Wealden Times | WT265 | June 2024 | Education Supplement inside
The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
ART<br />
Henny Smith, Director/Auctioneer<br />
at Parker Fine Art has all the<br />
info you need if you’re interested<br />
in buying art at auction<br />
“<br />
We are the only auction house<br />
in England that sells solely<br />
fine art and frames and<br />
the great variety of art in our auctions<br />
encompasses great artists across the<br />
centuries. The auction world can be<br />
seen as intimidating, but we welcome<br />
everyone to come and view our sales and<br />
learn about how we act for our vendors<br />
and buyers alike. Whether buying a £100<br />
etching or selling a £50,000 oil, our<br />
buyers and sellers trust us as auctioneers.<br />
It’s always exciting to see what is<br />
going to be under the hammer each<br />
month. There is always a demand for<br />
works by the old masters, as we have<br />
seen memorably with the sale of a work<br />
attributed to Palma Vecchio (number 3<br />
on the right) which we sold for £52,500.<br />
Our frame sales are also hugely popular<br />
with some of them dating as far back as<br />
the 17th century. Equally there is also<br />
a desire for the upcoming artists of the<br />
21st century.<br />
Buyers need to remember that the<br />
gavel falls at the ‘hammer price’, auction<br />
houses then have commission on top<br />
of that (plus VAT on the premium). If<br />
you are selling we have a very simple<br />
structure – just a £10 (+VAT) lotting<br />
fee – there are no other charges unlike<br />
most auction houses which charge<br />
commission, illustration and insurance.<br />
This means the vendor knows they are<br />
getting everything back just minus this<br />
small fee. It makes quite a difference on a<br />
£100,000 lot!<br />
Auctions are a fair market as the price<br />
is decided by the bidders rather than<br />
being dictated by the seller. An estimate<br />
is placed on a work, which is just a guide<br />
price but is often a good indication of<br />
what it may achieve at auction. This<br />
helps the vendor to decide if they think<br />
it is the right time to sell and a buyer<br />
decide if they wish to bid. Prospective<br />
buyers can always ask us about the<br />
condition of a work too as it helps in<br />
deciding what price they may go up to.<br />
However, the final price greatly depends<br />
how many bidders want to buy as we<br />
have had works fly above estimate. There<br />
are often surprises in the auction world<br />
and that is what makes our industry so<br />
interesting.<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
During viewings we often hear how<br />
clients approach the artwork<br />
differently and we always<br />
enjoy talking to our<br />
customers. Some want to<br />
buy something purely<br />
for decorative purposes,<br />
others follow the work<br />
of a particular artist<br />
and some just want<br />
to discover and expand<br />
their collection. It is such<br />
an individual choice – we<br />
often find that when couples<br />
come in together they find it<br />
more difficult to make a joint<br />
decision. Art is all about an<br />
individual’s taste and that is<br />
why it is fortunate that we have<br />
such a variety of works available.<br />
One thing that we do really believe<br />
is that art should never be bought as<br />
an investment, buy because you love it,<br />
not for what it may become. Then you<br />
will always appreciate it on your wall,<br />
and perhaps it will increase in value<br />
while it’s there as a bonus.<br />
Buyers have so many options on how<br />
to bid, whether they leave a bid with us<br />
(known as a commission bid), go for<br />
online bidding (live during the<br />
sale through one of the bidding<br />
platforms), on the telephone<br />
(with a member of staff when<br />
the lot comes up for sale) or<br />
by being in the room with<br />
us as the auction<br />
”<br />
takes place.<br />
During Covid we saw more<br />
people discovering the world of<br />
buying at auction and there has been<br />
an increase of bidders worldwide.<br />
Parker Fine Art Auctions<br />
have two Fine Paintings<br />
and Frames sales coming<br />
up on Thursday 6th <strong>June</strong><br />
and Thursday 4th July.<br />
To find out more, browse<br />
illustrated catalogues,<br />
check viewing times or<br />
learn how to attend in<br />
Farnham, Surrey<br />
visit them online at<br />
parkerfineartauctions.com<br />
Upcoming and past lots, from top to bottom:<br />
1. Henri Moreau “Les Ballerines se Chaussant”<br />
Coming up for auction in <strong>June</strong> and July £2000-<br />
£3000<br />
2. George Clausen “A Wood Nymph” Sold for<br />
£30,000<br />
3. Attributed to Palma Vecchio (c1480-1528)<br />
Italian. The Madonna and Child with St John<br />
The Baptist and Mary Magdalene Sold for<br />
£52,500<br />
4. LS Lowry “The Fever Van” Sold for £9375<br />
4<br />
57<br />
priceless-magazines.com
Change language