Sotheby’s Ups Their Buyer’s Premiums
Last week, we heard from one of our collectors that Sotheby’s is abandoning their 20% buyer’s premium and will now charge 27% on the first $1M, 22% up to $8M, and 15% in excess. Here is what the official email … More…
Painting Hides A Scandalous Secret: Sir Thomas Lawrence & The Wolff Portrait
A British art historian claims that one of the great British artists of the early nineteenth century may have hinted at a scandalous love affair in one of his portraits. It’s easy for both academics and casual gallery visitors to … More…
Sotheby’s Announces About-Face On Fees
On Thursday, December 19th, Sotheby’s sent a letter to clients informing them that, after only six months, they are reversing their decision to adopt a new, pared-down fee structure. In February 2024, Sotheby’s announced that starting in May, they would … More…
Picasso & Koons At The Alhambra
On Tuesday, December 17th, a new exhibition opened in the museum at the Alhambra in Spain. Like the Joan Mitchell/Claude Monet show at the Fondation Louis Vuitton (mired in controversy over a related Louis Vuitton ad campaign), the Alhambra exhibition … More…
Christie’s Sues Old Masters Buyer
Christie’s is suing an Italian real estate investor for failing to pay his invoice after he bid a record-setting amount for an eighteenth-century still life. This past June 12th, Christie’s hosted an Old Masters sale at the Paris location, with … More…
Dorothy’s Ruby-Red Slippers Click Their Way Into History
The ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz have clicked their heels into history once again, selling for an amount somewhere over the rainbow. The ruby slippers that just sold were one of … More…
Met Museum Reveals New Modern & Contemporary Wing
After nearly a decade of planning, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has finally unveiled designs for its new modern and contemporary art wing. The museum has hired Mexican architect Frida Escobedo, known for her work on Mexico City’s Museo … More…
Magritte’s Sunlit Surrealism: Lessons For Art During Crisis
How did sunshine and rainbows help defeat fascism? Art can be so many things: a straight representation of reality, an escape from reality, or a reminder of issues that need our attention. And it’s that last role that captivates many … More…
Meme Award Goes To Former Italian Cultural Minister
According to an award show, the former Italian cultural minister is now the most memed person this year. Memissima is an annual award show in Italy to celebrate the best of that year’s memes. Memes have become an incredible, versatile … More…
Sotheby’s London Old Masters & 19th Century
With Christie’s hosting their Old Masters evening sale on Tuesday, Sotheby’s followed up right behind them with their Old Masters & Nineteenth-Century Paintings sale on Wednesday evening. The sale’s showstopper, of course, was a Madonna and Child painting by the … More…
Christie’s London Old Masters
After the week of blockbuster end-of-year sales in New York, many of the main auction houses will host their Old Masters and nineteenth-century sales. Christie’s kicked things off with their Tuesday evening sale in London, which, by Old Masters standards, … More…
Annie Leibovitz’s Royal Unveiling
Renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz has recently unveiled her latest project: a double portrait of the king and queen of Spain. For their twentieth anniversary, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia posed for photographer Annie Lebovitz in a stunning display of … More…
Caravaggio’s Young Pope Premieres In Rome
A Caravaggio portrait of a young pope, first positively attributed to the artist over six decades ago, has finally gone on public display for the first time ever. Caravaggio created the portrait of Maffeo Barberini around 1598 when the priest … More…
Sotheby’s New York “The Now” & Contemporary
On Wednesday, November 20th, Sotheby’s hosted their contemporary evening sale, including what, for the past several years, they have referred to as “The Now.” While it did not breach into the top lots, most of the talk surrounding this sale … More…
How To Safely Navigate The Art Market: Attributed To
In the old days, dealers and auction rooms would only use the phrase Attributed To for works that, in an expert’s opinion, were more than likely by the artist in question. Of course, there was still a little uncertainty, since … More…
2024’s Top 10 Art World Moments
2024 has been eventful indeed, making it very difficult to narrow down the defining moments to just a list of ten. But these are just some of the most interesting: January: Sgarbi’s Torch In a scandal that began to unfold … More…