some of his paintings

[azz]

a. He didn't know some of his paintings had been sold.
b. He didn't know certain of his paintings had been sold.

Do these mean the same as
1. He didn't know any of his paintings had been sold,
or
2. There were some/certain of his painting which he didn't know had been sold. (There were others that he knew had been sold.)
?

 

[Tdol]

B) means 2 for me. A) could be either.

 

[jutfrank]

a. is very likely to mean 1, yes. He thought that none of his paintings had been sold.

b. means that he didn't know that a particular set of his paintings had been sold.