million, Setting an Italian Motorcycle Auction RecordEnigma Machine Sells for £203,600 at Bonhams: Inside the 1941 Cipher DeviceUzo Egonu’s Will Knowledge Safeguard Freedom I Sets Auction Record at £198,900Yusuf Grillo’s One Man Band Sets Artist Auction Record at £461,300Ben Enwonwu’s Anyanwu Sells for £602,100, Setting a Sculpture Record at BonhamsRare Gandhi Portrait Achieves £152,800, Tripling Its EstimateBanksy’s British Cool Mickey Snake Triumphs at Bonhams, Selling for £330,600Whistler’s First Portrait Commission Sells for Five Times Estimate, Fetching $495,000Bridget Riley Stuns Art World as Myrrh Soars to $2.36M at Bonhams

Bonhams

Auction previews and sale reports from Bonhams, covering paintings, decorative arts, jewellery, books and collectors’ objects. Follow the works offered, published estimates, reported results and the histories attached to notable lots.

Historic First-Ever Formula 1 Lotus Climax Type 12 Chassis ‘353’ to be Sold for Nearly Half a Million in Monaco

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Close view of the green Lotus-Climax Type 12’s nose, race number 26, yellow front wheels and exposed suspension.

Racing aficionados and collectors are gearing up for an electrifying moment at The Bonhams|Cars Monaco Sale, ‘Les Grandes Marques à Monaco’, on May 10th, as one of the most historically significant Formula 1 cars makes its way to the auction block. The 1957-58 Lotus-Climax Type 12 chassis ‘353’, estimated at €290,000 – €390,000 ($308,000 – $415,000), is poised to steal the spotlight, offering enthusiasts a chance to own a piece of motorsport history.

$2,000,000 Häkkinen’s McLaren P1 Validation Prototype 3 (VP3) to be Auctioned in Monaco

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Mika Häkkinen beside the 2013 McLaren P1 Coupé Validation Prototype 3 (VP3), with its doors raised.

Mika Häkkinen, the renowned two-time Formula 1 World Champion and McLaren Brand Ambassador, is set to offer a unique piece of automotive history to the wealthiest car collectors in the world. Bonhams|Cars will present Häkkinen’s 2013 McLaren P1 Coupé Validation Prototype 3 (VP3) at The Monaco Sale ‘Les Grandes Marques à Monaco’. This event, scheduled for May 10, will witness the auctioning of this exceptional vehicle, making it the only Validation Prototype ever to grace such an occasion.

Legendary Admiral Lord Nelson’s Memorabilia Up for Auction

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Gold and black enamel mourning ring for Lord Nelson, with two coronets and the word Trafalgar.

Admiral Lord Nelson’s indelible mark on British history extends far beyond his iconic victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. His naval prowess, coupled with his captivating personal life, continues to captivate the public imagination. This April, Bonhams Knightsbridge is set to showcase a remarkable collection of memorabilia celebrating Nelson’s legacy in two distinct sales: Nelson Forever! A Naval Legacy in Ceramics and Glass on April 23, followed by the Marine Sale on April 24.

Zdzisław Beksiński’s Artwork Fetches Nearly €100,000 at Surrealist Sale in Paris

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Painting by Zdzisław Beksiński showing tall red and orange architectural forms against a pale blue-green sky.

Zdzislaw Beksinski (1929-2005), the renowned Polish artist, continues to captivate art enthusiasts worldwide as one of his significant pieces, an oil on panel, soared to a remarkable €91,840 at the recent Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr Surrealist Sale in Paris on March 27, 2024. The painting, which had a pre-sale estimate ranging from €50,000 to €70,000, emerged as one of the highlights of the event, drawing attention for its profound artistic expression.

Musée d’Arts de Nantes Acquires Jane Graverol’s Painting for Over €71,000

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Detail of "Le bon bout de la raison" by Jane Graverol, showing an owl between two lit candles.

In a notable display of support for female artists, the Musée d’Arts de Nantes (France) exercised its right under French law to pre-empt the final bids on three paintings at the recent Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr Surrealist Sale in Paris. The museum’s proactive stance in securing these artworks highlights its commitment to promoting gender diversity in the arts and enriching its collection with significant contributions from women artists.

Rare First Edition of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” Sells for Double Estimate at Bonhams Auction

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Green binding of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, with decorative panels and gold-coloured spine lettering.

A very rare first edition and author’s presentation copy of Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking work, “On the Origin of Species,” fetched an astonishing £305,200 ($384,000) at Bonhams Fine Books and Manuscripts Sale held on March 20, 2024. This price surpassed its initial estimate by over double, marking a significant moment in literary auction history. The auction saw a total sale of £1,308,337 ($1,648,000), with an impressive 93% of the lots sold by volume and an astounding 99% sold by value.

Important Vasily Polenov Masterpiece Sells for $1.7 Million at Bonhams, Setting a World Record

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Detail of Vasily Polenov’s biblical painting, with a black-robed woman in a doorway and figures seated inside a vaulted room.

In a remarkable event at Bonhams 19th century and British Impressionist Art Sale today, an exquisite oil on canvas by Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844-1927) stole the spotlight, fetching an astonishing £1,379,000 ($1,760,000). The painting, titled ‘And she went and told them that she had been with Him as they mourned and wept’, is a part of Polenov’s renowned series, ‘The Life of Christ’. Initially estimated to sell for £400,000-600,000, the final price far exceeded expectations, marking a significant moment in the art world.

Ultra-Rare $2 Million Turkish Medallion of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, Who Conquered Constantinople, To Be Auctioned in London

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Bronze portrait medallion of Sultan Mehmed II, with a left-facing bust and an inscription around the rim.

An extraordinary rediscovery in the world of Islamic art has emerged as a bronze portrait medallion of Sultan Mehmed II, predating his historic conquest of Constantinople, prepares to take the spotlight at Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art Sale on Tuesday, May 21. The event will be held at Bonhams New Bond Street location in London, where art enthusiasts and historians alike will have the opportunity to witness this remarkable artifact.

$3,000,000 Ultra-Rare 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Coupé to be Auctioned in Monaco

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1960 Ferrari 250 GT Coupé.

The glamorous city of Monte Carlo is gearing up for an automotive spectacle like no other as Bonhams|Cars prepares to unveil a piece of motoring history at the upcoming Monaco Sale ‘Les Grandes Marques à Monaco’ in Villa la Vigie. At the heart of the excitement stands an unparalleled 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Coupé, a masterpiece poised to capture the attention of collectors and enthusiasts alike. Crafted with bespoke coachwork by Drogo at Carrozzeria Sports Cars, this exceptional vehicle boasts a lineage intertwined with the most revered names in Italian automotive design. With an estimated value ranging from €2,500,000 to €3,000,000 ($2,730,000 to $3,280,000), it is set to be the centerpiece of the eagerly anticipated Bonhams|Cars Monaco Sale, coinciding with the Historic Monaco Grand Prix.

Bonhams Unveils Important Vasily Polenov Masterpiece at their 19th Century Impressionist Art Auction in London

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Detail of seated, robed figures beside a hearth in Vasily Polenov’s And she went and told them that she had been with Him as they mourned and wept.

A rare oil painting by the Russian artist Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844-1927), part of a series titled ‘The Life of Christ,’ will take center stage at Bonhams’ upcoming 19th-century and British Impressionist Art Sale on March 20 at New Bond Street in London. Entitled ‘And she went and told them that she had been with Him as they mourned and wept,’ the artwork is expected to fetch between £400,000 and £600,000. Another painting from the same series, ‘There were also women looking from afar off,’ achieved a price of over £1.5 million at Bonhams last year.