19th-Century & British Impressionist – Bonhams, London
On March 31, Bonhams presented their 19th-century and British Impressionist sale, which included various works dating from the 1840s through the 1960s. In the number one position, they had a tie. Alice Boyd’s The Thames from Cheyne Walk (est. £15-20K) … More…
Wow, One da Vinci Mystery Has Been Solved
In 1909, the Berlin Royal Museums, under the direction of Wilhelm Bode, purchased a wax bust of the goddess Flora for 185,000 Goldmark. The artist? Leonardo da Vinci! Well, maybe. The purchase created controversy, and hundreds of articles appeared – … More…
Impressionist & Modern – Paris
On April 14, Christie’s, Paris, presented their Oeuvres modernes sur papier / Art Impressionniste et Moderne sale that included a wide range of work from the 19th and 20th centuries. While there was very little that interested us, it is … More…
Real Coin or Bitcoin?
What is the better investment, a real coin or a Bitcoin? Only time will tell, but I am betting on the real deal for now. Nothing can compete with looking at and holding a real treasure; obviously, you cannot do … More…
Contemporary Feature: Sömngångare by Ben Bauer
As a young boy growing up in rural Minnesota, the environment played a vital role in Ben Bauer’s upbringing. Weekends in the countryside and treks through the local woods, river valleys, and wetlands bred a deep admiration and understanding for … More…
Can You Blame Them?
In 2016, the American graffiti artist JonOne painted an extremely large work (7.8 x 22.9 feet) in front of an audience at the Lotte World Mall in Seoul, South Korea. The artist then left cans of paint and brushes in … More…
The Salvator Mundi Saga Continues — This Time On The Big Screen
The da Vinci story never seems to end. Is it real or not? I doubt we will ever find out. On April 13, The Savior for Sale, a film about the da Vinci saga, is scheduled to hit the big screen. In … More…
Sacha Jafri Creates a Painiting as Big as His Heart
When it too big, too much – apparently not when your heart is in the right place. According to Guinness World Records, a recently created painting that just sold is the world’s largest and one of the most expensive sold … More…
Really, Another Person Leaves Works In A Parked Car?
This story left me shaking my head in disbelief. It seems that someone in Los Angeles left two paintings by Jack Armstrong, Primalsun #1 and Imagine #3 AKA Elvis Painting (supposedly worth millions of dollars – really?) in a car … More…
More Auction Action – Impressionist & Modern, Paris
On the 25th, Sotheby’s, Paris, presented a curated group of Impressionist and Modern works of art and the results were pretty good. (all final prices, unless otherwise noted, include the buyer’s premium; estimates do not) For the past month, the … More…
Yard Sale Treasure
With a bounty of treasures, galleries and auction houses presented works of art and collectibles during Asia Week New York, which took place from March 10th -20th. One of the treasures offered was a rare Yongle period blue and white … More…
American Art at Sotheby’s
Earlier this month, Sotheby’s offered up a group of American paintings ranging from Hudson River School, to Western, to Impressionist, to Modernist, to Contemporary. Taking the number one spot, and a surprise to many, was a small (20 x 16 … More…
Sotheby’s Curated Contemporary Sale
On March 12th, Sotheby’s New York presented their Curated Contemporary Sale, which featured a diverse group of artists whose work spans the last 70 years. The selection includes artists that exemplify the postwar period to cutting-edge artists of today. … More…
A Colorful Day For The The Scottish Colourists
On the 17th of March, Sotheby’s presented a group of works by the Scottish Colourists from the Harrison collection – all of the paintings were acquired by Major Ion Harrison almost 100 years ago. Some of you might be wondering, … More…
Impressionist and Modern Art – Sotheby’s, New York
On March 11, Sotheby’s New York presented their first Impressionist and Modern Art sale for 2021; it was an online-only event, and bidding was open from March 1 through the 11th — at 2pm on the 11th, lots began to … More…
Beeple Hits The Jackpot!
On March 11, Christie’s sale of Beeple’s (Mike Winkelmann) Everydays: The First 5,000 Days (2021) NFT ended at a record-shattering and mind-boggling price of $69,346,250! According to the ARTnews article, Christie’s reported that among the bidders, 55 percent were based in the U.S., … More…