Leveraging Your Art Collection
Abby Schultz’s article on Penta gives a quick overview of the sort of leveraging that has been going on in the art world and whose been loaning the billions of dollars. It is not only the banks and specialty firms, … More…
Some Helping Hands Are Worth Their Weight In Gold
Need a pair of extra hands around the house these days? Earlier this month, a single item sale featured the hands of a remarkable man…not his real hands, of course, but a set of four gold casts of Nelson Mandela … More…
Museums Seek Federal Bailout Amid Prolonged Closure
As our government still tries to get a grip on the health crisis our country (and the world) is facing, cultural institutions are pleading with Congress to include them in the impending bailout package expected to be passed. Today, the … More…
Thieves Target Notre-Dame Amid Lockdown
Ok, first things first – I hope you and your families are all safe, but please STAY HOME! And if you have to go out for any reason, remember social distancing! Do your part, in these difficult times, by doing … More…
Fordjour vs. Blumenthal
A lawsuit between artist Derek Fordjour and Robert Blumenthal Gallery is making its way through the courts. According to an article in Artnews, the gallery originally paid the artist $20K for 20 works and only received 13. Now they want … More…
More Art Thefts – Why?
It was recently reported that thieves broke into the Christ Church Picture Gallery in Oxford, England, and stole paintings by Van Dyck, Annibale Caracci, and Salvator Rosa. An article in the Daily Mail state that the theft included …the irreplaceable … More…
Knowing Righter from Wrong….
Philip Bennet Righter, of Los Angeles, is facing up to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to federal charges of art fraud. The US Attorney’s Office of Central District of California has been investigating Righter since 2016. It … More…
A $360,000 Gaming System – Really?
In the late 1980s, Nintendo and Sony formed a partnership to create the Nintendo PlayStation. The idea was to incorporate a CD-ROM into the popular Super Nintendo entertainment/gaming system, but the partnership dissolved and the prototypes of the gaming system … More…
London’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Sales
Following up rather weak Impressionist and Modern Sales, Sotheby’s and Christie’s offered their Post-War and Contemporary Art selections with modest expectations… going in, Sotheby’s had projected a nearly identical pre-sale estimate to last year while Christie’s pre-sale numbers were way … More…
Shotgun Shoots By Estimate
Wyatt Earp (1848 – 1929) was a lawman of the Old West and best known for his involvement in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. This shoot-out is regarded as the most famous gunfight in American Wild … More…
Jane Austen – Always A Hit!
Does anyone buy books anymore? Apparently so, as six first editions by Jane Austen made history at a recent sale. It is always noteworthy when any of her first edition books hit the auction block, but to have all six … More…
London’s Impressionist, Modern & Surrealist Sales
February was a busy month for us, bouncing from fair to fair, and it was also a busy month in the auction arena, so we’re going to play a bit of catch-up. Over in London, both Sotheby’s and Christie’s hosted … More…
How To Safely Navigate The Art Market: Framing
Finding an appropriate frame for a work of art is very important. The right frame can greatly enhance the look of your artwork, while the wrong frame can detract from its overall appearance. Having said that, please keep in mind … More…
More Hot Water For Boone?
Back in 2018, art dealer Mary Boone pleaded guilty (Gotta Love Creative Accounting … Except When You Get Caught) to falsifying her 2011 tax return. Then in February of 2019, is was reported (Don’t Mess with the IRS) that Boone … More…
The Silver (Lining) Cup
A tale that takes us from the dark to the bright side…. The MET announced that they returned a 16th-century silver stem cup to the heirs of Eugen Gutmann. The prized cup was part of an extensive silver collection of … More…
Comments on the Art Market – Volume 231
We are pleased to announce that Volume 231 of our Comments on the Art Market was just released. In this issue we cover our current gallery exhibitions, the Charleston show, Todd Casey’s new book, In the News (article on Forbes.com … More…