| | Sotheby's Breaks Auction Record for a Work by Stanley Spencer Twice in Same Sale
| | | | 
The sale of the Evill/Frost Collection brought to the market the most important group of works by Stanley Spencer ever, with a total of 7 works appearing in tonight’s sale, raising a combined total of £23,016,750 / $37,613,974. Photo: Sotheby's.
LONDON (REUTERS).- The auction record for a work by British artist Stanley Spencer fell twice in one sale at Sotheby's on Wednesday, while a Lucian Freud picture on paper also set a new high. Seven works by Spencer, described by the auctioneer as one of the 20th century's most important British painters, were on offer at the first section of a three-part sale of the Evill/Frost Collection. They made a total of 23.0 million pounds ($37.6 million), including a record 4.7 million pounds for "Workmen in the House," which was eclipsed minutes later by the 5.4 million pounds paid for "Sunflower and Dog Worship." The first work had been expected to go under the hammer for 1.5-2.0 million pounds and the second for 1.0-1.5 million. The final sale price includes the buyer's premium, where as pre-sale estimates do not. ... More |
 |
Gagosian Gallery's iPad App Launches; Taking Users on an In-Depth Journey
The app offers unprecedented access and in-depth knowledge of Gagosian Gallery's artists and exhibitions.
NEW YORK, NY.- Gagosian Gallery announces the launch of an application for the iPad, available as a free download from the iTunes store, beginning today. The app will be updated four times per year, providing content that features recent, current, and future Gagosian artists, exhibitions, and projects. The artists presented in edition #1 include Richard Avedon, Cecily Brown, John Currin, Vera Lutter, Kazimir Malevich, Elizabeth Peyton, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Prince, and Rudolf Stingel. The app offers unprecedented access and in-depth knowledge of Gagosian Gallery's artists and exhibitions, presented through visually stunning, richly informative and innovative features, and both moving and still imagery. Art lovers who have yet to see the current exhibition of Picasso's portraits of his lover Marie-Therese ("Picasso ... More | | Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí Acquires a Surrealist Painting by the Master from Figueres
Salvador Dali's Enigmatic Elements in a Landscape, an oil-on-panel work dating from 1934.
FIGUERES, SPAIN.- The Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí acquired an oil-on-panel work from 1934 entitled Enigmatic Elements in a Landscape. The Foundation paid 7.8 million Euros to purchase this major surrealist work from a private owner who wishes to remain anonymous. The Dalí Foundation has since 1991 been carrying out an intense policy of acquiring works in order to make the Dalinian universe housed at the Dalí Theatre-Museum more complete. Its aim is to maintain the Figueres Museum’s status as an essential place for understanding the pictorial evolution, thought and life of Salvador Dalí. Today we present Enigmatic Elements in a Landscape, an oil-on-panel work dating from 1934, in which year Salvador Dalí was fully integrated as a member of the Surrealist group and took part in the many activities in which its members were ... More | | Dutch Artist Wins BP Portrait Award 2011 for His 17th Picture of a Life-Long Model
Distracted by Wim Heldens (1st Prize). © Wim Heldens.
LONDON.- On Tuesday 14 June 2011 the winner of the BP Portrait Award 2011 was announced at the National Portrait Gallery. In a record-breaking year for entries, the prestigious first prize was won by 57-year-old artist Wim Heldens, who has been exhibited twice before in the competition but shortlisted for the first time this year. His winning portrait, Distracted, is a picture of a 25-year-old student the artist has painted 17 times at different stages of his life. Wim Heldens wins £25,000 and a commission, at the National Portrait Gallery Trustees’ discretion, worth £4,000. The portrait can be seen at the National Portrait Gallery from Thursday 16 June when the BP Portrait Award 2011 exhibition opens to the public. The second prize of £8,000 went to Louis Smith for Holly and the third prize of £6,000 to Ian Cumberland for Just to Feel Normal. There was, also for the fifth time, the BP Young Artist Award of £5,000 ... More |
Sotheby's Sale of 19th Century and Old Masters Paintings Achieves Outstanding Results
Artemisia Gentileschi, Betsabea, sold at € 216.750. Photo: Sotheby's.
MILAN.- Two Magnificent views of Venice and Istanbul by Boldini and Zonaro lead the Top ten list in Sotheby's 19th Century Paintings auction, just before the beautiful Betsabea by Artemisia Gentileschi and the magnificent portrait of a gentleman by Lavinia Fontana. 87.5% is a high percentage for this Milanese sale - one of the highest sold percentages for a Milan Old Master and 19th Century Paintings auction - which was characterized by a packed and active saleroom and twenty telephones connected with Italian private collectors, international art dealers and Italian Bank Foundations. Alberto Chiesa, Director of Old Master paintings department comments:” I am very satisfied since all the important paintings of the sale were successfully sold and, besides this, I would like to underline the constant interest for the fondi oro”. The Renaissance was well represented by the brilliant prices of Giove e Antiope by Cavali ... More | | South Korea Turning Ex-Army Command into National Museum of Contemporary Art
South Korea's Culture Minister Choung Byoung-gug delivers a speech during the groundbreaking ceremony. AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man.
By: Esther Hong, Associated Press
SEOUL (AP).- For many, the stark structure built by the Japanese and then taken over by South Korea's military is a reminder of a painful colonial past and the torture allegedly overseen there later during decades of authoritarian governments. But rather than bulldozing the Defense Security Command building, South Korea's capital is trying to make peace with its difficult history by transforming the building into a branch of the National Museum of Contemporary Art. On Wednesday, the culture minister, Choung Byoung-gug, cut the tape at a groundbreaking ceremony for the museum just east of Gyeongbok Palace. Construction is slated to finish by the end of 2012. Not everyone is happy. Kim Byung-jin, 56, says turning the building known as Kimusa into a ... More | | Guercino's Diana the Huntress is Revealed for the First Time in Italy by Fondazione Sorgente Group
Guercino, Diana the Huntress, 1658. Photo: Courtesy Fondazione Sorgente Group.
FERRARA, ITALY.- The Pinacoteca di Cento Museum is exhibiting for the first time an important painting by Guercino, who was born in Cento, a very small town of the Emilia Romagna region. The painting known as "Diana the Huntress" portrays the delicate sensuality of a goddess coupled with her tender humanity. The painting is also known for its enlivening depiction of a greyhound twisting its neck. Diana the Huntress, a piece belonging to the Fondazione Sorgente Group, is on display from June 3rd to July 10th, as part of the series "Ospiti graditi n.7" (Welcome Guests n. 7) promoted by the Municipality of Cento (Cultural Activities Services department). This initiative aims to increase public awareness of paintings and findings related to Guercino. The exhibit is dedicated to the great British expert of Guercino, Denis Mahon, who died at the age of 100 years on April 27th 2011. This project was ... More |
Janet Jackson 'Nasty' in the Louvre, with Fab Show to Benefit "Liaisons au Louvre"
France's Minister of Culture Frederic Mitterrand, left, Prince Albert of Monaco, center, and President of American Friends of the Louvre Association, Becca Cason Thrash. AP Photo/Francois Mori.
By: Jenny Barchfield, Associated Press
PARIS (AP).- It's a safe bet that the Louvre Museum, that hallowed sanctum that houses the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa and countless other priceless artistic treasures, has never seen moves quite like Janet Jackson's. The Grammy-winning pop princess gave her raunchy fabulous best for a good cause on Tuesday, bumping and grinding her way through a raucous set at a glitzy charity gala Tuesday inside the museum. The concert — the highlight of the "Liaisons au Louvre" benefit, with proceeds going to the museum — was a first-ever for an institution more often associated with string quartets in period costume than sexed-up American pop divas. Held under I.M. Pei's iconic ... More | | Impressive Modern and Contemporary Nude Sale, Presented by artnet Auctions
Mel Ramos, The Pause That Refreshes, 2006. Painted Resin, 59 x 59 Inches. Est. $150,000 – 200,000
NEW YORK, NY.- artnet Auctions announces a special selection of Modern and Contemporary artworks that explore the classic subject of the nude. Representing Contemporary nude photography, painting, sculpture, design, and works on paper, the selection of artworks included in the Contemporary Nude sale offers a varied perspective on the theme, going beyond the merely provocative to explore the ways in which the nude is perceived as fantasy, as cultural commentary, and as form. Modern masters such as Henri Matisse (1869–1954), Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), and Marc Chagall (1887-1985) are included with works on paper that feature each artist’s revolutionary approach to depicting the human figure. Matisse’s 1951 drawing Femme Nue (Est. US$18,000–24,000) is a classic example of the artist’s poetic, masterful line, while ... More | | The Seven Treasures: Exhibition of Cloisonné from the V&A and the Edwin Davies Gift
Vase, Nagoya, mark of Hayashi Kodenji, c.1880-90, Height 25cm, width 12cm.
LONDON.- Edwin Davies OBE has donated one of the world’s finest collections of Japanese cloisonné enamels to the V&A. Thanks to his significant gift, the V&A is now able to show the most wide-ranging selection of cloisonné masterpieces existing in Europe. A special display is on view at the V&A, from June 14 through August 19, 2012, to celebrate the gift and tell the story of this exquisite craft. The Edwin Davies Gift is made up nearly 90 objects, mostly dating from the period known as the Golden Age of Japanese cloisonné (c1880-1910). It complements the V&A’s existing collections of earlier works and enamel decorated sword fittings and includes pieces made at the peak of artistic and technological sophistication by makers such as the Ando Compan ... More |
British Museum Scoops £100,000 Art Fund Prize for "A History of the World" Project
Sutton Hoo Helmet, 7th century AD, Suffolk, England. This iconic object from the origins of English history reveals the story of how the first English kings were always part of a larger European community. Copyright the Trustees of the British Museum.
LONDON (REUTERS).- London's British Museum won the 100,000 pound ($160,000) Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year Wednesday for its project "A History of the World." The project was an exploration of world history using the museum's collection, at the heart of which was the BBC Radio series "A History of the World in 100 Objects" which traced developments over the last two million years. Around 550 other museums across Britain participated in the initiative. "We were particularly impressed by the truly global scope of the British Museum's project, which combined intellectual rigor and open heartedness, and went far beyond the boundaries of the museum's walls," said Michael Portillo, who chaired the judges. "We felt that this project, which showed a truly pioneering use of digital media, ... More | | Don Presley Presents Fine Estate Antiques Plus Hollywood's Famous Dueling Laugh Machines
The LaffBox (standing) and Jayo Laugher (foreground), circa-1953 prototype sound- machines for generating canned laughter and audience applause. Don Presley Auctions image.
ORANGE, CA.- Exquisite antiques, fine furniture and objets d’art from several southern California estates will merge with the final offering of Continental furniture and decorations from the Steven Thomas antiques firm at Don Presley’s June 25-26 auction. In addition, the 1,100-lot sale will shine a spotlight on two technological inventions that dramatically impacted American pop culture – the original machines created to produce “canned” laughter and audience applause for Hollywood’s booming television industry of the 1950s. The sale’s principal estate collection comes from a magnificent home in Belmont Heights, an oceanfront enclave in Long Beach, California. Auctioneer Presley explained that the owner has sold his residence and is relocating to his country property – a 500-acre ranch in Santa Barbara where he raises rare Peruvian horses. Towering over the featured collection ... More | | Toledo Museum of Art Puts Approximately 300 Masterworks from Its Collection Online
Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640) The Crowning of Saint Catherine. Oil on canvas, 1631 (1633?). Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1950.272
TOLEDO, OHIO.- Approximately 300 masterworks in the Toledo Museum of Art collection now can be explored online from anywhere in the world. Via the eMuseum link on the TMA website, users can search and browse the collection by object title, artist, material, date or type. Each entry features an extended description behind the work and, for many objects, users can zoom in and pan around images for highly detailed viewing.Drawn from the Museum's 2009 publication Masterworks, these highlighted objects from the collection are arranged by geographical area and time period, such as American and European art from the 17th through the 21st centuries; art from Africa, Asia, and the Near and Middle East; and art from the ancient Mediterranean, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Each section integrates—as in the ... More |
| More News |
 The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios on View at Norman Rockwell MuseumSTOCKBRIDGE, MA.- A prehistoric squirrel scampers across an icy landscape, desperately clinging to his beloved acorn; a creative, young robot leaves his small town, with dreams of making it as a successful inventor; a rare, blue macaw travels to the exotic land of Rio de Janeiro in search of true love and adventure--in movies an intriguing story is essential, but how do these memorable characters and scenes become so animated? From “Ice Age” to “Rio,” this summer Norman Rockwell Museum shines a light on the creative process of one of today’s biggest computer animation studios--”’Ice Age’ To the Digital Age: The 3D Animation Art of Blue Sky Studios” is on view at the Museum from June 11 through October 31, 2011. A unique interactive exhibition, “’Ice Age’ To The Digital Age” looks at the creative work of Blue Sky Studios, a leader in the ani ... More Photography and Video Exhibition Announced at the Marrakech Art Fair 2011 Cultural CircuitMARRAKECH.- The second edition of the modern and the contemporary Marrakech Art Fair will take place at the Palace Es Saadi from September 30th to October 3rd 2011, with more than fourteen international galleries. As last year, the organizers Hicham and Zineb Daoudi have developed, a cultural circuit enrolled in the most emblematic places of Marrakech. In the heart of this circuit, an exhibition called “Images affranchies” (“Liberated Images”) will be presented at the same time as a meeting about contemporary art in the Arab revolutions. « Images affranchies », an exhibition in which video art and conceptual photography will be in the place of honor « Images affranchies » is photography and video exhibition conceived by Brahim Alaoui that brings together a selection of Arab contemporary artists. Those ones even though they have absorbed “the culture of image”, they start to free their wor ... More Rare 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Grand Raid Roadster Set For RM's Monterey SaleMONTEREY, CA.- RM Auctions is set continue its reputation for offering automobiles of exceptional quality when its annual Monterey, California sale gets underway August 19 – 20, featuring one of the most spectacular rosters of motor cars ever presented in auction history. Among notable entries set to cross the auction podium during the two-day sale is the exquisite 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Grand Raid Roadster, chassis number 57260, one of only ten Bugatti Grand Raid roadsters built and one of just two examples bodied by Carrosserie Worblaufen in Switzerland. Specially commissioned by flamboyant Swiss collector, Mr. Jules Aellen, 57260 was completed just in time for Aellen and his wife to show the car at the second Concours d’Elegance at Montreux on Lake Geneva in Spring 1935, where it won the Grand Prix d’Honneur. Following Aellen’s ownership the roadster remained in Switzerland – in and around Geneva & ... More Historic Welsh Eisteddfod Awards from the 19th Century for Sale at Bonhams ChesterLONDON.- Three items in Bonhams Chester sale on July 5th recall Welsh Eisteddfod triumphs from almost two centuries ago. Lot 354 is a George IV presentation silver mounted Hirlas Horn made by Emes & Barnard, London 1828. The polished Longhorn carries an applied band of oak leaves and acorns, acorn terminal, floral cartouche with a Welsh dragon crest, and a hinged cover with chased leaves, silver liner. It comes with its original travelling case and is estimated to sell for £1,200 - 1,800. The horn is inscribed “ Presented by the Cymmrodorion in Gwynedd, to Richard Phillips Jones M.D. for his unwearied exertions in promoting the Royal Eisteddfod, held at Denbigh, 1828”. This Eisteddfod was the first “Royal Eisteddfod” due to the Duke of Sussex, brother of King George IV visiting the festival. At a General Meeting of the Committee, held on the 7th of October 1828, the chair, J.Heaton announced “That the ... More Major Sculpture by Artist Paul Morrison is Gifted to the Walker Art GalleryLIVERPOOL.- A beautiful and striking sculpture of a huge dandelion by Liverpool-born artist Paul Morrison is going on permanent display at the Walker Art Gallery. The sculpture Topocline is painted entirely black and is positioned on the first floor of the Walker Art Gallery, as if it has grown out from beneath the wooden floorboards. Made of aluminium and galvanised steel it stands at nearly 3 metres high (9ft approx) and weighs 500kg (over 78 stone). The sculpture is typical of the out-of-scale plant forms found in Morrison’s work. He is best known for his monochromatic botanical landscapes that are both familiar and foreign. Familiar because his subjects such as trees and flora are immediately recognisable, and foreign because he can cause a simple dandelion to become threatening due to its size and lack of colour. Topocline has been gifted by Eric and Jean Cass through the Contemporary Art Society ... More Smithsonian Scientists Find Deadly Amphibian Disease in the Last Disease-Free Region of Central AmericaWASHINGTON, D.C.- Smithsonian scientists have confirmed that chytridiomycosis, a rapidly spreading amphibian disease, has reached a site near Panama’s Darien region. This was the last area in the entire mountainous neotropics to be free of the disease. This is troubling news for the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, a consortium of nine U.S. and Panamanian institutions that aims to rescue 20 species of frogs in imminent danger of extinction. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or even extinctions of amphibian species worldwide. Within five months of arriving at El Cope in western Panama, chytridiomychosis extirpated 50 percent of the frog species and 80 percent of individuals. “We would like to save all of the species in the Darien, but there isn’t time to do that now,” said Brian Gratwicke, biologist at the More Cooper-Hewitt Launches "Get Set in Style" Facebook Application NEW YORK, NY.- The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum today launched a Facebook application that allows users to virtually try on more than 25 objects from the “Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels” exhibition, on view at the museum through July 4. Developed in collaboration with the digital agency Kettle, the “Get Set in Style” Facebook app is the first of its kind for the Smithsonian Institution. “Cooper-Hewitt continually seeks new avenues to expand its community and fulfill its national mandate to raise awareness about design’s important role in daily life,” said Cooper-Hewitt Associate Director Caroline Baumann. “The ‘Get Set in Style’ app is a fun and innovative way for the museum to reach new audiences and spread the word about jewelry design.” By logging on to ... More Rare Centennial Vase and Malcolm Forbes Botanicals Lead $1+ Million Heritage Decorative Arts AuctionDALLAS, TX.- A Karl Müller-designed and signed Union Porcelain Works Centennial Vase, manufactured in Greenpoint, NY, circa 1876-1885, sold for $47,800 on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 to lead Heritage Auctions' Signature® Decorative Arts & Design and Gentleman Collector Auctions at the company's Design District Annex in Dallas. All prices include 19.5% Buyer's Premium. The auction realized a total of $1,018,813 on 586 lots, with 741 bidders vying for offerings, including strong international online buying contingents. "The result on this vase is spectacular by any account," said Tim Rigdon, Director of Decorative Arts at Heritage. "There are likely only about 16 of these vases known and we've seen none in better condition. Add impeccable provenance and history and it's easy to see why an advanced collector thought enough of this piece to pay $47,800. The baluster-form Centennial Vase with sculpted North American ... More Newly Rediscovered, Ultra Rare 1870-Cc $20 Gold Coin on the Auction BlockLOS ANGELES, CA.- Bonhams & Butterfields announces its sale on September 4, 2011 of gold coins from the Estate of Hellen and Charles Mapes, of Reno, NV. The eponymous Collection, once owned by the famed hotel and casino mogul Charles Mapes, includes a rarely seen, high grade 1870-CC Liberty Double Eagle coin. This date and mint are well known to numismatists as the top Carson City rarity in the Liberty Double Eagle series. In fact, it is the rarest of all CC gold coinage. This particular coin has been in the Mapes Collection since it was purchased in February of 1961 from the fabled Kreisberg-Schulman Auction of February 16-18, 1961 held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, and can be considered a "discovery" piece due to the length of time since its last offering 50 years ago. Knowledgeable researchers estimate that approximately 35 to 45 1870-CC $20 coins exist, most in the Very Fine to Extremely Fine grade range. ... More Minister for the Arts George Souris Congratulates Museum of Contemporary Art DirectorSYDNEY.- Minister for the Arts, George Souris, has congratulated Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, Director of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), on being awarded an OBE in the United Kingdom for services to contemporary art. “It’s a well deserved recognition to someone who has contributed so much to the world of contemporary art and New South Wales is honoured to have such a dedicated and knowledgeable person contributing so much to the culture of our State,” Mr Souris said. Ms Macgregor, who is currently in Scotland, said she was “absolutely thrilled” when informed of the award. “Elizabeth Ann has had an amazing and outstanding career in the arts world which began in the early 1980’s when she became not only the curator, but also bus driver, for the Scottish Council’s travelling gallery, taking exhibitions to the public – to villages, schools, hospitals etc. 'She was eventuall ... More |
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment