Between 1785 and 1797, a Frenchman named Markus-Eliezer Bloch produced a monumental work of six volumes devoted to some 1500 species of fish. Hailed as the most beautiful book on fish ever published, it contains beautiful color plates, some heightened with silver to produce the sheen of scales, by a variety of artists. A first edition of the book from the Angling Library of Alan Jarvis is the centerpiece of a sale at Bonhams on May 22nd in London, where it’s expected to realize $64,600-$81,000.Another highlight of the sale is a rare first edition Izaack Walton’s 1653 “The Compleat Angler or the contemplative Man’s Recreation, Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing.” It’s also estimated at $64,600-$81,000.
The Most Beautiful Book On Fish
May 09, 2012
Most Successful Art Auction Ever
May 16, 2013With metronomic regularity, works of Contemporary Art soared to dizzying prices at Christie’s last night in New York, as the auction house achieved a record $496m, the highest ever in the history of art auctions. Most works exceeded their high estimates, and 15 new artist records were set, including the $58.4m that a buyer paid for Jackson Pollock’s “Number 19, 1948,” which turned out to be the star of the evening.
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Bizarre Topless Photo of Jolie, $45,500
May 16, 2013A bizarre topless photo of Angelina Jolie called “Horseplay” sold at Christie’s London auction last night for $45,500. The “Wild Side of Photography” sale was scheduled well before Jolie’s double mastectomy announcement. Taken when she was 25, the photo also prominently displays a “Billy Bob” tattoo, referring to former husband Thornton who has since been removed from her shoulder and her life.
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Spotlight On Contemporary Art In New York
May 13, 2013Last week in New York, as major auction houses took in more than $473m, the spotlight was on Impressionist & Modern Art. This week, the focus shifts to the more uncertain field of Contemporary Art, with several hundred works coming up for sale. The action starts tomorrow at Sotheby’s, where a blue abstract by Barnett Newman, “Onement VI,” owned by Microsoft founder Paul Allen, is expected to sell for $30m-$40m.
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Rising Value of Unrestored Cars
By Malcolm Welford, Vintage Car Specialist
