John 'Warwick' Smith (1749-1831), Snowdon as it appears from the Treath Mawr Sands, near the Ford of the Glaslyn River, crossing them in going from Penmorfa to Cynant, Merionethshire. Pen, ink and watercolour. Inscribed thus and ‘Taken July 15th 1790’ on the original wash line mount, 12.7 x 20.9 cm. £4,500. Courtesy Abbott and Holder

Lit: Iolo William ‘Early English Watercolours’, p.86.

Provenance: Richard Burnett, Finchcocks Musical Museum.

Mildred Eldridge (1909 - 1991), Tan-Y-Foel Ash. Pencil and watercolour. Circa 1950. Signed and inscribed, ​38.1 x 28 cm. Courtesy Abbott and Holder

Jess Shepherd (Living), Indian Bean Tree (Catalpa bignonioides). Belicena, Granada, Spain. Watercolour on 100% cotton rag paper, 2016, ​76 x 56cm. Courtesy Abbott and Holder

Caspar Neher (1897 - 1962), A Heath: Act I Scene 1 and Act III Scene 2. Pen, ink, watercolour and gouache, c.1954. Inscribed. Macbeth’. Signed with initials and dated, 1955, 28.5 x 42.5cm. Courtesy Abbott and Holder

Abbott and Holder’s founders Robert Abbott and Eric Holder first began dealing in partnership in 1936. For over seventy years it has been the gallery’s policy to stock pictures that are within the means of as broad a section of the population as possible. ​

Abbott and Holder. 30 Museum Street, London WC1A 1LH. T: 020 7637 3981 - E:  gallery@abbottandholder.co.uk - W: www.abbottandholder.co.uk

Works on Paper Fair. 9 - 12 February 2017 ,  Royal Geographical Society, Exhibition Road, SW7

John Nash CBE RA (1893-1977), A Farm in the Loire Valley. Watercolour & pencil on paper. Signed. 35 x 55 cm. £9,500. Courtesy Babbington Fine Art

Like his brother Paul, John Nash often used natural subjects to convey his thoughts regarding the human condition, particularly during that period of introspection that followed the devastation of the War. The landscape here is peaceful and undisturbed. Nash was self-taught and became an official war artist in both the First and Second World Wars. 

 Hubert Andrew Freeth, RA (1912-1986), Fishing. Pencil, watercolour and gouache, 26 x 44 cm. Signed. £1,200. Courtesy Babbington Fine Art

 Rowland Hilder, OBE PPRI (1905-1993), Whitstable circa 1940. Ink wash, £750. Courtesy Babbington Fine Art

Provenance: John Lewis Collection, Bonhams 

 Myles Tonks (1890-1960), Venus Rising. Pencil, watercolour, gouache; 15 x 12 cm. Courtesy Babbington Fine Art

Provenance: Artist's family 

 James Gorman (1931-2005), Study for a British Legion Mural, 1955. Watercolour and pencil, £2,500. Courtesy Babbington Fine Art

 Myles Tonks (1890-1960), A Vase of Carnations. Pastel, 40 x 30 cm. Courtesy Babbington Fine Art

Provenance: Artist's Family.

Babbington Fine Art deals in late 19th & 20th century art with a particular interest in the works of Hercules Brabazon Brabazon, and undiscovered 20th century British artists. 

Babbington Fine Art. By appointment only. London. M: 07770 917 961 - E:  info@babbingtonfineart.com - W: www.babbingtonfineart.com

Works on Paper Fair. 9 - 12 February 2017 ,  Royal Geographical Society, Exhibition Road, SW7

Lot 345. A pair of very large iron-red and famille verte rouleau vases, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate USD 30,000 - USD 50,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

Finely enameled with a continuous scene of ladies at leisure in a garden pavilion, underglaze blue double circle to bases - 28 in. (71.1 cm.) high 

Christie's. Chinese Export Art, 18 January 2017, New York, Rockefeller Center

Lot 357. A large famille rose three-piece garniture, Qianlong period (1735-96). Estimate USD 30,000 - USD 50,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

Molded with panels of mountainous landscape alternating with bird and flower vignettes, all on a patterned ground strewn with peony and prunus - 25 ½ in. (63.5 cm.) high, the vase and cover 

Christie's. Chinese Export Art, 18 January 2017, New York, Rockefeller Center

Archduchess Maria Christina (1742-1798), Duchess of Teschen, by Marcello Bacciarelli, 1766. Kunsthistorisches Museum

Girl with a Basket of Flowers, by Frans Verhas, ca. 1870s-1880s

Actress Kate Dolan as Portia from Shakespeare's The Merchant of a Venice, by Sir John Everett Millais, 1886. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Crystal Ball, by John William Waterhouse, 1902

Lot 363. A rare 'Scotsmen' punchbowl, circa 1745-50. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016.

Each side with a Highlander between leafy peach branches, floral sprig and gilt spearhead border inside - 10 3/8 in. (26.3 cm.) diameter 

The Popowich Collection.

Christie's. Chinese Export Art, 18 January 2017, New York, Rockefeller Center

Lot 425. Impressive 53.17 carats, VS2 Clarity fancy yellow diamond ring. Estimation 1,560,000 — 2,150,000 CHF. Lot sold 1,690,000 CHF. Photo Sotheby's. 

Claw-set with a cushion-shaped fancy yellow diamond weighing 53.17 carats, between triangular diamond shoulders, size 52.

Accompanied by GIA report no. 2165882800, stating that the diamond is Fancy Yellow, Natural Colour, VS2 Clarity.

Lot 496. Property of Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe. Natural pearl and diamond necklace, circa 1920. Estimation 245,000 — 345,000 CHF. Lot sold 1,630,000 CHF. Photo Sotheby's. 

Composed of millegrain-set marquise-shaped and circular-cut diamonds, the front with garland and ribbon designs supporting seven oval and button shaped natural pearls measuring from approximately 11.40 x 11.50 x 9.90mm to 15.10 x 15.15 x 13.70mm, length approximately 360mm, case stamped Cartier, the exterior of the case with monogram and coronet for Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe..

Accompanied by SSEF report no. 79503, stating that the seven pearls were found to be natural, saltwater, with no indications of artificial colour modification.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels, Genève, 12 mai 2015

Lot 448. 23.92 carats, G Colour, VVS2 Clarity Diamond ring. Estimate 585,000 — 780,000 CHF. Lot sold 1,570,000 CHF. Photo  Sotheby's.

Set with a step-cut diamond weighing 23.92 carats, between baguette diamond shoulders, size 55, sizing beads, French assay and maker's marks.

Accompanied by SSEF report no 33104, dated 15 December 1998, and Gübelin report no. 0201001, dated 8 January 2002, each stating that the sapphire is of Burmese origin, with no indications of thermal enhancement.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels, Genève, 12 mai 2015, 10:30 AM

Bowl with a scene of elegant gathering, Ming dynasty, Jiajing six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration. Diam. 5 1/2 in. Gift of Roy Leventritt, B69P36L. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

Jiajing mark of the period. The six-character mark at the base reads: "Produced during the Jiajing reign of the great Ming."

Saucer or shallow bowl, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with three color enamels. H. 1 1/2 in x Diam. 7 1/8 in, H. 3.8 cm x Diam. 18.1 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2047. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

Plate with flowers, Ming dynasty, Jiajing six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with incised design under multicolor glazes. H. 1 7/16 in x Diam. 6 1/8 in, H. 3.7 cm x Diam. 15.6 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2062. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

Jiajing mark of the period. The six-character mark at the base reads: "Produced during the Jiajing reign of the great Ming."

Plate with flowers, Ming dynasty, Jiajing period (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with incised design. H. 1 1/2 in x Diam. 6 1/8 in, H. 3.8 cm x Diam. 15.6 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2063. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

This type of green-over-yellow decoration was invented during the Yongle period of the early Ming dynasty, but its mass-production took place from the Hongzhi period onward. It became a necessity among imperial table ware from the Ming through Qing dynasties. The central flower branch on the interior is accompanied by six fruits and flower sprays on both the interior and exterior sides. The green color shows a subtle effect in tonality where it touches the incised yellow ornament.

Plate with blue glaze, Ming dynasty, Jiajing six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with blue glaze. H. 1 5/8 in x Diam. 8 1/4 in, H. 4.2 cm x Diam. 21 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2087. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

In Ming imperial porcelain, traditional glazes in red, white, blue, celadon green, pale blue, and so on were retained on wares for daily use, ceremonies, or interior display. Certain ancient types among Song official productions (960 –1279) were continuously copied. Ming official factories never stopped experimenting with varieties of new glazes, strains, and decorative devices to maintain porcelain's dominance over other ceremonial materials.

A group of tablewares from the Avery Brundage collection illustrates four types of monochrome glazes produced in the Ming imperial factories in Jingdezhen from the early fifteenth through the sixteenth centuries. The Yongle emperor chose the color white and Islamic metalwork– inspired forms to be used at altars and imperial temples. The fifteenth-century white glaze, soupy and smooth, is known as "sweet white."

The dark blue glaze, favored by earlier Mongol rulers, was successfully reproduced during the Xuande period. Blue was often used in ritual celebrations on sacrificial altars. Eloquent names, such as "gemstone blue" and "celestial blue," were documented. Yellow, viewed as a noble color, became fashionable in the late fifteenth century. This low-fire glaze could cover a previously fired white glaze for refiring, or coat a clay body for only one firing. The yellow wares presented to the Chenghua and Zhengde courts exhibit a delicate body and refined texture with sensitive color tone, winning the admirable description "chicken fat."

The brown glaze resulted from an experiment in the Xuande reign, when official porcelain manufacturers attempted to re-create the brown glaze of a type of ancient Ding ware that had once been presented to the Northern Song court. On Ming imperial porcelain, brown glaze that glimmered on the surface with a shiny metallic luster was called "purple gold," after the description for brown Song Ding ware. Matte brown glaze was referred to as "soybean paste."

René Magritte (1898–1967), La reproduction interdite (reproduction prohibited), 1937. Oil on canvas, 81.5 x 65.5 x 2 cm. Formerly collection Edward James. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2016

HAMBURG.- With the major exhibition Dalí, Ernst, Miró, Magritte ... the Hamburger Kunsthalle is presenting more than 180 masterpieces of Surrealism (some have never travelled) from four of the most renowned European private collections of the 20th century. World-famous icons like the Mae West Lips Sofa, the Lobster Telephone and a four-meter-high folding screen designed by the young Salvador Dalí, thought-provoking images by René Magritte like Not to be Reproduced, poetic form-finding by Joan Miró and future-oriented pictorial experiments by Max Ernst. Famous artworks are featured beside works yet to be discovered, like those by the little known surrealists Leonora Carrington, Dorothea Tanning and Leonor Fini. With brilliant works of all artistic media, the exhibition seduces the viewer, just as the Surrealists sought to do in the 1920s, to enter the fantasy worlds of the subconscious. Until today these works have lost nothing of their shocking and surprising, their humorous and fascinating appeal. 

Surrealism, the most influential art movement of the 20th century, thus can be experienced in an unprecedented scope. At the same time, the exhibition, providing insight into the development and quality of four of the most legendary 20th century collections of Surrealism, brings forth a new focus in research: In »surreal encounters« between the works, artists and collectors, the show explores the differences and similarities in collecting behaviour and developments of the art market over a period of 50 years. It allows us to comprehend how and why the collector integrated surrealist thinking into his home, and for the first time illustrates the complex relations of collectors, supporters and artists with regard to Surrealism: 

Max Ernst (1891–1976), La joie de vivre (The Lives of Life), 1936. Oil on canvas, 73.5 x 92.5 cm. Formerly collection Roland Penrose. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh. Acquired with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Art Fund 1995 © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2016

While the eccentric English Poet and commissioner Edward James (1907-1984) and his fellow countryman, the artist and curator Roland Penrose (1900-1984), were supporters and friends of the scene from the earliest, the collections of the Scottish Gabrielle Keiller (1908-1996) and the Berlin collector couple Ulla and Heiner Pietsch, active until today, reveal the lasting allure of Surrealism since the 1960s. The four collections, in parts scattered in all corners of the world, are for the first time being partially reconstructed and compared. They reinforce and complement each other in an astounding way. Precise juxtapositions of works illustrate the different collection emphases and show us how the collectors would integrate the surreal concept of the »wonderful« into their reality as well as the »uncanny« into their home. 

The exhibition project of the Hamburger Kunsthalle was developed in a first-time tri-national cooperation with the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh and the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. A large number of further international loans from significant European and American museums and private collections allow for this exiting dialogue. The exhibition started in Edinburgh with a considerable media response. The Hamburger Kunsthalle were able to notably expand the show owing to excellent loans of more than 25 additional masterpieces, on view in Hamburg only, including works by Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí and other selected surrealists. Following this, the show will be presented in Rotterdam in an altered form (from 11 February to 28 May 2017). The show features major works by, among others, Hans Arp, Hans Bellmer, Victor Brauner, André Breton, Leonora Carrington, Salvador Dalí, Paul Delvaux, Oscar Domínguez, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Léonor Fini, Alberto Giacometti, Valentine Hugo, René Magritte, Man Ray, André Masson, Joan Miró, Richard Oelze, Meret Oppenheim, Wolfgang Paalen, Roland Penrose, Valentine Penrose, Francis Picabia, Pablo Picasso, Kurt Seligmann, Yves Tanguy and Dorothea Tanning. 

Salvador Dalí (1904–1989), Mae West Lips sofa (Mae West Lippensofa), 1938. Wood, wool, 92 x 215 x 66 cm. Formerly collection Edward James. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam © Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2016

A richly illustrated catalogue (288 pages) with numerous scholary essays of international Surrealism experts has been published for the exhibition in German and English. It can be purchased for € 30 in the museum shop and is also available online at www.freunde-der-kunsthalle.de. 

Accompanying the exhibition, the Hamburger Kunsthalle is also offering a comprehensive and multimedia programme: To give an understanding of the fascinating collector figures, films were specially created; they can be viewed in the cinema room next to the exhibition or online. For the first time, an international surrealist online game was developed specifically for the exhibition, providing an introduction to the surrealist mode of play and thought. It is presented in the vestibule of the exhibition and is available online. A multimedia guide, scholarly lectures and symposia are part of the well-rounded event programm

Leonor Fini (1907–1996), Due Donne (Two Women), 1939. Oil on canvas, 34 x 24.5 cm. Collection Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch, Berlin © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2016. Photographer: Jochen Littkemann, Berlin

Lot 279. A blue and white porcelain cachepot with a figural scene, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 1 500/2 000 €. Lot sold 5 000 €. Photo Nagel

carved wood cover, metal handles to side. D. 21,5 cm. Fine starcrack inside

Property from a South German noble collection, bought prior 1990 

Nagel. Asian Art, 09.12.2016

Lot 473. A 'Dehua''Marco Polo' censer and cover, China, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Estimate 800/1 200 €. Lot sold 3600 €. Photo Nagel

B. 15 cm. Very slightly chipped

Property from a North German private collection 

Note: Censers of this type have always been associated with Marco Polo, as it was a popular belief in the 19th century that they were brought to Venice by the explorer. A similar censer ascribed to the Kangxi period is illustrated in P.J. Donnelly, Blanc de Chine, London, 1969, pl. 16. A closely related example was included in the Exhibition of Te Hua Porcelain, Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Gallery, Hong Kong, 1975, cat. nos 51 and 52 

Nagel. Asian Art, 09.12.2016

Auguste Rodin, The kiss, 1901-04. Tate: purchased with assistance from the Art Fund and public contributions 1953. Image © Tate, London 2016.

SYDNEY.- Nude: art from the Tate Collection at the Art Gallery of New South Wales tells the story of the nude through more than 100 powerful artworks spanning two centuries, as part of the Sydney International Art Series 2016-2017.  

The evolution of the nude in Western art is a story of beauty and desire, eroticism and tenderness as well as scandal. From the history paintings of the 19th century to the body politics of contemporary art, Nude: art from the Tate collection brings together the works of renowned artists who have depicted the naked body including JMW Turner, Sir Hamo Thornycroft, Auguste Rodin, Pierre Bonnard, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Louise Bourgeois, Barkley Hendricks, Rineke Dijkstra, John Currin, Sarah Lucas and Ron Mueck.  

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, A Favourite Custom, 1909. oil paint on wood, 66 × 45.1 cm. Tate: Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1909. Image © Tate, London 2016.

Many of the works, loaned from the distinguished collection of Tate, London are being exhibited in Australia for the first time – including one of the world’s most iconic expressions of erotic love, Rodin’s marble sculpture, The kiss (1904). Other renowned works include Picasso’s Nude woman in a red armchair (1932) and Bonnard’s The bath (1925). 

Art Gallery of NSW director Dr Michael Brand said the nude is one of art’s most universal subjects. “From idealised representations of the human form through to the confrontational naked bodies of recent art, the nude has expressed a vast range of human aspirations, emotions and ideas.  

Pierre Bonnard, The bath (Baignoire (Le bain)), 1925, oil paint on canvas, 86 × 120.6 cm. Tate: Presented by Lord Ivor Spencer Churchill through the Contemporary Art Society 1930 © Estate of Pierre Bonnard. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney. Image © Tate, London 2016

“The Art Gallery of NSW encourages debate about art and provides the opportunity for visitors to confront art that is charged and powerful. From Turner’s secret sketch books to the radical modern nudes of Picasso and the poignancy of Rineke Dijkstra’s photographs, Nude: art from the Tate collection does just that,” Dr Brand said. 

“I thank Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota for working with us to bring an exceptionally important selection of the museum’s masterpieces to Sydney. It’s an honour to partner with the Tate in the year its much anticipated new building is open, providing another aesthetic and thoughtprovoking art experience for Australian audiences at AGNSW,” Dr Brand added. 

Louise Bourgeois, Femme, 2007, gouache on paper, 59.7 × 45.7 cm. Tate: Lent by the Tate Americas Foundation, courtesy of The Easton Foundation 2013 © The Easton Foundation. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney. Image © Tate, London 2016

Sir Nicholas Serota said that while Tate staged Exposed: the Victorian nude in 2002, Nude: art from the Tate collection is the first exhibition to address the subject using the full breadth of the collection. 

“Nude: art from the Tate collection ranges from historical allegory to political protest and from cubism to body art,” Serota said. 

John Currin, Honeymoon nude, 1998, oil paint on canvas, 116.8 × 91.4 cm. Tate: Purchased with assistance from Evelyn, Lady Downshire’s Trust Fund 1999© John Currin. Image © Tate, London 2016

Nude: art from the Tate collection also offers a compelling journey through many major art movements, including romanticism, cubism, expressionism, realism, surrealism and feminism. The exhibition is curated by Emma Chambers, curator of modern British art at Tate, and Justin Paton, head curator of international art at the Art Gallery of NSW. 

Paton said Nude: art from the Tate collection explores the many ways artists have looked at the unclothed body and touches on subjects that are urgent and relevant to all viewers.  

Giorgio de Chirico (1888–1978), The uncertainty of the poet (L’incertitude du poète), 1913. Oil paint on canvas 106 x 94 cm Tate: Purchased with assistance from the Art Fund (Eugene Cremetti Fund), the Carroll Donner Bequest, the Friends of the Tate Gallery and members of the public 1985© Estate of Giorgio de Chirico/Licensed by Viscopy, 2016 Image © Tate, London 2016.

“We all respond strongly to images of the unclothed body because they address issues at the heart of who we are as humans – issues of love, desire, mortality, truth and power. 

“The show is a survey of extraordinary artists, major art movements, and many remarkable social changes. But above all it is a chance to encounter compelling artworks up close and in the flesh – to experience each artwork’s distinctive ‘body language’ and see how we respond,” Paton said. 

Herbert Draper, The lament for Icarus, exhibited 1898, oil paint on canvas, 182.9 × 155.6 cm. Tate: Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1898. Image © Tate, London 2016

“The nude has changed radically across the past 200 years. But it has also remained a subject of constant interest for artists and viewers — because every one of us has a body. In that sense it is an exhibition about who we are and how we see ourselves,” Paton added. 

NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said the Sydney International Art Series brings the world’s most outstanding artists exclusively to Sydney and this year’s exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW continues this proud tradition.  

William Etty, Candaules, King of Lydia, shews his wife by stealth to Gyges, one of his ministers, as she goes to bed, exhibited 1830, oil paint on canvas, 45.1 × 55.9 cm. Tate: Presented by Robert Vernon 1847. Image © Tate, London 2016

“This exceptional collection from the Tate will draw thousands of visitors to Sydney to see remarkable works including Rodin’s The kiss, to be seen in Australia for the very first time,” Ayres said. 

“I encourage art lovers and first time visitors to come to the Art Gallery of NSW to enjoy this landmark exhibition made possible through this esteemed partnership with the Tate, London,” Ayres said.

Lucian Freud, Standing by the rags, 1988–89, oil paint on canvas, 168.9 × 138.4 cm. Tate: Purchased with assistance from the Art Fund, the Friends of the Tate Gallery and anonymous donors 1990© Lucian Freud Archive/Bridgeman Images. Image © Tate, London 2016

Frederic, Lord Leighton, The bath of Psyche, exhibited 1890, oil paint on canvas, 189.2 × 62.2 cm. Tate: Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1890. Image © Tate, London 2016.

Henri Matisse, Draped nude (Femme nue drapée), 1936, oil paint on canvas, 45.7 × 37.5 cm. Tate: Purchased 1959© Succession H Matisse. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney. Image © Tate, London 2016

Sir John Everett Millais, The knight errant, 1870, oil paint on canvas, 184.1 × 135.3 cm. Tate: Presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894. Image © Tate, London 2016

Amedeo Modigliani, Seated nude with necklace (Nu assis au collier), 1917, oil paint on canvas, 91.5 × 59.7 cm. The Lewis Collection

Ron Mueck, Wild man, 2005, mixed media, 285 × 161.9 × 108 cm. Tate: ARTIST ROOMS, acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d’Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008 © Ron Mueck. Photo: Tate/NPG Scotland, Marcus Leith. Image © Tate, London 2016

Pablo Picasso, Nude woman in a red armchair (Femme nue dans un fauteuil rouge), 1932, oil paint on canvas, 129.9 × 97.2 cm. Tate: Purchased 1953© Pablo Picasso/Succession Pablo Picasso. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney. Image © Tate, London 2016

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Two women (Zwei frauen), 1912, oil paint on canvas, 76.5 × 84.5 cm. Tate: Presented by the executors of Dr Rosa Schapire 1954© Karl Schmidt-Rotluff/Bild-Kunst. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney. Image © Tate, London 2016

Sylvia Sleigh, Paul Rosano reclining, 1974, oil paint on canvas, 137.2 × 198.1 cm. Tate: Purchased with the support of the Estate of Sylvia Sleigh 2015© Tate. Image © Tate, London 2016.

Philip Wilson Steer, Seated nude: the black hat, c1900, oil paint on canvas, 50.8 × 40.6 cm. Tate: Presented by the Contemporary Art Society 1941. Image © Tate, London 2016.

Alfred Stevens, Study of a kneeling boy bending a bow, for Dorchester House, c1860, chalk on paper, 32.1 × 25.7 cm. Tate: Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1923. Image © Tate, London 2016.

William Strang, The temptation, 1899, oil paint on canvas, 122 × 137.2 cm. Tate: Presented by the Friends of the Tate Gallery 1999. Image © Tate, London 2016.

Sir Hamo Thornycroft, Teucer, 1881, bronze, 240.7 × 151.1 × 66 cm. Tate: Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1882. Image © Tate, London 2016

Lot 458. Natural pearl and diamond necklace. Estimate 39,000 — 59,000 CHF. Lot sold 1,450,000 CHF. Photo  Sotheby's.

Composed of a graduated row of light greyish brown to brown and brownish grey natural pearls, measuring from approximately 4.70 to 14.85mm, on a barrel clasp set with brilliant-cut diamonds, clasp signed V.C.A., numbered, French assay and maker's marks, one diamond deficient.

Accompanied by SSEF report no. 79535, stating that the fifty-five pearls were found to be natural, saltwater, some with artificial colour modification.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels, Genève, 12 mai 2015, 10:30 AM

Lot 408. A 12.15 carats step-cut diamond ring. Estimate 980,000 — 1,450,000 CHF. Lot sold 1,450,000 CHF. Photo  Sotheby's.

Claw-set with a step-cut diamond weighing 12.15 carats, between tapered baguette diamond shoulders, size 51.

Accompanied by GIA report no. 2175084764, stating that the diamond is D Colour, VVS2 Clarity, together with a working diagram stating that the diamond may be internally flawless after minor repolishing.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels, Genève, 12 mai 2015, 10:30 AM