Christie’s Western Art Sale Shatters Records in New York
Christie’s New York Western Art sale in January delivered record-breaking results across several categories. The two-part auction, Visions of the West: The William I. Koch Collection, held January 20–21, realized just over $84.1 million with fees, making it the most … More…
When Protest Becomes Criminal: A Student Eats an AI Art Installation
A student in Alaska has been arrested for destroying an AI art installation by eating it. Previously, I’ve written about how gallery visitors have repeatedly eaten Maurizio Cattelan’s installation The Comedian, popularly known as the banana taped to the wall. … More…
Bad Bunny Crossing the Delaware (and to the Super Bowl)
A Puerto Rican artist has commemorated Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show with a reimagining of Washington Crossing the Delaware. Puerto Rican painter and actor Ektor Rivera used Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting as his model. He created the work … More…
New York Welcomes Caravaggio’s First Masterpiece
New York museums often put on incredible exhibitions, securing loans from institutions worldwide. However, it is very rare for a museum to receive an iconic masterwork. This distinction usually happens only once a year. Last year, the Hamburger Kunsthalle loaned … More…
From £5 to £3 Million: A Scottish Town’s Hidden Masterpiece Faces an Export Ban
In late 2023, the Highland town of Invergordon faced an extraordinary decision: whether to sell an 18th-century marble bust by French master sculptor Edmé Bouchardon after an interested buyer offered £2.5 million for the work. The sculpture, Bust of Sir … More…
Rijksmuseum Set for Major Expansion with €60 Million Sculpture Garden
Thanks to a large donation, Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum will soon include a public sculpture garden featuring works by great modernists. The Don Quixote Foundation is the Rijksmuseum’s single largest private benefactor. It is a philanthropic organization co-founded by Dutch aristocrat and … More…
Artist Spotlight: Bryan Larsen
Bryan Larsen’s paintings are grounded in realism yet driven by imagination, curiosity, and an enduring sense of optimism about the future. As a child, Larsen might have said he wanted to be an astronaut, but drawing quickly became his true … More…
Artist Spotlight: John Bentham-Dinsdale (1927–2008)
John Bentham-Dinsdale occupies a distinctive place in twentieth-century British maritime painting, combining rigorous draftsmanship, architectural training, and a historian’s respect for accuracy. Born in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, Dinsdale was educated locally before attending Leeds School of Art, where he earned … More…
Top 10 Art World Moments of 2025
2025 saw many highs and lows in the art world, but which ones will be remembered as some of the most remarkable moments of the year? 1. The Louvre and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year 2025 … More…
Theaster Gates Chosen for Major Commission at the Obama Presidential Center
American artist Theaster Gates has been selected to create a new work for the Barack Obama Presidential Center, set to open in Chicago in spring 2026. Gates is a professor in the University of Chicago’s Department of Visual Arts, as … More…
Notre Dame’s New Stained Glass
The designs for Notre Dame’s new stained glass windows are on display at the Grand Palais in Paris. Clair Tabouret was selected from a field of more than 100 artists in a juried competition to create the new contemporary stained … More…
Upcoming Installation Honors Christo & Jeanne-Claude
In a tribute to the late environmental artists Christo & Jeanne-Claude, the French photographer and street artist JR plans to use Paris’s Pont Neuf as a canvas for an installation work. Christo Javacheff became known for large-scale environmental and installation … More…
Fabergé Sold, Fabergé Swallowed
Fabergé was in the news twice this week, for very different reasons. The first was that an incredibly rare Fabergé egg once owned by the Russian Czars sold at Christie’s for an astronomical price. The second was because a man … More…
Sotheby’s London Old Masters Evening Sale
This past week, the major London auction houses hosted a series of Old Masters sales for Classics Week; the Sotheby’s Old Master & 19th Century evening sale on Wednesday was certainly the highlight of the week. Thirty lots crossed the … More…
Louvre Announces Ticket Price Hikes
The Louvre has announced it will raise ticket prices by 45% for non-EU visitors. The Louvre will have to find multiple ways to raise money for the extensive renovations promised by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year. One of … More…
Comments on the Art Market – Volume 302
Volume 302 20 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019 (212) 355-5710 www.rehs.com www.rehscgi.com WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY 2026 EDITION OF COMMENTS ON THE ART MARKET In this edition, we recap the start of the year, marked by record-breaking weather … More…