| | Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Sale Led by Andy Warhol's Sixteen Jackies
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Tobias Meyer, Sotheby’s Worldwide Head of Contemporary Art, was very pleased with the sale total of $128,104,500. Photo: Sotheby's.
NEW YORK, NY.- “We are very pleased with our sale total of $128,104,500,” said Tobias Meyer, Sotheby’s Worldwide Head of Contemporary Art. “The results came within our pre-sale estimate of $120.8/171.4 million, and we had a strong sell-through rate of 84.5% by lot, with 58 lots offered and 47 lots sold. These results follow the impressive total of $54.8 million achieved last night for works from the Collection of Allan Stone, bringing our overall two-day total to $182,910,000, securely within our overall estimate of $153.6/218.2 million.” “It was a good night for Andy Warhol,” said Alex Rotter, Director of Sotheby’s New York Contemporary Art department. “We sold six out of the seven Warhol works on offer tonight, together bringing over $31 million. The sale was led by Sixteen Jackies, which sold for $20,242,500. There was extremely competitive bidding for Shadow (Red), which was vi ... More |
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Most Exciting Colourist Sale in Scotland for a Generation at Bonhams in August
SJ Peploe, Peony Roses. Estimate: £300,000 and 500,000. Photo: Bonhams.
LONDON.- Bonhams announces that as part of its Annual Scottish Sale in August it will be offering an outstanding collection of paintings by the Scottish Colourists. Works by all the major artists of the Colourist movement are featured, including ‘Peony Roses’, an important picture by S J Peploe, estimated at between £300,000 and 500,000. In recognition of the special nature of the occasion this year’s Scottish Sale will be held in two parts. Part I will feature Furniture, Books, Works of Art, Silver, Jewellery, Ceramics, Glass, Arms and Armourand will take place over 3 days 16- 18 August inclusive. Part II, to be held on 31st August, will consist of an evening sale of Fine Scottish Paintings including the Colourists works which will be sold at the beginning of the auction at 6.00 p.m. Bonhams is the only international auction house to sell Scottish art in Scotland. The Managing Director of Bonhams Scotland, M ... More | | Daniel Brodsky Elected Chairman of Metropolitan Museum Board of Trustees
Daniel Brodsky. Photo: Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Don Pollard.
NEW YORK, NY.- The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today the election of business and civic leader Daniel Brodsky, a Trustee of the institution since 2001, as its next Chairman of the Board. Mr. Brodsky will officially assume the chairmanship on September 13, when James R. Houghton retires from the post after 13 years to become a Trustee Emeritus. “I am both proud and delighted that Dan Brodsky will succeed me as Chairman of our generous and visionary Board,” said Mr. Houghton in making the announcement. “Dan’s broad knowledge of the Museum, his record of accomplishment both at the Met and in leadership roles with other major institutions in our city, and his unique combination of wisdom, experience, and energy make him the perfect choice to assume this vast responsibility. I feel the utmost confidence in turning over the chairmanship to Dan, and know that he will enjoy, as much as I have, the privil ... More | | Fernando Botero Colombian Landscape Leads Christie's Latin American Art Sale
"Colombian Landscape," (detail) Fernando Botero's 1986 landscape with a nude couple relaxing in a corner of a meadow, is expected to fetch up to $1.2 million. REUTERS /Courtesy of Christie's Images.
By: Walker Simon
NEW YORK, NY.- Works by Colombian artist Fernando Botero and Uruguay's Joaquin Torres-Garcia are expected to lead Christie's Latin American sale which includes nearly 350 works by artists from 16 countries. "Colombian Landscape," Botero's 1986 landscape with a nude couple relaxing in a corner of a meadow, is expected to fetch up to $1.2 million in the sale that could surpass $20 million. The seven-and-a-half feet wide painting tops the works from 145 artists that will be auctioned on May 26 and 27 at Christie's in New York. Virgilio Garza, the head of Latin American Paintings at Christie's, said the sale offers works that transcend the border of the Latin American market. "As well as Latin American Modernist Masterpieces ... More |
 | Sculptor Anish Kapoor Unleashes Whale-Like Monster on Paris's Grand Palais
Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor poses inside his Monumenta 2011 exhibit. EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT.
By: Vicky Buffery
PARIS (REUTERS).- Entering Anish Kapoor's latest sculpture through a dark, windowless revolving door, visitors experience a momentary blackout before emerging into a womb-like cavity -- warm, oppressive and bathed in red light. This is "Leviathan" at Paris's Grand Palais, the Mumbai-born British sculptor's first work in France for 30 years, to be unveiled on May 11, and an experience one can only imagine is like being swallowed by a whale. Famed for his critically acclaimed Cloud Gate in Chicago and Sky Mirror in New York, Kapoor is the fourth artist to be invited by the Grand Palais to create the annual Monumenta exhibition in its vast, glass-roofed central nave. Previous exhibitors at the historic Art Nouveau building, erected for the 1900 World Fair, were Christian Boltanski in 2010, Richard Serra in 2008 and Anselm Kiefer in 2007. "It's fabulous. It's a challenging space and that's the main motivation for ... More | | Ten Famous Works of Art that Are Forever Damaged by Carelessness, Negligence, Anger or Pure Insanity
Workers move the painting 'Night Watch' by Rembrandt through the passage under the Rijksmuseum. AP Photo/Fred Ernst.
NEW YORK, NY.- The most impressive works of art often took months or even years to complete. Artists pour their knowledge, creativity and emotions into their projects. Their finished products are filled with meaning and thus personal importance, the value of which cannot be appropriately measured, at least until they sell to the highest bidder. The following famous works of art cost a lot of money, held a lot of significance to the art community, and were unfortunately damaged due to carelessness, negligence, anger or pure insanity, likely causing the creators great despair — or to roll over in their graves. 1. Fountain (1917), Marcel Duchamp: A gifted artist can make almost any object meaningful. Take Duchamp’s Fountain, a white Bedfordshire model urinal he purchased in New York in 1917. Initially, there was debate as to whether it was actually art, as he submitted it to a Society of Independent Artists exhibit, which opted not to display it; however, in 2006, it was ... More | | Sotheby's Sale of 19th Century European Paintings to Feature Strong Selection of Works
Paul César Helleu, Madame Helleu at her Bureau in the Drawing Room of the Artist's Studio, est. £250,000-350,000. Photo: Sotheby's.
LONDON.- Sotheby’s London Sale of 19th Century European Paintings on Wednesday, 18 May, 2011 will bring together some 163 works by artists from no fewer than 15 countries: among them Spain, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Italy, France, Switzerland, Britain, Israel, the Netherlands, Belgium, Russia, and South America. Among the distinct categories of pictures to be offered will be a strong contingent of Spanish, Orientalist, German, Austrian and Central European works. The sale is estimated to bring in excess of £6.5 million. The Spanish section of the 19th Century European Paintings sale boasts Arabe delante de un tapiz (Arab Before a Tapestry), one of the most important works by Mariano Fortuny (1838-1874) that has appeared at auction in the last decade. The picture pays homage to the mystery and exoticism of North Africa. Painted in Rome in 1873 at the height of his career, a year before his untimely death at the a ... More |
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Huntington Aquires Depression-Era Sculpture and Early 20th Century American Painting
Ernest Lawson (1873–1939), Harlem Flats (Back Lot Laundry), ca. 1907, oil on canvas,
18 1/2 × 24 in. Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
SAN MARINO, CA.- The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens added to its holdings two significant works of American art on Saturday. At the annual meeting of its Art Collectors’ Council, the institution acquired a 22-foot-long sculpture carved as a screen for a pipe organ by the prominent African American artist Sargent Claude Johnson (1888–1967) in 1937 as well as Harlem Flats (Back Lot Laundry), an important early painting made in 1907 by Ernest Lawson (1873–1939), one of a group of Ashcan school artists called The Eight. Harlem Flats was purchased for The Huntington by Overseer Kelvin Davis, who is also a member of the council; he offered to acquire it outright before the group began voting on new acquisitions. The field thus narrowed, the council decided to purchase the organ screen—seizing ... More | | Fulham Road Landmark Antique Shop, O. F. Wilson, to Sell Contents through Bonhams
A Venetian late 18th century polychrome decorated and parcel gilt armchair. Photo: Bonhams.
LONDON.- The contents of the antique shop O. F. Wilson, a Fulham Road landmark, are to be sold by Bonhams as part of its Period Design sale on 7 June at the auction house’s Knightsbridge salerooms. The collection includes 18th and 19th century French, Italian and English furniture, early works of art, chimney pieces, mirrors, pictures and works of art with prices ranging from £100 to £15,000. A regular exhibitor at the annual Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair, O. F. Wilson was founded in 1949 by Oscar Frederick Wilson. Wilson, who went by the name Jack, soon established himself as a pioneer of painted and decorative furniture. Consequently the shop, which is located on the corner of Queen’s Elm Parade, attracted a loyal international clientele, including celebrities such as Hugh Grant, Elizabeth Hurley, who bought a number of pieces for her Chelsea home there, and Bryan Ferry. A number of high profile interior de ... More | | After Only Two Years, Derrick Cartwright Resigns as Director of Seattle Art Museum
Derrick R. Cartwright was chosen in May 2009 as the Seattle Art Museum’s new Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director following an international search. Photo: Jennifer Richard.
SEATTLE, WA.- Derrick Cartwright is resigning as SAM’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director effective June 30, 2011. Mr. Cartwright was named the museum’s director in May 2009. “This was a difficult decision for me but I feel the timing is right for a leadership change at SAM,” said Cartwright. “SAM is today in a much stronger position than it was two years ago. A lot of people have contributed to this regained stability and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their support.” Cartwright will be pursuing several scholarly projects that have been put on hold for a number of years. He will remain at SAM until June 30 and has been asked by the board to remain a consultant to the institution until September 2012. The museum will wrap up the fiscal year on June 30 with many accomplishments including: • A ... More |
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The Work of Japanese Artist Yayoi Kusama on View at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid
A view of a group of sculptures by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama displayed in a solo retrospective that encompasses painting, sculpture, printed work, photography and video. EPA/FERNANDO ALVARADO.
MADRID.- The work of the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama (Matsumoto, 1929) unfolds in the international art scene that began at the end of the 1950s and is the origin of today's globalisation. Her career, spanning almost six decades, started with her earliest solo exhibitions at the age of just 23, in Japan. She crossed international borders in 1958, heading for New York, which by that time was the unquestioned epicentre of art worldwide. The exhibition is on view from May 11 through September 12 2011 at the Museo Reina Sofía. The speed with which the artist became relevant in this context in the 1960s clearly indicates that her art contains none of the usual references, occupying instead an exceptional territory that is completely unique. This is the period of her most recognisable works, the Accumulation sculptures, ... More | | Huipil Attributed to Malinche Included in New Exhibition at National Museum of Anthropology
Huipil attributed to Malinche. Photo: DMC.INAH.M MARAT.
MEXICO CITY.- Symbolism, use and presence of birds in ritual and daily life of contemporary indigenous cultures is displayed through more than 376 ethnographic pieces, among them, the huipil (dress) attributed to Malinche, at the exhibition “Wings of the Indigenous World”, which opened on May 9th 2011 at the National Museum of Anthropology (MNA). Diana Magaloni, director of the National Museum of Anthropology (MNA), explained that the second part of the exhibition “The Flight of Images” is an “ample and plural vision about art of indigenous cultures that represent the most important treasure of Mexico; an exhibition related to the link between the birds and these societies, and the use of feathers in objects, myths and rituals”. In this sense, the show presents art from 34 indigenous groups in Mexico, among them, Coras, Chichimecas, Raramuris, Totonacas, Tzeltales, Tzotziles, Yaquis and Zapotecas, informed Alejandro Gonzalez Villarruel, sub direct ... More | | Collection of Allan Stone Totals $54.8 Million Exceeding High Estimate at Sotheby's New York
John Chamberlain, Nutcracker, 1958. Est. $1.2/1.8 million. Sold for: $4,786,500 (£2,923,053) (€3,324,397). Photo: Sotheby's.
NEW YORK, NY.- Yesterday night at Sotheby’s New York the two-part sale of The Collection of Allan Stone, brought a total of $54,805,500, well above the pre-sale high estimate of $46.8 million, and was 93% sold by lot. The auction was held 50 years after the founding of The Allan Stone Gallery and celebrated the artists represented and collected by this renowned New York dealer. The evening was led by John Chamberlain’s Nutcracker, a rare and early example of the work that the artist would become known for in the early 1960s, which sold for $4,786,500 and set a new record for the artist at auction. In addition to this new record, the sale was characterized by strong prices and global demand for West Coast artist Wayne Thiebaud, with 17 works bringing a total of $27,528,500, above a high estimate of $18.3 million. “We had an excellent night tonight as ... More |
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 Gallery of Modern Art Turns It Up to Eleven with Rock Film ProgramQUEENSLAND.- A major program exploring all facets of rock music on film screens at the Gallery of Modern Art’s Australian Cinémathèque from April 29 to June 5, 2011. Queensland Art Gallery Director Tony Ellwood said tickets are on sale now for ‘Let There Be Rock’, a program of more than 45 documentaries, concert movies and feature films capturing the rebellious spirit of rock music. ‘From Elvis Presley in Jailhouse Rock 1957 and The Beatles in A Hard Day’s Night 1964 to Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White in It Might Get Loud 2009 and Animal Collective’s visual album ODDSAC 2009, ‘Let There Be Rock’ surveys over 50 years of music on the big screen,’ Mr Ellwood said. ‘In addition to the films themselves, the Friday night screenings are complemented by local musicians responding to the music represented on screen with very special short live performances, included as part of the ... More Bonhams to Sell Edward Lear Painting of BethlehemLONDON.- As well as being a well known poet, Edward Lear (1812-1888) was also a prolific artist. The next 19th Century Paintings auction at Bonhams New Bond Street features a beautiful topographical scene of Bethlehem which Lear completed from sketches he made whilst travelling in the Middle East. It is estimated to sell for £50,000-80,000 at the auction on 13th July 2011. Early on in his painting career Lear focused predominantly on ornithological works and was employed by the Zoological Society, but landscapes subsequently became his preferred subject. He was a frequent traveller and on his numerous journeys he kept detailed diaries as well as many topographical watercolour sketches that were later worked up in oils back in his studio. In 1858, accompanied by his manservant Georgio Kokali, Lear spent three months touring Jerusalem, Petra, Bethlehem, Hebron and Lebanon, after receiving a commission ... More M.C. Escher Surpasses Attendance ExpectationsAKRON, OH.- Surpassing attendance expectations, M.C. Escher: Impossible Realities has drawn record crowds to the Akron Art Museum. As the last of only two venues in the United States to show this once-in-a-lifetime loan from Athens, Greece, Impossible Realities drew visitors from across the country. Escher fans came from as far away as Alaska, California and Washington, with most of the out-of-state visitors hailing from Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan and Illinois. Because of its overwhelming popularity, the museum, in an unprecedented move, is extending the exhibition’s closing date. Visitors now have until Sunday, June 5, 2011 to examine first-hand the masterworks of Maurits Cornelis Escher before the collection returns to Greece. Impossible Realities surveys the breadth of Escher’s career from the 1920s to the 1960s. It showcases 130 of the artist’s finest works, starting with his early book plates, ... More The Frick Art & Historical Center Announces Major Fabergé Exhibition Opening Fall 2011PITTSBURGH, PA.- The Frick Art & Historical Center announces that in fall 2011 it will present the first major exhibition of Fabergé objects to be shown in Pittsburgh. FabergeAtTheFrick.org, a new website that provides information about this special exhibition and related museum-wide offerings, launches today. Opening October 23, 2011 and running through January 15, 2012, Fabergé: The Hodges Family Collection features more than 100 objects made by the world renowned House of Fabergé, goldsmith and jeweler to the Russian court. To complement this exhibition, the Frick will display select items from its collection of fine 18th- and 19th-century Russian decorative arts, including an enameled Russian tea set made by A.I. Kuzmichev, purchased by Henry Clay Frick through Tiffany & Co. in 1894, and Russian silver purchased by Helen Clay Frick. The exhibition wi ... More Fancy Light Pink Diamond Ring Brings $358,500 as Top Lot in $5+ Million Fine Jewelry EventNEW YORK, NY.- A superlative Fancy Light Brownish-Pink Diamond, Diamond, Platinum Ring was the subject of intense bidding and great admiration on its way to a final price of $358,500 on Monday, May 2, to top the offerings in Heritage Auctions' $4.957+ million New York Signature(r) Fine Jewelry Auction at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion. All prices include 19.5% Buyer's Premium. "We saw some very good prices across the board, especially on diamonds," said Jill Burgum, Director of Fine Jewelry at Heritage Auctions. "It all points positively to signs of a recovering market; our previews were well-attended from coast to coast, multiple bidding wars ensued at the event and, as a result, we saw top prices achieved." All told, 1,253 bidders vied for just under 1100 lots, translating into a 90% sell-through rate by lot value. One of the most pleasant surprises of the auction was the $65,725 price realized for a natural ... More Gil Elvgren's 'Gay Nymph' Sets World's Record $286,000 in $3.4 Million Heritage Auctions Illustration Art SaleNEW YORK, NY.- The power and depth of the Charles Martignette Collection of Illustration Art continued to exert its influence on May 4 in the form of Gil Elvgren's Gay Nymph, 1947, which brought $286,800 - a World's Record price for the artist - against a $60,000+ pre-auction estimate-in Heritage Auctions' $3.409+ million Signature(r) New York Illustration Art event at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion. All prices include 19.5% Buyer's Premium. "Collectors are definitely keyed into the quality and rarity of the auctions we're putting together," said Ed Jaster, Senior Vice President at Heritage Auctions, "and nowhere more so than as evidenced by the price for Elvgren's sublime Gay Nymph. Major nudes by Elvgren are exceedingly rare and represent some of the most desirable paintings the artist ever created. Without a doubt this is one of the absolute best and the price reflected that." The auction saw 1,112 bidders vying for the 394 lots ... More Thirty-Six Winners Receive $2.7 million in Knight Arts Challenge PhiladelphiaPHILADELPHIA, PA.- Thirty-six ideas for the Philadelphia arts will receive $2.7 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of a community-wide contest to inspire and enrich the city. The Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia, a three-year, $9 million initiative, launched in October of last year and asked the question: “What’s your best idea for the arts in Philadelphia?” The first-year winners represent a broad spectrum of the community. They include individual artists and artist-driven organizations such as Nichole Canuso Dance Company, author Kathleen Bonanno, and theater company Tiny Dynamite Productions, in addition to some of the city’s premier cultural institutions, including the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Theatre Company and the African American Museum in Philadelphia. ... More Seeing Opportunity, PBS Plans Fall Arts Festival By: David Bauder, AP Television Writer
NEW YORK, NY (AP).- PBS plans to run arts programming on Friday nights for nine straight weeks starting in October to highlight a subject where it can offer something different, network executives said Monday. The programming will include a special on women rock 'n' rollers, an exploration of American roots music narrated by Steve Martin called "Give Me the Banjo" and the San Francisco ballet performing "The Little Mermaid." Although "American Idol" and similar performance shows remain popular on broadcast TV, there are relatively few outlets that show the breadth of arts that PBS is planning, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said. Cable networks that once were devoted to the arts, such as Bravo and A&E, now focus primarily on other programming. "We constantly look at what areas are being underrepresented," Kerger said. "From my perspective, the arts is really at the top of the list." The ... MoreMemphis Music Landmarks Spared from River Flooding By: Adrian Sainz, Associated Press
Matt Sedensky,Associated Press
MEMPHIS, TN (AP).- The Mississippi River rose Monday to levels not seen in Memphis since the 1930s, swamping homes in low-lying neighborhoods and driving hundreds of people from their homes. But officials were confident the levees would protect the city's world-famous musical landmarks, including Graceland and Beale Street, and that no new areas would have any serious flooding. As residents in the Home of the Blues waited for the river to crest as early as Monday night at a projected mark just inches short of the record set in 1937, officials downstream in Louisiana began evacuating prisoners from the state's toughest penitentiary and opened floodgates to relieve pressure on levees outside of New Orleans. In Memphis, authorities have gone door-to-door to 1,300 homes over the past few days to warn people to clear out, but they were already starting to talk about a labor-intensive clean up, signaling the wor ... More Rare Egyptian Paintings Found in Museum CellarBy: Ahmed El-Shemi
CAIRO (REUTERS).- Rare paintings by some of Egypt's most renowned artists thought to have belonged to the country's former royal family have been found by workers renovating a Cairo museum. Officials said the trove of 222 works -- including books, maps and newspapers found in the Egyptian Museum of Civilization -- dated back to before Egypt's monarchy was toppled in 1952. "We found a huge number of artworks from the most popular artists like Hussein Fawzi, Mofeed Gayd and Kamel Mustafa," Culture Ministry official Ashraf Reda told Reuters. Artists like Fawzi represented Egypt's contemporary art movement in the 20th century, which flourished under King Farouq I and his father King Fuad I. Army officers overthrew Farouq in a bloodless coup in 1952, bringing an end to a dynasty begun by Mohammad Ali Pasha -- an Ottoman army officer who seized power in Egypt in 1805. "The artwor ... More High Establishes Academic Affiliation with Southern Polytechnic State UniversityATLANTA, GA.- The High Museum of Art recently established its first academic affiliation with a University System of Georgia institution, Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU). This one-year collaboration will allow for the sharing of resources between the High and SPSU to further integrate the visual arts into their educational curricula by drawing on the High’s special exhibitions, collections, programs and Museum staff expertise. “We are delighted to collaborate with Southern Polytechnic State University to establish our first academic affiliate agreement with a public institution,” says Patricia Rodewald, Eleanor McDonald Storza Director of Education. “Building on our mutual commitment to the integration of the arts into education, this affiliation will deepen our relationship with Southern Poly and en ... More General Lee's Sword Returning to Appomattox, VirginiaBy: Steve Szkotak, Associated Press
RICHMOND, VA (AP).- It's an enduring myth of the Civil War: Robert E. Lee surrendered his sword to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, and his Union counterpart refused the traditional gesture of surrender. "Lee never offered it, and Grant never asked for it," said Patrick Schroeder, historian at Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park. In an historical twist, though, Lee's French-made ceremonial sword is returning to Appomattox 146 years later, leaving the Richmond museum where it has been displayed for nearly a century. The Museum of the Confederacy in downtown Richmond is delivering one of its most-treasured pieces to Appomattox for a new museum that it's building less than a mile from where Lee met with Grant to sign the document of surrender on April 9, 1865. The Army of Northern Virginia's formal surrender followed three days later, effectively drawing to a close the Civil War that left about 630,000 dead. The sword, scabbard and th ... More |
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