Fabergé Sold, Fabergé Swallowed
Fabergé was in the news twice this week, for very different reasons. The first was that an incredibly rare Fabergé egg once owned by the Russian Czars sold at Christie’s for an astronomical price. The second was because a man … More…
Louvre Announces Ticket Price Hikes
The Louvre has announced it will raise ticket prices by 45% for non-EU visitors. The Louvre will have to find multiple ways to raise money for the extensive renovations promised by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year. One of … More…
Lost Rubens Sold in Paris
A masterwork by the Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens has sold in Paris for €2.94 million after being lost for centuries. Back in September, I wrote about this lost Rubens painting, Christ on the Cross, and its rediscovery in Paris … More…
Sotheby’s NY Exquisite Corpus Evening Sale
To close out the week of blockbuster New York sales, Sotheby’s hosted a pair of auctions dedicated to surrealist art, titled Exquisite Corpus. This is a rather clever art historical reference to a surrealist practice called the exquisite corpse. This … More…
Christie’s November 2025 – Nearly $1 Billion in Modern & Post-War Sales
Following the momentum from the landmark Sotheby’s sale, Christie’s held its 20th and 21st Century auctions in New York on November 20–21, 2025. According to Christie’s, the combined sales realized $964,536,953, marking the highest total for this category at the … More…
Sotheby’s November 2025 – A Record-Breaking Night with Klimt & the Lauder Collection
On November 18th, Sotheby’s opened its new Manhattan headquarters at the Breuer Building with one of the most significant auctions the art world has seen in years. The evening centered on works from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection and quickly … More…
Painting of the Week: Miyajima by Frank Ernest Beresford
Miyajima shows a waterside scene on the titular island in Japan’s Inland Sea. Frank Beresford (1881 – 1967) attended the Royal Academy in London, with his efforts rewarded with scholarships that allowed him to travel extensively, particularly to Asia. Today, … More…
Klimt African Prince Portrait Seized
A portrait of a West African prince by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt has been seized by prosecutors in Vienna since it may have been improperly exported from Hungary. Several months ago, I wrote about conspiracy theories circulating online claiming … More…
Sotheby’s London Old Masters Evening Sale
This past week, the major London auction houses hosted a series of Old Masters sales for Classics Week; the Sotheby’s Old Master & 19th Century evening sale on Wednesday was certainly the highlight of the week. Thirty lots crossed the … More…