| | Christie's Offers a Still Life Painting by Paul Gauguin in Big 2011 Opening Sale
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An employee poses for photographers in front of artist Paul Gaugin's "Sunflower" at Christie's auction house in London January 7, 2011. Christie's pre-sale estimate for the 46 lots of its impressionist and modern art sale on February 9, 2011 is from 73,880,000 to 109,060,000 pounds (114,630,000 to 169,216,000 US dollars). REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth.
LONDON (REUTERS).- Christie's is offering art worth 74-109 million pounds ($114-168 million) at its first big auction of 2011, including a still life by Paul Gauguin that was a tribute to his friend and fellow pioneer Vincent van Gogh. Art market records tumbled in 2010 despite concerns about the strength of the broader economy, and estimates for the impressionist and modern art evening auction on February 9 are the second highest on record for an equivalent sale at Christie's in London. "2010 was a landmark year for the art market that witnessed record sales and results," said Giovanna Bertazzoni, head of impressionist and modern art at Christie's, London. "This was driven in a significant way by the demand for rare and market-fresh works of impressionist and modern art which represented seven of the top 10 prices paid last year at auction, six of which sold for over $50 million. "The category continues to engage new collec ... More |
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One of the Oldest Surviving Gondolas Now on View at National Gallery of Art in Washington
The Moran gondola on view in front of a 45-foot long by 14-foot high photo mural detail of Michele Marieschi's The Bacino di San Marco, at the entrance to the exhibition Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals (February 20-May 30, 2011). Photo by Rob Shelley © 2011 National Gallery of Art, Washington.
WASHINGTON, DC.- One of the oldest surviving gondolas from Venice is now on view on the mezzanine of the East Building at the National Gallery of Art, Washington. It will complement the exhibition Venice: Canaletto and His Rivals, on view from February 20 through May 30, 2011. The gondola dates from the mid-19th century and was once owned by American painter Thomas Moran (1837–1926). On loan from The Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Virginia, the gondola measures 37 feet long by 5 feet wide. In addition to visually transporting visitors to the lagoon city, Moran's gondola recalls the many images of gondolas seen in the Venetian view paintings of his predecessors. The principal means of transit in Venice ... More | | Asian Art Museum Foundation Announces Proposal to Restructure Foundation's Debt
Kris hilt depicting a demonic figure, perhaps 1700–1800. Ivory. H: 5¼ in; D: 1¾ in. Asian Art Museum.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Mayor Gavin Newsom, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, City Controller Ben Rosenfield, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu and the Asian Art Museum Foundation, the private fundraising arm of the Asian Art Museum, today announced a proposal to restructure the Foundation’s $120 million bond debt. The five-party proposed agreement, coordinated by City Attorney Herrera, City Controller Ben Rosenfield, and City Public Finance Director Nadia Sesay with participation from the Foundation and its creditors, JP Morgan Chase and MBIA, Inc., provides long term stable financing to the Foundation, allowing the organization to continue to raise the funds necessary to support the Museum’s dynamic range of exhibitions and programs. The proposal will now be submitted to the Board of Supervisors, Asian Art Commission and ... More | | Research by Italians Confirms that Raphael's 'Madonna dell Granduca' was Amended
Raphael's Madonna dell Granduca.
FLORENCE.- An X-ray analysis has shown that the dark background that appears in one of the most famous paintings by Raphael, the Madonna dell Granduca, is not original, but was added by a painter, who is still unknown. It was until the seventeenth century, that the painting, which is housed at the Pitti Palace in Florence, that in the background of the painting architectural structures and a landscape were seen, according to research done by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (an art restoration laboratory in Italy), but today only a black background is visible. Historians agree that Raphael painted this famous virgin shortly after his arrival in Florence in 1505. Overwhelmed by its beauty, Raphael highlights the godlike quality he gives his characters, however, some had argued that the black background in the painting was not the work of Raphael and two thesis existed: one for a black background always existed, the other, that it was added later. So far the investigation ... More |
 | Major Retrospective of Willem De Kooning Announced at MoMA for September
Willem de Kooning, Woman, I, 1950-52. Oil on canvas, 6' 3 7/8" x 58". The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchase, 1953 © 2011 The Willem de Kooning Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
NEW YORK, NY.- The Museum of Modern Art presents the first major museum exhibition devoted to the full scope of the career of Willem de Kooning, widely considered to be among the most important and prolific artists of the 20th century, from September 18, 2011, to January 9, 2012. De Kooning: A Retrospective, which will only be seen at MoMA, presents an unparalleled opportunity to study the artist’s development over nearly seven decades, beginning with his early academic works, made in Holland before he moved to the United States in 1926, and concluding with his final, sparely abstract paintings of the late 1980s. Bringing together more than 200 works from public and private collections, the exhibition is the first to occupy the Museum’s entire sixth-floor gallery space, totaling approximately 17,000 square feet. The retrospective is organized by John ... More | | Gagosian to Open Gallery in Hong Kong with an Exhibition by Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst, For Heaven's Sake, 2008. Platinum, pink and white diamonds, 85 x 85 x 100 mm. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates. © Damien Hirst and Hirst Holdings Ltd, DACS 2011.
HONG KONG.- To inaugurate the Hong Kong exhibition space, Gagosian Gallery will present Forgotten Promises, an exhibition of new paintings and sculptures by Damien Hirst opening on 18 January 2011. In recent years, Hirst has developed his familiar iconography the skull, the diamond and the butterfly to explore fundamental ideas about existence. His work highlights the duality that lies at the heart of human experience, from our inexorable struggles between life and death, beauty and decay, desire and fear, love and loss. While Hirsts earlier fact paintings focused on the brutality and violence of life, using documentary images found in newspapers and magazines; or the beauty and agony of childbirth, taken from photographs of the birth of his own son; or the light-refracted brilliance of the worlds most famous ... More | | Courtauld Conservation Experts Undertake New Research of Wall Paintings in Bhutan
Late 17th-century painting in the Gyalsey zimchung, a private room in Tango monastery © The Courtauld Institute of Art.
LONDON.- The small and stunningly beautiful Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has for many years intrigued the West, not least on account of its geographic isolation, its hermetic reputation, and its distinct and perfectly preserved culture. The core of Bhutan’s identity is its Tibetan Buddhist heritage which, uniquely in the modern world, remains as rich and vital as it ever has been. In over two thousand thriving temples and monasteries scattered across its rugged terrain, spectacular wall paintings testify to the strength of its cultural and artistic traditions. Many of these sites are remote and their paintings have never before been recorded. During the last three years, experts from The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, have been given unique access by the Government of Bhutan to undertake scientific research of the kingdom’s wall paintings. Pr ... More |
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Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Presents "The Kennedys 50 Years Ago"
President Kennedy and the First Lady. Image courtesy of Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Photo: Richard Avedon.
WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is displaying nine photographs of President John F. Kennedy and his family taken by Richard Avedon for Harpers Bazaar. The photos will be on view until Feb. 28. During the photo session 50 years ago—the only to take place between the election and the inauguration—Avedon removed the usual activity-filled environments and set them in front of his plain background allowing the viewer to engage directly with the Kennedys. The unique set of images is on view for the first time at the museum since their donation in 1966. The display also includes Avedon’s contact sheets, allowing visitors insight into his retouching and editorial process. The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. To mark the 50th ... More | | Smithsonian Channel for Comcast Digital TV Customers Launches in Washington, D.C.
The Hope Diamond is seen in its unveiling of its new temporary setting, "Embracing Hope." AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt.
WASHINGTON, DC.- Comcast and Smithsonian Networks announced the launch of the Smithsonian Channel for Comcast Digital TV customers in Washington, D.C. Customers now have access to the award-winning, family friendly original programs on the Smithsonian Channel located on Channel 194. Smithsonian Channel plans to continue its roll out to customers in the Washington, D.C. market through 2011. "An important part of our ventureis to further the Smithsonian Institution’s mission,whichincludes the increase and diffusion of knowledge," said Tom Hayden, executive vice president and general manager, Smithsonian Networks. "Being launched by Comcast is a big step in our plan towards furthering that commitment of delivering cultural, historical, scientific and educational programming.” “Comcast is dedicated to offering ... More | | Thomas K. Seligman, Director of the Cantor Arts Center, Announces His Retirement
Thomas K. Seligman will be stepping down as director at the end of 2011. Photo: Fred Mertz.
STANFORD, CA.- Thomas K. Seligman, the John and Jill Freidenrich Director of the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, has announced that he will be stepping down as director on December 31, 2011. Seligman was recruited to Stanford in 1991 as the Stanford Museum’s first full time director. "Under Tom Seligman's leadership, our museum has become a source of tremendous pride and an integral part of the Stanford experience," said Stanford University President John L. Hennessy. "During the 19 years of his tenure, the museum has been rebuilt, its holdings have been strengthened, and its education program expanded. In many ways, his successes at the museum have set the stage for establishing a transformative Arts Initiative at Stanford, and he has our thanks." In August of 1991, Seligman was introduced to the Stanford community at the Stanford Museum’s 100th ... More |
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Gasser Grunert Present Over Silk Paintings in One-Person Exhibition by Tiffany Pollack
Tiffany Pollack, Sleep Chart, 1/28 - Tue 2/6, 2010. Dyed Silk, 48 x 34 in. Photo: Courtesy Gasser Grunert.
NEW YORK, NY.- Klemens Gasser and Tanja Grunert open Tiffany Pollack: Room, the next exhibition at their gallery on 524 West 19th Street. This is the artist’s second one-person exhibition with Gasser Grunert and will comprise over a dozen silk paintings shown alongside Pollack’s first large-scale dyed silk installation. Executed over the last two years, these new works introduce the artist’s recently developed interest in silk as support. Pollack paints directly onto the fabric with highly saturated colored inks. The silk quickly absorbs the pigment, and each form that develops stretches and unfurls into the neighboring marks, revealing the artist’s chosen subjects: autobiographical moments, color-coordinated daily schedules, and floral motifs. In the Sleep Chart paintings, Pollack, a new mother, re-creates the journal-like schedule she and her husband keep of their baby’s routine, which in turn ... More | | The Art Institute of Chicago Names Elizabeth Hurley as New Vice President for Development
Elizabeth Hurley was formerly the executive director of the Grant Park Music Festival.
CHICAGO, IL.- The Art Institute of Chicago announce the appointment of Elizabeth Hurley as the museum's new Vice President for Development, effective February 14, 2011. In this capacity, Hurley will assume responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the museum's fundraising goals--including the Annual Fund, major gifts, planned giving, institutional giving, and development operations. "Development is a critical component of the work of the museum, now as ever," said James Cuno, President and Eloise W. Martin Director of the Art Institute. "We are thrilled to be welcoming Elizabeth Hurley to this position. Elizabeth brings both vision and extensive experience to the museum, and her initiatives will be of the greatest importance to the future of the museum. Her deep roots in Chicago's top-tier cultural organizations and her national fundraising experience are the perfect combination for the Art Institute, and we look forward to ... More | | Egyptian Government Threatens to Take Back New York Obelisk Unless It is Restored
File photo from 1982 which shows the terrible damage that can be caused by acid rain. AP Photo/M. Reichenthal.
By: Kristina Cooke
NEW YORK, NY.- The Egyptian government official charged with protecting his country's ancient monuments is threatening to take back an iconic obelisk in Central Park unless New York City takes steps to restore it. The stone obelisk "has been severely weathered over the past century" with no effort made to conserve it, Zahi Hawass, secretary general for Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, wrote in a letter this week to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The obelisk, which commemorates King Thutmose III, has stood behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1881. At 71 feet tall, it is known as "Cleopatra's Needle" and is one of a pair. The other is in London. The obelisk dates back roughly 3,500 years and was given to the United States in the 19th ... More |
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Bumper Year for Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
ROTTERDAM.- For Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen an extraordinarily successful year has drawn to a close. More than 320,000 people visited the 30-plus presentations that the museum organised in its own building and on location. The museum made exceptional acquisitions and works of art from the collection could be admired all over the world. The museum brought art and design into many living rooms via Boijmans TV and online platforms. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen welcomed more than 320,000 visitors in 2010, to be inspired and moved by everything from the tailor-made hotel bed by Carsten Höller to modern masterpieces by Kees van Dongen and contemporary design by Hella Jongerius. Visitors were treated to dozens of informative activities in the museum and online. Special museum projects such as the exhibition about the master forger Han van Meegeren and the restoration of a painting by Dalí truly captured people’s imaginations. ... More
New Orleans Jazz Landmark Razed in Rebuilding Push
NEW ORLEANS, LA (AP).- New Orleans' heritage as the cradle of jazz helps it draw millions of visitors each year, and the city reminds them of that history with pamphlets, murals and bright neon. Yet numerous homes and music halls that incubated the art form have disappeared, with the city allowing the most recent of them to be razed late last year. In the push to rebuild from Hurricane Katrina and eliminate eyesores, officials unwittingly approved the demolition of the childhood home of jazz great Sidney Bechet. While many landmarks still stand, the city lacks markers at many places where pioneers lived and learned how to play. Other cities have razed jazz history, too, but the spate of New Orleans demolitions in recent years has alarmed enthusiasts. "They took a backhoe and knocked it down, and hauled it away in a trailer," said Melvin Peterson, a 76-year-old minister who lives across the street from where Bechet's home ... More
Archaeological Excavation in the Suburb of Arroux Results in Numismatic Discoveries
AUTUN, FRANCE.-The archaeological excavation of the suburb of Arroux, north of Autun, curated by the State (DRAC Bourgogne) in the context of a social housing project, has revealed an Antique quarter composed of craft workshops and fine residences. The archaeologists discovered the workshop of the coroplath (figurine maker) Pistillus: a pottery kiln, molds, complete figurines and failed ones, signed “Pistillus”, confirm the presence of his workshop at Autun. His works, though popular, are distinguished by carefully made statuettes and varied themes: Patron Goddesses, Goddess of Abundance, Venuses and animals, as well as tender representations of Roman intimacy. During the final weeks of the operation, mostly devoted to the study of a set of artifacts dating to the Augustinian period (early 1st century AD), a large monetary deposit was excavated. The monetary deposit was buried in a pit sealed with tiles. It weighs 38 kg and contains more than 100,000 Roman coins from ... More
Irish Government to Present 400 Irish Arts Events in US
NEW YORK, NY (AP).- The Irish government has announced it will present 400 Irish arts events all across the United States this year. Actor and Irish cultural ambassador Gabriel Byrne will formally announce details and dates of the project at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on Friday. A spokesman says the events will cover every art form: theater, dance, literature, music, film and visual arts. More than 2,000 artists will participate in the yearlong 40-state "Imagine Ireland" project. Highlights include a tour by the Abbey, Gate and Druid theaters, a five-month exhibition at the New York Public Library, a Lincoln Center presentation, a film series at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and events with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The Irish government is investing ... More
American Indian Panel: Halt Downtown Los Angeles Project
By: Jacob Adelman, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP).- The state Native American Heritage Commission asked coroner's officials Thursday to order a halt to work on a Mexican-American cultural center in downtown Los Angeles over concerns that Indian remains are being disturbed. Commission staffer Dave Singleton said in a letter to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Department that the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes project should be suspended until an investigation into the remains is completed. Singleton said archaeologists observing the project have reported that none of the remains belonged to Indians, but that Native Americans living in the area fear that may not be the case. "Given the strong concerns expressed by the Native Americans of the Los Angeles basin, the Native American Heritage Commission respectfully requests that the Los Angeles Department of Coroner stop the project," Singleton wrote. The coroner's office has the power to halt work on the project because of its jur ... More
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