Harrison Ford’s Fine Fedora
Do you fantasize about living the life of a movie star? Maybe go back in time or take a leap into the future; or perhaps be as fearless as some of the great action heroes in your favorite movie? Well, … More…
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 The sale featured Modern and Contemporary works; just 38 lots, though 4 seem to have been withdrawn before the start, so … More…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…
Huge Art Theft Uncovered
When Architettura, a work by Italian artist Ottone Rosai, fell from the wall of Italian broadcasting company Rai, an art heist hidden in the shadows for decades was brought to light. According to reports, upon inspection, it was determined that … More…
Tom Brady Scores In The Off Season
Well, it was less than two months ago that I wrote about the record-breaking Tom Brady rookie card, and it did not take long for that record of $2.25M to be sacked. A similar card as the one that sold … More…
A Long Overdue App For The Artworld
In May, Interpol launched a free app called ID-Art to help law enforcement and the general public identify stolen art. The database has over 52,000 items listed, and you can search with an image or specific criteria (artist’s name, etc.). … More…
The Big Gamble
While the general NFT market has been heading south, the upper end still seems to be heading north. On Thursday, Sotheby’s London auctioned off “Covid Alien,” CryptoPunk 7523 for an astounding $11.8M. The buyer definitely knows something about gambling, it … More…
A Childhood Dream Fulfilled
Stuart Weitzman (the iconic shoe designer) started collecting stamps and coins in his childhood; as a young boy, he had a dream to one day own the rarest of the rare and saved a blank space in his books for … More…
A Happy Ending For A Couple Of Paintings
One of the big stories behind last month’s auction was all the works being deaccessioned from museums. Yesterday afternoon we received an email from Chairman and Trustee of The Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation (who read one … More…
Disappointing End For Another Nazi-Looted Artwork
A final update on the work by Camille Pissarro – La Bergere Rentrant des Moutons. Leone-Noelle Meyer, a Holocaust survivor herself, has renounced her rights to the artwork in a decades-long legal struggle. Meyer lost multiple family members at Auschwitz, including … More…
Lovis Corinth Still Life Restituted
The heirs of Gustav and Emma Mayer will be receiving one of many items that the Nazis stole during the war. The painting, Blumenstilleben, has been in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels, along with approximately … More…
And You Think NFTs Are Crazy
News broke that Salvatore Garau, an Italian artist, recently sold one of his sculptures for $18,000. I know, what’s the big deal? Why is a sculpture priced at $18,000 something to even write about? Well, the sculpture does not exist … More…
Basketball’s Record-Breaking Action This Season
As the 2021 Basketball Playoffs have begun, many will be eagerly watching the record-breaking action on the court, but there was also record-breaking action in the auction room. Two fan favorites, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, just scored new records. … More…
Stolen Treasure
The Daily Mail recently reported that thieves broke into Arundel Castle and stole more than £1M worth of gold and silver treasures. Among the items stolen are the gold rosary beads that Mary Queen of Scots had with her when … More…
The American Art Auctions – And The Winner Was?
This week both Christie’s and Sotheby’s held their American Art auctions in New York, and you will have to decide who was the overall winner of the American market this season. All sale prices mentioned below include the buyer’s premium. … More…
A Real Difficult One – Sotheby’s 19th Century European Sale
I will begin by saying that when I first saw the offerings for this sale, other than a handful of works, I was not very impressed. Supply seems very limited, and what is coming to the market are either not … More…
Saved The Best For Last – Christie’s 20th Century Evening
Finishing off the week of big Spring sales was Christie’s 20th Century, which featured an impressive lineup; offerings included works by Monet, Rothko, Giacometti, Warhol, Picasso, Mondrian, and a slew of other big names. As you can see 20th Century … More…