Aaron de Groft, Disgraced Former OMA Curator, Dies At 59
Aaron de Groft, the former museum curator at the center of the Orlando Basquiats scandal, died at age 59. I have written extensively about the scandal of which De Groft was at the center. On June 24, 2022, the FBI … More…
Hockney Retrospective at the Fondation Louis Vuitton
Later this year, the prestigious Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris will host a new retrospective exhibition dedicated to the great British artist David Hockney. David Hockney got his first retrospective in 1970 and has been the subject of many more … More…
Thou Shalt Be Auctioned
Recently, the Yavne Tablet, a remarkable relic from the late Roman-Byzantine era (circa 300–800 CE), was auctioned off. It is the oldest surviving complete stone inscription of the Ten Commandments. The tablet features twenty lines of Paleo-Hebrew text carved into … More…
The Art World’s Response To The California Wildfires
With some of the recent wildfires in California still blazing, many are now recognizing their devastating impact on the arts in the Los Angeles area. Despite the devastating impact of the Southern California wildfires, the art community in the Los … More…
2024 Art Market: Doomed or Dormant?
In 2024, I collected data on the art market, recording over two hundred auctions. I do so to keep a record of the areas of the secondary market relevant to our gallery. We can also use them to pick up … More…
Italian Museums Offer Free Dog-Sitting
As part of a promotional campaign, Italian museums are offering a new service to make their visitors more comfortable: free dog-sitting. The pet company BauAdvisor began its service two years ago. Dog owners drop off their furry friends at the … More…
Rediscovered Turner Consigned To Christie’s
Someone recently got quite a surprise when Christie’s told them that their old watercolor is likely by the British master J.M.W. Turner. Turner created The Approach to Venice, also known as Venice from the Lagoon, around 1840, in the last … More…
California Wildfires Threaten Getty Villa
On the afternoon of Tuesday, January 7th, the grounds of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles caught fire as part of the series of wildfires sweeping through Southern California. The Getty Villa in the Pacific Palisades of Los Angeles is … More…
Sargent’s Dollar Princesses
An upcoming exhibition at one of London’s manor houses will delve into the fascinating history of the American portraitist John Singer Sargent and his relationship with the American socialites known as the “dollar princesses”. Starting around the mid-nineteenth century, it … More…
Queen Elizabeth Monument In The Works
The British government is now in the initial stages of holding a competition among artists and architects to design a new monument in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth II. A monument for Queen Elizabeth is certainly fitting. She was … More…
Stolen Caravaggio Reimagined
Michelangelo Pistoletto, one of the greatest living Italian artists, has unveiled a new work that pays homage to Palermo’s stolen Caravaggio nativity painting. In March, I wrote a series of short articles about famous art thefts that have gone unsolved. … More…
Court Rules Against Benton Family
Recently, a five-year legal battle ended after a Missouri state court ruled against the family of artist Thomas Hart Benton. Thomas Hart Benton was one of the most influential American artists of the twentieth century. Along with his contemporary Grant … 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…
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…
The American Sublime At Christie’s, New York
The 2025 auction season is now starting to kick off. While there have been a smattering of assorted sales earlier in the month, the first sale in the section of the art market relevant to Rehs Galleries took place on … More…