The Stylish Style: Why Is Mannerism Weird?
If you go to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, you will see many wonderful things. You might recognize Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes or the portrait of Medusa’s head by Caravaggio. Most people will instantly go towards the major Botticelli … More…
Spain Can Keep Holocaust Loot, Says US Court
While there has been significant progress made in the effort to return art stolen by the Nazis either to their countries of origin or the descendants of their former owners, sometimes not everything can go exactly the way you want. … More…
Sgarbi’s Torch: Unfolding Scandal in Italy
Vittorio Sgarbi is a name that I have mentioned in articles several times before. He is a writer, art critic, and politician who, since November 2022, has served as one of the three undersecretaries for Italy’s Ministry of Culture. Given … More…
Velázquez Vanishes From Upcoming Sale
A royal portrait by the Spanish Old Master Diego Velázquez has unexpectedly been withdrawn from the sale of which specialists expected it to be the star. The portrait of Isabel de Borbón is said to be one of the finest … More…
Theft By Chinese Companies
I know this issue has existed for a long time, but it is crucial for galleries, artists, hosting sites, the press, and others to elevate their awareness and commitment to combat the persistent problem of image theft, particularly by Chinese … More…
Cyberattack Hits American Museums
A tech service provider that works closely with many American museums announced it experienced a cyberattack recently. Gallery Systems stated they realized they had a problem on December 28th, when the computers running their systems became encrypted and inoperable. As … More…
Manet’s Asparagus: Humor in the Arts
I took an elective class for my arts requirement when I was at school. It was called Laughter and the Fine Arts and looked into humor and comedy in everything from Aristophanes to Modern Family. People have been making humorous art … More…
Art Market 2023: The Year In Review
2023 was another incredible year for the art market. In an interesting turn, Sotheby’s took the top spot this year with $8 billion in sales, around the same as 2022. Christie’s, however, saw a slight decrease, down from last year’s … More…
Top Art World Moments Of 2023
With so much that has happened in 2023, it was difficult to pick just ten of the most interesting, most impactful art world moments of the year. But here are my favorites. From big sales and monumental exhibitions to theft … More…
Sneaker Surprise At Shelter
In Portland, Oregon, a local shelter experienced an unexpected windfall earlier this year: a pair of striking gold Nike sneakers surfaced in their donation pile. These weren’t just any sneakers but the Air Jordan 3s, size 12 1/2, custom-made for … More…
Beatles Painting Heads To Auction
A painting created and signed by all four members of the Beatles will be up for sale at Christie’s this February. In 1966, Beatlemania was at its height. The group had been touring nonstop for several years, traversing the globe … More…
British Museum & BP Back In Business
Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. As if the British Museum’s reputation couldn’t get any worse, its leadership made an incredibly controversial decision that led to at least one of its trustees resigning. Earlier … More…
Update Up North: The Morrisseau Forgery Trial
A Canadian court has sentenced the main perpetrator of one of the largest art fraud conspiracies. Back in March, I wrote about how police in Ontario had arrested a group of people for creating and selling thousands of artworks being … More…
British Museum Ends The Year On A Low Note
The British Museum has not had the best year. The end of 2023 cannot come fast enough for the museum administration and its supporters. 2023 saw the museum plagued by scandals, the most devastating of which involved a senior staff … More…
Bonhams New York Hartman Collection
Alan Hartman owned Hartman Rare Art on New York’s Madison Avenue for decades until his passing earlier this year. He was considered an expert in Chinese jade carvings, East Asian antiquities, and English silver. When his widow Simone consigned their … More…
Gertrude: Art Through An App
In an age of social media and instantaneous communication, promoting yourself as an artist is easier yet more difficult. Yes, you can get the word out quicker, but so can everyone else, leading to a bit of oversaturation. Therefore, even … More…