It has been nearly four years since an 18-carat gold toilet worth nearly £5 million was stolen in an early morning heist at Blenheim Palace. While hopes of recovering the toilet are small with many believing it has likely been melted down, Thames Valley police have just announced that they have made a major breakthrough in bringing the culprits to justice.
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Painted in 1821, The Hay Wain is not only widely regarded as John Constable’s (1776-1837) finest work but one of the most famous paintings in English history. Now, a long-lost oil sketch by Constable of the rural scene has been discovered in a private collection in Guernsey and could fetch up to £120,000 at auction.
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Archaeologists at the pre-Hispanic site of Palenque in the southern Mexican city have discovered a 1,100 year old Maya nose ornament made of human bone. This is the first nose ornament of its kind that archaeologists have found in Palenque.
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A US Judge has ruled that art produced using artificial intelligence is not eligible for copyright protection, with the lack of “human involvement” being central to the issue. Over the past few years there has been a monumental increase in the quantity of AI-generated art, alongside the rise in the popularity of generative platforms such as OpenAI Inc., Midjourney, and others. As a result, there has been a similar increase in applications being made for copyright protection and it is evident that until recently the US Copyright Office were not entirely sure how to respond to such applications.
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York announced that they had purchased an important nineteenth-century painting attributed to Jacques Guillaume Lucien Amans. The painting is the first naturalistic portrait of a named Black subject in an American landscape to enter the museum’s collection. Betty Kornhauser, curator for American paintings at the Met enthused “I’ve been wanting to add such a work to the Met’s collection for the past 10 years, and this is the extraordinary work that appeared.”
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Since its sale at Christie’s in 2017, Leonardo’s Salvator Mundi has been the subject of ongoing debate and questions. In 2021, curators at the Prado announced their doubts over the attribution in their exhibition catalogue for ‘Leonardo and the copy of the Mona Lisa. New Approaches to the artist’s studio practices’. In 2019, the Louvre controversially pulled the painting from their Leonardo da Vinci exhibition.
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A long-lost masterpiece by John Constable (1776-1837), estimated to be worth up to £2 million, has been discovered gathering dust at Craufurdland Castle in Scotland. The “life-changing” find was made by the castle’s 29thlaird and his wife who were struggling to pay for repairs on the estate.
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The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) will repatriate three looted bronze sculptures to Cambodia, following a decade-long investigation. Cambodian ambassador Dr. Chanborey Cheunboran declared: “this is an historic occasion and an important step towards rectifying past injustices, reinforcing the value of cultural properties, and acknowledging the importance of preserving and protecting cultural heritage.”
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The British Museum have announced that the eight-year leadership of Hartwig Fischer will come to an end in 2024. As of this autumn, the London institution will be looking for a new director.
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Southwark Council have approved plans for the first major redevelopment at London’s Dulwich Picture Gallery in 25 years. The exciting ‘Open Art’ project will encourage children’s love for art through a new biodiverse sculpture garden and sustainable spaces for schools and family activities.
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