Artfact proudly presents 42 auctions spanning 8 countries over 8 days. Artfact’s partner auction houses are located around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Germany, Israel, Mexico and Italy to name a few. During the week of June 23rd to June 30th, Artfact Live! offers something for every collector in its exclusive online auctions. From books to glass to European paintings to fossils, from toys to jewelry to furniture, you will be able to bid live online from your own computer in auctions around the world through the Artfact Live! industry leading online auction bidding platform. If traveling around the world is not an option to further your collections, simply visit Artfact.com or Invaluable.com, to register free to bid and explore the world’s largest marketplace of fine and decorative arts, antiques, collectibles, and estate auctions. If you’re not ready to bid, simply watch the activity live from the auction floor using the Artfact/Invaluable Live! consoles.

Highlights of the upcoming auctions include: June 23 - A 160 lot California and American Fine Art auction at John Moran is highlighted by William Wendt’s Laguna Coastal, Lot 30, that opens for bidding at $50,000.

June 24 - Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh presents Fine Antiques on June 24th, featuring decorative art from around the globe.

June 25 - In Turin Bolaffi will host an auction of Autographs & Books that includes a letter signed by Albert Einstein, Lot 181, with bidding beginning at €3,600. The same day Louis C. Morton, in Mexico, will auction 173 lots of Modern and Contemporary Art, featuring the work of Diego Rivera in Lot 82, a watercolor with a minimum bid of MXN80,000.

June 26 - James Julia will auction Toys, Dolls & Advertising. The 500 plus lot sale is highlighted by Lot 102, A Clockwork “Say it with Flowers” Motorcycle, which opens at $25,000.

June 27 - features two glass sales: Germany’s Auktionshaus Dr. Fischer presents is “European Glass & Studio Glass”; in the U.S. “19th and 20th Century Glass” is presented by Jeffrey S. Evans. Also on June 27th, Rock Island auction begins its “June Regional” two- day sale, featuring over 2,000 lots of collectible firearms.

June 28 - The Natural History auction at I.M. Chait on June 28th has bids ranging from $50 for “Lily Pads” in Amber (Lot 227) to $80,000 for World class Rhodochrosite and Quartz (Lot 49).

June 29 - On June 29th, Artcurial presents two fine art sales, Contemporary and Street Art, in Paris.

June 30 - The month ends with nearly 400 lots of Vintage and Antique fashion at Kerry Taylor, Matsart’s sale of Israeli & International Art and Day 2 of the “Flanders Fields” Matchbox collection at Vectis.…all on June 30th.

Since the departure of eBay Live Auctions, Artfact Live! has taken the lead in the live auction arena by partnering exclusively with the world’s most prestigious auction houses to host their online auctions. As it continues to build the world’s most affluent and knowledgeable bidding community, Artfact offers free registration, offering unlimited access to Artfact Live! partner auctions and free searching of the past 12 months of price results in its auction records database. Artfact’s Advanced Search allows users to narrow searches by entering keywords, price range, auction date range, or auction house name.

About Artfact
Founded in 1989, Artfact is the largest global marketplace of fine and decorative arts, antiques, collectibles, and estate auctions. On January 1, 2009, Arfact launched Artfact Live!, its proprietary live auction bidding platform, enabling users to bid real time on auctions being held around the world by its prestigious auction house partners. Currently, over 1,000 fine auctioneers actively list their catalogues with Artfact.com and its U.K. sister site Invaluable.com, reaching the Artfact community of more than 10 million knowledgeable collectors and dealers worldwide. Artfact’s industry leading database includes more than 50 million complete auction results totaling more than $190 billion in value, including information on more than 500,000 international artists. In 2006, Artfact merged with RFC Systems, the leading provider of enterprise software developed specifically for the fine art and antique auction house industry. RFC helps prestigious auction houses around the world manage their businesses by automating their day-to-day operations.

A “musketeer” painted by Pablo Picasso was one of the big attractions at an auction of impressionist and modern art at Christie’s held in London, where it sold for 5.7 million pounds ($9.3 million).

The 1969 work, “Homme a l’Epee,” was the second most expensive lot of the session, after Monet’s “Au Parc Monceau,” that went for 6.3 million pounds ($10.3 million).

Painted on canvas, the Picasso work shows an exhuberant and colorful swordsman in a scene that mixes thick brush strokes in which red and yellow predominate.

Just by chance the rival auction house Sotheby’s is offering this Wednesday to the highest bidder another musketeer - this one painted on wood - by Picasso, executed on July 25, 1969, one day before the one sold at Christie’s.

Both works figured in the famous 1970 exhibition at the Palace of the Popes in Avignon, France, together with other musketeers, lovers and gentlemen, all charged with energy and a contagious humor.

Another important Spanish artist, Joan Miro (1893-1983), led the bidding Tuesday at Christie’s, where his “Peinture (Femme se poudrant)” sold for 3.9 million pounds ($6.4 million).

Giovanna Bertazzoni, Director and Head of Impressionist and Modern Art, Christie’s London: “During the last 6 months, our auctions of Impressionist and Modern Art in London, Paris and New York have produced consistently solid results and this evening’s sale confirms that collectors, both new and established, have confidence buying works by established artists in this category. We see consistent demand throughout and overall the prices of individual works remain stable. At the top end of the market we continue to see strong interest and bidding as collectors seize opportunities to acquire rare and beautiful works of art.”

The top price was paid for Au Parc Monceau, 1878, by Claude Monet (1840-1926), an important painting from the vintage years of Impressionism which realised £6,313,250 / $10,284,284 / €7,392,816. It had been sold at auction only once before when it realised £3.7 million in June 2001 in London. At this evening’s auction, 2 works of art sold for over £5 million / 9 for over £1 million. Buyers (by lot / by origin) were 83% UK and Europe, 14% Americas and 3% Asia.

Further leading highlights of the sale included:

· Painting, 1949, by Joan Miró (1893-1983), one of an outstanding group of pictures described as being among the most important of the artist’s career which sold for £3,961,250 / $6,452,876 / €4,638,624 against a pre-sale estimate of £2.2 million to £2.8 million.

· Two large, bold works from the 1960s by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973); Homme à l’épée, 1969, which was last sold at Christie’s London in February 2005 for £2.7 million, and which realised £5,753,250 / $9,372,044 / €6,737,056 at this evening’s auction (estimate: £5 million to £7 million), and Nu assis et joueur de flûte, 1967, which realised £3,401,250 / $5,540,636 / €3,982,864 (estimate: £3 million to £4 million).

· Springende Pferde, 1910, by Franz Marc (1880-1916), an exciting breakthrough painting in which the artist embraces the influences of the avant gardes of the period, which was offered at auction for the first time and which sold for £3,737,250 / $6,087,980 / €4,376,320 (estimate: £3 million to £4 million).

Elsewhere in the sale, Hélène by Alexej von Jawlensky (1864-1941) sold for £1,721,250 / $2,803,916 / €2,015,584; Mohn by Emil Nolde (1867-1956) realized £1,273,250 / $2,074,124 / €1,490,976, and Composition by Fernand Léger (1881-1955) sold for £1,217,250 / $1,982,900 / €1,425,400.

Further highlights included Buste de Diego sur tige, a bronze by Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) which sold for £1,026,850 / $1,672,739 / €1,202,441 (estimate: £750,000 to £950,000) and Mont-roig, le pont, an important early landscape by Joan Miró (1893-1983) which was painted in 1917 near his family home in Catalonia and which sold for £541,250 / $881,696 / €633,804 (estimate: £400,000 to £600,000).

Bonhams has announced its latest appointment north of the border with the move by the Christie’s Director, Grant MacDougall to Bonhams Scottish business.

As other auction houses cut back in Scotland, Bonhams is growing. The company which now has a presence in 27 countries on four continents prides itself on being the only international auction house offering sales in Scotland. Its enterprise offers Scottish buyers and sellers a window to the world, providing a pipeline that takes Scottish sourced work to its most appropriate market be that in New York, Sydney, Dubai, Hong Kong, or Los Angeles.

Grant MacDougall has until recently been Director of Christie’s in Glasgow and West Scotland. Grant knows the auction industry inside out having spent 28 years in the business. He started out in 1980 as a saleroom porter, soon becoming a specialist in the Collector’s Department. A career highlight was his starting the first auction of Football Memorabilia in 1989. He headed the Department from 1993 and was much involved in the private treaty sale of The Bobby Moore Collection.

During the 1990’s he became an Associate Director and worked in the Furniture and Works of Art Department, sourcing and valuing artworks for auction. Since becoming a Director in 2007 his brief has encompassed the whole of Scotland.

Miranda Grant, Bonhams MD in Scotland announcing the appointment said: “We are delighted to have Grant join us. As one of the best known faces of auctioneering in Scotland his breadth of art and antiques experience and client contacts will make him an invaluable addition to our growing team.”

Matthew Girling, Bonhams CEO for Europe and the Middle East, comments: “The addition of Grant to the team undoubtedly gives Bonhams the strongest team of dedicated auction specialists within any auction house north of the border.”

Bonhams Scottish Sale which celebrates all things Scottish takes place in Edinburgh from August 18th to 21st.

http://www.bonhams.com/edinburgh

Sotheby’s London biannual Russian Art Evening Auction achieved the solid total of £7,906,050 ($12,546,901), within its pre-sale auction estimate of £6,740,000-9,920,000, and was very well-attended. The sale was 63% sold by lot and 73.3% by value, and saw new auction records established for four Russian artists: Isaak Brodsky, Boris Kustodiev, Konstantin Kryzhitsky and Vladimir Lebedev.

Commenting on this evening’s sale, Jo Vickery, Senior Director and Head of the Russian Art Department in London, said: “Tonight’s sale was the first test of the Russian Art Market at Sotheby’s in London this year and we are extremely encouraged by the results established. The prices realised for the rediscovered painting by Brodsky and the work by Kustodiev, both of which set new auction records, demonstrate that the buyers and bidders in this adjusted market are prepared to compete hard for high-quality works that are fresh to the market and rare. This evening’s sale has provided us with valuable information about the Russian art scene in the recalibrated market and we very much look forward to the sales of Russian Art that follow at Sotheby’s this week.”

Research and Markets

(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/33105f/antiques_fine_ar) has announced the addition of the “Antiques & Fine Art Dealers & Auctioneers - Business Ratio Report” report to their offering.

This Business Ratio Report compares the financial performance of the leading players in the Antiques & Fine Art Dealers & Auctioneers sector, offering a quick and cost-effective competitor analysis tool for senior management.

Ratios are an invaluable tool for comparing the performance of companies on a like-for-like basis. Using ratios, the relative profitability, growth or debt levels, for example, of differently sized companies can be directly measured or compared with ease. This Business Ratio Report focuses on the performance of key players in the Antiques & Fine Art Dealers & Auctioneers industry. Having closely analysed the sector, our editors and analysts have compiled the largest companies, so you don’t have to. A Business Ratio report is, in effect, a complete financial reference for the sector.

What you can look for when reading your Business Ratio Report:

Trends The results given in a Business Ratio report generally cover at least the previous three full accounting years, therefore any fluctuations in any area can be easily pinpointed

Benchmarks The average results for each ratio together with the industry profile of the average company in the sector can both be used as benchmarks to compare individual company performance.

Size All the major companies in the sector are ranked on the basis of sales, profits, total assets and employee numbers (PERFORMANCE LEAGUE TABLES - Section 4). The largest and smallest of the key players can be easily identified, while the relative size of any company can be assessed.

Growth The average annual growth of each company’s sales, profits, total assets and number of employees over the three-year period being analysed is calculated and ranked (Performance League Tables - Section 4). This key information highlights strong and weak performers, which companies are expanding or losing market share, increasing or decreasing asset investment, or taking on or shedding employees. The industry results are also given for comparison purposes.

This information is perfect for all kinds of planning and decision-making including:

Competitor Analysis The depth of financial analysis provided on each company in each report offers you a comprehensive insight into the performance of individual businesses over recent years. The performance ratios let you easily identify the financial strengths and weaknesses of competitors in terms of profitability, liquidity, gearing, efficiency and employee performance

Simple Benchmarking A Business Ratio Report is ideal for benchmarking your own company’s performance. You can choose to benchmark your company against a major competitor, or assess the overall industry average performance. And you can focus on the criteria that are important to your business, such as profitability, employee performance or sales growth. Setting realistic performance targets becomes easier for you; with Business Ratio Reports, you will know that they are based on solid facts about your industry.

Tracking Performance Trends With at least three years of financial data for each company and the entire industry you can identify performance trends instantly.

Identifying Acquisition Targets Business Ratio Reports make it simple for you to identify potential acquisitions. You can easily find companies fitting your criteria using the Performance League Tables.

A Business Ratio Report takes the hard work out of financial performance analysis. You are left free to focus on using the vital information it imparts to drive your business forward.

This summary brings you a sample of key details from this invaluable Report. The Report itself includes many further analyses of the performance of individual companies and the industry as a whole.

The Report provides in-depth financial analysis on these companies in these 4 clear sections:

Performance League Tables
Individual Company Profiles
Industry Overview
Industry Averages
This Business Ratio report focuses on the leading 75 companies operating as Antiques and Fine Art Dealers, and Auctioneers.

The Report analyses company and industry performance over the three years up to 7th July 2008. During this period, the average Report company experienced a 45.5 percent increase in turnover, with sales rising from £14.5 million in 2005/06 to £21.1 million in the third analysis year. Pre-tax profits also followed a positive trend, gaining 160.3 percent to reach £3.1 million in 2007/08 from £1.2 million in the initial year of review.

Key Topics Covered:

Industry Overview:

A clear, concise commentary gives you an overview of the industry’s financial performance. Graphs and tables make it easy for you to spot performance trends.

Company Profiles:

This part of the report provides information on all the companies included in the analysis. To make comparison between companies easier, the information is presented in a standard format for each:

Contact Information:

Trading address
Telephone & Fax numbers
Company secretary & directors names
Company Structure:

What the company does
Who owns the company
Which are the major subsidiaries
Accounting/Financial Data:

Profit & Loss accounts for the previous 3 or 4 years
Balance sheet for the previous 3 or 4 years
Performance Analysis:

Financial ratios grouped according to profitability, efficiency, debt, employee performance and growth.

League Table Positions:

How the company performs relative to all the others in the sector

Performance League Tables:

This section ranks companies on a full range of financial ratios. All the tables are listed in order of ‘best’ to ‘worst’ results to help you gauge which are the strongest companies on any criteria. In addition, each table brings you the ratio result for the sector as a whole, so you have a benchmark ‘average’ for comparison purposes.

Industry Profile:

The Industry Profile lists basic Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet data for the ‘average’ company in the sector. This can then be used as a benchmark for comparison with individual company profiles in the report.

Companies Mentioned:

Alan Cristea Gallery Ltd
Bernard Silver Co.Limited
I. & J.L. Brown Ltd
Canonbury Antiques Ltd
Daniel Katz Ltd
Finart Ltd
Fine Art Society PLC (The)
Frost & Reed Ltd
Gary Wright Antiques Ltd
The Halcyon Gallery Ltd
Hamiltons Galleries Ltd
Howard Ricketts Ltd
Ivor Braka Ltd
John Martin Of London Ltd
Lane Fine Art Ltd
Malcolm Fairley Ltd
E.P.Mallory & Son, Ltd
Marylebone & General Fine Art Ltd
Nevill Keating Pictures Ltd
Old & Modern Masters Ltd
Paisnel Gallery Ltd
Partridge Fine Art Ltd
S.J.Phillips Ltd
Phillips, De Pury & Co. Ltd
Richard Nagy Ltd
Simon C. Dickinson Ltd
Timothy Taylor Gallery Ltd
Tomlinson Furniture Group Ltd
A.T.Watkinson Ltd
Wildenstein & Co.Limited
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/33105f/antiques_fine_ar.

The second Esher Hall Antiques and Fine Art Fair opens its doors again at Esher Hall, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey from Friday 9 until Sunday 11 October 2009.

Around 40 leading antiques dealers from across the UK, mainly members of the British Antique Dealers’ Association and LAPADA, the Association of Art and Antiques Dealers, showcase their very best treasures at this stylish event which includes town and country furniture, paintings and prints, silverware, jewellery, ceramics, oriental carpets and rugs, objets d’art and much more. This is the perfect environment to spend a day buying, selling and browsing alongside other like-minded collectors, connoisseurs and interior decorators in the knowledge that everything has been strictly vetted for authenticity.

Well respected local dealers, Arkell Antiques of Dorking, are returning again to the fair with some fascinating pieces including the Scarborough Tub (£2,600), a stoneware urn and plinth, c 1870, stamped Pulhams terracotta Broxbourne. Pulhams was established in 1820 and made items for King Edward VII, King George V and Queen Alexandra. Other interesting pieces on their stand include a late Regency marble topped games table, c 1825 (£5,900) and an oval mahogany dining table by James Winter, which seats 8 people and closes down to a complete circle (£9,500) .

Picture lovers will find a wide selection of art from which to choose. Cambridge Fine Art is taking a larger stand this year and is bringing local Surrey scenes including ‘Abinger Hammer’, an oil by James Isiah Lewis and a John Dearman oil painting of the locality near Shere, c 1855. On Chester dealer Baron Fine Art’s stand are paintings by Witley-based Charles Edward Wilson (1889-1929) and a wide selection of 18th and 19th century oils is available from Saunders Fine Art of Solihull. Neville Contemporary Art from Bordon in Hampshire is returning with a range of bright and colourful contemporary paintings and sculptures.

Silver experts Jeffrey Neal from Bushey in Hertfordshire and from Petworth Nicholas Shaw Antiques will shine amongst the other exhibitors. Additional sparkle comes from returning jewellery specialists Plaza, T Roberts as well as Shapiro & Co from London’s Grays Antique Market who is bringing Russian artefacts and quirky objets d’art. Plaza is bringing an 18ct gold Omega watch on a flexible bracelet. The face is hidden under a clasp set with a pink tourmaline surrounded by diamonds and rubies, c1950 (£3,500).

Once again Global Tiger Patrol is the benefiting charity for the fair. Global Tiger Patrol works to conserve the highly endangered tiger in the wild (www.globaltigerpatrol.org). A maximum of 4,600 wild tigers are believed to exist in their natural habitat, when merely a century ago 100,000 of these magnificent creatures roamed the forests and jungles across Asia and the Russian Far East.

To reflect the theme of the charity dealers are being encouraged to bring any tiger-related artefacts which include a contemporary watercolour on paper entitled ‘Tiger Tiger’ by Peter Malone (b 1955) painted for an Orion project in 2004 (£1,250) from Books Illustrated. 18th and 19th century sculpture specialists Garret & Hurst Sculpture have a 19th century bronze of a tiger and tigress, ‘Prelude d’Amour’, signed by Charles Valton with the Jollet and Colin foundry seal, c 1889 (£10,795).

Organiser Ingrid Nilson of The Antiques Dealers Fair Limited said, “We were pleased with the response when we launched The Esher Hall Antiques and Fine Art Fair last year and will build on its success this year, while still maintaining the high quality. We believe in locating our fairs in convenient venues with ample free parking. This is not just a local fair for Surrey residents. It is easily accessible from Guildford, London and much further afield, as it is within easy reach of the M25 and A3, and appeals to visitors from all over the south of England right up to the Midlands and beyond.”

PRESS INFORMATION & JPEG IMAGES AVAILABLE FROM:

Gail McGuffie PR
T: +44 (0)20 8568 5466 832 268
M: +44 (0)7885 10 33 53
E: MGailMcG@aol.com
or
Iona PR
T: +44 (0)1451 832268
M: +44 (0)7721 030 825
E: iona@ionapr.com

Notes to Editors:
The fair is vetted with a dateline of 1970 for most disciplines.

Event: The Esher Hall Antiques and Fine Art Fair

Venue: Esher Hall, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey KT10 9AJ

Dates: Friday 9 – Sunday 11 October 2009

Opening Hours: Friday 12noon – 8pm, Saturday 10.30am – 6pm, Sunday 10.30am – 5pm

Tickets & enquiries: £5, including catalogue (and re-admission) from The Antiques Dealers Fair Ltd
Telephone: +44 (0)1797 252030 or info@adfl.co.uk

Transport: Junction 10 from M25 and A3 from London and Guildford. Ample free parking. Esher Railway Station.

Charity: Global Tiger Patrol, 87 Newland Street, Witham, Essex CM8 1AD Telephone: +44 (0)1376 520 320 (charity registered in the UK no. 328126) www.globaltigerpatrol.co.uk

www.esherhallfair.com

This coming weekend, Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th May 2009, if you’re in the Derbyshire area then why not take a drive over to the Derby University’s Antiques Fair organised by Jaguar Fairs?

The Derby University Antiques Fair is just one of three antiques fairs that Jaguar Fairs organise - they also organise the Giant Wetherby Racecourse Antiques Fair and the Keddleston Hall Massive Antiques Fair.

The antique fair based at Derby University is an indoor event with upto 200 stalls attending. There are good facilities inside including a cafe where you can take a break or two in-between bargain hunting(!) and ample free parking outside.

Admission is £3 for Adults and £2 for Senior Citizens all weekend.

For full details of all the antique fairs that Jaguar Fairs organise see their website here:

http://www.jaguarfairs.com

Event: Love London Green Festival Date: June 5th to 14th

The Olympia International Art and Antiques Fair is the premier event of its kind in London, and, for enthusiasts, it is a festival not to be missed.

More than 30,000 private buyers, designers, fans and curators are expected to descend on Olympia’s glorious Grand Hall for the biggest showcase of art and antiques the capital has to offer.

Dreweatts, the UK’s largest exclusively regional auctioneers, will on Tuesday 12th May be offering some 376 lots of fine English furniture from the long-established Kent dealer Chevertons of Edenbridge. To be held at the auctioneers’ Donnington Priory salerooms, the sale is expected to appeal to trade buyers and private collectors in equal measure.

Chevertons came into being in 1910, but it was with the arrival of legendary antiques world figure David Adam in 1961 that the firm really began to make its mark. David soon became a director, and in 1966 he bought Chevertons, from which point he proceeded to build an enterprise which soon became a byword for quality and an internationally recognised institution in the antiques trade.

A pdf of the full catalogue can be found at http://www.dnfa.com/catalogues/13118.pdf

Fixtures and fittings from The Shambles, a delightful museum of Victorian life, will be sold by Simon Chorley Art & Antiques on site at The Shambles, Church Street, Newent, Gloucestershire in a 4-day sale from Monday 18 to Thursday 21 May 2009.

The Shambles is set in over an acre, and imaginatively laid out as a small country town of cobbled streets, alleyways, cottages, houses, shops and workshops, all of which are stocked with items of the period. The museum uniquely recreates the feel of Victorian life of the 1890s and everything from the original shop facaes and their shelf-stacked interiors to agricultural corn merchants and the police station manned by its Bobby will be offered in the 2,300 lot sale. Estimates range from £5 to £1,000.

Jpegs and press information from Iona Sale, IONA PR, 01451 832 268, 07721 030 825 or iona@ionapr.com

Enquiries relating to the Shambles sale please contact Catrin Hampton at Simon Chorley Art & Antiques on 01452 344499 or ech@simonchorley.com

A printed catalogue is available from mid April and will be fully illustrated on-line at www.simonchorley.com

Viewing days are 14 - 17 May, 10am-4pm

Admission to Viewing Days and Auction is by printed catalogue only (£15 incl p&p) admits two persons.