Parisians were outraged to discover the theft of a Banksy mural commemorating the victims of the Bataclan massacre on Saturday (26 January 2019). Continue reading
New Oscar de la Renta boutique boasts hidden 17th century masterpiece
A family of mice buried in the walls or some untreated woodworm in the basement. Just a few nasty discoveries you might make when moving into a new house. Sometimes, you can strike it rich like luxury fashion brand Oscar de la Renta, which discovered a 17th century painting hidden behind the walls of its new store in Paris. Continue reading
Port Talbot Banksy sells for six-figure sum
“The stress has been lifted off me,” says the owner of a garage in Port Talbot who has sold the Banksy that appeared there in December 2018. Continue reading
Michelangelo-that-might-have-been is stolen from a church in Belgium
It might have been one of only two artworks by Michelangelo in Belgium and now a 16th century painting has been snatched from St Ludgerus church in the small Flemish town of Zele. Continue reading
The time when Turner trumped Constable
Two paintings by titans of the British art world have been reunited in London after 187 years. Continue reading
Welsh Banksy owner worn out by tourist hordes
The owner of a garage in Wales on which a Banksy mural appeared just before Christmas said he is overwhelmed by the number of tourists who have descended on the site to view the artwork. Continue reading
Home for the holidays: Hope for return of stolen Caravaggio in time for Christmas
New evidence has emerged, which suggests a missing Nativity masterpiece by Caravaggio could soon be returning to Sicily. Theories abound as to the disappearance of ‘Nativity With Saints Lawrence and Francis’ (1609) from the Oratory of San Lorenzo in Palermo in 1969. The latest version of the story was announced by Rosy Bindi, president of Italy’s parliamentary Antimafia Commission earlier this year. According to investigators, testimony from a member of Sicilian criminal organisation, Cosa Nostra, indicates the stolen masterpiece was taken to an art dealer in Switzerland who sold it off in pieces. They have followed this lead to eastern Europe and now believe they can recover the Nativity soon. Continue reading
Will proposed reforms to the export licensing system save more treasures for the nation?
In a bid to save more national art treasures from leaving the country, the UK government has announced plans to strengthen the export licensing system. Continue reading
Easter Island Mayor surprises by opposing return of stolen statue
Keep the statue you stole from us 150 years ago, the Mayor of Easter Island has told London’s British Museum. Continue reading
The Emperor Hiding in Plain Sight
It is nearly a year since we began following art historian and provenance researcher, Silvia Davoli, in her quest to unearth the lost treasures of Strawberry Hill. In this eleventh instalment of our blog series a simple case of mistaken identity leads Silvia to discover a rare painting of a young Emperor Charles V, which Walpole never knew he possessed. Continue reading
