blurred paintings on the wall

“Escalating costs” leads to the cancellation of London’s Masterpiece Fair

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The parent company of Masterpiece London, an annual multi-disciplinary art fair held at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, has announced that the fair is cancelled. Masterpiece London was founded in 2010 and had come to be considered one of the highlights of the summer art calendar in London. However, the company that owns it – MCH Group – has released a statement saying that due to “escalating costs and a decline in the number of international exhibitors” the event is “not commercially viable this year.”

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Ancient house owned by freedmen reopens in Pompeii after 20 years

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Nearly two thousand years ago the eruption of Mount Vesuvius tragically engulfed the prosperous city of Pompeii and its inhabitants under volcanic ash. Archaeologists rediscovered the site in the 19th century, but it consequently suffered decades of neglect, flooding, and pillaging. After twenty years of intensive restoration, one of Pompeii’s most lavish homes officially reopened to visitors on Tuesday.

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Paul Allen’s masterpiece collection sells for record-breaking $1.6 billion (£1.34 million) at Christie’s

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Paul Allen’s (1953-2018) spectacular collection has achieved an unprecedented $1.6 billion (£1.34 million) over two sales at Christie’s, becoming the most valuable private collection of all time. The first sale alone of 60 works fetched £1.5 billion (£1.26 billion) – the highest total ever recorded at a single auction. Allen’s estate will donate all proceeds from the landmark sales to philanthropic causes.

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