| | The Audrey Hepburn Stamp: A Portrait of Eternal Beauty to Be Sold by Schlegel Briefmarken
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Stamps showing actress Audrey Hepburn are presented in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010. A sheet with ten stamps will be auctioned in Berlin next Saturday for UNICEF and the Audrey Hepburn children's foundation. AP Photo/Michael Sohn.
BERLIN (MARKETWIRE).- Audrey Hepburn left an indelible impression -- an imprint of gracious compassion and respect, which endures in a fashion as timeless as her heart. In 2002 the German ministry of finance decided to honor Miss Hepburn with a stamp and entered into a contract with the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund (AHCF). Due to an internal breakdown the printing of the 14 million stamps for the German post was ordered prior to obtaining the contractual approvals from the AHCF. The AHCF, unaware of the printing, requested some creative changes. The Ministry, unable to comply, ordered the entire stock destroyed!!! ... but for three sheets -- 1 kept by the Ministry, 1 by the printer and one located recently in a file in the office of Sean Hepburn Ferrer, the chairman of the AHCF. These stamps are today, by agreement with the Ministry, the only un-postmarked specimens available for sale (5 postmarked stamps were sold at auction for prices ranging from 50,000 to 125,000 Euros. It ... More |
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Michelle Obama Says She's Bringing the Arts to the White House to Lift Young People
First lady Michelle Obama speaks at a campaign event for Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010, in Milwaukee. AP Photo/Morry Gash.
By: Darlene Superville, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP).- First lady Michelle Obama says she's bringing the arts to the White House to "lift young people up." Mrs. Obama started a series of White House events last year highlighting different genres of music — from jazz and country to Latin and classical — and this year she kicked off a dance series with performances by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. All the events include an instructional component for students led by professional artists. "We want to lift young people up," she told Harper's Bazaar in an interview in the magazine's November issue. "The country needs to be mindful that we have all these diamonds out there, and it would be a shame not to invest in those talents." Mrs. Obama learned to appreciate the arts growing up in Chicago. Her grandfather ... More | | New Book Says Painting Stored Behind a Couch for 25 Years may Be a Michelangelo
A lithograph of "La Pieta," believed to have been painted by Michelangelo in the 16th century. AP Photo/Don Heupel.
By: Carolyn Thompson, Associated Press Writer
TONAWANDA (AP).- Could a painting of Mary holding the body of Jesus that hung for years in an upstate New York family's home really be a 16th century Michelangelo? An Italian art historian thinks so after undertaking years of research, which he documents in a new book, "The Lost Pieta." Now the painting's owner, Martin Kober, is encouraging the rest of the art world to take a close look with the hope the work will be universally accepted as a Michelangelo, restored and displayed. "My goal has always been the integrity of the picture, security and trying to do the right thing," Kober said Wednesday in his Tonawanda home, north of Buffalo, where reproductions of the circa 1545 painting now hang. The original 19 x 25-inch work is in a bank vault. This isn't a story of ... More | | Sotheby’s Announces the Inaugural Sale of Important Russian Art in New York
Alexandre Iacovleff, Un Groupe de Lamas (detail). Photo: Sotheby’s.
NEW YORK, NY.- Sotheby’s presents the inaugural sale of Important Russian Art in New York on 4 November 2010, alongside the major autumn auctions of Impressionist & Modern Art. The sale includes select works by many of the greatest names in 20th-century Russian art. Highlights from the sale will be on view in Moscow 21-23 October before returning to New York for the sale and exhibition, opening 28 October. The Important Russian Art sale is led by Aleksey Kravchenko’s Indian Fairytale, the most important work by the artist ever to appear at auction (est. $1/1.5 million*). This iconic masterpiece definitively speaks to Kravchenko’s place in art history as one of the most dramatic and romantic painters and colorists of his time. The St. Petersburg Academy invited the artist to travel to India and Sri Lanka in 1913, an exotic one-year journey that provided a wealth of subjects and inspiration for his fantastical ca ... More |
 | 3,500 Courtroom Sketches by Marilyn Church Heading for Library of Congress
Marilyn Church poses for a photo holding one of her courtroom sketches of David Mark Chapman. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer.
By: Ula Ilnytzky, Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP).- Marilyn Church didn't even have to ask Bernard Madoff, Martha Stewart, Woody Allen and John Gotti to sit for their portraits. She simply found a good seat in court and pulled out her pad — then got paid. Soon, the New York courtroom artist's 3,500 sketches could be heading to the Library of Congress, which said Wednesday that it planned to acquire them and is finalizing agreements with Church. "It's a great spectrum of all the things that were going on in our culture and having a front row seat on that," Church, in her 60s, said in a telephone interview Wednesday with The Associated Press. Church has done sketches for various news organizations over the years, beginning as a freelancer for WABC-TV in 1973 and later including the AP and The New York ... More | | Ex-J. Paul Getty Museum Curator Marion True's Trafficking Trial Ends in Italy
Former curator of the J. Paul Getty Museum in California Marion True is escorted by an unidentified lawyer as she leaves a Rome courtroom.
By: Frances D´Emilio, Associated Press Writer
ROME (AP).- A Rome judge declared an end Wednesday to the trial of a former J. Paul Getty Museum antiquities curator accused of knowingly acquiring looted art from Italy, citing the expiration of the statute of limitations, defense lawyers said. The 6-year-old case against Marion True was followed with concern by museums worldwide and involved about 35 artifacts acquired by the Los Angeles museum between 1986 and the late 1990s — including bronze Etruscan pieces, frescoes and painted Greek vessels. "I spoke to Mrs. True on her cell phone and she was glad that finally after 10 years the case is closed," said one of her lawyers, Francesco Isolabella. "The alleged crime is now wiped off the books." Alessandro Vannucci, a defense attorney for the other defendant in the case, American art ... More | | Exhibition of New Installations, Light Works, Sculptures and Prints by James Turrell at Gagosian
James Turrel, Dhatu, 2010.
LONDON.- Gagosian Gallery presents an exhibition of new installations, light works, sculptures and prints by James Turrell. This is his first exhibition with the gallery. For more than forty-five years, Turrell has explored the myriad possibilities of using light as a medium of perception. His formally simple works draw attention to the limits of seeing while seeking to expand the wordless thought that they provoke. Throughout these permutations, the light that is normally used to illuminate other things is assigned form and structure, making it the subject of the revelation. Since pursuing studies in perceptual psychology during the 1960s, Turrell has been exploring a variety of perceptual phenomena, ranging from sensory deprivation to intense optical effects. Early works such as Afrum-Proto (1966) and the Mendota Stoppages (1969-1974), which employed planes of light in relation to architecture, became the basis for ongoing ... More |
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Thomas Moran's Early Landscape of Juniata Valley, Pa, is Acquired by National Gallery of Art
Thomas Moran, (American, 1837–1926), The Juniata, Evening, 1864. Oil on canvas, 50.8 x 76.2 cm (20 x 30 in) National Gallery of Art, Washington. Gift of Max and Heidi Berry and Ann and Mark Kington/The Kington Foundation.
WASHINGTON, DC.- The Board of Trustees of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, voted last week to acquire The Juniata, Evening, an exceptional painting done in 1864 by American artist Thomas Moran (1837-1926). Purchased from a private collection with funds from Max and Heidi Berry and Ann and Mark Kington/The Kington Foundation, the Pennsylvania landscape has never been exhibited publicly. It is the second painting by Moran to enter the Gallery's collection; the first is The Much Resounding Sea (1884). "Since 1997, when the Gallery hosted a Moran retrospective, we have actively searched for superior examples of Moran's work," said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art. "The Juniata, Evening, unknown to us at the time of the retrospective, is the most important and the most beautiful of Moran's ... More | | Galerie St. Etienne Shows Works by Max Beckmann's Student, Marie-Louise Motesiczky
Marie-Louise Motesiczky. Self-Portrait with Straw Hat. 1937. Oil on canvas. 21 7/8" x 15 1/4" (55.4 x 38.5 cm). Schlenker 42. Courtesy Galerie St. Etienne, NY.
NEW YORK, NY.- Marie-Louise Motesiczky: Paradise Lost & Found is the first American exhibition of paintings by the artist, who was a student of Max Beckmann and a lover of the Nobel-laureate Elias Canetti. Motesiczky, a member of a prominent Jewish aristocratic clan that once formed the financial and cultural backbone of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was driven into exile by the Nazi Anschluss in 1938. Always reluctant to sell her work, she bequeathed her entire artistic legacy to the Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Charitable Trust, which owns the 66 paintings and drawings in the Galerie St. Etienne exhibition. Also including 10 works by Beckmann, MARIE-LOUISE MOTESICZKY: Paradise Lost & Found will be on view through December 30, 2010. MARIE-LOUISE MOTESICZKY: Paradise Lost & Found is a document of loss and renewal. Early works reflect Motesiczky’s aristocratic life in prewar Austria. Kröpfelsteig, ... More | | Norman Dilworth's First Solo Show in Britain in Almost 30 Years Opens at Laurent Delaye
Norman Dilworth, Puff Ball 1972 - 2010, 3 m x 3 m x 3 m. Aluminium. Photo: Courtesy Laurent Delaye.
LONDON.- At 79, Norman Dilworth is still a young artist in Britain. His work has been exhibited in some of the most prestigious museums in Europe, including solo exhibitions twice at both the Mondrian House in Amersfoort, Holland, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. His latest museum retrospective was at the Musée Matisse, Cateau-Cambressis, France, in 2007. Yet this solo show is his first in the UK since he left Britain to live in Holland in 1982. It will be followed by a long overdue solo exhibition in a public space in Britain. Curated by Andrew Bick, it will start in late Spring 2011 at the Turnpike Gallery in Leigh, and travel to the Huddersfield Art Gallery. Dilworth was born in 1931 in Wigan, Greater Manchester. After studying at Wigan school of art, he gained a place at the Slade where he studied until 1956. In 1955, he won the Tonks Prize, and the following year the Sunday Times Drawing Prize. In 1956 he went to study in Paris after being awarded a French Governm ... More |
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Important Photographic Archive Acquired for Birmingham Central Library
1960s portraits © John Blakemore. John Blakemore Archive, Birmingham Library and Archive Services.
BIRMINGHAM.- Birmingham Central Library has acquired an important archive of photographic work by prominent artist John Blakemore, who was born in Coventry. The archive was acquired directly from the artist for £91,650, of which £42,695 came from the Art Fund. Additional support came from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Friends of the National Libraries and The University of Derby. The archive will be permanently housed in the new Library of Birmingham when it opens in 2013. The collection includes exhibition prints and smaller reference prints, spanning Blakemore’s career from his first photographs made in Libya in 1956 through to large colour works exhibited in 2002. It represents not only the final photographs exhibited or published, but also allows for a comparative study of the artist’s development, especially through the inclusion of some pairs of prints made from the same negative at a distance of several years, and the rich ... More | | Personal Collection of Elton John's Mother Sheila Farebrother Offered to Music Fans Around the Globe
Gianni Versace purple double breasted tuxedo with satin collar. Owned by Elton John. Est. £1,000-£1,500.
BOSTON, MA.- If you were the mother of an internationally-known rock star, what memorabilia would you keep from his career? Now, if you were moving to a new home, what would you sell? On October 19, Elton John fans all over the world will have an opportunity to bid live online on memorabilia from the collection of Sheila Farebrother, mother of the iconic rock star. The auction is hosted by the notable UK auction house Gorringes and will be broadcast live online by the Boston-based Artfact.com, the world's leading online auction portal, and its UK sister site Invaluable.com. Auction registration is free of charge, and online bidders will have to opportunity to experience the auction in real time via live webcast. For more information, or to register for the auction, visit www.Artfact.com or www.Invaluable.com. Highlighting the sale is pair of rare gold Cartier “Captain Fantastic” brooches. As a struggling young ... More | | North Sea Paintings by Distinguished Artist John Virtue on View at Marlborough Fine Art
John Virtue, Norfolk 2 (detail), acrylic on canvas. Photo: Courtesy Marlborough Fine Art.
LONDON.- Marlborough Fine Art presents ‘John Virtue: North Sea Paintings’, the first major exhibition by this distinguished artist to open in London in 5 years. In a striking departure from the huge paintings of London which formed the subject matter of his highly acclaimed exhibition at the National Gallery as Associate Artist in 2005, these new paintings take the vast, dark expanse of the North Sea as a central theme. Throughout his career, Virtue has always painted intensely the areas where he has lived. The move to the empty Norfolk coast at the beginning of 2009, after several momentous years painting the drama and excitement of London’s skylines, has proved incredibly fertile. For the last 18 months he has produced a significant body of work from large canvases to paintings of a few square inches and a group of monotypes. On the same day every week Virtue takes the same walk along the long f ... More |
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LACMA Debuts World.Class European Costume Acquisition with Fashioning Fashion
LOS ANGELES, CA.- The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915, featuring selections from the museum’s recently acquired major collection of European men’s, women’s, and children’s dress and accessories. On view through March 27, 2011, the exhibition includes nearly 160 examples of fashionable dress, undergarments, and accessories, many on view for the first time. Curated by Sharon S. Takeda, department head and senior curator, and Kaye D. Spilker, curator of costume and textiles at LACMA, the exhibition tells the story of fashion’s aesthetic and technical development from the Age of Enlightenment to World War I. "After seeing these rare objects," said Michael Govan, "It was clear that we should bring the collection to Los Angeles, as one of my first major collecting initiatives after arriving at LACMA. This acquisition has catapulted the m ... More
National Gallery in London Invites Contemporary Artist Clive Head to Display His Work
LONDON.- This autumn, to coincide with the Sainsbury Wing exhibition Venice: Canaletto and his Rivals, the National Gallery has invited contemporary artists Clive Head and Ben Johnson to display their work in two consecutive exhibitions in Room 1. Both artists paint the city, but for very different reasons, and with very different outcomes. The displays will reveal their motivations and working processes – and their fascination with the legacy of Canaletto. In the second of these two displays, Ben Johnson will be completing one of his paintings in public. Following the example of Canaletto, both artists combine and manipulate different views to make paintings that are completely convincing. Along with large-scale cityscapes including depictions of London landmarks Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square, preparatory drawings and photographs will be shown that will ... More
New and Key Past Works in First Show by Marina Abramović on View at Lisson Gallery
LONDON.- Lisson Gallery presents a new exhibition by Marina Abramović, the first show of Abramović’s work at Lisson Gallery. Comprised of new and key past works in the mediums of video, photographs and sculpture, the show will be in two parts across both Bell Street galleries. 52-54 Bell Street will feature the Rhythm series, from her early performances, exhibited for the first time in its entirety, while 29 Bell Street will feature new work from her Back to Simplicity series. Since the beginning of her career in Belgrade during the early 1970s, Marina Abramović has led the way in performance as a visual art form. Described as 'one of the defining artists of radical performance', she has transcended the form's provocative origins and created some of the most important works in the genre. Challenging, uncompromising and often shocking, Abramović's durational practice continually experiments with, and ... More
Navy Birthplace in Dispute; Five Communities Claim to Be the Navy's Birthplace
BOSTON (AP).- The old sign near its border that proclaims the upstate New York town of Whitehall to be the birthplace of the U.S. Navy is a bit worn out, town clerk Elaine Jones admits. Residents of several other Northeast towns might describe it another way: Not true. Five communities claim to be the Navy's birthplace, from a wealthy former fishing hub north of Boston to Whitehall, a town about 200 miles from the nearest ocean. On the Navy's official birthday Wednesday — its 235th — the Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero, may try to settle the question at a meeting in Boston at the museum of the USS Constitution, the country's oldest commissioned Naval warship. Ferriero will bring documents from the National Archives that detail the claims of the parade of communities asserting Navy paternity, which also include ... More
Exhibition at Cantor Arts Center Provides a Glimpse into the Practice of Modern-Day Vodou
STANFORD, CA.- Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University presents “Vodoun/Vodounon: Portraits of Initiates,” October 13, 2010 through March 20, 2011. This exhibition features 25 compelling diptychs by the Belgian photographer Jean-Dominique Burton, who pairs black-and-white portraits with color photographs for a sensitive portrayal of Vodoun practitioners and their sacred shrines. Burton's images provide an exceptional glimpse into the esoteric domain of this traditional Fon religion, now called variously Vodou, Vodun, Vaudou, or Vaudoux. The artworks depict Burton's journey to seek out the great Vodounons (initiates) of the religion as practiced in the heart of its birthplace, the current-day Republic of Benin. Burton's work was also captured in a documentary video, which plays alongside the artworks in this exhibition. VOODOO, the Origins, directed by Samuel Lampaert, features interviews with the Vodoun initia ... More
Egypt's Chief Archaeologist Says United States to Return Smuggled Sarcophagi
CAIRO (AP).- Egypt's chief archaeologist says the United States will return a number of sarcophagi smuggled out of the country 50 years ago. Zahi Hawass says U.S. authorities seized the sarcophagi on American soil and will return them to Egypt in the next two weeks. He didn't provide any further details about the antiquities or say what sites they were taken from. Thousands of antiquities were spirited out of Egypt during the colonial period and afterward by archaeologists, adventurers and thieves. Hawass has made recovering the artifacts the centerpiece of his tenure as antiquities chief. Hawass' Wednesday statement lauded U.S. efforts, saying America is the "first country in the world that cooperated with Egypt on the return of antiquities." ... More
Russian Claims to Uncover "Caucasian Stonehenge"
By: Mansur Mirovalev, Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW (AP).- A Russian archaeologist claimed Tuesday to have found the well-preserved ruins of a "Caucasian Stonehenge" built by a previously unknown Bronze Age civilization in southern Russia. Andrey Belinskiy said that unusual circular settings made of stones were found at one of some 200 settlements that date back to 1600 B.C. and are located in the North Caucasus mountains. The settlements have been uncovered in the past five years by a Russian-German expedition he heads, Belinskiy said. He referred to the structure as a "Caucasian Stonehenge," drawing a comparison with the famous monument in southwest England. "Any structure of unusual shape could be related to a calendar," Belinskiy told The Associated Press adding that the structures did not resemble barns and houses his expedition found in other settlements. He said that ceramics found in the area had ornaments that suggested that their creators were familiar with astronomy ... More
Sotheby's Launches App for iPhone and iPad
NEW YORK, NY.- 1744 meets 2010 as Sotheby’s, the oldest Company on the New York Stock Exchange (BID), launches its new application for the iPhone and iPad. Now available for free download in the iTunes App Store©, Sotheby’s app allows users to: - Watch the latest podcasts from the new video player, currently featuring a tour of highlights from the Divine Comedy exhibition, as well as Charles Moffett’s interview with Chiyo Ishikawa of the Seattle Art Museum in anticipation of their Picasso exhibition • Browse catalogues for upcoming sales • Search among upcoming lots • Zoom in for a closer look • Access condition reports • Log in and leave an absentee bid • View auction results “The Sotheby’s app is one more way to reach our clients, wherever they may be,” said Amy Todd Middleton, Sotheby’s Worldwide Director of Marketing. “Our ever-enriching web menu, whe ... More
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