Sotheby’s 19th-century sale took place on the morning of the 22nd and when the estimates were in line with the quality and condition, all went well; when they were not, they either sold well below expectations or passed. It’s worth … More…

The Rockefeller series of sales are over, and the results were STRONG … even though they did not hit the $1 billion whisper number. But can anyone really complain about a sale of household contents that made over $832 million? … More…

Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s marble statue depicting Saint Bibiana (1626) was recently restored and then loaned to the Borghese Gallery for an exhibition of the artist’s masterpieces.  Upon its return to Santa Bibiana, and while being placed back above the altar, the … More…

  We just released Volume 209 of our Comments on the Art Market.  In this issue, we cover The Art Market, Tales from the Dark Side, Really (Russell Crowe and some expensive Doors), Stocks, and the upcoming Chicago Show.  Your … More…

Earlier this month, Christie’s held their Old Masters sale in New York and though the sale as a whole had a decent showing and there were a few bright spots, by most standards the sale under-performed… in the lead-up, much was … More…

I am blown away by this one.  According to recent reports, more than half of the paintings in the Terrus Museum, a state-owned French museum in Elne, are fake. Now, maybe I could understand if one or two forgeries slipped … More…

This week Sotheby’s presented a small selection of 19th century Orientalist works, and the results were impressive.  Taking the top spot was Edwin Lord Weeks’s Rabat (The Red Gate) which brought £573K ($799K – est. £200-300K). In second was Paul … More…