Destruction In Dallas
Security at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) called the police last Wednesday night, June 1st, in response to a man who had broken into the facility. Once the 21-year-old man had been arrested and taken away, security surveyed some … More…
A Bad Week For Basquiat
Police in New York are still on the lookout for a couple who just decided to walk out of a gallery with a Basquiat. On May 14th, a man and a woman walked into Taglialatella Galleries in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. … More…
Not Looking Good For Danieli
In December, there was quite a bit of commotion when FBI and IRS agents led a raid on the Palm Beach locations of Danieli Fine Art and Galerie Danieli. The agents covered the windows with brown paper and began removing things … More…
Kurt Cobain’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Guitar Sells At Auction
Rock and roll memorabilia is a big business, and guitars used by the biggest rock stars command big prices. According to Rolling Stone, the most expensive guitar ever auctioned was Kurt Cobain’s guitar from his 1993 MTV Unplugged performance. The … More…
Sotheby’s Belle Époque Splendor: The Discerning Eye Of A Collector
Well, Sotheby’s presented a group of paintings from one collection titled Belle Époque Splendor: The Discerning Eye Of A Collector. I think you will soon agree that “The Discerning Eye” part of the title was very misleading. From the images … More…
Experts Disagree Over Stolen Titian Portrait
Italy’s Cultural Heritage Protection Unit has successfully recovered a stolen portrait by a Renaissance master. In 2004, a work by Titian entitled Portrait of a Gentleman with a Black Beret went missing. Created when the master was around 24-years-old, the … More…
Homeward Bound: The Elgin Marbles’ Continuing Story
I’ve written about the Elgin Marbles multiple times, most recently last August. For those unfamiliar, the Elgin Marbles are a series of sculptures and friezes kept in London’s British Museum that was originally part of the Parthenon in Athens. Lord … More…
Christie’s New York Post-War & Contemporary Sale
Day two of Christie’s Thursday through Saturday sale streak involved an enormous post-war and contemporary collection. The entire sale took nearly all day Friday, lasting from 9:30 in the morning to around 7:00 at night. Christie’s broke up the several … More…
Sotheby’s New York Old Masters Two-Parter
On Wednesday and Thursday, May 25th and 26th, Sotheby’s New York location held its two-day Old Masters sale. Wednesday’s auction was the main slate, a live event with fifty-four available lots. This session featured all the high-value pieces, including many … More…