Unicorn: Scottish Museum’s Upcoming Exhibition
Nowadays, when people think of unicorns, they think of them in the context of children, like little kids playing with unicorn dolls or watching My Little Pony. But a museum in the Scottish city of Perth is ready to tell the … More…
Alexander Hamilton’s Pistols
Once part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, Alexander Hamilton‘s pocket pistols recently made waves crossing the auction block. The winning bid reached a substantial $650K ($819K w/p). Christie’s listed the estimate as by request, but reports have stated … More…
Cathedral Caper: French Stained Glass In America
A French cultural organization is trying to force several American museums to return stained glass window panels stolen from Rouen Cathedral. Philippe Machicote is president of the association Lumière sur le Patrimoine, or Spotlight on Heritage, and has actively tried … More…
The Orlando Basquiats: OMA Drops Charges
The situation at the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) has progressed again. Last time we checked in, disgraced former director Aaron de Groft countersued OMA for wrongful termination, defamation, and breach of contract. This was in response to OMA’s lawsuit against … More…
A Magical Tutu
Recently, the spotlight shone on the three-tiered white tutu worn by Sarah Jessica Parker‘s iconic Sex and the City character, Carrie Bradshaw, in the show’s opening credits. This legendary piece of fashion history went under the hammer at a recent auction, … More…
Stolen Paintings Found In Belgian Basement
In 2010, burglars stole a pair of artworks by twentieth-century masters from a private collection in Israel. Fourteen years later, they’ve finally been located almost 2,000 miles away in Belgium. Tête by Pablo Picasso and L’homme en prière by Marc Chagall were … More…
PAFA Ends Degree Programs
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in Philadelphia is the oldest art school in the United States. It has trained generations of artists forever over two centuries. And now, after all that time, it will end its degree-granting … More…
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…
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…
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…
Christie’s NY 19th Century American Sale
On Thursday, January 18th, Christie‘s kicked things off with their first sale of note for 2024. Their 19th Century American & Western sale featured one hundred lots and ended up a good way to start the year. Of course, the … More…