The Greek Culture Minister, Lisa Mendoni, has announced that 351 objects are to be restituted to Greece after a drawn-out legal battle that has plagued the Greek Ministry of Culture. The artefacts, which include statues, figurines, sculptures, vases, jewellery, utensils and accessories, date from the Neolithic period to the Byzantine era, and include important objects such as a second century bronze statue of Alexander the Great.
Continue readingTag: Art
New AI avatar generator promises to pay artists a cut
A new AI avatar generator, Ascendant Art, which launched this month, has promised to pay artists royalties for the use of their work. In the face of recent criticism from artists who have accused AI companies of the unauthorised use of their artwork, Ascendant Art could be paving a new way for artists to benefit from the recent rise in AI-generated art.
Continue readingX-Ray imaging uncovers “adorable” dog hiding in Pablo Picasso painting
Experts have discovered a “quite adorable” dog within a masterpiece by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), hidden for over a century beneath layers of paint. Dog lovers and art aficionados alike can see the painting as part of an exhibition about the his early career at the Guggenheim Museum, New York.
Continue readingNazi-confiscated Egon Schiele painting returns home to German museum
After almost 90 years, a watercolour by Expressionist painter Egon Schiele (1890-1918) has returned to the Folkwang Museum in Essen, Germany. It was seized from the progressive museum during the Nazi government’s crusade against “degenerate” modern art in 1937.
Continue readingArt advisor accused of running a Ponzi scheme
A well-known New York based art advisor, Lisa Schiff, has had a complaint filed against her by two former clients and friends, accusing her of owing them each $900,000 and of running a Ponzi scheme.
Continue readingKAWS awarded $900,000 in counterfeit lawsuit
American artist and designer Bryan Donnelly, known as KAWS, has won close to $1 million in damages after he filed a lawsuit against Dylan Joy An Leong Yi Zhi, a Singaporean who has been creating knockoffs of his signature works of art.
Continue readingNew Tourism campaign criticised for recasting Botticelli’s Venus as ‘virtual influencer’
A new Italian tourism campaign is facing widespread outrage for featuring Sandro Botticelli’s (1445-1510) iconic Venus as an ‘influencer’. The official website and video designed by the Armando Testa communications group has been described as “humiliating” and “grotesque”.
Continue readingAncient Roman bust bought for $35 in Texas restituted to Germany
An ancient Roman bust which was purchased at a Goodwill store in Austin, Texas, five years ago for $35 is heading back to Pompejanum, a Pompeii-style villa in Aschaffenburg, Germany. The bust vanished from Pompejanum during the Second World War.
Continue readingNew Shakespeare museum to open above long-lost Elizabethan theatre
Next year the long-awaited Museum of Shakespeare will open in London on the site of a lost theatre that the legendary playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) knew intimately. “This will be Shakespeare as you have never experienced it before,” said Harry Parr, co-founder of the project.
Continue readingTwo men guilty of trying to sell historically significant Anglo-Saxon coins
Two men were found guilty of an illegal scheme to sell £766,000 worth of Anglo-Saxon coins which, as it turns out, have huge significance for our understanding of the history of the 9th century. Craig Best and Roger Piling were found guilty of possession of criminal property and conspiracy to convert criminal property by Durham Crown Court.
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