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…
The Marathon’s Final Leg – Impressionist & Modern
There was a short break after the Contemporary sale, and by about 9:20 pm, the final leg of their marathon event started – those UK staff members must have been drinking a lot of coffee! The auctioneer began by announcing … More…
Part 2 Of The Sotheby’s Marathon – Contemporary
When the Marion sale ended, they moved on to the Contemporary Evening Sale, which started at about 7 pm and went on until 9 pm, with only 32 lots. This one just dragged on with the bidders from across the … More…
Sotheby’s Marathon – Part 1 – The Collection Of Mrs. John L. Marion
Sotheby’s began their May 12th marathon with a group of paintings from the collection of Mrs. John Marion (Anne Windfohr Marion). After looking at the works up for sale (most of which were very large), I wondered about the size … More…
Contemporary Art… Wait No, 21st Century Art At Christie’s… Uhh, Except The Basquiats (And Others)
The spring auction season is upon us, with the big houses holding their Impressionist & Modern and Post-War & Contemporary sales. Christie’s being the annoying entity they are, decided to change the structure of their sales; now they feature a … More…
While Drawing Protests, Deaccessioning Continues
Throughout the pandemic, we have read stories about museums in financial trouble and how some have resorted to selling works to cover costs. Hopefully, we are getting closer to allowing them to open fully; however, some are still looking to … More…
Kardashian Learns a Lesson on Looted Artifacts… Maybe?
Just last week, the U.S. Government filed a suit seeking the forfeiture of an “illegally imported” statue, which is currently being held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection; it has been in their possession since it was imported to the … More…
Kanye West Has A New Record
Kayne West breaks a record, and this one was not vinyl. Kayne West is best known as an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer, but he also has a love of fashion and has had his hand at designing. For … More…
More On The da Vinci Saga
Martin Kemp, one of the leading experts on da Vinci’s work, has penned an article for The Art Newspaper about the controversy surrounding the $450 million painting. Will this ever end? I doubt it, but in the end, does it … More…
That Did Not Take Long – Thank Goodness!
The other day we reported on the Basquiat NFT and our feelings that creating one is a violation of the artist’s copyright, not to mention the idea of possibly destroying the work would also open up a legal battle. Well, … More…
Way To Go, Mario!
Super Mario scores again when one of the oldest known factory-sealed game cartridges sold for a record price. Super Mario began his adventures in 1985 when NES (Nintendo) started producing the iconic video game. The copy just presented at auction … More…
Make An NFT & Destroy The Original?
Now I can confirm that some of the players in the NFT market are off their rockers. The owner of Basquiat’s Free Comb with Pagoda will have it made into an NFT and sold at auction. The ‘lucky’ purchaser will … More…
Christie’s 19th Century – What Did They Expect?
On April 21, Christie’s offered up a selection of 19th-century European works of art. I will start by saying that when the catalog arrived, I felt like many of the works had been offered recently (I will get into that … More…
Tom Brady Sets Record Off The Field
Tom Brady is one of the most distinguished football quarterbacks and a legend in the NFL today; he is often referred to as the GOAT (Greatest of All-time). Brady has set numerous records throughout his 20 plus year career, including … More…
19th-Century & British Impressionist – Bonhams, London
On March 31, Bonhams presented their 19th-century and British Impressionist sale, which included various works dating from the 1840s through the 1960s. In the number one position, they had a tie. Alice Boyd’s The Thames from Cheyne Walk (est. £15-20K) … More…
Wow, One da Vinci Mystery Has Been Solved
In 1909, the Berlin Royal Museums, under the direction of Wilhelm Bode, purchased a wax bust of the goddess Flora for 185,000 Goldmark. The artist? Leonardo da Vinci! Well, maybe. The purchase created controversy, and hundreds of articles appeared – … More…
Impressionist & Modern – Paris
On April 14, Christie’s, Paris, presented their Oeuvres modernes sur papier / Art Impressionniste et Moderne sale that included a wide range of work from the 19th and 20th centuries. While there was very little that interested us, it is … More…
Real Coin or Bitcoin?
What is the better investment, a real coin or a Bitcoin? Only time will tell, but I am betting on the real deal for now. Nothing can compete with looking at and holding a real treasure; obviously, you cannot do … More…