Size Does Not Always Matter
Christie’s London celebrated the classics this week as they auctioned antiquities through 20th-century works of art and an assortment of other objects. A highlight of Classic Week was included in their Exceptional Sale, which focused on European decorative arts as … More…
Picasso & Mondrian Recovered
The city of Athens is celebrating the recovery of two important stolen paintings. On January 9, 2012, it was believed that a gang broke into the National Gallery in Athens, stealing Head of a Woman by Pablo Picasso, Stammer Windmill … More…
Old Masters – Sotheby’s, London
It is Old Master week in London, and the action started at Sotheby’s with their evening sale, which began at 6 pm, so it was an actual evening sale. The sale consisted of 50 lots, and the top work was … More…
20th/21st Century: Christie’s London Evening Sale
Following Sotheby’s lead, Christie’s presented their evening sale (which started at 2 pm London time, breakfast time in New York) on the 30th. As with Sotheby’s, this was a mixed sale of works ranging from 19th-century Impressionist to living artists. … More…
Early Evening Sale at Sotheby’s London – British Modern & Contemporary
Sotheby’s hosted a British Art evening sale to close out June, though it curiously took place in the afternoon. The sale featured Modern and Contemporary works; just 38 lots, though 4 seem to have been withdrawn before the start, so … More…
Sotheby’s – Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale
A great deal has changed over the past 16 months. In the old days, an evening sale took place in the evening – usually starting between 6 and 7 pm. Today, an ‘evening sale’ happens whenever they want – this … More…
Churchill’s Cigar Butt Smokes Estimate
Sometimes when I look through the auction reports, I come across some extraordinary things that make their way to the auction block. I was surprised to see that a two and three quarter inch cigar butt, a remnant of just … More…
Many More Recoveries
In 2017, an investigation was launched when a state archaeology lab in Apulia, Italy made a discovery in a European arts catalogue… they noticed ‘decorative elements’ from a Daunian funerary stele that was in the hands of a “wealthy Belgian … More…
Hekking’s Mona Lisa Sells – Stupidity At Its Finest
I think many will agree that this week’s result from Christie’s sale of a 17th-century copy of the Mona Lisa, called the Hekking Mona Lisa, illustrates how crazy the art world has become — not to mention that some people … More…