The New Auction Normal – Sotheby’s Online Evening Pt. 1
Being back at the gallery has really cut into all this free time I’ve gotten used to… going to play a little catch-up on some sales from a few weeks back. At the end of June, Sotheby’s hosted a trio … More…
Winning Result for Pokémon
A rare Pokémon card was recognized as a true champion when it sold for more than a few PokéCoins (the game’s currency) at a recent auction featuring Comics and Comic Art. One of the most sought after and rarest cards … More…
Henkel Hoax
An alleged forgery ring is unraveling after authorities garnered enough evidence to obtain a search warrant for artist Donald “D.B” Henkel’s property in Traverse City, Michigan. According to reports, the FBI began investigating the artist after learning he was involved … More…
‘Grandeur Of Imagination’ Invites Complex Narratives In The Enchanting Paintings Of Tony South
Each of Tony South’s works take the viewer on a wild ride… and I can attest, we have enjoyed the adventure over the years! This past week, Natasha Gural-Maiello of Forbes.com, spent some time chatting with Tony to learn more … More…
Sotheby’s, London – Old Masters – A Tale Of Two Cities
Last week, Sotheby’s presented a doubleheader — consecutive online-only Old Master sales in London and New York. What made these sales a little different is the fact that all the works were sourced from art dealers. We have all seen … More…
Annie Get Your Gun
One of my fondest memories of junior high school was being part of the musical, Annie Get Your Gun, and a recent sale of one of Annie Oakley’s guns brought back that memory. As you may recall, the original Broadway … More…
Cobain’s Guitar Rocks Estimate
About nine months ago, I wrote about a grungy old sweater worn by Kurt Cobain during a performance in 1993 on ‘MTV Unplugged in New York,’ which made a really incredible price when it sold for $334K; now another item … More…
Record Price for Richmond Barthé
A recent sale in New York featured African American Fine Art. During the sale, one of the lots set a new auction record for Richmond Barthé (1901 – 1989), an African-American artist who became best known for his sculptures that, … More…
Sotheby’s, London: 19th Century – A Bit Better Than The Competition
This week, Sotheby’s, London, also presented an online sale of 19th-century works, though they offered a substantially greater amount of work than the competition… featuring 211 items, while Christie’s had just 71. Even with almost 3 times as much material, … More…
Christie’s Train Wreck – 19th Century, New York
On June 17th, Christie’s closed their 19th-century online sale. Sadly, this was one of the worst sales I have seen in my career … a complete disaster. Making it very difficult for people to understand how bad it was, is … More…
Gulbenkian Arrested In Portugal
Disgraced German art dealer Angela Gulbenkian, has been arrested in Portugal after the U.K. issued a European Arrest Warrant for skipping trial. Gulbenkian faces charges of theft from two separate lawsuits. The first in 2018, when she allegedly sold a … More…
19th Century – Sotheby’s, New York
Just after the London Orientalist sale finished, Sotheby’s, New York, offered up a selection of mid-level 19th-century paintings (typically, this is one of their biggest sales of the year, generating millions). Like London, this was another online-only sale, and from … More…
The Orientalist Sale – Sotheby’s, London
Sotheby’s, London, offered up a selection of 19th century Orientalist works from the Najd Collection (the sale was originally going to take place on March 31). The catalog featured 34 works; however, by the time the auction took place (strictly … More…
Update: Bataclan Banksy Bagged
An update about an article we posted back in January 2019 on a Banksy that was stolen from the Bataclan theater in Paris; a work which paid tribute to victims of the Paris terrorist attack in 2015: In 2018, Banksy … More…
Marc Restellini Sues Wildenstein
Earlier today it was reported, in Le Monde, that Marc Restellini (an art historian and Modigliani expert) is suing the Wildenstein Plattner Institute (a non-profit institution created by Guy Wildenstein and Hasso Plattner in 2016). Restellini is claiming that the … More…
Curated Connections: Beachy Keen
It is day 82 (it is actually day 90 now, but I wrote this just before I moved into a new apartment) and weird things are happening… I thought it was the television or the possibility that quarantining for almost … More…
Bonhams’ 19th-century Sale, London
On June 3rd, Bonhams presented their mid-market 19th-century sale in London (it was initially scheduled to take place on April 8th). With all that is currently going on in the world, 15 works (or about 15% of the lots) were … More…
No Sports, No Problem…Buy Something to Remember the 2020 Season
So what’s a sports fan supposed to do when there are no basketball, baseball, hockey or football games for the foreseeable future, or at least none with fans in the stands? Of course you can re-watch games from years ago, … More…
Safely Navigating The Art Market – Hanging Your Artwork
Since many of us are quarantining these days (and some may be having a few too many quarantinis), many collectors have decided to add works to their collection, while others have been rearranging the works they already own … … More…
Alaskan Antiques Dealer Charged
It seems that Walter Earl, owner of The Antique Gallery in Alaska, did not want to abide by the law, and will now pay the price. Not only was Earl illegally buying and selling walrus ivory, but he was doing … More…
Online Part 2 – Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Online Day Sale
The Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Online Day sale was reasonably successful given the circumstance… that said, this sale was a mere 102 lots whereas last year’s day sale in May offered more than 300 works! Additionally, last year saw multiple … More…
Video: Serene Chill, Tonalist Landscapes by Ben Bauer
“I am drawn to gray days, dusk and dawn and the dark…. it gives a sense that something new is coming, whether it’s night or day – something new awaits.” Enjoy a short video of new and available … More…
Sotheby’s Contemporary Day Sale Goes Digital
Each year, the June newsletter typically features a review on the major auctions in New York – the Contemporary and the Impressionist at Sotheby’s and Christie’s… as I am sure you know or would expect, those auctions did not take … More…
Hobby Lobby Sues Christie’s
Just after we made our post about the smuggled Gilgamesh Dream Tablet that Hobby Lobby purchased from Christie’s for over $1.6M, another article appeared. This one, in the Daily Beast, is about the lawsuit Hobby Lobby has now brought against … More…