Rejects: The Salon That Changed the Art World
For nearly a century and a half, the Paris Salon stood as the most esteemed art exhibition in the world. Though it was originally established as a show for the recent graduates of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, over time, it … More…
Victory For KAWS
Over more than twenty years, the artist Brian Donnelly, professionally known as KAWS, has become one of the world’s most popular contemporary artists. He is primarily known for creating distinctive characters throughout his work, portraying them through paintings, sculptures, and … More…
Olympia’s New York Debut
Édouard Manet made a name for himself in the 1860s by becoming one of the biggest names in the burgeoning modernist movement. His works shocked audiences for several reasons, one of which was nudity. Nude figures were nothing new to … More…
Mona Lisa’s Bridge: A Fake Historian’s Latest Claim
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has captivated viewers for many reasons. There’s the enigmatic smile, Leonardo’s sfumato technique on full display, and the subject’s mysterious identity. But few people concern themselves with the background of the work. The Mona Lisa … More…
Beth Ann Sistrunk (1978-2023)
It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of beloved artist Beth Ann Sistrunk. Beth was born in Wheeling, West Virginia to Jerry and Beverly Grubb, and was raised in south-east Ohio. Growing up in the rural Midwest, … More…
BUT … It Can Impact A Work’s Salability
The word “but” is a conjunction that is often used to introduce a contrasting or conflicting statement. It is commonly used to indicate a shift in thought or a disagreement with a previous statement. People who have worked with our … More…
Going Bananas: Artwork Eaten By Museum Visitor
For years, I’ve been hearing the pros and cons of having breakfast. But this may be the first time one of the benefits of having breakfast in the morning includes that I’m less inclined to destroy an artwork at the … More…
Christie’s New York Modern American Art
On Friday April 21st, Christie’s New York held its Modern American Art sale, consisting mostly of paintings by American masters. These included American impressionists like Edward Henry Potthast and William James Glackens, members of the Ashcan School like Robert Henri … More…
Pitfalls Exposed In The Met’s Indigenous Art Collection
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has not had a good year. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office and third-party investigators have found that many works in their antiquities collection were previously stolen or looted from their places of origin. I … More…
Turner: The Father Of Modern Art
Joseph Mallord William Turner is probably one of the most beloved of Britain’s artists. He created works of art which are now recognizable symbols of the British artistic tradition, as well as pioneered techniques that would become the basis of … More…
Bernini At The Airport
Fiumicino is a small town located about 45 minutes west of the center of Rome. To Romans, Fiumicino means one of two things: the beach or the airport. The Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino is where nearly 30 million … More…
Sotheby’s Paris Impressionniste & Moderne
On Wednesday April 19th, Sotheby’s Paris hosted a short impressionist and modern art evening sale. The auction consisted of twenty-one lots that took about an hour to get through, mainly made up of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century paintings and … More…
Vanity License Plate Sets Record
Did you hear about the guy who just spent Dh55 million ($15 million to you and me) on a license plate in Dubai? I mean, talk about a vanity license plate! The license plate was offered during a charity auction … More…
The Laziest Fakes: Goya & Velázquez Forgeries Seized In Spain
In Spain, the Historic Heritage division of Valencia’s regional police seized five paintings said to be forgeries being passed off as originals by the Spanish masters Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Goya. The suspects involved attempted to sell the works … More…
The Orlando Basquiats: A Year In The Making
Last year, the FBI raided the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA), confiscating 25 alleged forgeries of works by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Since then, the OMA’s board of trustees has fired its chairwoman Cynthia Brumback and the museum director Aaron de Groft, … More…
Dorotheum 19th Century Paintings
I normally don’t cover sales from continental European auction houses. However, when I saw the results from Dorotheum’s sale of nineteenth-century paintings, I knew I had to write something about it. On May 2nd, Dorotheum’s Vienna saleroom offered one hundred … More…