Oleg Kulik: Criminal For Joking?
As of writing, it has been sixty-four days since Vladimir Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine. I’ve previously written about developments relating to the war, like when Russian troops destroyed work by one of Ukraine’s greatest artists when they burned … More…
Bonhams Knightsbridge Marine Sale
I was initially excited for the Bonhams marine sale on Wednesday, April 27th, mainly because it was truly a mixed bag of different pieces of maritime art. While most of the lots were paintings, the first thirteen were not. Some … More…
Christie’s Amsterdam 20th/21st Century Sale
This past Tuesday, April 26th, Christie’s hosted a post-war and contemporary art sale at their seldom-used Amsterdam saleroom. While watching the sale, it was fascinating to see interest fluctuate so greatly from lot to lot. Either a work sold dramatically … More…
Sotheby’s Paris Art Impressionniste et Moderne
Last Thursday, April 21st, Sotheby’s held their Impressionist and Modern art sale at their showroom in Paris, with some more than satisfactory results. Sotheby’s specialists were very good at predicting the top lots, with Pablo Picasso’s Nus masculins (Les trois … More…
Beatles Set A New Record
The Beatles are considered the most influential and best-selling music group of all time. The iconic group first performed under the name The Beatles in 1960, and is responsible for biggest hits of the decade. They continue to hold the … More…
Shame On Shein
The online fast-fashion retailer Shein (pronounced like sheen rather than shine, like I mistakenly did the first few times) is known globally for being one of the best in connecting shoppers to affordable products. Millions of people, especially the younger generations, love Shein. … More…
Lost in the Basement: A Rediscovered Masterpiece at an Australian Museum
Cleaning out the basement can be a hassle for anyone that has one. Things pile up, and it’s easy to forget what you have down there. But it may be difficult to forget that there’s a masterpiece from the Dutch … More…
Christie’s Paris Jacqueline Matisse Monnier Collection
Although Christie’s hosted a rather disappointing online nineteenth-century art sale on the 12th, the next day, Christie’s Paris more than made up for it with the auction of a prominent private collection. The collection was that of the late Jacqueline … More…
Yves Klein’s Ingenious Marketing Scheme
Now you see it…. now you don’t. Or maybe you never saw it at all! Yves Klein came up with an ingenious marketing scheme back in 1958 when he opened an exhibit in Paris titled “The Void,” which featured invisible artwork. … More…
NFTs’ Deep Carbon Footprint
Many have hailed non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as the future of art and art collecting. But there are just as many who astutely highlight some of the drawbacks. I’ve previously written about how the technology behind NFTs can make it easier for … More…
Christie’s European Art Online Sale
On Tuesday, Christie’s held their European Art online sale, but it was not exactly the best day for fans of nineteenth-century art. 30% of the lots sold below their estimates, while an additional 32% didn’t sell at all. Though estimated … More…
Bonhams Impressionist & Modern Sale
There were originally some pieces featured in Bonhams Impressionist & Modern sale last Thursday that I was very excited to see go across the block. But while the auction started strong, the entire thing turned out ever so slightly disappointing. … More…
Sotheby’s Old Masters Online Sale
In early February, I wrote about a Sotheby’s New York Old Masters sale where the star item was Sandro Botticelli’s Christ portrait known as The Man of Sorrows. While that sale brought in $76 million (or $91 million w/p), it … More…
Keith Haring’s Newest Confrontation
The Nova Southeastern University Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale is one of Florida’s finest and most underrated museums. While its collection houses over six thousand Picasso ceramics, the museum is also known as the largest collection of art from the … More…
Setting the Record Straight About “Russian” Art
Ever since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, many institutions have sought to further scrutinize their relationship with all things Russian. London’s National Gallery is one of the most recent organizations to do just that, even if it was … More…
The Warhol Supreme Court Faceoff
Andy Warhol is known for many things, soup cans and flowers among them. But his portraits are often cited as some of the pop art icon’s most recognizable works. From Marilyn Monroe to Mao Zedong to Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol … More…
Bonhams 19th Century & British Impressionism Sale
Last Wednesday’s 19th Century sale at Bonhams London certainly left one feeling astounded for various reasons. The one-hundred sixteen available lots came up a few hundred thousand pounds short, despite some works greatly exceeding their estimates, in some cases undeservedly … More…
Sotheby’s Paris Modern & Impressionist Online Sale
Sotheby’s Paris had remarkable back-to-back days at the end of March. They had the second half of the Robert and Nadine Schmit collection on Thursday. The following day, they held their modern and impressionist online sale, full of great surprises … More…
Sotheby’s Orientalist Sale
This past Tuesday, Sotheby’s held their Orientalist sale, featuring sixty-six works by various European and North American artists, predominantly French. While the sale as a whole didn’t do as well as Sotheby’s specialists estimated, there were still some beautiful works … More…
The Doodle Exhibition
We all doodled and scribbled during school. Animals or 3D cubes or, if you’re a nineties kid like me, the Superman S covered the inside covers of notebooks and in the margins of notepaper. A new exhibition at a museum … More…
Anna Sorokin: Con Artist Turned Artist?
I hadn’t heard of Anna Sorokin until last month when I learned that Netflix had come out with a nine-episode miniseries based on her exploits. But reading about her life consistently and unfailingly left me baffled. For four years, she … More…
Sotheby’s Schmit Collection, Part II
This Thursday, Sotheby’s Paris saw the second half of Robert and Nadine Schmit’s collection come across the block. (w/p = with buyer’s premium) The first half was already featured at a sale back in early December. Robert Schmit was a … More…
Christie’s Modern British And Irish Evening Sale
This Tuesday, Christie’s London hosted a short, hour-long auction for their Modern British and Irish evening sale. It was a very strong day for Christie’s, with nearly all the lots either hitting or exceeding their estimates. Of the thirty-one lots … More…
Sotheby’s Modern Online Sale
Sotheby’s modern and impressionist online auction on Wednesday, May 4th, may not have had any multimillion-dollar lots, but it was nonetheless a great sale for Sotheby’s. It garnered a good bit of attention, likely because many of the featured works … More…