American Art Auction – Christie’s, New York
It was nice to have a break from the major auction action in New York. But we are now in a new year, and the sales are starting to ramp up. On January 19, Christie’s offered a selection of 19th … More…
Will the Spice Flow?
I closed out 2021 with a piece about NFTs, mainly about how they would be a good idea if they had the proper regulation and oversight. And yet again, this issue reared its ugly head in the form of a … More…
Behind Every Great Man (Literally in This Case)
Sandro Botticelli’s Christ portrait known as The Man of Sorrows is set to appear on the Sotheby’s auction block at the end of the month. It last came up on the market in 1963, when it sold in London for … More…
A Masterpiece Right Under Your Nose
Christopher Wright, a British art historian, just got some news that may lead him to reconsider how good he is at his job. The portrait that he thought was just a copy of an Anthony van Dyck painting that he … More…
Spain’s Next Great Archaeologist: A Badger
Last year’s winter was unusual for those living in Spain. In early January 2021, the winter storm Filomena raced across the Mediterranean before hitting the Iberian Peninsula, resulting in the heaviest snowfall that the region has experienced in fifty years. … More…
Artist’s In-Sights: Rendezvous In Honolulu
By: Todd M. Casey I recently had the honor of painting a commission for Rehs Contemporary. Commissions are always fun because I work directly with clients to help work out their ideas. Once the painting is completed, it is varnished … More…
The Pillar Of Shame Taken Down
Another one about statue-removal, though this one isn’t exactly good news. The Pillar of Shame is the name given to a haunting 26-foot-tall column of screaming faces, made primarily of copper and bronze. It is meant to commemorate the lives … More…
The Colston Four Walk Free
Though Black Lives Matter as a movement was born in the United States in 2013, it became internationalized in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. This became apparent to many when activists in the British city of Bristol toppled … More…
No Burgers by the Baths!
McDonald’s has about 600 locations in Italy. In a country known worldwide for its famous and well-developed culinary traditions, it may be surprising that there’s a demand for American-style fast food, even if it’s just for the novelty. But McDonald’s … More…
Top 5 Art Crime Posts Of 2021
Take a look back at 2021’s most interesting art crime articles: The Serial Swindler – The Inigo Philbrick art scandal (here are a couple of our earlier posts on the matter: Inigo Philbrick – More Art World Greed, Kenny Schachter … More…
Imperial Yangcai Revolving Vase Sets New Record
This past year, we covered many items that set auction records when they sold. They included David Drake’s American pottery, an ancient Roman marble statue, a double eagle gold coin, Billy the Kid’s revolver, and of course, the U.S. Constitution. … More…
Caveat Emptor – Let The Buyer Beware!
The number of auction sales that include art has skyrocketed through the pandemic. In the good old days, most people who wanted to auction a work of art consigned it to a saleroom in a major city – New York, … More…
NFTs: Newest Scammers’ Tool?
Well, I’ve given in to the pressure, and I’m writing about NFTs. I wasn’t planning on doing so, but then I saw an article in the Washington Post called “Will NFTs transform the art world?” So now I feel obligated … More…
The Singing Lesson – Arthur John Elsley
The Singing Lesson, a long-lost work by Arthur John Elsley, one of the most important British Victorian genre artists, recently surfaced. Elsley was born in London on November 20, 1860, to John and Emily Elsley. John was an amateur artist … More…
Desktop Globe Stuns Seller
A very lucky lady will have a very happy holiday and most likely go on a bit of a spending spree, all thanks to a rare desktop globe she purchased for a mere £150. The seller watched the online auction … More…
Christie’s, London: British and European Art
Munnings On December 16th, Christie’s, London, presented their wide range of British and European Art. Like the Sotheby’s sale, the estimates spanned a wide range: £1.5-2K to £200-300K; about 95% of the sale was expected to sell for under £100K. … More…