Todd M. Casey & YIn Mn Blue
It’s not all that often that a new color is available in the art world. Blue pigments in art have always been precious, with Smalt, Egyptian blue, and Lapis lazuli being the three most commonly used in painting for centuries. … More…
Beth Sistrunk’s Zero Calories Series – Caramel Popcorn
The Zero Calories series is all about nostalgia, happiness, and a celebration of the delicious, whether it’s pastry and other confections or favorite candies. For example, “Caramel Popcorn” is inspired by a memory of movie night from when I was … More…
Dark Side Of The Art World – Forgeries
Federal charges have been brought against artist Christian Rosa Weinberger for selling forged Raymond Pettibon paintings. According to the law enforcement agencies involved, from 2017 through 2020, Weinberger and several co-conspirators sold several fake paintings from Pettibon’s Wave series to … More…
Contemporary Art Evening Sale – Sotheby’s Hong Kong
This past Saturday, Sotheby’s hosted a Contemporary Art Evening Sale in Hong Kong… the auction featured “a refined selection of exceptional masterpieces,” though you could probably debate the “masterpiece” status of a few of the lots. As expected, the top … More…
The London Impressionist and Modern Sale – Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s had another tough go on October 7th with their lower to mid-level Impressionist and Modern works of art. While there were a few nice paintings in the mix, there was nothing that made me say – “I gotta have … More…
The American Art Sale – Sotheby’s
On October 6th, Sotheby’s offered up a wide range of American paintings, spanning the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. I will say that there wasn’t anything for us, but then again, we only deal in a handful of American artists’ … More…
The Achilles Heel Is Samson’s Foot: Artificial Intelligence In Art Authentication
When it comes to the future of many jobs, one of the most common fears is the advent of automation. The image that often comes to mind is that of robotic arms on an assembly line, repeating the same action … More…
Damaged Vase Still Makes a Mark
One of the highlights of Asia Week in New York was a vase owned by Sarah Belk Gambrell, the heiress to the Belk department stores; she was 102 years old when she passed away in July of 2020. Gambrell created … More…
Picture Purrrfect: Photographing Cats By Beth Sistrunk
I photograph my favorite feline pals and studio companions, Zander and Liam, for my cats and kittens series. In the beginning, I rolled balls across the floor, hid treats, hung ribbons from rafters, but eventually, my cats caught on to … More…
Holy ‘Comic Book’ Batman!
Goldin Auctions held its first non-sports-oriented auction featuring comic books, video games, and trading cards – and boy did it deliver. Leading the sale was a rare, first edition 1940 D.C. comic book starring Batman (#1); this was the first … More…
Impressionist & Modern (Day Sale) – Sotheby’s
Another teaser sale happened in late September when Sotheby’s offered a selection of mid to lower-level Impressionist and Modern works of art. While this was not an “important” sale, I thought it would be a good barometer of the market … More…
The Art Of The Steal
We have all seen, in recent years, that anything a person decides to call art is art — taping a banana to the wall, creating an invisible sculpture. etc. That kind of stuff blows my mind — especially when people … More…
That’s A Wrap: Christo’s Last Work At The Arc de Triomphe
I was a shivering, sniffling, nearly 8-year-old boy in February 2005 when we went on a walk through Central Park. I wasn’t sure why we were out freezing in the park when we could’ve stayed in my aunt’s well-heated Upper … More…
Sticky Fingers Leave Their Mark
DNA left behind at two recent art heists has connected Mils M. (his full name undisclosed due to Dutch privacy laws) to the theft of two notable works of art. At one location, his DNA was found on a broken … More…
19th & 20th Century Art – Bonhams, London
Well, the auction action is starting again. This month, Bonhams, London, presented a small selection of 19th Century and British Impressionist art. I will say that after looking at the offerings, there were a couple of works that caught our … More…
The Fallen Buddhas’ Shadow: The Uncertain Future of Afghanistan’s Artists
Since the fall of Kabul on August 15th, there have been a seemingly infinite number of questions raised about the future of Afghanistan. One question, though, has been sticking out more than others: how will this regime be different from … More…
900 Year Old Pot Surprises Auctioneers
When an elderly couple passed away, relatives came in to clear out their home. Everything had to go, so they had a local auction house come in to value the contents. A small crackled celadon green pot/bowl (5 inches tall) … More…
Misrepresentation & Deception – The Auction World At Its Worst!
(The names were changed, well removed, to protect the innocent and guilty) On September 8th, I received an email stating: Hello ~ Recently acquired what is being claimed as a JBC Corot painting. I have a small window within which … More…
Dancing with Death On The Colorful Canvas: A Snapshot Of Art During Our Plague
In this age of Covid and lockdowns, online classes and mask mandates, one cannot help but contemplate the other great plagues that have, to put it at its mildest, ruined everyone’s plans. The Black Death ravaged Europe and Asia from … More…
David Drake Jar Breaks Record
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is the proud new owner of a David Drake poem jar, the highlight of Crocker Farms Summer auction. Drake, born in 1801, was a leading African American artist from South Carolina and has become … More…
Double-Theft: Nazi Art Loot In The 21st Century
Last Friday, August 20th, the Jewish Museum in New York opened its latest exhibit, called “Afterlives”. It shows more than 50 works by Picasso, Chagall, Cézanne, Courbet, and others, telling the stories of their restitution after being stolen from Jewish … More…
Big City Scammer Gets Nabbed
Earlier this month, New York antiquities dealer Mehrad Sadigh was arrest and charged with scheming to defraud, grand larceny, criminal possession of a forged instrument, forgery and criminal simulation. Mehrad has pleaded not guilty to all charges. After being alerted … More…
To Shill, Or Not To Shill, That Is The Question!
As you know, I have been reporting for years now on the prices of trading cards and how crazy the auction prices have gotten; now, it seems that all may not be as it appeared. Last week the news broke … More…
Will The Jewels Ever Be Recovered?
Back in 2019, we reported on a jewelry theft in Dresden. A group of thieves started a fire that destroyed an electricity box near the Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault – a museum founded in 1723) which, in turn, affected the … More…