According to The Art Newspaper, art historian Malcolm Rogers provided numerous letters authenticating portraits to Anthony van Dyck to art dealer James Stunt, who faced legal troubles earlier this year when it was claimed that he was involved in a multi-million-pound money laundering scheme.
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New law gives museums power to repatriate objects in England and Wales
Under a new law, museums in England and Wales will soon gain unprecedented powers to deaccession objects in their collections on moral grounds. The important change to charity law was passed in February 2022 and is due to come into force this autumn.
Continue readingActor Brad Pitt unveils his ceramic debut in Finnish Museum
A-list Hollywood actor, Brad Pitt has made a surprisingly impressive debut in Finland as a “largely self-taught” sculptor. His first public presentation was part of a larger exhibition by the British contemporary artist Thomas Houseago, alongside a ceramic series by the Australian musician Nick Cave, at Sara Hildén Art Museum in Tampere.
Continue readingEurope’s museums prepare for winter with energy-saving measures
In the face of the global energy crisis, museums and cultural heritage sites across Europe have been looking for new ways to cut down on their energy bills. Most recently, the French government have announced that the Louvre in Paris will be turning of the lights in their iconic glass pyramid two hours early, at 11pm instead of 1am.
Continue reading“Exceptional” group of paintings from the collection of Willem de Kooning’s family to go under the hammer
Three paintings from the collection of the family of Willem de Kooning will appear at auction for the first time and are expected to sell for a total of $50 million. Produced between 1969 and 1987, Sotheby’s have described the upcoming selection of paintings as “one of the most exceptional groups of paintings by Willem de Kooning to ever appear on the market”.
Continue readingMoMA works from media tycoon’s collection to sell at Sotheby’s, worth $70 million (£61 million)
A trove of Modernist masterpieces, owned by the late media tycoon William S. Paley (1901-1990), are heading to auction for a staggering $70 million to $100 million (£61 million to £88 million). Once displayed in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the collection will be sold across Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary art auctions held in London and New York.
Continue reading27 looted antiquities seized from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
It has been announced that over the course of this year, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has seized 27 antiquities from the Metropolitan Museum of Art which collectively are valued at more than $13 million.
Continue readingAI-generated artwork controversially wins award at US State Fair
Game designer Jason Allen won first place at the Colorado State Fair art competition with a work he made using an artificial intelligence image generator. Allen’s controversial victory has sparked fury online, as human artists yet again fear for the future of their profession. “We’re watching the death of artistry unfold before our eyes,” despaired one Twitter user in reaction to the announcement.
Continue readingStudents discover lost Vorticist masterpiece under painting by her contemporary
A masterpiece by pioneering Vorticist artist Helen Saunders (1885-1963) has been discovered hidden underneath a work by fellow Vorticist member Wyndham Lewis (1882-1957). Despite her success as one of the first British artists to pursue Abstraction, Saunders’ work had fallen into obscurity and nearly all her paintings lost.
Continue readingChristie’s to sell Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s $1 billion collection
Christie’s have announced that they will sell 150 masterpieces from the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who died at the age of 65 in 2018. The anticipated sale is set to be one of the highest valued single-owner sales ever to come to auction.
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