November is the busiest month for sales of fine art and antiques as auctioneers and dealers compete for a share of pre-Christmas spending. There is already a plethora of events underway and scheduled.

Vue, a contemporary art fair, is taking place today and tomorrow at the Royal Hibernian Academy on Ely Place, Dublin 2, with a selection of works from 15 galleries.

More traditional art goes under the hammer tomorrow at Dolan's Irish Art Auction at the Radisson Blu St Helen's Hotel on the Stillorgan Road, Dublin, with paintings by artists including Kenneth Webb, William Conor, Markey Robinson, Cecil Maguire, Mark O'Neill, Peter Curling, Seán O'Sullivan, Robert Egginton and Val Byrne.

Viewing is taking place at the hotel until 8pm this evening and tomorrow from 10am to 1pm, when the auction begins.

House contents
Also tomorrow, starting at noon, auctioneer Damien Matthews will sell the contents, on site, of Violet Hill House at Herbert Road, Bray, Co Wicklow.

Auctioneers Mullen's of Laurel Park, Bray, will hold two off-site auctions in Dublin, including an Irish art sale on Tuesday evening at the Brock Art Gallery, Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, with paintings by artists such as Gerard Dillon, Brian Ballard and Fergus O'Ryan.

Also on Tuesday, Adams Blackrock's fine art and interiors auction in the saleroom at 38 Main Street includes a sculpture by Sir Jacob Epstein, one of Britain's best-known 20th- century sculptors.

Titled Head of a Negro Boy, the piece is bronze, 20cm high and estimated at €8,000 to €10,000.