Virginia Blackburn

Festive associations and collectable cachet create a sweet spot under the tree for these erstwhile vintage love tokens, says Virginia Blackburn

Estimated at $80m, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) could be the most expensive painting ever sold by a living artist

These midcentury shrines to cocktail hour are shaking up contemporary interiors with a hearty dash of decadence, says Virginia Blackburn

A prized portrait of Lord Lucan tops the lots at this seismic Bonhams sale – and the proceeds go to the charity Shelter

The fine line between beauty and the grotesque is brought to life in the artist’s latest London exhibition

From a world auction record-breaking commode to sofas based on designs by sculptor and designer Robert Adam – find the cream of Chippendale’s neoclassical work at this celebratory sale

…but meeting online for a lifestyle auction that’s tailor-made for the cool crowd

From Henry Moore to Damien Hirst, this hugely eclectic sale spans the 20th century to the current day

The pair’s tragic marriage is writ large in the many family treasures in this sale, which features rare pieces released by their daughter Frieda Hughes

Rare and iconic works produced by some of the 20th century’s surrealist superstars go on sale at the New Bond Street gallery

The Savile Row gallery presents the brilliance of the Belgian painter during his important Paris period

Centuries of exceptional work star in the second coming of Sotheby’s Erotic: Passion & Desire auction

Snap to it with a chance to own influential work documenting US social history at New York’s Swann Auction Galleries

The Mexican jungle and a canal-side garden on the borders of Islington are the diverse influences on these striking pieces

John Jencks’ photo homage to his parents’ iconic garden in aid of Just for Kids Law

Whimsically decorated, historically intriguing and emotionally charged, Mora clocks are curving a new niche for themselves, says Virginia Blackburn

A timely show to honour the late conceptual artist

Books as you’ve never seen them before, by the likes of Quentin Blake, Maggi Hambling, Peter Blake and Paula Rego